Author's note: For the nonsexual readers, you can safely skip anything tagged [18+] and miss nothing about the story that won't be referenced in the next couple of chapters.
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Aster was nothing short of grateful when Stahl finally closed the door behind her, leaving just the two alone at last.
The day had taken its toll on the weary young man, and the night had brought little more solace to him. He discovered he was a king to the dead... He was apparently going to have to fight the actual legendary beasts from the story he used to like... He was almost murdered by a bear, and he wasn't even sure if he was angry at the beast about it... He was angry at his father, though.
Aster wasn't so naïve to ever believe his father didn't have the blood of his own people on his hands, but to hear something so cruel firsthand from one such victim? It made him unreasonably angry towards the panther that had raised him as his own.
