A lonely boat in the night

ㅤ Tilkis wasn't a coward, but he was terrified of sneaking around his own palace at night. He feared being discovered, handed over to his father, and deprived of his freedom to act freely. A rustling sound—he froze tensely, trying to blend in with his surroundings, seeking help from the darkness of the moonless night. No one, only the occasional whisper of the playful wind. A confident, solitary step! Did someone stop, noticing something was wrong? Tilkis's heart sank as he hid behind a column. But it was only a cat, jumping from the high railing—he had finally reached the stairs. Every sound and every touch of the wind filled Tilkis with a chilling dread, clutching at his soul, as if trying to tear it from his body. And yet he was only trying to escape from home… For a good cause! Not just for fun, like in childhood. To save the country, if not the entire world. 'Father won't approve…' he thought sadly. But no matter. All I need is to return safe and sound. Not with victory in hand, but with confirmed information that can free father's hands, and then he, with his wisdom and courage, will decide what's best…' All exits were guarded, and patrols were especially heavy on the lower floors, so Tilkis had no choice but to use a long-forgotten method of breaking free, beyond the royal abode, as he had done as a child: jumping out of a window onto the branch of a nearby tree, fortunately still standing. 'Should I tell my father about this vulnerability upon my return…?' Tilkis wondered. Just as he had used this route to escape, so too could ill-wishers use it to gain entry. Something hit him hard on the head from above, followed by muffled childish laughter—the youngest sister had thrown a nut and, suddenly hitting its target, was giggling into her fist. She was scarier than all the guards combined. 'Why aren't you sleeping!?' Tilkis nearly howled. 'She'll wake everyone up!' Of course, he asked her to be quiet, raising his finger to his lips, but when had that restless creature ever listened to anyone? He had to speed up, quickly descending from the tree, risking being seen. But no matter! He needed to feel solid ground beneath his feet, and then his quick legs on familiar ground would help him escape. If only he could get beyond the palace… Somewhere in the distance, the nurse was complaining, groaning loudly—Tilkis had managed to hide in the foliage just in time. His heart was pounding, as if it weren't his own. 'Was it this hard when I was a child?' But being caught wasn't so scary when he was a child. His whole world, his people, weren't at stake. His loved ones… The knights were alarmed. All because of that same nurse, who hadn't kept an eye on the fidget. And although everyone knew the cause of the noise, unfortunately for Tilkis, they perked up. But at the same time, his little sister had drawn a lot of attention to herself. 'Fine. All for the best. I'll thank her with a tasty treat later…' Far beyond the palace, the deserted beach was completely silent. The sound of the waves was soothing, calming the soul after everything he'd been through. However, the figure in the lonely boat was alarming. Tilkis had nowhere to go—he was walking steadily toward the prepared transport, the only one capable of crossing the border undetected. The only one he'd managed to secure unnoticed… The closer Tilkis got, the more recognizable the silhouette became, the harder it was to believe. Coming very close, Tilkis stopped, breathing out in shock: "You…?" "You've forgotten something." "Um?" Tilkis had indeed forgotten a lot. He'd been in such a hurry that he'd brought no food, water, or change of clothes. He'd only managed to grab some pocket money, and that was out of habit—he often pampered his ladies and children on the streets. "I'm your bodyguard. I'm always by your side and know your every move. I'm the only one you can't escape." "Then you…" "I have no right to decide where you go," Forest continued, interrupting Tilkis's sadly subdued speech. "My only duty is to follow you." "Forest, you're the best!" Tilkis laughed joyfully, smiling with relief. "It seems the time has come for me to face my past," Forest mused, exhaling. "But I would prefer it if you trusted me more from now on. That way we wouldn't have to leave the kingdom…" he glanced sideways at the boat, recalling the hardships of his own journey on a similar one, "like that." "I didn't have time to think through all the details," Tilkis waved off cheerfully. He had not only succeeded in his plan, but had also found support, and was therefore feeling extremely happy. "I doubt you've thought of a single one. While you were gone, I got some oars…" ㅤ