"I was their prisoner, a long time ago when Arwyl's grandmother and grandfather ruled.." he started with a quiet sigh. "I came from a much different background. I was a thief and a cut throat, I fell in with a rough crowd when I was younger and I was so good at it that soon I lead them, but in truth I worked for my father. He wasn't a kind man, he threw me into the pits a lot and rather than fighting for my life like that I took up thievery to make his coin instead.. Cowardly, but my father didn't care as long as the coin was coming in." Kaius frowned and his jaw clenched.

"One night I was badly injured when a heist went wrong.." he tapped on a thick scar on his chest.. "They left me there. I suppose they thought I'd die anyway, we weren't the most honourable of friends.. But guards seized me and threw me into one of the palace dungeons. I'd been causing them trouble for quite some time." he muttered and sat himself down in the tree root as they reached their camp, and started plucking at the bird's feathers rather than look at Riley as he spoke..

"I was healed, flogged for my crimes and awaited my trial.. The princess, Arwyl's mother used to visit me there. She was a little rebellious I suppose, but kind, she took pity on me and made sure I was well fed." Kaius laughed under his breath. "I'll never know why she pitied me." he muttered more to himself and shook his head.

"But she begged her parents to spare my life, convinced them I deserved a second chance, that I'd had no other choice, that I could be a better man. She gave me my life. I trained with their army, and I became so good that I lead them too, for a time... When Arwyl was born I was entrusted with being his mentor, to protect him at all costs and keep him on the right path.."