Capitol City || Chapter Eight

"The evening post, your highness.” 

"Just leave it on the table, Simon." The King was studying a document with his reading glasses on half-mast. The manservant was fidgeting in the doorway. 

"I-I think you'll want to see this one now, sire." He handed it off and stood back anxiously awaiting the King's reaction. Jude's gaze was immediately drawn to the front-page headline. Or rather, the picture beneath it: Gabriel walking away from the main gates. 

The size of a giant.

Jude's frown deepened.

"Penelope!" He burst into the library, unconcerned with a quiet  entrance. He stormed over to her usual spot, bathed in colored light by the stained glass window. 

"This evening's post." He announced, laying it out on the ledge before her chair.

Not much had the ability to make Penelope Akil jump roughly ten feet in the air but having her husband shout her name? Her full name without that affectionate nickname? She stiffed a bit in her chair but relaxed quickly. 

 "Alright, alright. I'm look-" The image made her pale a bit. Why had that kid gone and outed himself like that? In broad daylight, no less! "...So that's our son right there. Yeeup." She slowly looked up at Jude, stepped away from the large paper to meet his severe expression. "...You're probably wondering why he's about sixty-seven feet tall, aren't you?"

"And you're not?" His eyes danced over her, drawing conclusions rapidly. His jaw dropped slightly, shocked, angry, and a little insulted.

"You helped him behind my back, didn't you? How could you keep this from me?" He demanded.

Pen sighed and rubbed her temple.

"Voice down, honey." She said calmly but with more volume. 

She took a seat back in her chair and smoothed down her skirts a bit to calm herself "...He came to me a few months back with some issues. A lot them surrounding the throne and...well, being half giant and inheriting my height, so to speak. I taught him how because I thought it might help and he asked me not to tell you. He was embarrassed, Jude."

"Embarrassed?" He echoed, anger gradually replaced by bewilderment. "But I could have helped him adjust, showed him the ropes." He sighed at the loss of a father-son bonding experience, sinking down in a high-backed chair against the wall. "You should have told me." He maintained.

Pen stood up and headed down from her spot and stood on the railing, gathering her skirts before leaping through the air and landing seamlessly on her husband's shoulder "I probably should have… But there was a lot of pressure on him, Jude. I thought that maybe if he had some time to do something on his own he might come back to you for help after. Sort of a stupid idea, now that I think about it."

He spared her a glance when she landed on him, then returned his gaze to the bookshelf opposite, not reaching up to offer a steadying hand just yet. The question weighed heavily on him; why hadn't Gabriel approached him yet? Had he been too hard on him?

"I would've done the same, no doubt." He finally sighed, his voice quiet now. "So what's the deal, he can switch size at will? You think there would have been signs earlier."

"The question is why he did that in public at all." Pen sat down on Jude's shoulder, eyes contemplative "We should talk to him, together this time."

He turned his head to meet her eyes and nodded once. Their pensive silence was broken by a faint pair of cheerful footsteps. It was the whistling that Jude recognized. He leapt to his feet and strode to he door in time to see a shadow bobbing on the walls. "Gabriel!" 

The shadow stopped, then wobbled rapidly as the young man reappeared around the corner. 

"Yeah, dad?” 

"Library. Now. We need to talk to you."

Pen's eyes followed the youth as he entered the library. It was something else to think that this was the same boy she'd raised from an infant and the same one towering over buildings on the cover of the evening paper. She stood quietly, eyes on the boy and easily the less stern of the two parents.

Gabriel had a new spring in his step that carried him into the library. He walked up the staircase to join his father by the windowsill. The paper got his attention immediately, and a look of grim understanding darkened his features. 

"News travels fast…" He rubbed the back of his neck, bravely turning to meet Jude's gaze. 

"Do you realize what a mess you've caused? People are in a frenzy, demanding an explanation! What were you thinking?” Jude demanded. 

 Gabriel winced once at the slight volume, but held his ground. "I..guess I wasn't thinking." He admitted.

Pen stood on her husband's shoulder and placed a calming hand on his jaw, an attempt to get his volume and temper back into check. Whilste she massaged his face, she gave her son a serious look. "We could use an explaination. When I taught you how to do that spell, I expected a little more responsibility taken."

Gabriel shifted his weight, glancing at the dots on the photograph that clustered together to form Rebecca's comparatively tiny form. "I'm sorry. I was trying to impress someone... I got carried away." 

Jude raised his eyebrows, intrigued but my entirely impressed. Pen followed Gabriel's glance towards the paper and picked up the image of someone small with longer hair. 

"Who was it? A girlfriend?" She paused. "Or a boyfriend? You know your father and I will accept you no matter what."

Gabe sighed, turning a pale shade of pink at being interrogated so suddenly. "Her name is Rebecca. She's so worth it.." 

Jude exchanged glances with Pen. "After you give a damn good statement to the press to clear this up, invite her for dinner."

~~~~~~~~

 

The palace was every bit as immense and beautiful as Rebecca had recalled from the scant memories she carried during night hours from the ball she'd snuck into. She realized that marking that as the first moment of meeting between herself and the king and queen's son when she spoke to them would probably be a bad plan. She had no clue what the pair of them would be like outside of their duties. Though she had turned down the offer of a carriage and walked to the palace on foot, heeled shoes in one hand and the strap of her purse in the other, she did graciously accept a human maid's offer to lead her inside and announce her. 

She'd favored curls in her hair tonight and a pair of modest silver earrings and a pale floral print dress, the classiest she owned other than the ball attire she'd used. Becca stepped in past the main gates leading inside and felt her stomach churn in anticipation. She couldn't stop looking around the marble and stone, the artwork set out upon the walls and lavish furniture.

"So just... Remember what I said." Gabriel addressed his parents. They tried not to smile, finding it sweet how into this girl he was. He whirled when her name was announced. "Please... Behave yourselves?" 

He gave the king and queen one last stern look before rising to greet the approaching footsteps. Rebecca appeared in the entryway, eyes wide and looking at everything with an awed expression. She tensed significantly when she laid eyes on Jude and Penelope on the other side of the elegant dining room.

"You look spectacular." Gabriel was at her side in an instant, offering her his arm.

The sight of Penelope made her heart pound but seeing Jude so close at hand as well was something else. Taking Gabriel's arm, she drew in deep breaths and gave herself continual inner pep talks as they moved closer and closer to his parents. She could see the queen smiling, a gentleness to her features but something else underlying.

Jude was already kneeling behind his wife, the image of courtesy towards their guest. 

Gabriel gave her a supportive squeeze as they stopped before the queen. 

"Mum, dad- This is Rebecca... My girlfriend."

Becca bit her lower lip and nodded, giving an awkward wave of her hand. "...Uhm...Hello. Nice to meet you both." Her shyness had Pen taken with immediacy. 

The queen advanced forward with a broad smile, stopping short a small ways away. Becca had an inch on the woman in height but she still felt slightly intimidated-- that was until the queen opened her mouth.

"Daaamn. You're a very pretty girl. I can see why Gabe wanted to impress you. Still...The little shit needs to behave." 

Becca's eyes widened a fraction. This was the same elegant being she'd seen delivering beautiful speeches? Becca relaxed a bit but kept the slightly shocked look as Penelope extended her hand with a toothy grin. "Call me Pen."

Gabriel bit his lip. His mom could be embarrassing, but… He supposed it could be worse. He was pleased to see his father took the proper pre-caution when reaching down. A single hand of immense proportions was extended at waist level to the girl. 

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Rebecca.” Jude smiled. 

Okay. Giant king standing very, very close with his hand extended-- who also happened to be her boyfriend’s father. Even though she was currently quite close to deficating in her pants, she took a deep breath, realizing full well how vital her first impression was going to be. She extended her hand slowly and took his fingertip. 

"N-Nice to meet you too, sir."

Years of intricate interactions with smaller people had sharpened his nerves. Jude could feel her shakiness and took extra care when brushing his thumb atop her hand. He smiled warmly at her, then withdrew. 

"Well, let's not stand on ceremony here, shall we?" The mouth-watering aromas of the palace kitchen wafted out.

Used to being the one who cooked in the house, these tantalizing aromas awoke nearly a thousand individual sections of her sense of taste. She knew that she'd never compare to the castle chefs in regards to their culinary ability, even if she did make one mean stir fry. With a small nod, she watched Pen step casually onto Jude's hand then climbed up his arm. In spite of herself, Becca gaped.

"When you've been at it as long as they have, you pick up a few tricks." Gabriel shrugged, sliding his hand down to intertwine their fingers and gently lead her after them. "Don't worry, I'm not expecting anything like that from you. Come on."

"She... She's nothing like I would have expected. She seems so elegant usually but she's so..." Becca looked for the right words and somehow found herself giggling. "Crazy. It's kind of fantastic, honestly." She held Gabriel's hand and let him be her guide. 

The castle looked nice at present with the candle and torch light casting beautiful glows. She wondered how many wings had any electricity. It was still a luxury item, after all.

Gabriel chuckled, warmed by her smile. "She's a nutjob. Gotta love her though." He glanced at Jude's legs under the table as he guided her up the long staircase. Once everyone was seated, the first course came out almost immediately, via a small army of servants. The French onion soup was served in glossy black glass bowls, the steam billowing from each portion.

Becca felt rather like she was Alice in Wonderland presently-- taken out of her element and placed in a world severely out of proportions. She supposed that made Penelope the Mad Hatter. She definitely didn't suit the Queen of Hearts.

A long table sat upon the surface of the giant sized one and Penelope sat on one side, Gabriel and Rebecca on the other. Pen grinned and eyed the soup, blowing on a piping hot spoonful before sipping it up. 

 "God, I need to give Armand a raise...He's the best chef we've had since Elise.” she purred. 

"Mmm. I don't know how he manages to make it spicy and sweet." Jude agreed, talking more to his soup bowl than his wife. 

Instead of dozens of silverware options, the royal family opted for simplicity in private meals, laying out only the essentials. Gabriel took a deep sip of red wine and started on his soup, glancing at his girl occasionally. For a few minutes, each was left to their own thoughts and sips. Finally, Jude patted his mouth with a napkin and spoke in a low voice: 

"Gabriel tells us you're an aspiring writer. Fiction, correct?"

Becca had been caught middle mouthful and swallowed down her soup, fixing her hair a moment self-consciously. "I am. Probably will just...uh...stick with a library gig or something if that doesn't pan out.” 

Pen eyed the girl and a smile spread with not so secret connotation. "Books are pretty awesome. I'd love to see some of what you've written. I can make speeches but I am so bad at fiction writing. Believe me, I've tried. A librarian friend of mine can attest to that." She chuckled.

"You're welcome to reference our private library, should you ever need it." Jude offered. He took a swig of wine, missing the sly glance Gabriel sent Rebecca's way. Been there, done that...

Becca kicked Gabriel under the table, earning a curious glance from the queen before she took another mouthful of soup. The writer blushed at the private occurence before smiling shyly up at Jude. "Umm..Th...Thanks. I suppose you'd have the...best selection."

"We have a fair few." The King's eyes remained warm upon her.

The first course was cleared away. The etiquette of finger bowls was also done away with by the unorthodox rulers; instead, they skipped right to the main course. The delectable layout of asparagus, pork and baby onions under a drizzle of Italian gravy was enough to make even the most steadfast fruitist salivate. 

Gabriel knew he had to bridge the silence. "So, I suppose I should tell you how we met." He smiled and set his fork down for a moment. "I was  on one of my little outings downtown, when I ran into her- quite literally. Her papers went flying, and I spent half the afternoon trying to get them all back to her!" He laughed and turned to smiled at Rebecca, silently instructing her to play along with the well-rehearsed lie.

Becca followed his lead in spite of the slightly skeptical look on Pen's part. "Yeah. Talk about a fiasco...I guess. Heh." 

Penelope sent Gabriel a look with a raised brow, one that spoke of her knowing when he was lying from years of being together. Becca, however, was the first to crack. She let out a heavy sighed and slumped in her chair a bit, some hair sliding down over her eyes. 

"...Actually, we met because well...uh..." She took a deep breath. "...I kind of snuck into a charity ball so I could get the chance to some...erm...uh...r-research on fairies...I...Umm...Heard the castle library had a better selection…" 

Pen paused a moment before bursting out laughing. "I've gotta give you props, kid!"

Jude chuckled, shaking his head. “You hardly need a on array for fairy knowledge when you have this one around." He motioned to Gabriel. "Thanks to Iyla, he's a walking encyclopedia of fae folk."

Gabe smiled, but it faded with the guilt that plagued him at the mention of his fairy friend. A reminder that he had neglected to say even two full sentences to her the entire day.

"She seems like a really interesting person to be around. I...don't think she likes me much, though." Becca smiled and chuckled a lot. Not a lot of people do. She thought self deprecatingly.

Hates your guts is more like it. Gabriel corrected with a mental bitterness that he took out on his pork loin. It still bothered him to no end that the two weren't friends. They should be getting along swimmingly, by all logic!

"That makes two of us." Jude winked at her. "She might take a liking to him from his mother's side, I suppose."

"I guess that would make sense. That whole magic thing must be fun to live with." Becca sympathized with Jude; the look in Penelope's eyes and her knowing grin said it all. "I keep him on his toes." Pen winked.

Jude silently made a wide-eyed look, like a plea for help. But he melted into robust laughter the moment his wife turned and caught him. 

"That's one way to put it..." he chuckled. 

"I honestly didn't expect when Gabe used magic to get all..." Becca brushed her hair back behind her ear sheepishly. "...Well, worthy of the front page of the newspaper. I can only imagine what it's been like, having been with your wife longer. Must be a fair share of stories there...eh?"

"You have no idea." Jude replied, shaking his head. "But yes, his growth stunt was a surprise to all of us." There was a subdued note of sternness, buried beneath courtesy and kindness for their guest. 

"Oh?" Jude looked up from his nearly empty plate to see Gabriel selecting a single blossom from the bouquet in the center of the table. He stood, walked to the gap between the human table and his father's place, and set it on the tabletop. He closed his eyes, hand slightly outstretched at his side. Jude's eyes widened to watch his son make a carnation bud grow nearly seven times its original size.

Even Pen's expression grew shocked to a degree and slowly she turned to her husband. "...Okay, I didn't teach him how to grow other things. Just himself." She turned back with a look of pride at his ability. Becca looked on, awe and blush warming her face.

"It was Becca's idea, actually." Gabe returned to his seat, letting his handiwork speak for itself. "It works on people, too." He announced to his food. "In reverse, as well."

Pen gave her son a look before slowly turning around and smiling at Jude. "Just make sure you don't overshoot on other folks. You wind up with a doll sized giant in your hands."

Jude nearly choked on his wine as he recalled a sudden mental image of a younger Penelope towering over him. It had been both frightening and arousing, in retrospect. He cleared his throat and faced Pen. "You will... Help him, won't you?"

"Oh I will. Trial and error." Penelope turned to face her son with a look that spoke of no negotiation in the matter. She would be certain to make sure he learned properly. Becca blinked a bit and sipped her wine. She was not a wine person in the least but tried to drink some so as to not be rude.

Once that was settled, the conversation once again centered around Rebecca. 

"You seem like a smart girl. Do you plan to attend the university?" Jude asked.

She shrugged "Once I get the money. Hopefully I can apply for a few scholarships..." She chewed her lower lip "...And if I can get the time."

"Sounds like you keep pretty busy, i take it?" Jude and Penelope exchanged silent glances. If this girl was all she was cracked up to be in Gabriel's favor, there was no doubt she would receive whatever assistance required to get a proper education.

Becca swirled around her spoon in her soup, watching things change and shift. "It's just my mom and my sister at home so everyone needs to pitch in, really." Not that Bella did that much anyways. She certainly worked but not nearly as much as she and her mother did. When her mother got home from work, she was always legitmately exhausted or had no drive to. Bella never cleaned. That usually left Becca to do much of the work.

Jude pursed his lips. He recognized the look on her face. She was a hard worker. Underpriveledged, but not a whiner. She made the best of what she had and didn't expect anything more. He hardly knew the girl, but already he was beginning to feel inklings of fatherly urges to pamper her. Just a little. 

"Becca's a saint." Gabriel swallowed his last bite and crossed his silverware over his plate. "No really. She puts up with a lot. Far more than I have the patience for.."

"It's just the way life is. I'm not really a saint or anything because of that. I'm just living and doing the best I can." Becca set her cutlery down carefully and glanced back up, tucking hair behind her ear "That's all."

"Of course." Jude agreed politely. 

Dinner was cleared away, replaced by crystal goblets of bright green sorbet,

with lime and lemon rind twists providing a decorative garnish.

 The sorbet made both of the women's eyes light up instantly in a similar fashion and it became clear that they shared a mutual sweet tooth. Pen grinned at Becca in a shit-disturbing sort of way. "Come by here more. There's always plenty of sweet foods to be found."

"Or you could just come for me." Gabriel suggested with a rascally grin, popping a unadvisedly large spoonful of sorbet into his mouth.

"With manners like that?" Pen snorted and gave him a challengingly joking grin "It's a wonder she's still with you, kiddo."

Gabriel pulled an immature face at her, though not quite as silly since he still had a girl to impress. 

Jude sighed and shook his head, smiling fondly. By the looks of it, things were going to be just fine.

Whilst mother and son engaged in a war of face making, the other two at the table were left to exchange sympathetic looks. Becca felt her lips spread a little though still tentative.

"They're not always like this." Jude told her. "They're usually worse..." He added under his breath.

"Why can I believe that?" She smiled a little, watching as Pen started to add magic into the mix, giving herself a pigs' snout "My dad used to make faces a lot."

"He'd fit right in around here." Jude chuckled, taking a small bite of sorbet before returning his gaze to Rebecca. Impossibly, he was able to ignore the semi-vulgar hand signal Gabriel was currently making at his mother. "You close to your father?"

Her eyes turned downward and she nodded, a faraway expression finding her with entirety "I talk to him a lot. He gives me a lot of courage when I can't do certain things, you know?"

Jude slowed, detecting something hidden in her reply. Something somber. "Wisdom often comes with age." He replied carefully. "Are your parents living apart, or...?" He left his suspicion open ended.

"He's...In Heaven now." She wore a tight edged smile; this was not what she'd expected when coming to dinner. Pen lifted her enchantments and immediately looked to the girl, knowing it was time to be serious. She let Jude handle it, seeing as he was the one speaking to her presently.

Gabriel fell silent, turning to her with sudden concern. He touched her hand lightly, but he knew he would be of little comfort for something so deeply rooted. 

"I'm sure he'd be proud to know he's still an influence on what a bright young woman you're becoming." Jude finally said.

A nervous laugh left the awkward young woman but she held Gabe's hand tightly. "Certainly wasn't expecting to talk about this tonight." She felt the edges of vision begin to blur with a few tears; Jude's words had touched her more than she thought he realised.

"I apologize. I didn't realize it was a painful subject." Jude apologized gently. He looked to his wife, then back to Rebecca, giving her a moment.

"No, it's okay." She reached up and rubbed her eyes, thanking God she'd neglected to wear make up for the occasion. "God, I'm crying in front of the king and queen. This is definitely a first."

Jude swallowed, unable to help but feel a stab from his conscience. "It's perfectly fine, dear." He assured her. 

Gabriel whispered words Jude could not hear, to hush and calm her, giving her hand a squeeze.

"I...think I just need some air, then I'll be okay." Becca swallowed. As much as Gabriel was helping her, this was not the place for it. She knew she was going to turn into a monumental wreck and she felt so guilty about that.

Jude stood up, offering her his hand. Gabriel stood alongside her. "Do you want me to stay behind?"

For some reason, her head bent of its own accord and she found herself nodded at his request. She just wanted to have some time to collect herself. Not make people worry or see her crying anymore.

By now, several servants had noticed discreetly, and hurried over to escort her outside. But the king turned them away, insisting on taking her himself. He picked her up gently, wrapping one hand around her with the least pressure possible, them gradually releasing her into the other. He carried left the dining room and walked down a narrow hallway. The only decoration was the garnet carpet that covered the stone floor. He finally knelt down by a rounded, human-sized door in the wall and laid his hand to the ground. 

"Take as much time as you need.” Jude told her.

Becca nodded a moment but felt hesitant to leave the warmth of his hand. Even if she was nervous being held by a giant other than Gabriel, Jude had proved himself gentle. She didn't step down and instead fiddled with the edge of her skirt, eyes cast downward at the carpet.

Jude waited patiently, having been informed of her giant-phobia. But she made no move for the door, and he sat back on his heels, raising the small girl closer. 

"How long has it been?" He asked quietly.

"Five years." She responded, lowering herself onto his palm, the heels of her palms digging moisture from her eye sockets. "Happened out of no where."

 Compassionate blue-green eyes watched her, missing nothing. Jude parted his pockets with his free hand, finally producing a crème silk hankerchief and offering it to her on a single fingertip.

Slowly, she extended a dainty hand and picked up the handkerchief, using it to wipe at her eyes. She didn't dare blow her nose with it. She realized he probably carried that for a reason, such a small one at that. She turned the small square in her hand and for some reason, she felt more tears come. These ones felt so much hotter than they should have, like acid. She sniffed a bit and bit her lip. "...I miss him so much..."

Jude snuck a sidelong glance down the hallway, willing Penelope to appear. She was so much better with these types of things...

"It's okay, Rebecca..”

He hesitated, trying to honor her hesitation towards his species, but gave into his instincts. Jude cupped a second hand behind her, walling her in on three sides. He stroked her gently with experienced hands and held her closer.

Becca tensed upon feeling a wall of skin against her back but the promise of warmth, the distinct scent of a father lingering of aftershave on Jude was enough to keep her closer to him. Like a child, she grasped fistfuls of fabric and let go, a wash of tears wracking her body, pathetic, squeaky hiccups of pent up, hidden sorrow leaking out. She felt disgusting--probably puffy eyed already, oozing some liquid from her nose and eyes.

Jude sighed silently and shifted so he was sitting against the wall. As her sniffles escalated into sobs, he brought her to his chest, letting her bury her cries into the vest fabric. It felt inappropriate to be comforting her like this-someone he had practically just met. But another part of him was satisfied; the part that had gotten up at three AM countless nights to pacify Gabriel from nightmares, had showed him there's nothing to be afraid of in the dark, had cheered him up with silly stories when Gabe broke his arm at the age of seven. 

He knew Penelope and Gabriel would be wondering and waiting on him, but he wasn't going anywhere. Not yet.

The sun had finally set in its entirety and the cold had seeped in over the world of night, though thankfully not the terribly potent sort. A tiredness from emotional exertion coated her consciousness as she loosened her hold on Jude's shirt. Slowly, she glanced up towards his face, a little nervous. 

 "...I'm...I'm really sorry, I...I just totally snapped."

Jude shook his head. "You don't need to apologize for grieving. It's one of the noblest human experiences, if you ask me." He drew her away carefully, sensing temporary closure.

A slow nod was gained from his words and she wiped her eyes again, fidgeting with the hankerchief "...Thanks. It's really good of you to be here for me even if we're practically strangers."

"It's good of you to let me." He offered her a small smile. He noted the redness in her cheeks, splotchy from the tears. 

"Are you ready, then?"

Another nod. She gnawed at her lower lip and recalled her own father and his encouragement, the times she'd crawl into his lap as a kid and just cuddle when he came home from work. She craved that warmth again. "I'm ok now."

He believed she was okay like a dirigible was 'okay' with a tarp covering a gaping hole in its air supply. But he wasn't her father, and there was nothing more he could do for her. 

~~~~~

The night had a surprisingly nice ending. After additional sweets and pleasant conversation the traces of tears were faint on her face. They chatted a while longer before the king and queen retired for the night and bade her a warm goodnight. 

Gabriel held her hand, leading her slowly on a moonlight stroll through the garden. 

"You look exhausted." He gave her a small, teasing smile and stood in front of her. "Let me take you home."

The sounds of a faraway owl hooting away caught Rebecca's ears along with the burbling of the pond that looked more like a manmade lake on the other side of a section of hydradrangeas. She gave Gabriel's the gentlest of pressures from her own and looped her skinnier fingers through his thicker one, holding a hand that had so easily held her whole body. 

"Yeah, I am a bit tired, actually." She chuckled lightly and leaned against him as if to accentuate the point "...Your dad, by the way. I didn't get a chance to thank him  properly. I mean, I totally embarrassed myself but your folks were so understanding about it." She paused a moment then lifted a hand to his jaw, leaning up to press a kiss on his cheek, a slow, savoured connection of the lips. "And you were too. Thank you."

"I know what it's like to lose people." The words sprang to his lips as he looked down at her a moment later. Crickets and Chicadas created a surrounding cacophony. "You were wonderful, by the way. I think you're in better graces with them than I am at this point." He chuckled, but it was subdued; his mind was misted in her kiss.

"Your parents are really easy to like and even easier to get along with." Rebecca replied and let her lips stray away from his face before she moved back down, hearing and feeling the thump of her heels in the grass. She leaned in against his chest, soaking in the warmth he gave off.

 He wrapped his arms all the way around her, one hand cradling her head and caressing her curls. It felt good to have her pressed against him like this, to be her shelter. He rested his chin lightly atop her head.

"I'll tell the guard to give you clearance so you can come and go as you please; use the library without getting arrested." He was quiet a moment. "Someday, I want to take you away."

She smiled at his comment and closed her eyes, nuzzling up against him a little. She wound her arms back in a reciprocal fashion. 

"Getting arrested. That's a good gift from you." She chuckled and though there was a hint of joking in her tone there was some genuininity as well. "Thank you."

He drew away enough to tilt his head downed their noses brushing. His brow was furrowed in contemplation, what to say and what to hold back for another day. Instead, he silently locked lips, kissing her with a gentle passion that was far more than "good night".

A downtrodden blue light sat in the corner of the prince's room and glance up only upon his re-entry. She hadn't seen or spoken to him all day, and that was exceedingly odd for her. Iyla felt the weight of an old scar upon her wing where a thorn had pierced them, where young hands had cared for the wound. Her glow was weak and she stared out the window, wings drooping.

He shed his vest and tossed it into the abyss of his closet. Halfway done unbuttoning his shirt, he stopped short. The tune he had been humming vanished as he stared at a spot several meters away. 

"...Iyla?" He crept closer.

Gabriel's voice might have made her hopeful long ago but right now, she just wanted to vanish into thin air. She stood up and started flying. 

"Go to sleep, Gabriel. You had a wonderful night with 'her', right? You'll need to sleep it off."

"Wait-" When he was close enough, he held up a hand between her and the window. "I've been wanting to talk to you."

The fairy wound up colliding with Gabriel's open hand and attempting to fly away again "Just go to bed already!" She snapped.

"Hey!" His fingers coiled swiftly around her in a fist. He hated trapping her, but this was important. 

"What's been up with you lately?" He frowned, taking her with him towards bed.

The little fairy struggled and grumbled in the prince's strong but gentle grip, pounding her smaller fists against his larger one. She stubbornly refused to even open her mouth in the least.

"Iyla, I'm serious." Gabriel tried and failed to catch her fists. "I don't know if you think I haven't noticed these past couple weeks, but you've been absurdly moody lately. Now, are you going to tell me what's got your skirt in a twist or am I going to have to interrogate you?" The last bit was teasing, an attempt to make her smile while stubborn concern remained alive in his eyes.

Iyla's lower lip quivered and she crossed her arms, her glow turning red as an indication of her clear anger. She glanced back up towards him and finally relented, giving a hefty sigh.  "...It's stupid."

Gabriel cautiously released her into an open palm. He raised his eyebrows and gave her a cocky smile. "Try me."

For a while, there was nothing but silence punctuated by the occaisonal distant voice in the hallways and the brush of wind through tree branches, sending them dancing like upswept hair. Gabriel's palm was warm and experianced, a place of security and safety beyond compare. But when she thought about them touching Rebecca instead of her…

"I...I love you, Gabriel. And I'm not allowed to have you because someone else does.”

All at once, the blood drained from his face. Gabriel felt his heart throb in a distinctly different way from the way it had behaved earlier that day. 

"What?" He finally croaked. He stared at the familiar fairy, a face that he knew as well as his own mother's. "Wait, you're just worried I won't have time for you now that I'm dating Rebecca, right?" A note of panic nearly crept into his voice as he frantically tried to wrap his mind around the concept.

"You heard me! Or are you suddenly deaf?" She wiped her eyes and glared up at him "No, I've got it. You're just...just stupid! And oblivious! And you obviously don't get what the word 'love' means!"

Gabriel snapped out of his stupor and hastily tried to make amends for his insensitivity. 

"I'm sorry!" His voice didn't seem to be able to reach its full volume. He lifted her a little higher, as if her face contained the answers he sought. She was being a bitch to Rebecca because she was competition! Everything clicked at once, and a wave of guilt crashed upon the prince when he realized all the times he had unintentionally wounded Iyla. 

"I'm sorry, that was stupid. But…  I thought… All this time…?" He trailed off. He had been so wrong. Gabriel swallowed, his hands shaking. “Iyla, I never meant to hurt you.”

The fairy scoffed and shook her head in something like disgust. "Never meant to hurt me...do you think that makes a lick of difference to me right now? It doesn't! Not at all, you...you complete moron!" She berated the prince, releasing pent up anger.

Her anger rolled off him. The longer he stared at her, Gabriel felt hot tears prickling at his eyes. He wanted her to be happy. But he couldn't give her that unless he gave her... Himself.  

He swallowed and looked away.

But she was over a hundred years older than him! She had seen him as a snotty little kid- who could find that attractive? Logic just wasn't winning this round. It wasnt that he didn't find Iyla attractive- she was the prettiest thing he would ever see, he was certain. But it had never occurred to him that she could possibly feel that way for him. He glanced down again, gingerly placing his thumb atop her hand.

"It's..." She sniffed and glared up at the man, seeing the echoes of a crying child she'd known so long ago. The fairy's glow softened into something paler and she sniffled again. "It's not fair..."

A tear leaked out- the first of many. How selfish he had been... Imagining Iyla would just tag along for his life journey, supporting him through marriage and beyond with whomever he chose as his queen. He wondered if things would have turned out differently if she had told him before he met Rebecca. But now he had a choice to make. 

He closed his hand around the fairy again, this time cradling her securely to his chest with second hand providing additional support. He held tighter than he normally dared. 

"I'm still here.” He whispered.

She was astounded by how strong Gabriel's grip was, for one thing. He'd never dared to hold her this tightly. She almost couldn't breathe but that didn't bother her as much as it should her. She spread her arms, wishing she'd just been able to view him with anything but romantic intent now.

When he finally released her, the tears had stopped. He hastily apologized for shorting her of breath and let her catch a few gulps of air before swinging his legs into bed. He set her down on the pillow beside him, eye-to-eye in the dark.

"If..." He started hesitantly. "If I stay with Rebecca... Would you leave me?"

Under the desperate scrutiny of such familiar, large eyes softened and worried the fae and she rested a hand on the bridge of his nose. She wasn't happy about it but she couldn't help it. "...You idiot." She aimed a kick at his nose. "...You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Gabriel chuckled weakly and drew back, scratching his nose before returning to his former position. He smiled softly, his lower lip trembling minute amounts. He wasn't a child anymore; he knew what a sacrifice she would be making in staying regardless of his decision. His father always told him true love is sacrifice. 

Like a child, almost, the prince pulled the sheets up, his hand continuing up until it was half draped across Iyla like a blanket. "Stay… Sleep with me tonight."  He implored her, already knowing she could not refuse his request.

The child-like implore was one she knew so frightfully well and something she could always count on. She'd known Gabriel for so much of his life now and the idea of being seperated from him for any reason at all was something she could not even remotely contemplate. 

"I'll stay here, then. Just don't roll over in your sleep." She chided. Naturally, Iyla knew he never did roll— not anything that would be lethal to her, anyway-- and when he did, she usually wound up tucked against his body in some form. The fairy closed her eyes slowly and curled up beneath his hand.

Gabriel closed his eyes and pulled her closer, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead.  

"Thank you."

Though his breathing was even, the took him hours for sleep to come.