The Royal Hunting Lodge

Sophie Reese

A loud boom of thunder shook the foundations of the house. The air pressure was increasing and I could feel the building static in the air. An electrical storm in winter was unheard of, but I had this feeling that this was no freak weather incident. In fact, I think somehow Casper was influencing the weather in the same way that Luc had influenced the flowers to shrivel and die. Casper was radiating that same powerful aura that both awed and terrified me.

He stood over us, staring at Rudolph's hand on my neck. His face was an unreadable mask, he simply stared at the hand until Rudolph gingerly removed it from my neck.

Rudolph was petrified. The moment he registered Casper's presence, his hand had started to quiver on the back of my neck. He slowly moved away from me, his eyes cast low to the floor like a naughty puppy that had been caught peeing on the rug.

"Ah, Casper," he said in a soft submissive tone, "Sophie fell outside and I was just getting a speck of dirt out her eye."

Casper said nothing and then looked at me, his eyes suddenly filled with hurt and betrayal.

"Now wait a minute," I said seeing that look, "You can't think that I started this! He forced himself on me."

"I know," Casper replied flatly, "I asked you not to go near the edge of the estate."

The accusation in his voice washed over me like a bucket of ice-cold water. How could he have known about the forest? I wanted to ask why, however, Casper had other plans. He turned to Rudolph and said, "What you have done is unforgivable and your existence is now offensive to me. I cannot allow you to live."

Rudolph immediately planted his palm on the floor and lowered his head downwards into a grovelling bow.

"Please, cousin, forgive my lapse in judgement. I have never been good with beautiful women... I just see them and I have to have them."

Casper turned to his side and said, "Jacques, please take Sophie back to her room. There is no reason for her to see this ugliness."

I hadn't realised this, but Jacques and Nico were standing in the far corner of the room, lingering in the shadows. Jacques stepped forward and gestured for me to go to him. I thought about going and taking Blood with me, but Rudolph suddenly lunged at me, grabbing my hand.

"Please do not leave me, Sophie. He will kill if you go," he begged.

Another explosion of thunder shook the house and Casper yelled, "Stop touching her!"

Rudolph let go, his forehead once again pressed against the floor as he mumbled apology after apology.

To the side, Jacques continued to wave to me. "Sophie, come here, leave Blood where he is. Nico will attend to him."

I wanted to go to him. I wanted to get away from Rudolph, the monster in the forest, the gnawing pain inside my head, and even Casper... but there was something stopping me from going.

I glanced back towards Rudolph on the floor, pleading for his life, and felt a swell of pity for him. I turned to Casper and asked, "You're not really going to kill him, are you?"

"Sophie, please do as you're told for once. Go with Jacques back to your room," he replied sternly.

"There you go again, treating me like a kid. I ain't leaving until you give me a straight answer, Casper."

He exhaled irritably and replied, "I will not lie to you, Sophie. I do intend on executing this man. He has wronged you and me, and for that, I can not allow him to live."

"It was just a kiss, Casper."

"No, it was more than that. He touched you knowing full well that you were mine. For that, he must die."

The absolute conviction in his voice shivers down my spine - he really meant to kill this man. This was side to Casper I'd never seen before and it shook me to the core. Casper was my beautiful gentle fairy tale prince... I never imagined him as a murderer.

"Casper," I called to him, forcing him to look me in the eye, "If you kill that man, then you are making me live with that's man's death for the rest of my life. I don't think I'd be able to forgive you for that."

His eyes softened and stretched his hand out to me. I took it, feeling his warmth flowing into my skin. I got up onto my feet and faced him. His blue eyes bore into my soul and for a few brief moments, the world around us disappear. He whispered my name and gently rubbed his thumb along my cheek.

"I love you and would never wish to be the cause of any of your suffering. However, you are not familiar with our ways. Rudolph should die for his transgressions, but as this would greatly offend you, I will offer a more lenient punishment," he replied and turned to Rudolph.

Rudolph was still kissing the floor. His whole body shook as he waited for Casper to reveal his punishment.

"I should be signing your death warrant. It would have brought me great pleasure to see your head mounted on a spike outside the gates of Port Cressida. Luckily for you, Sophie has begged clemency on your behalf, and as she is my most beloved mate, I will forego the death punishment."

Rudolph breathed a sigh of relief. "You are most merciful, cousin."

"I said, I would let you live - I never said that I would show you mercy," Casper replied darkly. "For your contemptuous behaviour towards me and my mate, I will stop your personal allowance which leaves you and your family destitute."

"You can't!" Rudolph cried.

Casper ignored him and turned back to me, "Forgive me. I failed you once again. You should have been shielded from this ugliness and protected from that monster. Jacques should have escorted you around the gardens and prevented this from happening. His carelessness with you will need to be punished as well."

I felt the warmth in his voice, seeping into me, distracting me from the real issue here - the unwilling bride and that thing in the woods.

I pulled out of his embrace and shook my head.

"Casper, I heard the staff talking about a woman who was being forced to marry a man she did not love. I don't know what's going on, but we have to help her. She's out at the gatehouse - I tried to get to her but there was something in the woods and it grabbed me."

"Did you see what grabbed you?"

"No, it was dark, but I felt it."

"Oh, Sophie. You probably caught your shoulder on a dead bramble and panicked. Those woods are overgrown and darkness can play tricks on your mind."

"It wasn't a dead branch. It spoke, well, in manner. I think someone had a speaker or a recording device-"

"Sophie, please. Stop."

"No, you don't understand. We have to help the woman. She's being forced into an unwanted marriage! Can't we go to the gatehouse and check it out?"

"Sophie, no."

"Please, we can go there together and take Nico and Jacques."

"Sophie-"

"We'll need to take a torch and- "

"For God's sake! There is no woman in the gatehouse!" Casper erupted.

I watch his anger quickly subside into guilt and he lowered his eyes to the floor in shame.

"Forgive me, Sophie, I'm being selfish, I know. I just want to keep you to myself a little longer," he paused and turned to Jacques, "Please, take her back to her room."

Jacques came to my side and took my arm. He gently tugged on it, leading me away from Casper and up the stairs.

I followed in a kind of disillusioned daze. Casper had quickly shut down the conversation. He didn't want to talk, but after seeing the guilt on his face, he didn't need to. He was definitely hiding someone in that gatehouse and I was determined to find out who it was.

I had failed to discover who it was today, but tomorrow was another day... and when it came, I was going back into those woods and I was taking a torch with me.