Iris

January 10th, 2019

Iris couldn't stop the yelp from passing her lips as she saw Austin, Caitlin and Cisco get snapped back into the wall like ragdolls. She hurriedly ran forward to see what had occurred in the cortex. She didn't know what to expect but it certainly wasn't her husband standing in the middle of the room, calmly surveying it. Especially since everyone else in the room was unconscious.

"Barry?" she asked. He turned towards her and smiled.

"Iris," he said. She rand forward to hug him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"What happened?" she asked, pulling away and looking around. He didn't respond right

away. After a moment he looked behind her and pushed past her.

"Wait here for a minute," he said as he did so. Iris turned to watch him crouch down next to Austin and Caitlin on the ground. She expected him to check them over or something but instead he just kind of looked at them. Then he reached his hand out and picked up Austin's wand from where it lay on the floor next to her. Then he did the same for Caitlin's.

"What are you doing?" Iris as he walked back towards her. "They need help!"

"Shhhhhh," Barry uttered as he took both wands in both hands.

"Barry, you can't stand magic-" Iris tried to say but broke off when he abruptly snapped both wand in two over his leg and threw the pieces in the trash can. "What the hell!?"

"It's okay," Barry said. "But we should get out of here before any of them wake up. My spell should have done much more damage but Austin decided to interfere."

"YOUR spell?" Iris asked bewildered. He grabbed her wrist and she tried to pull it away. "Barry, what the hell is going on here?"

"I'll explain in a minute," Barry said pulling her into a strong side hug and pulling out a wand. Iris's eyes grew wide.

"You're a spellcaster," Iris breathed. It wasn't a question.

"Yes, I am," he said. "Peiw!" There was a flash. Nothing visible happened but Iris had no doubt he had done whatever he intended to do. Then, for a moment she saw a strike of electricity as he used his speed for...something. As soon as he had done that though, he cast another spell and Iris found herself in a room she had never seen before. There was another spark of electricity for a moment and then he finally let go of her.

"Where are we?" Iris growled angrily.

"My old room," Barry said. "I spent many summers here when I was attending school."

"What are you even talking about?" Iris asked. "And how could you not tell me you were a spellcaster?"

"My father used to be king of the Realm," Barry said. "Then he gave it all up for my mother. A mortal. He had everything and he decided to throw it away for love. There are few things I wouldn't do for you Iris but I could never have sat back and watched someone else run my kingdom. I wouldn't have been a coward like my dad. I would have fought for you."

"Your father was king? Your a royal?" Iris asked.

"Yes," Barry said. "Now my uncle sits on the throne while my cousin holds the title of princess. I am still a prince though, and next in line for the throne when my uncle passes. That makes you a princess too."

"Why didn't you say anything before? When all of this was going on?" Iris asked him.

"Because I was a coward," Barry said. "Foolishly scared of my powers but all of this has made me realize that my true potential isn't something to fear, it is something to celebrate. To forge a better world where spellcasters unite all." Iris stared silently for a moment.

"Why did you try to blow up the cortex?" she dared.

"As much as the team has done for me, they are mortals, they are simply a hindrance to our plans. I knew they would never sit still and follow orders," Barry said. "You on the other hand, are smart. You can be by my side when my uncle, cousin and I bring the world to a new age of magic."

"The spell worked didn't it?" Iris asked, tears forming. "The machine, they were drying to darken the magic for the royal family and they did. That includes you. This isn't you Barry!"

"It is me Iris!" Barry yelled. "It has been for a long time. I have all this power I was just afraid of what it would mean for me to use it. I almost killed someone with it once you know. Austin stopped me and I got scared. Scared of reaching my full potential. If I hadn't stopped then maybe mortals and spellcasters alike would have seen the light."

"You're her friend, the one who caused the Purists to form."

"My only regret is that I wasn't in the front lines with them."

"Barry, please. You're stronger than this," Iris said, cupping her hands around his face. She looked him in the eyes. For a moment they seemed to soften.

"Iris, I want you to be on my side but if you continue to push me I'm going to have no choice but to take drastic measures," Barry gritted.

"You wont hurt me Barry, I know you won't," Iris told him softly.

"I would never hurt you Iris," Barry said. "Of course I wouldn't. But until I know you wont run off and do something stupid I'm going to have to keep you safe."

"What?" Iris asked.

"There's some changes of clothes in the wardrobe if you want and the bathroom is right there," Barry said, pointing. Then he stepped away from her and swiftly exited the room, slamming the door behind him. Iris immediately ran towards the door only to find it locked. She banged on it crying for what felt like hours but was probably closer to twenty minutes. When the tears finally stopped Iris sank down against the door and rested her head against it. How had she not known. The way he acted around wands, how he seemed to know Austin better than the rest of them, his surprising knowledge of things he shouldn't know. It was all right there. How could he not have told her. Even when he was in his right mind. She assumed that a lot of what he was saying was true. He really had been scared of his magic and if he was the person Austin had told them about then she understood, at least a little. He should have trusted her though. She would have been there for him. The whole thing just made her so angry. Angrier than now even as she was locked in a room by her husband. Without knowing where she was, only that it was probably somewhere in the Spellcaster Realm, Iris didn't know how to escape and even if she did, she wouldn't know where to go. If Austin and Caitlin's lessons were to be believed, the royal family were powerful, Barry included. Maybe that's why his transport spell worked on her when she definitely didn't want to go.

So, instead she set her mind to learning as much about her surroundings as possible. She found the wardrobe quickly and pulled it open to reveal several dresses hanging up. They were beautiful and in any other situation, Iris would happily wear one but she felt like staying in her same outfit was the only thing keeping her sane. She shut the closet doors and made her way over to the large bed in the center of the room, there was a canopy over top and embroidered sheets. Then she looked up and saw the window. Well, the curtains. She eagerly rand over and threw them open. Out the window she could see for what seemed to be miles. Rows of houses, shopping centers, everything she had seen up close when chasing down the Purists. Then the view began to shift. Like, the room itself was moving. She couldn't feel it but she could see it. When it stopped the view was mostly just a slightly different angle. She knew where she was now. It was obvious in hindsight, after all, Barry was a royal, she should have guessed that he would have stashed her in the castle.

After coming to hear realization, Iris slumped down on the bed in defeat. She couldn't break out of a castle filled with guards even with her weird anti magic field. She could fight but she doubted she could take them all on, even on an even playing field. The only solution was to drag Barry out of this herself. So she sat and she waited.