"That was when the world wasn't so big and I could see everywhere. It was when my father was a hero and not a human." - Markus Zusak

The old man's voice trailed away with the wind rustling through the tree. Instead of climbing down, like the grey Guillaume requested, Kari climbed even higher, until he could only hear the silence of leaves and cicadas surrounding him. It felt warmer here, closer to the sun. Kari felt like he could almost touch the wooly clouds if he reached a little higher.

Like a map sketched with great detail, the vast Raven's Peak lay before him. He could make out the grey stone towers with tiny men clad in crimson and gold patrolling them. His eyes trailed the roads leading to the walls filled with carts and peasants bent under heavy loads of grain and wares for the market. He looked at the distance even further than that, barely able to discern where the earth meets the horison.

Kari squinted trying to see better, pressing his spy-glass closer to his eye. Studying the lone rider heading towards the city, he could only admire the skill with which the horse was steered. The rider's blue cape, following like a loyal shadow, trailed in the wind.

From the middle of the dusty plains, a mighty gust took root and spun towards the duo. The rider, undeterred by the wind, just bent his head, lifting an elbow to shield his eyes from the sand. As the gust collided with the rider, the hood slipped revealing an elegant crown of blonde curls. The wind hindered Kari from seeing see the fine features, but he could tell that the rider was no knight nor nobleman.

As the wind cleared, the rider covered her face with the hood once again. His eyes continued to follow her to the gate. There he could see her rumbling in her pockets before handing something to the guards that made them nod in agreement before letting her in.

Within the city bustle she disappeared from his view. Minutes later he saw the blue cape again, this time without a horse. The figure persisted until the castle's gate.

Kari scrambled down, ignoring Guillaume's cries. He peeked around the corner and saw the stranger entering his father's hall. He ran up the stairs to the second floor gallery where he could see the hall. The guards did not show any surprise at seeing him - they were used to him snooping and wandering.

Taking his position behind the rails, he allowed himself a moment to catch his breath before peeking through. When he did so, he could see that the lady had now abandoned the hood on her shoulders, revealing features finer than any of the ladies Kari had ever seen. Standing tall and proud, Kari could see that she was of noble birth despite the dirt settled on her cheeks. What surprised him the most was that this woman had been able to get past all the walls and guards into the very throneroom of Ardam with such great ease.

He saw his father rise from the throne, heaving his great body up from the pillows occupying the stone. His father's face turned even redder as he addressed the visitor: "You are not welcome here, Laelia of the forest. Your people and mine are no friends."

Where everyone else, even Kari himself, would cower when the King spoke, this lady stood undeterred. She took a firmer stance, placing her left hand on her hip, revealing the hilt of a sword. "What happened to you, Pa'drig? We used to be friends?"

Kari's eyes flashed back and forth between his father and the goddess - for who else but a goddess could stand so strong yet look so gentle?

He couldn't see the blotches on his father's face, but he knew it was there - threatening to turn from red to purple. The prince could only imagine the veins on the king's temples popping, but instead of lashing in anger, his father gave a resigned sigh.

"Fate happened," he said as his puffy hand clasped the cup in front of him. Upon finding it empty, he reached towards the beaker to fill it.

"What do you mean?" The hand poised on her hip relaxed for a moment before clasping her dress in her fist.

The king took a long gulp of his wine before answering. "My father died just after you left twenty years ago."

"All fathers die," she said with a frown, but Kari could hear something rare in her voice - empathy.

The beaker with wine flew off the table as King Pa'drig's fist slammed against the table. "You still don't get it!"

She flinched at the King's raspy voice, taking a quick step backward as the beaker tumbled down the steps toward her, staining the hem of her once-white dress with crimson.

The king's fist thudded dully against the table. "I killed my father. We were discussing - in fact, heatedly arguing - about something. He didn't want to fulfil my request, calling me a besotted boy. And in a moment I fulfilled my family's curse as I watched him tumble toward the empty courtyard after heaving him from the window."

Kari sucked his breath in. He knew all about the Ardam curse and he knew his grandfather was killed by his father, but he never knew the how.

When the King resumed his tale, his voice was sad and hollow. "I never understood why my father was so sour, never showing me a trace of love. But now I understand. I do not love my son. Every day I wake with the fear that I will be killed by him. I understand my father for the first time. He was bitter and afraid, just like me. After he kills me, my son will undergo the same torment that I am going through."

"I am sorry."

"You cannot be sorry! You do not understand anything!"

Kari couldn't listen to this anymore. Leaving behind his father's hate and the foreknowledge of the curse he bears, he rushed away. After sprinting down the stairs, while crossing the courtyard he ran into someone.

Steadying himself after almost falling to the ground he raises his voice to address the imbecile who dared touch him.

"You -," he said while raising his hand, lashing out in anger, to do something he had never done before.

With a clean swoop a soft hand enveloped his wrist.

Immediately feeling guilty about his abhorrent behaviour, his eyes met hers and without thought he dropped to the ground. "Oh! I am so sorry, my lady. I did not see you."

"You are the Prince?"

He wished the earth would swallow him to save him from this embarrassment. "Yes my lady, but I am also a gentleman. I cannot be forgiven for raising my hand to you."

Her brown eyes studied him, depriving him from an answer or forgiveness. With a simple gesture she indicated that he could rise.

As the silence stretched on, he was the first to fill it. "I am Prince Kari, my lady. I have not seen you here at court before."

"I arrived today," she stated without further explanation.

Even knowing the answer, Kari didn't want the conversation to end so he asked an obvious question. "You are the lady on the white horse?"

"Yes, I am. I thought that it would cause a stir in the city."

"It is quite dangerous for a lady to travel on her own,"Kari said with wide-eyed horror and admiration.

"I can defend myself. I am probably a better swordsman than you, dear Prince."

With the use of the words dear Prince, Kari felt like she had issued him with forgiveness.

"Now you have challenged me to defend my honour, and that of my father," he replied in good nature.

Not noticing before that she was clenching the hilt of her sword, he noticed when her hand relaxed again at her side before holding it out to him. "You need not defend any honour. You will gain it with age. I have not introduced myself, Prince Kari. I am Laelia - an old friend of your father."

Even though he had heard the conversation between them, he could still not believe that she really knew his father years ago. "You are too young to be his friend. He has never mentioned you."

A fleeting pain-filled look crossed her face before disappearing as she rolled her eyes. "I cannot imagine why. We were very good friends years before you were born. Appearances can be deceiving, young prince. What would you do if I told you that I am a thousand and twenty years old?"

"I would say that you have a sense of humour, Lady Laelia."

Her laughter rings out. "It was nice to meet you, Prince Kari. I hope I will have the joy to see you again, in a few years."

"Likewise, Lady Laelia. But why are you leaving so soon? Nightfall is almost upon us. You should stay, at least until the morning."

"I wished I could, but I cannot stay on your hospitality if your father has declared me his enemy. It is also quite urgent for me to find the help I sought here, but did not find."

Kari noticed that they had walked across the courtyard, out the castle gate and down the street to where her white horse was standing unsecured.

With a graceful yet swift movement she mounted before turning her attention back to Kari. "Prince Kariel, remain just as you are. Do not become your father and do not allow the bitterness of the hate and curse you bear to consume you."

As he watched her weaving through the city traffic, he vowed that he would have his family's curse broken in his lifetime.