Inside the Beast's Castle

Bonus-Chapter-Epilogue-Thing

"Are we there yet?"

"No, not yet."

Silence fell upon the carriage, making the clunks and clanks of rocks hitting the bottom seem deafening.

The small voice piped up again. "What about now?"

A deep sigh sounded from the seat across from me. "No."

Silence.

"Yet?"

I rolled my eyes and turned away from the window. "No!"

And, at the same time I spoke, the man across from me groaned, "Argh!"

I glared at Brennen, who shrugged sheepishly. His hair was pulled back into a low hanging ponytail, neatly keeping it from his face.

A tiny sniffle drew my attention away from Brennen and to the child next to me. I bit my lip and gathered the boy into my arms. His curly blonde hair tickled my nose once I sat him in my lap.

"It's okay, Raul, Daddy's just being a pain."

"Like father like son," Brennen mumbled.

I shot a kick out in his direction, nailing him in the shin.

Raul's sister, a girl no older than two and a half, stretched out over the seat across from me.

"Why's it take sooooooooo--"

I stared at Brennen, still amazed at the child's capacity for such long holds of breath. He smirked and nudged the light-haired girl.

"--long to get to the castle?" she finished.

This time, Brennen was the one to smooth her straight hair. "Now, Lily, your Mother's just going to say that it's because I was stubborn and didn't want to live in a city or castle."

I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could, Brennen spoke for me. "It's completely true."

I smiled. "He's right."

"Why are we going there, again?" Raul questioned. The four-year-old climbed out of my lap and twisted to sit down across from me.

"We're going to go see your Uncle Joshua, Aunt Carol, and baby Era; Grandpa, and Uncle Camden." I propped my head up with my fist. "Uncle Camden hasn't seen you two since you were-- what?"

"Since Raul was two?" Brennen finished for me.

I tapped Lily's nose "He hasn't seen you at all! He's been busy ruling over Arium."

Arium was the name of the old Upper and Lower kingdoms combined. After Vadik's death over ten years before, Brennen became king for a short time--basically because he had the highest standing in society. It was more of a bed-rest ruling though because as soon as he was well enough to physically rule, he darted out.

His reasons were more than understandable. For over two-hundred years of his life, he was trapped behind the stone walls of a building, incapable of escaping.

He finally had freedom.

However, before he could leave, he had to appoint a new ruler. After hearing some of my suggestions, (my only suggestion) the person he chose was Camden.

Joshua didn't want the responsibility. I didn't. Brennen certainly didn't.

Although he was reluctant at first, Camden proved himself to be a strong leader. He was also an excellent negotiator.

"We've only been riding for a few minutes," I mumbled. No one heard me. The ride from our country home to the castle wasn't incredibly long, but for a two-year old and four-year old, it took forever.