Hothouse

He tasted it before he felt it. James’s eyes swelled with tears as he stumbled back, barely catching himself. The clatter of his wooden blade hitting the dry hard ground was lost to him as the taste of iron filled his mouth. Like wildfire, the pain began to spread from the spark that was his bleeding nose. He desperately, yet in vain, tried to stop the crimson fluid from its ceaseless flow. The child’s body ached with newfound bruises, his chest heaving so deeply that his face had turned almost as red as the banner strung up behind him. I hate this. James thought to himself as blood dripped down his chin. 

The rapid slapping of feet against the dirt captured the young boy’s attention much like the morning church bells did, whipping his head up to see the young lord Burkhart charging towards him. 

“Sto-Stop!” James choked out harshly, sending him into a fit of coughs. 

The young lord halted almost immediately, a brown cloud of soil wafted in the aftermath of his abrupt stop. Lord Burkhart stood a few paces in front of him in the vast training yard, his brown eyes wide as they stared directly into James, and for a moment the boy thought the young man looked like a gaping fish. 

“Do not stop!” A voice demanded from above them. 

James flinched and twisted around, his gaze trailing up the dark cobblestone wall that surrounded them. As if to confirm God’s ordainment, the king stood above them, illuminated by the heavens, making the man’s hair resemble gold. The child felt the urge to squirm and look away from the older man’s stern eyes. But he knew better than to look away. And he knew exactly what was going to be said next. 

“Lord Burkhart, do not halt now, it would only do the prince more harm,” The king said, then resumed his attention to his son. “Pick up your sword, James, and continue.”

James chewed his lip as if to barricade his sentiments from spilling out. His muscles whined in protest as he lifted the timber sword. Once he readied his stance, he flexed his nimble fingers around the handle, cringing as they chafed against the wood with dirt and blood. James watched as his sparring partner shifted his feet, and noted how the knight held his weapon without wavering, unlike himself. He felt shame pooling in his chest when he realized he looked no different than a cowering creature standing before a predator. Within a wisp of a blink, the wolf that was Lord Burkhart stalked towards him, determined to go in for the kill. 

*** 

The lessons of the day were focused on duty. The bald Sir Richmond spoke with a youthful passion that contradicted his elderly status. The scholar had begun expounding on the most important monarchs and the way they executed duty to the kingdom before James could finish taking his seat. James stopped paying attention to the tutor after he got into the importance surrounding succession. Instead, he pictured himself outside, savoring the breeze as it cooled his fair skin. The feel of soft green grass against his feet as he galloped about the field, he could almost smell the sweet, fresh earth of his personal Eden. 

James nearly yelped when he felt something hit his foot. The strike was swift and yet hard enough to remind him of the pulsing soreness of his soles. James glanced accusingly at his sister, Anne, who only looked forward, her chin held high. He followed her gaze and was nearly startled once more when he found the wrinkled face of Sir Richmond locked on his small form. The prince quickly understood the explanation behind the princess’s discrete act of violence on his already aching feet. 

“Could you repeat the question, Ser?” James requested as he looked into the scholar’s eyes.

“Why certainly, Your Highness,” The tutor nodded,” Your Highness, could you tell me why we call King Edward the Third, “the King of Folly”, while his brother, King Robert the First, who succeeded him, is known as “Robert the Great “?” 

“Because King Edward died early, leaving his kingdom in disarray, and King Robert won many battles,” He answered, voice firm to conceal his lack of certainty. 

“Well yes, that is true, but the core reason behind their titles is not tied to just those reasons, for we have had many kings who have died early, won many battles, or both,” the old scholar explained,” King Edward exploited the people and the crown for his parties and pleasures, sending the kingdom into turmoil. When he died he left behind no legitimate heirs. King Robert spent many years helping to recover the kingdom and led it into a period of prosperity. King Edward’s duty was to himself, and King Robert’s duty was to his people. To be a true king is to serve.” 

Ser Richmond’s gaze bore into their own, his normally light attitude suddenly heavier than before. James shifted in his seat, averting his attention. His stomach twisted unpleasantly as the image of a king in shackles entered his eyes. All of a sudden, his wrists felt heavy, and he found himself rubbing them, hoping to liberate himself from the weight. 

*** 

The art of dance is one beloved by many, James however, was not among them. The boy’s complete lack of coordination was one factor to his dislike, the nail in the coffin of his detestment lay in all the rules that were involved. He thought he might’ve liked it if he could move more freely. James looked ahead and watched the happy exchange between his mother and younger sister. Anne was the opposite of him and seemed to hold a natural elegance in almost everything she did, especially when it came to dancing. The prince might’ve felt more bitter about this fact if her joy wasn’t so contagious. She made the tortious act bearable. The young boy concealed a groan as his legs protested against his stride. 

“My darling, I understand it is tiring, but a future king must be well-versed in dance to impress his queen and people.” The queen chastised. 

“Why should I worry about impressing my queen with dancing when I can simply marry someone who also dislikes it?” 

At that, both the princess and the queen began to let out a fit of giggles. James unconsciously grinned with them, his brows furrowed as he watched the harmonic display of joy between them. It was then he felt his mother’s soft hands caress his face, her blue eyes warm and affectionate as she looked at him. The young boy found himself leaning into her touch, tension leaving his small form with the stroke of her thumb. 

“Oh my love, such a queen wouldn’t do. But don’t worry, when the time comes we will choose a suitable queen.” 

His cheek suddenly ached, as if he had been slapped. The comfort from before was snatched away from him with just a few words. 

*** 

“You’re quiet tonight.” 

James looked up from his plate slowly. His father stared at him with eyes that contradicted the harsh ones from the previous morning. It was almost like his whole family had learned how to be two different people. One moment they could make portraits green with envy with the way they conducted themselves without a single flaw. While the next, they could turn into the warmest people James could ever hope to encounter. 

“Apologies Father, I am simply tired,” The prince finally replied.

The king hummed and exchanged a glance with his wife. Nodding his head before resuming his focus on his son. 

“You took quite a blow, are you alright?” 

The young heir’s fingers clenched tightly as he processed the question. The phantom taste of iron violated his taste buds once more. The pain he felt earlier had dulled but found it had begun to blossom at a violent rate in his bosom. 

Now you ask?! Not when I stood below you gasping and helplessly trying to halt the bleeding?! Oh, but my pain now will somehow help me later? One after the other, treasonous thoughts raced through his mind. 

“It is alright to feel pain, everyone does, even Kings,” His father said softly,” I know it’s cruel, but in battle, no one will wait for you to clean your bloody nose. And as a future king, you need to be prepared to shed even your blood for your people.” 

James looked up at the monarch for a moment, giving him a quick nod before looking back down. His face was neutral, but inside his stomach twisted unpleasantly, his pulse was so strong he felt it from head to toe. James finally realized the damning notion that was to be a king. To be a King is to be a slave. 

*** 

The secret passageway of the east wing had become a path to heaven for the young prince. The sunlight teased his face from the small crackways created by the leaves. The breeze was just as crisp as he remembered the last time he visited the east forest. The trickling sound of the stream lured him like a siren’s song. Before he knew it, the child found himself splashing about, laughing harder than he had in days. 

“What are you doing hopping about like a rabbit in the stream?”

The boy gasped as he whipped his whole body, his eyes darting around till he saw her. The woman stood taller than any he had seen before, and her frame was so slender, that he was sure she could stand behind most trees and remain perfectly concealed. Her hair, gray as an old hag swayed gently with the breeze. Her dark eyes held no animosity. The woman tilted her head at him as if encouraging him to answer her question. James huffed as he began to trudge out of the chilled waters. 

“Enjoying the taste of liberty” He answered. 

The woman hummed, her ebony hues inspecting his form. 

“A boy who wears fancy robes like yours looks like he can afford more liberty than most.”She replied as she gestured to the fine garments he wore. 

“Looks are deceiving.”James retorted, wiping his hands against his velvet coat. 

“Then what are your shackles boy?” 

His muscles ached as the stern eyes of the man graced by the rays of Phoebus looked down at him. The sharp nails of a veiled queen dug into his hands as the echo of his mother and sister’s laughter filled his ears. Iron invaded his senses once more. The prince rubbed his wrists helplessly, hoping to ease the weight he felt on them. 

“My family, my duties, Everything…” James responded solemnly. 

The woman nodded her head in understanding. 

“I could free you from it all if you wish,” The woman offered, at which the boy looked at her again. 

“A woman like you doesn’t seem like she has that much power to do as she suggests.” He said incredulously.

“Looks are deceiving,” she chuckled,” Well boy, what do you say? If you wish it, I can make you as free as a rabbit, with more freedom than you know what to do with.” 

The boy thought about her offer, one that seemed about as blasphemous as it was treasonous. To any other person, they would find that only a king could grant such a wish, not some strange woman of the forest. But James was not just any person, he was to be the king one day. It was because of this, his knowledge of what it truly meant to be a king, that James said his answer. 

“Yes, I wish to be as free as you claim, forever.” 

The woman smiled,” As you wish,” 

As soon as the words left her mouth a flurry of light swallowed him. His mind went blank, and he shut his eyes, fearing he may go blind from the rays bright enough to rival the sun. It was only when everything went dark that he dared to look upon the world once more. The woman was gone, the sky was dark, and he felt no different than before. The boy stood up and found that his perception was different. The trees were thicker and taller than before, and the stream now resembled a river. 

His eyes widened when he saw his reflection no longer his own, his smooth cherubic face was now covered in white fur, and his ears were now large and pointed toward the sky. James realized he had been tricked by the witch and turned into a rabbit! What was he supposed to do now as a rabbit!? 

Suddenly it struck him that the enchantress gave him exactly what he wanted. James was no longer a prince, no longer a future king, but a rabbit. A free one. Glee filled him as he hopped off into the expanse that was freedom. 

***

Freedom was being able to play for as long as he liked. Until he ran out of games to play. It was a place where there were no beds, or fire that was kept to keep him warm. Freedom was also where food seemed to be harder to come by than he realized. A low grumble reverberated through his being as he shuffled along. 

After a couple of days, or perhaps weeks, James honestly didn’t know how long he had been free, but found it to be a bit tedious. There was not much he could do on his own. He had tried easing the greens he had witnessed other creatures nibbling away at but found that his taste buds had not shifted the way his body had. 

The forest, he had come to learn in his time as an inhabitant, had a voice of its own through its children. There were too many nights he found that it never seemed to quiet down, it was like a neverending choir. It truly was a grating ordeal, he wished for respite from it. That was until it did. 

His long slender ears quirked as the crunch of leaves interrupted his thoughts. James paused as he tried to evaluate the cause, his bead-like eyes darting around. The songbirds had ceased their hymns, and the wind was stagnant. The silence would’ve been louder, had it not been for the sound of James’s heartbeat drumming against his chest. 

A shriek escaped him as her large form lunged towards him. 

“I got you!” Tilly exclaimed gleefully before she began to howl with laughter. James let out a strained gasp against the girl’s body, his heart still thundering. His instantaneous relief quickly turned into rage as he began to berate her, but Tilly only continued to laugh. It didn’t take him very long to join her. 

James had tried to commune with the animals around him, and even a few rabbits. But they all returned his advances with the same indifferent blank stare. He was not a threat to them, but he was also nothing to them as well. It didn’t take very long for James to begin avoiding his fellow forest dwellers. At least that was until he had crossed paths with Tilly. Tilly set him down gently, much to James’s disappointment. 

“I got something for you,” Tilly said as she began to fish out something from her satchel. James nearly cried with delight when she placed down the bread and berries in front of him. He thanked her before he began to devour the simple meal. Tilly watched him fondly as she stroked his silky fur. James told himself he indulged in such actions as his way of thanking her, and that the stirring of his heart was simply because he was still reeling from the fright she gave him. Before he knew it, he finished off every crumb. 

“Thank you again for the food Tilly,” James said,” What would you like to do today?” 

“I actually can’t stay much longer,” Tilly said sadly as her mahogany eyes looked into his own blue ones. 

“What?! How come?!” James inquired, his voice more desperate than he would’ve liked. 

“The prince of the kingdom has gone missing, so the search party is going on all over the kingdom. My mum told me it was best we stayed out of the way.” Tilly said, looking away from the rabbit for a moment. 

“Oh.” 

“Yes, which is why I came to warn you. The search party should be in this forest any day now. Be sure to stay out of sight lest a hungry scout snag you for dinner. I would be sad to lose you to such a fate.” Tilly stated, her voice more stern than before. 

James only nodded his head at her. For a moment he thought she would just leave. Until she scooped him up in her arms once more. She put him down before he had the chance to properly react.

“Alright then, I will see you soon my friend, please stay safe,” Tilly said as she nodded her head at him. 

James stared dazedly as her form disappeared into the forest. Free and alone once more.

*** 

Tilly’s warning had proven true. It had not yet been a full day since they parted before the forest was overwhelmed with camps and knights. He had heeded Tilly’s warning to stay hidden, he had even foraged some berries in the case where he wouldn’t be able to leave his humble hole of a home for days. What he hadn’t prepared for was the thirst that would come from the party’s extended stay. He had never known thirst to be as tortuous as the one he currently endured. Each breath felt like fire charring away at his throat and lungs. He was sure that if he didn’t die of thirst, the madness it brought him would surely take him. 

He knew there was a pond not far from where he was, but so was the camp. He knew the risk of venturing out, but somehow his body had convinced him a swift death was better than an extended one. 

James soon found himself hopping toward the body of water against his better judgment. His nerves were at an all-time high the further he got from his home. Cursing himself along the way. However, The moment his eyes fell upon the small body of all reason left his body as he began to sprint towards his aqueous salvation. Water never tasted sweeter than it did as he gulped down greedily. The cool liquid soothed his aching gullet. James sighed contently once he had his fill. 

He heard it before he saw it.

The sound reminded him of when his sister Anne tried to whistle. A barely audible airy sound. That was what the arrow sounded like as it whizzed past him before it tore into the bush behind him. 

James was sprinting away before he had even registered it. Whizzing through the forest in the opposite direction of the thundering steps that pursued him. The world was a blur of green, everything was moving too quickly and too slowly. When he saw the series of tents, dread ebbed into his bones. James knew he needed cover and lept for the largest bush he could see. 

As his body glided through the air, everything suddenly slowed down completely. The arrow shined almost blindingly as it neared him. 

Darkness. That was all he saw until he opened his eyes to see the arrow buried into the ground a few feet away from him. James didn’t even give himself the chance to breathe before he began to furiously dig into the ground. 

*** 

James heaved heavily when he finally emerged from the ground. Blind to the world around him until his breath finally transitioned into hurried pants. 

The rabbit now found himself hidden away behind a dresser, his heart beating so rapidly he thought his chest would surely crack. He had dug his way from one trap into the next. The sound of his father’s voice as he barked orders at his men halted any thoughts of escape. 

“Do not stop until he is found! Now go!”His father ordered. 

The sound of clinking armor faded and for a moment all was silent in the tent. Until the sound of sobs began to shake the space. It sounded like a woman, but the longer he listened, the more he could hear the soft hiccups of a child as well. The longer he listened the more tortuous it was, and eventually James couldn’t resist the urge to discover the owners of the sound of grief. A King sat before him, holding his beloved queen and princess in his arms as they wept into him, his own tears barely contained. James felt the pressure begin to build up inside him and no longer felt sure about anything. These were the same people who always carried themselves in a manner that would make portraits envious. His mother who was the image of grace, Anne whose smile lit up a room, and his father whose gaze made men bend the knee, were unrecognizable. As they sat bonded in grief, James found he couldn’t breathe anymore and everything was now blurry. 

*** 

The rabbit ran until all he could do was walk, and walked until he could only shuffle, now his small body ached so much he could hardly move. His voice was almost completely lost to the wind after hours of calling out to the witch to no avail. It was well past two twilights since James had left his family’s tent, resolved to make things right. And so he limped on until he heard the trickling of a stream. 

“Why have you searched for me?” A voice called out of the darkness. 

With a fright, James jolted, whipping his head about furiously searching for her tall silhouette. A shaky sigh left his mouth as he took in the sight of the witch who stood illuminated by the moonlight. 

“I wish to be turned back into a boy!” James cried out to her. 

“I am sorry, but it cannot be done.” she said solemnly,” Because you wished to be ‘Forever’, free, there is nothing I can do now.”

Her words struck him like an arrow to the heart. Everything started to spin, and each breath came out harder than the last. As tears began to dampen his snowy fur, he thought of the tears his family shed and will continue to shed in the grief he caused. With a hiccup and cough, the rabbit prince knew what his next wish was. 

“Then I want to make another wish,” He began, the woman nodded her head at him, encouraging him to continue,” I wish that those who love me never have to bear the pain of missing me!” 

The witch smiled,” As you wish.” 

*** 

“We have to go now.” 

The children groaned at the eldest girl’s announcement. They stood in the field of fresh grass that danced with the summer’s breeze. For the last several hours the trio of siblings frolicked about with the magical talking rabbit that was James. 

“We have to, mama says that we have to get up early to witness the coronation of Queen Anne and her husband King Philip tomorrow!” the girl defended before her younger siblings sent a flurry of complaints her way. 

“She’s right,” James responded,” Don’t dawdle here and go enjoy the event!” At that the younger boy and girl looked defeated, nodding their heads slowly. Then with a start, the younger girl began to dash towards the treeline, letting out a fit of giggles. The sound reminded the old rabbit of a little girl he once knew. Not a beat later, the other two chased after her. 

“Alright, but we promise to come see you tomorrow!” One of the children said,” It’s not every day you encounter a talking rabbit!”

James only laughed,” That is a lovely thought!” 

And just like that, they were gone. If he would ever see them he didn’t know. But what he did know was that they would not remember the promise they made, nor the magical talking rabbit of the woods. James only let out a heavy sigh as he made his way back to the hole he called home. His fur was damp once again, which surprised him, that even after all these years, the fate of his choice still rattled him. The foolish wish of a little boy whose mind was as weak as the creature he turned into. 

James curled into himself as his heart began to swell painfully, his breaths coming out short and labored. Everything seemed fast and slow all at once until he felt a wave of frost travel within him. Soon the world began to dim and his breath slowed. The rabbit prince heard Anne’s bubbly laughter, felt his mother’s soft caress, and saw his father’s warm gaze. James hoped that he would find himself not in a land of dreams, but in a reality where he never wished for a life without his beloved family.