Nikolai pulled the reins of his stallion and trotted towards the exit passageway. He looked left and right to see if anyone was around and was relieved when no one was there, only the guards patrolling in the castle but they wouldn't care enough to notice. He's a prince and whatever he does was not their responsibility anymore.
They were about to move towards the bushes when the stallion nickered in resistance, almost jerking Nikolai to the ground. It was a road his horse wasn't familiar at all. Trees branched to make an arc, glooming the pathway in the process like an entrance to a haunted forest.
Nikolai stroked the side of his neck, "It's okay, Icarus. Nothing will harm you there."
