It was evident, as they continued on their journey, that they were now entering parts of the forest that Robert did not know as well. He still knew which plants were safe to eat, but he was no longer quite as confident as to where those plants could be found. None of the animals seemed to recognize him anymore. And he was no longer as sure of where the paths led.
John asked if Robert had ever been in this part of the woods before. Robert said he thought he had, many years ago, when he was a child. But he didn’t remember it well, and he wasn’t quite sure what was over the next hill.
John asked if they were deep into the forest yet. Robert answered that they were. “Why haven’t I heard any of the trees talking yet?” asked John.
“Probably because we have nothing to say to you,” answered one of the trees.
“When we want to say something to you, you’ll hear it,” said another tree. “Until then, there’s no need to listen to our conversations.”
Henry, Grace and John were very surprised. Even though Robert had told them that the trees could talk deep in the forest, they had not expected those voices to come out of the quiet of the woods. It shocked them all into silence. And then Robert told John to be careful of what he said about trees in the future. “They generally ignore most of what humans say,” Robert said. “So most of your conversation is still safe in the forest. But the minute you mention anything about trees, they perk right up.”
They kept walking until nightfall, and then they made camp and slept under some trees. And once they were perfectly still, and lying on the ground, then they could hear the chatter of the trees talking to each other as they drifted off to sleep.
They spent the next several days walking through the forest, and going deeper and deeper in. They weren’t quite sure where they were walking at this point. They weren’t quite sure if King Richard’s army was behind them or not. But they kept going forward because they didn’t know what else to do.
As they continued going deeper and deeper into the forest, the trees got bigger and bigger. These were the truly ancient trees here, with trunks as big as a room. And there was more and more green moss covering the ancient trees, and green vines hanging down. Everything was so green that the sun was almost shut out, and could only shine through in small rays. It became very dark, and shadowy.
And then, one day, after walking through the dark and shadowy forest, they came across some stones. The stones appeared to be laid out in the shape of a path. “Do you know anything about this?” John asked Robert.
“There was something,” Robert said. “Some story my father used to tell me…” his voice trailed off.
“We might as well follow it and see where it leads,” said Henry.
So they followed the path. At first, most of the stones were half covered in dirt, and it was unclear if it was supposed to be a path or not. But as they walked, they began to notice that now most of the stones were in the shape of square bricks, and soon there was no doubt that they were walking on a stone road. Then they approached some sort of stone wall. It was all covered in ivy and moss, but some of the stones were visible underneath it. There was a small wooden gate in the wall right in front of the stone road. But the gate was not locked. John pushed on it, and it swung open. So they continued.
There was something off in the distance. They could see that there was something there, but it was difficult to see what exactly was there, since their view was still obscured by all the trees and branches and hanging vines. But through the foliage, it was obvious that there was something there.
It appeared to be something big. When they were still a ways off, they could see that some sort of structure was towering out of the forest. But as they got closer, they began to lose the big picture, and could only see some stone walls directly in front of them.
At last, they arrived at the entrance, and they realized what it was. It was a huge stone castle, in the middle of the forest.
It was made out of neatly cut stone bricks, just like a castle would be in the human towns. But it was covered with moss, and all kinds of weeds and grass grew from the cracks. And the castle was built around a huge tree, which formed the back end of one of the walls.
And there was a woman, who looked to be about 40ish, standing at the gate, smiling. “I’ve been waiting for you,” she said to Robert. “They told me you were coming. I didn’t believe it at first, but then when they kept telling me you were getting closer and closer, I realized you must be coming this way.”
“Who told you?” asked John.
But Robert already knew. “The trees,” he answered. “The trees have been talking.”
“So smart,” said the woman, smiling.
Robert looked down at the ground for a long time, before he finally looked up again. “But why, mother?” he said. “If you knew where I was, why didn’t you come to me? I’ve been looking for you for so long.”
“I know,” she said and there was a small tear in her eye. “I’ll explain everything. Come inside.
She took Robert by the hand and led him inside the castle. Henry, Grace, and John followed.
“I was so young when I had you,” she explained. “I didn’t understand about any of the responsibilities about being a princess. I thought I could just run away and live with your father. But my parents found me. Of course they found me. And I knew the Kingdom needed me. So I had to come back. Your father wouldn’t come back with me. He was too busy with his work in the forest. All the animals depended on him to do everything for them. He negotiated everything. He was the constant peacemaker of the forest. He didn’t want to give up his neutrality and join me as a ruler of the kingdom. I tried to take you back with me, but your father wouldn’t let you go. We fought about it horribly, but in the end, I had to leave you with him.”
Robert could scarcely believe what he was hearing. “You… are a princess?”
“I am.”
“And then I am…”
“You’re royal blood, yes. A prince. You always have been. Even though you’ve grown up sleeping on the forest floor like your father, you are a prince of the kingdom.”
Robert couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was shocked into silence.
So Grace spoke. “What is this place?” she asked.
“This is Castle Tauna. Tauna is the ancient name for this forest.”
“But we’re still in the forest,” said John.
“A castle can be in the forest just as well as it could be in the mountains, or in a city.”
“But how were these stones brought here?” said John. “Where are the mines? On what roads did they travel?”
The woman smiled. “You are very wise for one so young. We will teach you everything about the history of this place in time. But first, you must be tired.” She led them into a room with a table and four chairs. Henry, Grace and John, who had grown up in a palace, immediately recognized the wood carved table and chairs as being of the highest quality. They were served cold water, and ate cheese and bread and nuts and berries.
After they had eaten and drunk and refreshed themselves, the woman told them it was time to meet the king. They were brought up the stairs, and through a long hall, into a big throne room.
“Father,” she said, “He has arrived at last.”
The King, a man who looked about 60, but healthy and sturdy, rose up from the throne. “Welcome, young Prince Robert,” he said. “We’ve been expecting you. The trees told us that you were coming.”
“Robert, this is your grandfather,” said the woman. “And your grandmother,” she added, gesturing towards the Queen, who also rose to meet them.
“We have long prayed that someday you would come back to us,” said the Queen.
Robert was still visibly shaken by all of this sudden news, but he did his best to greet the King and Queen, his grandfather and grandmother, politely.
“Has he met the rest of the family yet?” asked the Queen.
“He’s only just arrived,” said Robert’s mother. “I don’t want to overwhelm him with too many people all at once. He’ll meet them all soon enough.”
“Yes, at dinner tonight,” declared the King. “We’ll have a big feast. Robert, you will meet all of your aunts and uncles and cousins. And you will tell us all about your travels through the forest, and introduce your friends to us.”
Robert nodded, still too shocked to speak much.
“The poor dear,” said the Queen. “He had no idea any of this was waiting for him. Did you, Robert?”
“My father never told me any of this,” said Robert.
“No, of course he didn’t,” said Robert’s mother. “He never wanted you to come back and join us. He didn’t want to lose you”
“Typical Midor,” said the King in an angry voice. “He wanted to keep my grandson all for himself. It’s preposterous that he let a prince of Castle Tauna grow up sleeping on the forest floor.” The King noticed the shocked look on Robert’s face, and immediately moderated his tone. “But enough of this family drama. There will be plenty of time for that later. First, we must show you around the castle,” said the King.
“They need to rest first. Can’t you see they’re still recovering from the surprise,” said the Queen.
“Of course, of course,” said the King. “Have the servants make up rooms for each of them. Prepare beds, and hot baths. Bring food and wine to each of the rooms.”
They were each taken to different rooms. Each room had a window, but it was hard to see much out of the window. The view was blocked by trees. John even had a tree branch growing in through his window. This was typical of what they had seen of the castle so far. It seemed to be built into the forest, and intertwined with all the trees and plants of the forest.
After they had taken their baths and relaxed, they ventured forth out of their rooms. Henry, Grace and John went first. They met each other in the hallway. There was some discussion among the three of them as to whether or not they should disturb Robert, but in the end they decided he might like some company. And, after all, they had been through so much together the past few days that they felt as close to Robert as they did to each other. So they knocked on his door.
Robert was sitting on his bed, but he was happy to see them. “Still taking it all in, huh?” asked Grace.
Robert gave a small smile. “Trying to,” he said.
“You always knew your mother had come from the forest though,” said Henry. “You told us.”
“I always imagined I’d find her one day,” said Robert. “But part of me never believed I would ever see her. And I certainly never imagined to find a castle in the middle of the forest.”
“Yes, this whole place is very odd,” said John. “It makes no sense to have a castle in a forest. How did they build it? Why do they need a castle here?”
“And yet, here it is,” said Grace.
“I wish my father would have told me,” said Robert.
Later, Robert’s mother and the King and Queen took them on a tour of the castle. They saw many interesting rooms, but the highlight of the tour was being brought up on the Castle towers.
The castle had two towers, which rose up above the trees. They had to climb many stairs to get there, but then once they emerged onto the top of the tower, there was a wide open space on the tower top to walk around and look down at the forest. From the tops of these towers, they had a magnificent view of the forest below them. It was beautiful seeing all those green tree, leafy tree tops flowing in the wind. It was also a place where they could get plenty of sun--pure sun, not filtered through the tree leaves. “I’d forgotten how much I missed the sunshine,” said Grace. “I’d gotten so used to the shaded air of the forest floor.”
“It is wonderful, isn’t it?” said the Queen. “I come up here every morning to see the sun rise. You can’t imagine how beautiful it is to see the sun rise over these trees.”
“Why imagine it?” said the King. “You should all come up tomorrow morning and see for yourselves.”
“Oh no, not tomorrow,” said Robert’s mother. “They’ll be far too tired from all the feasting and drinking tonight to get up at sunrise tomorrow. In a few day’s time they can come up and watch the sunrise.”
“Oh yes, of course,” said the King. “Yes, of course, tonight you must stay up late and tell us all your stories.”
“And introduce your friends to us,” said Robert’s mother.
*****************************
That night, there was a huge dinner party in the dining hall. Robert sat at the front of the table, with Henry, Grace and John with him.
Robert’s mother sat next to him, and held his hand as she introduced him to everyone in the family. “These are my brothers,” she said, “George and Rufus.” Two men, both of whom looked like they were in their mid 30s, bowed. And these are my sisters, Penelope and Helen.” Two women bowed. Helen looked to be in her late 20s, whereas Penelope looked in her late 30s.
“And these are your cousins.” There were many cousins. Alicia (18 years old) and Amanda (16 years old), who were the daughters of Penelope. Susan (12) and Conor (10), who were the children of George. Marcia (15) and Thomas (14) the children of Rufus. And Eric (5), the only son of Helen.
The husbands and wives of the royal family were also introduced. George was married to Sarah, Rufus was married to Charlotte, Penelope was married to Charles, and Helen was married to Jason.
And then there was the King and Queen, who they had until now not gotten the names of. It turned out that the King was named Carlyle, the Queen was Benevois. And they also learned the name of Robert’s mother, who was Vivian.
And then there was one more. This last one was, as far as Robert, Henry, Grace and John could tell, the only one of the guests who was not part of the royal family. But he was treated by King Carlyle and Queen Benevois as if he were an important person worth knowing. He was an old man with white hair and a white beard, introduced as Talon, the sorcerer. He bowed his head in a polite manner when he was introduced to Robert, but he did not seem to be overly friendly.
Robert in turn introduced Henry, Grace and John, and told everyone the story about how they had come to be fugitives in the forest, and the adventures they had had along the way.
Henry, Grace and John noted how amazed Robert’s cousins were at the whole story. They marvelled at the stories of the Elf Kingdom, or the land of fairies. It appeared that they had never left their own kingdom, and were fascinated by these tales of different lands within the forest. Robert’s aunts and uncles, however, seemed to nod along with a knowing air when all of the places were mentioned.
At the end of the night, King Carlyle called on Robert to stand up. “Our long last grandson, the first born child of my first born child, and thus heir to the kingdom, has finally returned to us. Robert, this castle is your new home now. And your friends, although they are princes and princesses in a different kingdom themselves, are also welcome to make this place their home, and live with us.”
Robert was silent for a long time. He looked over his family, and all his aunts, and uncles, and cousins. Then at last, he said, “You tell me that I am the heir to the kingdom. Well, I would ask then to tell me of this kingdom. What is this place? And how came there to be a castle in the middle of the forest?”
It was Talon who answered this question. He spoke with a raspy, but loud voice. “Long, long ago,” he said. “In ancient times, this forest was once overrun with monsters, who preyed on human, elf, and animal alike. A castle was created to stand as a stronghold against the monsters of the forest. The stones were brought here not by human hands, but by fairy magic. The fairies built the castle so that it was a part of the forest, growing with the trees, and around the trees. And the knights who protected this castle became the kings and queens who reigned in it.”
“And we,” said King Carlyle, “are their descendents. Pledged by our birthright to protect the forest from monsters. But of course there haven’t been any monsters in this forest for centuries now.”
“Careful your majesty,” warned Talon. “The guardians of this castle must be ever on their guard. The monsters were never fully eradicated. Just because they haven’t been seen in years doesn’t mean that they are gone. They may still be somewhere in this forest.”
“Yes, and if they ever re-appear, I will be the first to fight them,” said King Carlyle. “For I have trained as a warrior just like all the other guardians of this castle. But, we can not spend all of our days worrying about monsters when they have not been seen in centuries. We must eat, and drink, and enjoy ourselves.”
“You have my sword, your majesty,” shouted Henry, who suddenly stood up and unsheathed his sword. “Should any monsters ever reappear, I will fight to protect this castle alongside you.”
King Carlyle gave a deep laugh. “Ho! Ho! Well met, young prince of Mora. Robert, you have chosen your friends well I see. Yes, if the day ever comes, you may fight alongside us, young prince. Until then, please stay at this castle and eat and drink with us every night.”
Henry bowed his head in respectful acknowledgement. Grace was already tugging at Henry’s shirt to get him to sit down again, and so he resumed his seat. Grace also noticed, with slight unease, the interested looks which Alicia and Amanda were giving Henry.
“Nowadays, Robert,” King Carlyle continued, “the kingdom you will inherit has very little to do with monster hunting. We mostly arbitrate disputes among the woodland creatures, protect them from crime, and make sure justice is served. We patrol the forest and make sure all the trees are healthy. And in times of bad weather, we provide a shelter for the smaller animals in our castle. The monster fighting is a thing of the past.” King Carlyle saw Talon frowning, so he added quickly, “But by tradition, every member of the royal family is trained in fighting and weaponry, so that if the monsters ever do come back, we are ready for them. Any other questions, Robert?”
Robert was silent again for a moment, and then asked. “Have you heard anything of my father? He disappeared two years ago.”
Robert’s mother, Vivian, shot to her feet. “Midor? What happened to him?”
“Nobody knows,” said Robert. “I assumed that if he couldn’t find his way back, that could only mean that he was dead. But since you know so much more about this part of the forest than I do, I wondered if there was any chance…”
“We never heard anything,” said Vivian.
“I don’t think he is in our part of the forest,” said King Carlyle.
“We would have heard,” said Vivian.
“But we will search for him from tomorrow,” said King Carlyle. “We will look through every part of this Kingdom.” King Carlyle walked over to stand next to Robert. “I’ll be honest, Robert, there’s no love lost between your father and me. I’m sorry to say it, but you might as well know now. I never forgave Midor for stealing your mother away…”
“He didn’t steal me,” Vivian objected. “You know I left with him of my own free will. Just as I returned of my own free will.”
“...and for keeping you away from us all these years,” King Carlyle continued, as if he couldn’t hear Vivian. “But I’ve never wished him dead either. If he’s in trouble or gone missing, I’ll do everything in my power to find him for you. But remember, you are a prince of the Castle Tauna. Your days of sleeping on the forest floor are over.”
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