25

Ianto turned to face the curtains and said softly "It is done. Her flame is extinguished."

Jack stepped from behind the left side of the curtains to look down at his straight backed beloved and the slowly expanding pool of blood on the floor as Gwen lay bleeding out.

The king and queen stepped from the other side, Gray holding his mother hand as he followed her to join his family. He stared down at Ianto with horror "you… you killed her?"

"Technically… but in reality… she killed herself little one. For regicide is a death sentence. Orchestrating the death of a member of the royal house is a death sentence. All she has done here … each crime on it's own merits was a hanging offence. But the worst one… to try and fool me… ah… that is a rarity. Most know better than to dance with me in the flames… for I am the one fanning them" Ianto said and Gray stepped closer.

"I have never seen you before have I. The one Jack leads around, the one on the hood… is that you too? Why are you so different. Like…are there two of you?" Gray asked, his confusion clear.

"Ah. She spread a rumour that I was a changeling. I heard of this. No. Come closer child. No. I am simply a wraith. A shadow. It is something my kind can do, to be less important, less interesting. Forgettable. I am letting the light on my face this time. You are merely seeing me… not my silhouette." Ianto explained as he held out a hand and Gray tentatively accepted it, stepping closer.

"You... you are pretty" he softly said as he looked up into the face of the man he now saw was taller than him. So tall he must match Jack.

"I match Jack in many ways, but we are still different. He grew in a loving family, I envy that. No brother of mine ever loved me as you love him. That is clear." Ianto said softly, "It's OK. I can be alarming to see in my fullness. Here"

Ianto stepped back and let his robe fall to the floor, revealing the pretty colours of his garb and Jack smiled as Ianto seemed to glow.

"Pretty, isn't he" he called out to his brother "Mine."

"For a long as you are mine" Ianto called back.

"And how long is that?" Gray asked as he looked between the two men.

"Forever is a long time. We shall see how long it is" Ianto replied with a soft smile. "For I give my life to him, as he gave his to me. We will outlive you all… your children… your grandchildren perhaps… all long gone before this man I love breathes his last in my arms, mere moments before I let my flame extinguish to follow him into the darkness."

Jack walked down the steps to pull him in "Don't say that."

"One day… one day we shall take the last great adventure Cariad… I am not afraid for I know we will feel the hand of the other and holding on tight in those last moments... no matter what."

"I love you"

"Sap" Ianto said, and then skipped back as Jack laughed, snatching at him.

"Hey… get back here"

"Nope, gotta get a cleanup crew in here. I made a mess" Ianto winked, then turned and bent, scooping up the robes at the same time and within the first step towards the door the robe was once again about his shoulders. Like a dance move.

"Wow" Gray said softly "He is… amazing."

"Funny isn't it. All my Christmases have come at once and yet… I have so many to look forward to… endless love, laughter and even tears. Look at him go… no fear." Jack snorted softly with amusement.

"The way he talks. About flames and stuff, more like one of us, don't you think? A Fire Blood?" Gray asked.

"Oh, they are. Where do you think we come from?" the old King laughed softly as he ushered his sons closer "It is said that we once all lived in harmony until a sibling spat drove the realms apart and crated separate kings and queens. In the beginning, there was only the mother and father."

"So… even from a cooler realm, they share our reverence of fire?"

"Gray… he rides a Fire Mount. A throwback, much as he is. You know she is Dragone right? I have seen it… she can transform to full dragon mode." Jack said as his mother moved forward to pluck his sleeve.

"So.. the little one…"

"Is a little in love with my beloved, yes? My daughter has an epic crush. But I think… more with his horse than him. She has seen the dragon, she knows the truth of these creatures and that is why she lusted after one for herself. Which Ianto had provided. Yes Mama. Ianto was never honing in on your relationship with Alice… he was letting her have a wish. To ride a dragon one day."

"Well now… he has illuminated many things" the queen said as she looked in the direction the man had gone.

"For a shadow… he really knows how to throw shade Mama… and light. Yeah." Jack sighed happily.

Not much else to say.