A/N: Well, tomorrow's Christmas Eve, I work until 7:00pm, but my family's coming over to visit so... less likely that I'll be writing anything tomorrow.
If I don't write anything in the next few days, Merry Christmas (Or Happy Holidays!) and hope to see you all at the next chapter.
Enjoy, review if you can, and hug an elf!
(Matt P.O.V)
I believed in Mello, truly I did. As much as his people had faith in him, so did I.
And he was making a difference.
His father never caught on to him, but Mello left the Palace twice a week now to shop for goods in the Marketplace. He paid fairly, or more than fairly, for anything he bought, and had even brought his most trusted servant Garrel with us a few times so that he may shop for himself as well. In this span of time Mello had gotten silks and threads, sweets and cakes, and had even paid for new clothing for myself. In one month of doing this, I could see in a huge change in the workings of the commoners. Those who were overpricing their goods had lowered their prices, and stores were looking much healthier than beforehand.
But it didn't stop there.
Mello never told his father about this, but when he was told to spend time with potential future brides, he would take them out into the market and they'd buy all they could from the amazing shops that they'd had no idea about, on the condition that they acted as peasants themselves and said nothing about the excursion. The only women he didn't take with him were Lady Kassandra, and Lady Cordelia. He was too afraid that these two would blab to someone about all this and his plans to save Illiran would be ruined.
In the end, this excited the young ladies and were left with the knowledge that their home markets were just as desirable as Illiran's. And, within two months of this practice, the market was booming with new life. Some of the poor even managed to get jobs. It would still take a while yet before poverty would be eradicated from Illiran, or even across the country, but the fact that his young majesty was trying meant the world to the people… even if they didn't know it was really the Prince's work.
Their faith was well-placed.
Mello had taken a day off to rest and plan out his next move before the snow let in in a few weeks, so I decided to take him outside the wall again… but to a different place other than the market.
We set out at around noon to a field somewhere far behind the Palace. I'd actually gone out the day before to use some of my magic to make the field bloom for a few days, but I hadn't told him that part. In fact, he knew nothing about my magical abilities whatsoever. I would have told him… were he not so hateful and mistrustful of the Magi. He did get cursed by an enchantress after all, but I would think that he'd learn to trust me later on. After that, then I'd reveal who I was.
But that wouldn't be for a while now yet.
When I'd brought him to the field he hadn't even hesitated to follow me. And now that he was coming out of his rooms more, he never thought about wearing a hood as often. He just enjoyed the freedom he felt when he wasn't in the Palace.
Lying on the grass, watching the day roll by, and sniffing the flowers… he seemed more peaceful now than the day I'd met him and heard him play his instruments. I was glad that he seemed so content.
We had laid there on the grass, him on his back and me on my stomach, for what felt like hours now.
Maybe it had been hours.
He hummed happily. "I could stay out here forever."
I chuckled lightly. "Except that you have a Kingdom to rule. Remember?"
I heard a scoff brush past his lips. "I'd happily let Aiden take my place were my father not so stuck up on tradition. It should be my choice whether or not I want to rule this country."
"Well, if it were your choice, would you give it up?"
He paused at this question before turning to me. "I guess it would depend on what I'm giving it up for. I mean, would I still have a place to live… or be thrown out into the streets?"
"You could always come live with me in Krolir." I suggested.
A grin appeased his face. "Well, that solves that problem. But I don't think I could give up the crown."
I was a little heartbroken by this, but I masked it well. "I see. Why would you keep the crown?"
A hum passed through the silence yet again. "Because I owe it to my mother. Her people loved her dearly, and it would be wrong to let my father's second son, of a second marriage, take the throne. But I would demand that I find my own bride on my own time. This whole ordeal with the ladies living among my Palace is giving me a headache. Besides, I don't care about any of them."
This intrigued me. "Really? All those beautiful women and you don't find any of them preferable?"
A shrug was my answer. "Maybe I'm just not trying hard enough. I admit they are all beautiful in their own ways, but I just don't feel anything in my heart for them."
I decided not to comment on this as I took a flower from the field and sniffed it. "For me… women are a little too caddy."
"What do you mean? You just avoid them?"
I started to twiddle the flower in my fingers. "In a sense, I suppose. I really don't feel anything for women, exactly. I'm more… adventurous than that."
He seemed to perk up a bit at my saying this. "Oh? Care to go into more detail?"
I didn't know how much I should tell him, but I suppose honesty was the best way to go.
"Well… err… what I mean is… sometimes a woman could catch my… 'Attention', and sometimes a man could. It really depends on the personality, but I've explored both genders in my, rather young, life. I happen to like the variety."
He stilled at this before looking away from me, blushing slightly. "I… didn't know you could make that sort of choice…"
"It's not a choice." I interrupted. "Come people just have different… tastes. It's kind of like if you loved chocolate and chocolate alone…"
"Which I do, but continue." Mello grinned out.
I chuckled. "So, you like chocolate, and someone else happens to like cake. I happen to like all sweets if they taste great! Variety is the spice of my life!" I then cleared my throat a bit and looked away from the blonde. "But, if I had to settle down with just one sweet for the rest of my life… they'd have to be pretty special to me."
"Oh?" He spoke up, leaning off his elbows to look at me. "And what would have to make them special?"
I desperately wanted to tell him now but I knew it would be wrong. Yes, we'd become friends… but that was as close as I would get to being in an actual relationship with him. Besides, he was a Prince. And one of the many laws in this Kingdom was that a Prince could not marry out of the nobility unless they renounced their claim to the throne. And Mello would not give up his crown for a peasant like me.
I sighed to myself. "Well, they'd have to be kind and gentle, will like me for who I am and laugh at my jokes, even if they aren't funny." I paused to smile. "And above all else…" I paused one more time, thinking about how important this was. "They have to love me for me. What they see is what they get, and they know I won't change for anything. Even if I am weird, and I have my own little quirks, it shouldn't over-mask the giant heart."
I hesitantly looked over to the blonde and saw that he was smiling at me. I loved that smile of his. I just couldn't not smile when he did.
He rolled over onto his stomach, getting closer to me. "I think you're absolutely right, Matt. If you love someone, then it shouldn't matter about the little quirks or kinks with them. And yes, you do have a habit of being annoying… but it doesn't matter since your heart is always in the right place." He then looked to the ground unhappily. "I hope I can find that."
I could feel my heart tear into two at this.
Mello didn't deserve those pompous, airheaded, females who only sought the crown. He needed someone like me! Someone who loved him for exactly who he was! The only reason those girls were after him at all was because they had a chance to break some stupid curse and have a man without any imperfections. But, the truth was, we all had our own imperfections. Mello couldn't help the way he looked, and if those women could even see half of what I saw every day behind those beautiful eyes, they would weep in utter awe of how beautiful he was. I didn't care about how he looked, he cared about his people, he loved music, and he had a smile that made the world just a bit warmer. And those eyes? My gods! It was like they were blessed from the sky itself! How could anyone overlook all these beautiful features about him?!
"Matt?" I was brought out of my thoughts by his voice. "Would you say we were friends?"
I blinked at the question. "Of course! Why would you even ask that?!"
He lowered his head slightly, his mouth hiding in the nook of his arms. "Well… I've never had a friend before. And… I don't want to be alone again."
I grinned at him, trying my hardest not to say something out of turn.
Mello had been so holed up in the Palace, so distant from the world around him, that he was uneducated when it came to friendship or even companionship. I doubt he even knew what it was that he really wanted in his life as a partner. I think he was just going along with what everyone else wanted him to. He was tough and unforgiving when it came to something he was sure about… but at the moment, having no leg to stand on with knowing about friendship or love, he was introverted and scared. But I knew he didn't have to be.
He wouldn't lose me as a friend.
I scooted a bit closer to him. "You never have to be alone, Mel. I promise. Whenever you need me, all you'll have to do is call."
His lips spread into a smiled and he cuddled in under my chin. "Even if you're my only friend, Matt… you'll forever be my best friend."
Something about those words just made me love the blonde more and more.
It had gotten late by the time we were heading back, and we had to cross through a rather dense forest before we got to the Palace wall. However, we weren't alone through our second trip across.
I hadn't noticed the rustles in the bushes until they were getting closer. But even then I didn't see anything when I'd turned to look. And I wouldn't see it until the very last second.
I'd turned back after looking for a second time before feeling something knock me to the ground and bite my shoulder with an unwavering force.
I screamed in pain and it caught Mello's attention from in front of me.
He ran to help me but I demanded that he run away. Caught in the middle between helping me and running off, he froze midway and just stared at me and the thing attacking me.
I looked around me to see that I'd been attacked by a great wolf, and it's pack was going after Mello. The blonde still didn't run though, and opted to enduring the same fate as myself. But I couldn't let him do that.
And, as much as I didn't want him to find out this way, I had to do something.
I drove a root from a tree into the great wolf and it died instantly. I then manipulated the roots and vines all around me to form a cyclone of nature and attack the wolves. The cyclone would only stay up for a few moments before returning to the original states they once sat in, but it was enough time to grab Mello and run for our lives. Once I'd get to safety I'd treat my bite wound… then explain to the man about what he just witnessed.
We got out of the forest and I immediately treated my wound. It didn't take too long to heal with my magic, but it was a lot of concentration to get everything back to normal again. Mello just stared at me in both disbelief and horror. I knew for a fact that he was upset with me for keeping this secret from him, but he had to realize why I hadn't said anything.
With my wound healed, I looked up to the man and held up my hands in defense. His eyes were pure shock and fear.
Not to mention anger and betrayal.
I took a breath. "Let me explain…"
He didn't even say anything. He just shook his head and ran away from me, back through the servants exit and into the Palace. I tried to stop him but he was too quick for me. None of the servants that he'd pushed out of his way could even guess the immense fear and anger that was coursing through him at the moment.
I'd chased him and called for him to stop right until we got to the North Wing and he hid in his bedroom, slamming the door shut. I tried my best to get it open but he'd locked it and wouldn't open it for anything.
"Mello! Please, just listen to me!"
"YOU'RE A MAGE! YOU'RE PART OF THE MAGI! YOUR KIND CURSED ME!"
"Mello, please…"
"GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY PALACE! GO DIE IN A HOLE YOU SPAWN OF HELL!"
I felt my heart break at these words. "Mello, just listen to me!"
"NEVER! YOU'RE KIND ARE DEMONS! DESGUSTING, LOWLIFE, SCUM OF THE EARTH! YOUR KIND RUINED MY LIFE! I WISH YOU'D ALL JUST DIE!"
Scratch that… my heart was thoroughly shattered now. Did he not understand that I was still his friend?! I'd never hurt Mello! Not in a thousand years! Why couldn't he see that?!
I sighed heavily as I tried a different approach.
"Mello… why did you call me your best friend?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"GET OUT OF HERE!" He screamed back at me.
"Just answer this for me and I will."
It was silent on the other side of the door until I heard a shaky breath. "I… I just… I trusted you like one. You didn't hurt me or ridicule me. You treated me like I was a human."
"And now that you know I'm a Mage, do you believe that it'll all change?! I'd never hurt you, Mels!"
"BUT THAT WITCH…!"
"Mindossa has no excuse!" I interrupted. "She was just angry and you happened to be in the middle of the fight! Had it been me I would have never done something like this to you! I can't even project a curse! I'm an elemental Mage, we don't cast spells on other people! I promise you, Mello, that everything I'm telling you is the truth! I could never harm my friends with magic, it would kill me too much just to even think about it!"
There was silence inside his room for the longest time and I decided to check on him.
I conjured up a tiny root on my finger and used it to quickly pick the lock. Before long, I was given entrance. Of course, Mello was none too happy that I'd basically forced my way in.
"Get out." He demanded fearfully as he backed away.
I held up my hands in defence, walking into the darkened room. "Mello, believe me, I won't hurt you. You said it yourself that you trusted me. Enough to even consider me your best friend. I promise, I won't hurt you."
"How do I know you aren't trying to use me? Mindossa wanted vengeance against my mother, so how do I know you aren't getting back at my father for something he might have done to your relatives?"
I felt my breath leave my body. "Because I don't have any relatives he could have affected. My mother was a servant to the Cariddon's until she died last year. I tried everything to help her, but her sickness was too much for me to heal. Ever since she left… I've been alone. I don't blame anyone but myself for her dying… and I made a promise to myself that I'd protect anyone I care about. I've sworn off using my magic for anything other than helping others. This includes you, Mello."
He shook a bit out of fright. "Why?"
I held in the truth. "Because I… I care about you. Please, you have to believe me, I'm telling the truth!"
The blonde took a few moments to himself and debated whether or not to trust me. Before long, he'd made his decision.
"Matt… I… want to believe you. But… I just…"
I hung my head low before backing away. "Of course. I'll leave at once… your majesty."
I turned to leave but before I could walk out the door I felt someone hugging me from behind.
I could hear him choke up a bit. "Make me a solemn promise… as a servant to his Prince… that you will never turn on me, and that your magic will only be used to help me further my goals and protect me. If you make this promise to me… you can stay here in the Palace for as long as I'm alive. If you truly mean what you say, then this should be preferable for you."
That shattered heart in my chest immediately built back up and became whole once more. Mello… wanted me.
I turned around and bowed to my Prince. "I swear to you, my Prince, that I will only use my power for you and you alone. To protect and serve without hesitation. You have my word."
I looked up to see the small grin on his face before he hugged me again. "Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you as my friend."
I, of course, hugged him back. "We're best friends… remember?"
He nodded. "Forever."
