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I laugh and it feels good to enjoy a lighter moment in this gloomy place. “Never mind,” I declare, “I’m sure your dream lady waits for you somewhere out there, or perhaps you have a sweetheart back in Ellerban?”

He shakes his head. “There’s no-one special waiting for me back in Ellerban. My life as one of the prince’s elitesoldiers was not conducive to forging any sort of meaningful relationship. Plus, I always had a sense the one meant for me was elsewhere.”

He looks directly into my eyes as he says the last sentence and I can’t help feeling there is a deeper meaning to his words. I take a drink of wine and try to settle my racing heart back down.

“How interesting,” I muse, “do you therefore believe in destiny?”

He grins. “Without a doubt. What about you?”

I stare into the flames of the fire as I ponder his question. A few short weeks ago my answer would have been quite different to the one I offer now. “I think destiny plays a part in our lives, but I also believe there are times when we must be brave enough to make our own destiny.”

“Hmmm…” he replies, as he takes a generous drink of his wine. “That’s a most interesting answer, especially for a queen.”

I’m puzzled as to how he thinks my answer is most interesting, especially for a queen. “How so? I ask.

“As a queen I would imagine you are completely the mistress of your own destiny. Who would challenge you?”

I smile ruefully into the flames. “Alas, if only it were that simple,” I reply. “The crown is weighted with duty and expectations, formalities and tradition. Even as I sit here, a grave threat lies against me and my people. It is one I had hoped to change by being brave enough to shun tradition and make my own destiny with the co-operation of the prince. However, if I don’t find him soon, all that will be undone, and for the sake of my people I fear I must submit to my fate.”

His expression deepens and becomes serious. “Fear not, Queen Elinor, Aaran and I won’t let you down. We shall return the prince to you by the rise of the midday sun.”

His words are so heartfelt and his expression so sincere, I feel the flicker of hope I’ve been carrying since we left thecastle burst into a flame. “Thank you,” I whisper, as a wave of weariness washes over me.

We sit in silence, watching the flames dance with the darkness. I sip my wine, grateful for the heat of the fire upon my face as I feel the chill of the night at my back. The night is well settled in around us when the silence is pierced with a singular howl. Then slowly, one by one, a string of howls surround us. I instinctively move closer to Barra and throw more sticks on the fire.

“The wolves you mentioned,” he observes.

I nod in reply. “Yes, and it would seem there are plenty of them.”

“Interesting,” he says in a low voice.

This isn’t quite the response I expected. “Interesting?”

“Yes. The prince has an affinity with wolves. Each time Aaran and I found him on the mountain he was in the company of wolves.”

I’m so shocked to hear this, I nearly drop my goblet of wine. “What?” I ask, fearing I misheard him.

He smiles at my shocked reaction. “The prince,” he says, “he has a natural affinity with wolves. This is good, Queen Elinor, because if the wolves are nearby it means the prince probably is too.”

“You believe no harm will come to him?” I ask, desperately trying to control the anxiety flaring in my chest.

“I think we have more to fear from them than the prince,” he replies.

“And Aaran?”

He laughs. “The wolves have more to fear from him than he from them.”

The last of the howls stops and an eerie silence settles on the chilly night air.

“We should sleep close to the fire and to each other,” he suggests, “just to be on the safe side.”

I nod. “Yes, of course, but what about Aaran? Shouldn’t he be here with us by now?”

He pours some more wine into my goblet. “He’ll make his presence known when he’s ready. He’s probably close by making sure we’re safe from the wolves before he retires for the night.”

I drink the rest of my wine, comforted by the heat of the fire, and it’s not long before the combination of both begin to take effect, and I feel my eyelids grow heavy. Soon, I feel a heat of another kind and my body being supported by a strong, yet soft structure. I snuggle into it, hungry for the warmth it provides and the feeling of safety it brings me.

“That’s right, Queen Elinor,” Barra’s soft voice whispers. “I am your most loyal servant and your shelter. Take from me what you need.”