Being recently crowned as a king, Arthur was buried amidst numerous responsibilities which gave him hardly any time for leisure, and entertainment. Every time he was gifted with a minute of liberty, he would go to one of many balconies in the palace and watch over the vast Kingdom which is filled with markets of different kinds, people of different personalities all of whom were unique with warmest of hearts…the hearts with flames which can never be put out, not even the coldest of winters.
With each passing day, Arthur would look more closely at the landscape especially putting an extra effort on birds and insects. Every night, he watched all the birds and insects flew to a birch wood forest in the heart of the Kingdom; all except for an owl who flew alone to the north into a lake hidden in a large swamp land beautifully encrypted with entwining vines from every nook and cranny. The swamp was also surrounded by large number of lush green trees that one can easily be deceived to think that it was a forest if beheld from afar.
One day, Arthur finished all his work early thus allowing him to set out on a small venture into the kingdom on his own. The night was slowly spreading its coldness into the air with its dark hands full of dreams, hope and wonder. The silvery moon set down on the pitch black sky and chatted away with his friends, the stars and the clouds. The wind whistled a tune of readiness for those who were ready to begin an adventure.
Arthur put on his fur coat, went through the castle gate and headed towards the swamp land where he first saw the owl. When he arrived at his destination, Arthur was surprised by what he saw there.
Instead of an owl there was a woman dressed in what looked like a long robe made of feathers. Her hair was smooth and silky like waves on a stormy day flowing in all directions. She had fingers like talons; slender, curved with sharp nails gracefully coloured in gold. The lady turned around towards Arthur and revealed her dark red (almost crimson) eyes which were as piercing as a needle which can infuse fear into any person’s heart.
As Arthur was standing there awestruck by the lady’s beauty, she slowly transformed into an owl and flew away. The following nights, no matter how hard Arthur searched for the mysteriously charming lady by looking over his balcony, neither the owl nor the lady could ever be seen again.
Aaditya Arya
Aaditya Arya is a young budding writer with a unique style in this genre of fantasy. He’s studying in grade 6, Glenhuntly Primary School and is the son of proud parents Sharmila and Ajit.