Okay.. I'm starting to feel fairly scared.. The Final Battle is the next episode and.. It's obviously the biggy.. :L

"Come back later." The door had slid open silently, almost, but Elyon didn't wish to go out. She'd had her morning meal; silently, Phobos would only rest his gaze on her so often, and Lord Cedric.. She hadn't seen him. Not since.. Miranda had been there, of course. She was always there, and Elyon had begun to wonder what she did here. She certainly didn't take a moment with Elyon, and Elyon supposed she didn't mind.. But it was getting harder - being alone. All that Prince Phobos every had to say was about the coronation and Elyon knew well that he was faking. He almost seemed regretful, to have brought her here and Elyon shared the sentiment.

"Elyon." Elyon straightened at that; the drawled word softly motivating her senses to catch fire as she whirled to face him. Phobos never spoke like that anymore, but Lord Cedric smiled tenderly, with gentle eyes that sympathized with her anguish. He would know: that she was sending away anyone who came to her about the ceremony; and he proved that by holding out the tape, numbers and lines marked along it, which had been earlier held by a maiden. "I hear you are creating a one-woman mutiny."

"I don't need to be measured, they know my size." Elyon turned her face away; hoping not to be found, for the faintest blush on her cheeks. It was funny, how her dreams had led her mind into romantic situations with this man, while she herself had been busy, lusting her own brother. There had always been something with Cedric, but as he shifted on the spot at the other side of his room behind her, Elyon knew that she had never truly seen him coming. Even Cornelia, had been far more attracted than herself, and Lord Cedric was meant to be her type. He had only ever been a friend to her, and Elyon rose words of questions to her lips, but they fell when she turned to look at him again.

"Elyon.." He knew in that moment she had given up; she could tell, when he stepped forward, and she herself stood, unmoving because he was unwinding the tape. "You wouldn't want it not to fit.. And this is not a common dress, Elyon, this is a dress that will-"

"It will take me into womanhood-" Elyon blanched at that, as his breathing itself paused behind her. She should have said reign. But he only took a moment to compose himself, pressing and pulling taught the measure on her back and Elyon knew she ought feel more embarrassed, but a surge of something went through her, and perhaps it was whatever had possessed her to, for months, effort in enticing her own sibling to something far darker than his mourning when she'd first arrived. Perhaps it was childish; Elyon had only wondered what he might do, but anyone watching would assume that she'd had more intent than sheer curiosity. "Wait."

...

Caleb had apparently made a misconception, to assume that whatever a Christmas was - and he daren't ask properly after the Halloween fiasco, this seeming even more indulgent for Hay Lin - it would be simple and short.. And he wouldn't need to dress in such an incredibly stupid way. But Irma had been told; there was no way to keep a secret from her, and this morning she had bombarded him with black trousers and a shirt with too many buttons.. And a tie - there was no way that he intended to wear a tie (even if he could get the damned thing on) - and yet another jacket. And even Cornelia herself, had given up being morose - instead animatedly describing a dress that she was willing to risk her life for, whilst the others chirped on. She'd even gotten herself some boy to go with, not that Caleb had stayed long after that; and instead he'd marked his place now. Fidgeting in the kitchen.

For six days, he'd been doing exactly that, because Will had taken to coming every day, and he liked it because everyone complained that Will was miserable, but he was yet to find any truth in that fact. But he continued to tap his fingers; drumming loudly and ignoring the looks as Mr Lin bustled past him, "Hey, sorry, I'm-"

He was surprised that she bothered to walk in at all, because he'd already forced her out again, and she laughed between kisses; harshly pressed to her lips, he dragged his away and onto them again, and she'd jerked forward, from the wall on which he'd pressed her against when he pushed his hands into her back pockets, but she knew it was her own fault. She'd started it first. "You're always late."

"It doesn't help when I can't get in." He pushed her back against brickwork again, intending to show her that he had no intention of going in, because he was a hypocrite inside. And Will couldn't seem to care less; her eyes on him at a constant, and she'd taken to fighting every damned thing he said again, but he honestly couldn't afford to hand the girls a reason not to listen to him, because he'd only managed to settle them by telling them they could go to their silly party. They were supposed to be setting an example, Caleb knew, but he could care less about being proper than she did when they were alone. "And you know, I could always go home.. I have a date tonight."

"Really..?" There was something hiding, behind the sincere smiles, but he knew that his nerves were as shot and he had mere days to plan an attack.. And yet, something kept pushing that away, and he could pretend that he hadn't seen her in a state, and that she hadn't been screaming all murder. Responsibility was a tired phase, and he found that there wasn't a waking hour that he didn't fear. The days were getting slimmer, and maybe he didn't have to die, but who said he wouldn't? "I bet he's handsome."

"Oh yeah.. But until a second ago, I hadn't really thought he was proud of that.."

"Mm..?"

"And he's very insecure about this boy Ma-"

"I'm sure that he's not."

"Oh, he is."

"You think so?"

"I know."

"Will." Caleb pressed his forehead to hers then, as she smiled, but he could see the dark circles that curved beneath her eyes, and she didn't look well, underneath the happiness. He opened his mouth to say it then, but her face fell as if knowing what he would bring up. "Will, you should have told me I would be dressing so ridiculously and we could've avoided the whole thing.."

"The whole thing?"

"The Christmas."

"You want to avoid Christmas? ..Caleb, I think you've misunderstood what 'The Christmas' is..."