Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

smile, knowing as he did his brother's fondness for organising things and giving orders.
    The High Warlock took in the way Rupert and Julia were standing together, and smiled suddenly.
    'I take it Harald's wedding is off, Rupert?'
    'Definitely,' said Rupert. 'Julia and I are . . .'
    'So I see,' said the Warlock. 'I hope you'll be very happy together.'
    'Wait a minute,' said Julia, 'don't I get a say in this?'
    'No,' said Rupert, and kissed her quickly before she could say anything else. They finally broke apart, and Julia smiled at him sweetly.
    'I'll get you for that,' she said calmly, and then kissed him again. The High Warlock waited a moment, until it became clear that Rupert and Julia were no longer interested in anyone but each other, and then he moved away to stand with King John and stare out into the Forest.
    'John...'
    'I know. You're leaving again, aren't you?'
    'Yes,' said the High Warlock. 'I'll teleport you back to the Castle, and then I'm off. Magic is going out of the world, and my years are catching up with me.'
    'Feeling sorry for yourself?' said John.
    The Warlock smiled tiredly. 'Just a bit. I shouldn't complain, really. At least this way I can say I ended my life with one last great adventure.'
    'One last adventure,' said the King. 'Yes. That's a good way to end a life. I'm not going back to the Castle either. You know Thomas Grey is dead?'
    'Yes,' said the Warlock. 'I know.'
    'He turned against me and betrayed the Land, and at the end, he said it was all because of me. More and more, I think perhaps he was right. Trusting Thomas too much was just one of the many mistakes I made. I'm not going back to the Castle.
    'I never wanted to be King anyway. All the work, the problems, the endless responsibility ... I did my best, but somehow that was never enough. And now, more than ever, the Forest Land is going to need a strong King. There's a lot to be done — overseeing relief work tor the towns and villages, saving what we can from the ruined harvests, re-establishing Royal control over the Barons. . . generally pulling the Land back together again. And I'm just not up to it. Let somebody else try — Rupert or Harald. Either of them would do a good job.
    'All I want now is to be alone. Maybe here in the Forest I can find some peace, some absolution, some
    way to live with my memories of what I've done, and didn't do.'
    'John ...'
    'Goodbye, Warlock. I won't say goodbye to Rupert and Julia. If I did, I might not be able to go. You'll have to find a way to do it for me. I won't be seeing them again.'
    He smiled briefly, and then walked away into the Forest. The Warlock watched quietly as he disappeared into the dark green shadows between the trees. Rupert and Julia suddenly noticed that the King was gone, and hurried over to the Warlock.
    'Where's my father?' said Rupert.
    The High Warlock turned and bowed formally to him. 'Your father is dead, Rupert. The King is dead.
    Long live King Rupert of the Forest Kingdom.'

    It was three in the morning, and the Castle was fast asleep. Stars shone brightly in the night sky, and the full moon lit the courtyard bright as day. A few weary guardsmen patrolled the battlements and manned the gatehouse, but only shadows moved in the empty courtyard. Rupert crept stealthily down the main entrance steps, and then ran silently through the moonlight to hide in the shadows of the inner west wall.
    He pressed close against the stonework, and waited patiently while his breathing slowed and his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light. The guards moved slowly from post to post, occasionally staring out at the Forest. None of them so much as glanced at the courtyard. Rupert let out his breath in a quiet sigh of relief, and shrugged the heavy pack on his back into a more comfortable position. He moved quickly along the inner wall, keeping to the shadows, until he finally reached the old stable. He knocked once on the door, waited a moment, and then knocked again. The door swung open just wide enough to admit him, and then closed after him.
    Julia unhooded her lantern, and a smoky yellow light filled the stable. Two saddled horses waited patiently in their stalls, while the unicorn glared nervously about him in the aisle. Rupert glanced quickly at the shutters to make sure they were secure, and then leaned back against the closed stable door and relaxed a little.
    'You're late!' hissed Julia. 'Where've you been?'
    'I had a few things to attend to.'
    'Such as?'
    'I left the