Stolas was reading a book in his chambers until Geryon rushed in looking for something. "Oh no!" he said. "Where is it? Where is it?" He climbed up the ladder of the bookshelf and looked by moving some books around.
"Uh, Geryon?" Stolas said. Geryon bumped his head on the shelf which caught his attention. He turned to look at Stolas.
"What?"
"What are you looking for?" Geryon continued looking around the room searching every nook and cranny.
"It's Stella's birthday and I am looking for the gift I bought her."
"How could you lose something important on her birthday?"
"I don't know, but could you help me look please?"
"What does it look like?"
"It is shaped like a book with silver wrapping paper and a gold bow on it. Check my workroom to see if it is there." Stolas nodded and rushed out of his room. Stella entered to see Geryon searching and had a smile on her face. "Oh, that's just great. I can't believe that I lost Stella's birthday gift." He then crossed his arms in frustration.
"Geryon, feel your chest," Stella advised.
"Don't be silly, honey. Your gift is not hiding in my chest."
"Would you just feel it?" Geryon then sighed and placed his hand on his chest to feel his heart beating.
"See? No present. Just my heart beating."
"Exactly. It doesn't matter if you have a birthday gift for me as long as you have a heart." Geryon sighed and looked away.
"I'm sorry, Stella. It's just that I've been looking forward to this yesterday. It'll just be our time together at a party." Stella placed her hands on his chest and looked at him with a smile on her face.
"You are cute when you care."
"Stella, not in Stolas's chambers."
"Oh, let him return to see. Do you remember when we first met?"
"Of course I do. It was during my time when I left the orphanage. Until a few days later."
Many years ago...
Geryon was sound asleep in his blanket until he heard people chatting about someone passing by the town. One of the boy hellhounds woke Geryon up and pointed to what was going on.
Hellhound Boy
Look there she goes, isn't she beautiful
Princess Stella, oh she is so cute
Geryon quickly got up. "A princess, you say?" he said, excited. He then brushed dirt off of himself before the hellhound boy gave advice to him.
Present yourself accordingly
She is such a tall, dark, confident and gorgeous girl
Geryon looked around through the crowd and saw the princess. Stella was passing through town reading a book. Geryon wanted to meet her as he tried to make his way through the crowd struggling to get to her.
Geryon
Pardon!
Stella made her ways through the market as Geryon continued to struggle to make it through the crowded area. He got stuck in between two people.
Excuse me!
Please let me pass!
Stella stopped reading and bookmarked where she stopped then hugged the book.
Stella
There must be more than just a fairy tale life
Geryon
Just watch I am going to impress the stars out of her
Things got more crowded as Stella continued to walk through the market.
Townsfolk
Look there she goes a girl who's strange but important
A most peculiar princess
Geryon then decides to go around the crowd by using his acrobatics skills.
It is a pity and a sin
But she does fit in
But she really is a funny girl
A beauty, but a funny girl
She really is a funny girl
That Stella
Stella then opened her book to continue where she left off. However, she stopped when Geryon landed in front of her. "Greetings, princess," he greeted with a bow.
"Hello, citizen," Stella greeted, still looking at her book.
"Whatcha reading?"
"Just one of my favorite books from home."
"May I?" Stella looked at Geryon and then shrugged before handing him her book. He looked through the pages not losing her place. "How can you read this? It has no pictures!"
"Well, some people use their own imagination." Geryon then remembered his time at the orphanage reading only books with pictures in it.
"You may be right." Geryon handed Stella back her book. "I'm, uh, Geryon." He offered his hand.
"Princess Stella." Stella shook Geryon's hand. "You are avian demon like me. Do you have a family?"
"Would rather not talk about my past life actually."
"Well if you want, you can join me on a stroll through town. It is lovely today."
"You sure?"
"Hey, I don't mind." Geryon shrugged and followed Stella through town as they talked.
After a few hours of hanging out and getting to know each other better, Geryon and Stella walk up the stairs to the roof. He was nervous at first, but he had confidence that he would impress Stella with something. Geryon opens the door to the roof and Stella is amazed with the view of the city. "I bet a king himself would get a view like this," she said. "Could stay up here forever."
"What if you did?" Geryon asked.
"No. I couldn't."
"Didn't you say you snuck out of your home?" Stella sighed and turned to look at Geryon with a smile.
"Can I say something crazy?"
"Go ahead, princess."
Stella
All my life has been a series of windows in my room
Living my life as a prisoner
"I was thinking the same thing," Geryon said. "Because..."
Geryon
I've been searching far and wide for a life
Maybe it's my brain talking, or maybe something I ate
Stella laughed.
Geryon and Stella
But with you
Geryon
I found my place
Stella
I see your face
Geryon and Stella
And it's nothing like I've ever known before
Love is an open door
Love is an open door
Love is an open door
Stella
With you
Geryon
With you
Stella
With you
Geryon
With you
Geryon and Stella
Love is an open door
Geryon opened the door where they came from and went inside followed by Stella. They then start to walk down the stairs.
Geryon
I mean it's crazy
"What?" Stella asked.
We finish each other's–
Stella
Sentences
"That's what I was going to say!" Geryon said with a laugh.
I never met someone
Geryon and Stella
Who understands each other
Jinx!
Jinx again!
Our mental synchronization can have but one solution
You and I were just meant to be
Stella grabs Geryon's hand and runs down the stairs together laughing.
Stella
Say goodbye
Geryon
Say goodbye
Geryon and Stella
To the pain of our past
We don't have to see it anymore
Love is an open door
Love is an open door
Our life can be so much more
Stella
With you
Geryon
With you
Stella
With you
Geryon
With you
Geryon and Stella
Love is an open door
The two reached the bottom of the stairs as the two looked each other in the eyes. "Can I say something crazy now?" Geryon asked before he offered his hand to Stella. "Shall we be friends?"
"How about something crazier?" Stella asked before hugging Geryon tight. "I would love to!" He smiled and hugged her tight. "I never had a friend before in my life."
"Well, I am glad that you have found one." Stella then noticed the sun was setting and had to get going. She then broke the hug.
"It's late! I should head home before my parents find out I am missing." Geryon nodded and smiled.
"Good night, princess." Stella rushed out the door as Geryon leaned his back on the wall.
Geryon arrived back at his sleeping spot in an alley as the same hellhound boy who told him about Stella saw him. "Where were you?" he asked. "And what's with that look?"
"What look?" Geryon asked before shaking his head. "Just had a time of my life with a princess."
"And?"
"That's it. Just became friends in the end. And I must say I had a time of my life getting to know her." The hellhound boy left the alley as Geryon got ready to get some sleep.
Geryon
So many times out here
I've seen happy pairs
Of lovers walking in the night
They had a sort of glow around them
It almost shines as the moon's night
I knew I'd never know
That warm and loving feeling
But I might wish with all I've got
No one is afraid of some orphaned boy
Who stayed under the moon's night
But suddenly a princess came to smile at me
And hugged me without a trace of fright
I dare to dream that she might even care for me
And as I look at the stars tonight
My cold dark home seems so bright
I swear it must be the moon's night
Geryon smiled at the thought as he tucked himself in his blanket and lay down on the hard ground.
A few days later...
"I will treasure this flower forever," Geryon said before he began to walk away from Stella out of the garden as tears fell out of his eyes. Stella sat down on a bench wiping away her tears as he left. She looked up to see that he had fully left the area and got up with anger in her eyes. She then marched back towards her home. Geryon marched out of the gardens as she thought about the news given to him.
"Can you imagine?" Stella asked herself.
"Him?" Geryon said, angrily.
"A wife of someone I don't know?"
Geryon
Stella and Stolas
Can't you just see it?
Stella
Me and Stolas
Instead of someone I know?
Geryon moaned while Stella groaned about the idea.
Geryon
No, sir!
Stella
Not me!
Don't they understand?
Geryon and Stella
I want just more than just a fairy tale life
Stella climbed up a tree to see Geryon make it out of her home safely without encountering guards. She then sat carefully on the large branch thinking about Geryon.
Stella
I wanted adventure in the great wide somewhere
I want it more than just a princess life
Geryon
And for once it was grand
To have someone who understands
Geryon turns his head to look at Stella's home and then continues to walk away with the flower in hand.
Geryon and Stella
I want so much more than they have stored for us
Present day...
Geryon sat down as he finished narrating his story to Stella. Stolas arrived with the present in hand. "Am I interrupting anything?" he asked.
"No," Geryon said. "Just reliving some memories of how I met Stella as a kid."
"A story for another time?" Geryon nodded before Stolas handed him the present. "I believe this is the one?"
"Yes! Thank you! Where did you find it?"
"In a drawer in the workroom. "You should remember where you put things next time."
"Noted. Can you leave us for a moment, Stolas?"
"Of course." Stolas left the room leaving Stella alone with Geryon again. He then handed the wrapped up gift to Stella. "Happy birthday, sweetie." Stella smiled as she slowly opened it to reveal a book that she remembered from her childhood and when she first met Geryon.
"It's my favorite book from when I first met you. How thoughtful that you remembered the title."
"Glad you like your gift, Stella. Now, shall we prepare for your party?" Stella giggled a little as the two left the room together.
"Maybe next time, you should read the book to me."
"It's a promise then."
THE END
