She watched him giggle with a smile on her face and brushed a hand over his hair. He deeply wished his older self would still be this carefree. A sound like that out of the grown man's mouth was unimaginable.
"Or maybe you are just an astonishingly brave young man. A young prince needs such a bravery." She gave him a kiss on the forehead. She couldn't help it. "Shall we go before it tries to bewitch you to do whatever it wants? Not every mighty foe has to look like much. There are the brawly types - men of muscle but without fineness - and then there are the sorcerers. For a sorcerer it might even be an advantage to look inconspicuous." The boy's animal counterpart had taken a place in front of them and stared up, demanding more treats.