Chapter 19 – Apologies

-:-:-

It was hard to think of celebrating while Jay was recovering from an entire depletion of his magical energy, so instead of heading out that day, Chad took the others on a more thorough tour of the castle, taking them through the grounds they hadn't had a chance to explore before. He walked them through his mother's garden, the one that Fairy Godmother had thankfully inundated with protective enchantments before his mom had died, so no matter how neglected it'd been, the plants still seemed to thrive. Chad had taken to looking after them when he could, and his father had a constant gardener rotation on it now – something Chad's grandfather had subtly prevented for many years, keeping the garden locked up from Chad, denying yet another part of his past. The duke likely hated the idea of a commoner having any kind of permanent mark on Sardinia Castle, but all the others all seemed to appreciate the space, Gil marveling at the colorful array of flowers.

"She looks like a lovely person," Uma said when they took in the statue that was at the center of the garden – something his father had offered later, just before he'd succumbed to his depressive spiral. It was his mother in her signature ballgown – the one Fairy Godmother had enchanted for her, one hand holding her large skirt out while she smiled off into the distance, likely at where his father had been.

"I heard she was," Chad said, his throat tight when he thought back onto the few home movies his father had shared with him after the duke's arrest, small things that demonstrated his mom's effortless grace.

'You're so very like her,' his father had said, both of them teary-eyed as they watched his mother go about her life. 'She would have been endlessly proud of you, Kit. Is endlessly proud of you.'

If Chad could be even a fraction as wonderful as his mother he would likely be very well off, though he could only hope that his absence wouldn't send anyone else falling into a slump.

They were on their way down to the beach so Uma could stretch her tentacles, Harry making comments about giving a tour of his ship (which was exciting, as Chad hadn't been allowed that before, and he was greatly interested in the Privateers' enchanted vessels), when Chad got a message that brought them back to the castle. His father had figured out the communications thing. Evie, Carlos, and Mal were waiting for him, when he was ready.

Despite asking for this, Chad didn't feel close to ready, even though he knew things would likely be fine. Just- it was hard to come to terms with things, sometimes.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Uma asked, her expression completely lacking judgement.

"I think I need to do this alone," Chad said, nodding to himself, because no matter how uncertain he felt, he knew he had to tools to face this the way he'd started this, on his own.

"Okay," Uma said, giving his hand a comforting squeeze. "We'll be right outside the door if you need us."

Chad's father ended up waiting with them too, as did Captain Anozie, all of them acting like they didn't have anywhere else to be despite most of them being very busy people.

Chad swallowed hard, then approached the laptop his father had set up for him in the king's office, Chad initiating the call before he could lose his nerve.

It was almost funny, how quickly the others answers – Mal, Evie, and Carlos all huddled together in front of their own laptop wearing pinched expressions.

"I wanted to say some things first," Chad said before they could start talking. "Gil told me that you guys didn't know I was a prince. And I- I'm sorry I wasn't clear on that. The Moors' chefs made that assumption and I didn't correct it because I didn't want to confuse them, but I didn't realize that could affect your perception of me, so I… well." He swallowed, running a hand through his curls. "I guess I didn't realize how different our cultures were in regards to how young royals are treated. Because we have so many down here, it's- well, we still get a lot of attention and pressure, but we have more people to commiserate with. You guys don't." He gave them a moment to process that, gave himself a moment to breathe, because he'd already come this far. "I like you guys," he said, because that much was true. "I don't really have that many friends in Auradon because of my grandfather. That's changing, it's getting better, but for me, it was just- it was a big deal just to have friends. To make friends because he um- he always said I wasn't good enough or smart enough or important enough to manage it, but I am." He'd had so many therapy sessions just so he could get to that point, and some days it was still hard because he'd spent so much of his life getting berated and abused by the duke. "I am all those things, and I deserve friends, and… and I'm sorry," he said. "Because while I might sort of be in a place for romance, I always figured it was a distant thing, so…" He shrugged. "That's all I had to say."

There was a beat of silence, and then Mal leaned forward, her eyes shining bright green. "Chad," she began, her voice seeming to waver with emotion. "I'm so sorry. I'm the one that kicked this all off. I'm the one that started spending time with you outside of those events. I thought- I don't know, I get so stifled by my position sometimes that it makes me angry, and when I saw this perfectly sweet guy get excluded from consideration I was furious, because what the hell did those heirs have that you didn't? My mom told me that her connection to my dad was instantaneous, that she saw him and she knew, and it- it wasn't like that with you, I don't think, but I knew you were special. I knew you were something worth treasuring, and I know I really fucked this all up, but I would be forever grateful and honored to um- keep your friendship."

Her voice shook but she didn't waver, her gaze locked on his so he could understand just how much she meant it. It was enough to make Chad almost laugh with relief, and instead he found himself smiling hopelessly, because someone as talented and passionate and fierce as Mal had seen him at his lowest and she still cared for him. She didn't want to toss him aside. She was sorry.

"That would make me very happy," Chad said, feeling almost giddy with the admittance. "I was afraid after everything that happened, that maybe you wouldn't want to, you know-"

"Chad," Evie cut in, seeming unable to hold her silence any longer. "What happened at the ball wasn't your fault. Your father… he didn't go into detail, but he told us that your grandfather tormented your ball entrances for years. That publica appearances – balls or tea parties or royal luncheons – he made all of those nightmares for you."

"I'm the last person who would judge you for breaking down," Carlos said quietly, his hands twisting together. "I understand. We didn't go through the same thing, but life with an abusive family member- it's hard, and you lived with yours for far longer than I ever did. That you survived that and came out so kind and enthusiastic and supportive… that's amazing. You're amazing."

"You really are," Mal agreed, Chad's cheeks heating under the wake of such confessions. "You have so much love to give. You were kind enough to share it with us, and for that, we are grateful."

"You opened our eyes," Evie added, smiling wide. "None of us thought we could ever have more than what our positions dictated for us, but um…" She took Carlos' hand, holding it up so Chad could see their twined fingers. "Carlos and I- we're a package deal."

"I was hesitant," Carlos said. "Because I don't want to be king of Hanover, but I always wanted to be with Evie, so one day we'll find someone else, but the only reason we thought of that was because of you, so thank you. And we would also be honored by your friendship, even if-"

"You have it," Chad said, not needing to hear any more. "All of you have it. And I am- I am so grateful for that."

"I'm glad," Mal said, her lips pulling into a wide smile. "So your dad mentioned hosting a redo ball? Sort of an end-of-summer celebration, but with less people." She seemed to take a moment to gather herself, Chad blinking in surprise. "Would it be okay if we came? He was going to invite our families-"

"Yes," Chad interrupted, because he didn't want them to doubt for a second longer. "Yes, that would be really nice, guys."

"Then if it's not too bold, I'd like to send an outfit for you," Evie said. "Something simple but elegant."

Chad wasn't sure if she was aware of the triggers that rested in his formal prince uniform or if she'd simply gotten lucky and offered her skills by way of an additional apology, but either way, Chad couldn't help but be struck by the notion of how very wonderful the idea was.

"That sounds perfect," Chad said, grinning wide. "I look forward to seeing you guys. And um- making a better impression on your families."

"You've already made the best impressions," Mal said, her gaze stubborn. "So consider that wish fulfilled."

-:-:-

His dad confirmed what Mal had said, the king wincing somewhat when Chad finished explaining that their miscommunications had been cleared.

"Sorry," the king said, running a hand through his hair – his dark locks seeming slightly less than perfectly styled today, which just went to show that Chad wasn't the only one stressing about this. "I was going to run it by you first, but the council thinks it would be a good idea to host some sort of formal event as an apology for our abrupt departure from Enchancia." His gaze settled on Chad, his own anxiety melting away in favor of an expression of immense gravity. "I was not going to force you to attend, Kit. As far as I am concerned, you have more than paid your dues in regards to this foolhardy envoy. If you would prefer to avoid it altogether, I would respect that." His lips pulled into a small grin. "I'm sure Fairy Godmother would greatly enjoy having a dominos partner, if you were interested."

"I always enjoy spending time with Fairy Godmother," Chad said honestly. "But I think… I think I'd like to attend the ball. And um- if we- if we are formally introduced, could we do so together? With Captain Anozie and Fairy Godmother?"

"That is the only way I'd allow it," his father said, smiling wide like it wasn't an inconvenience or a burden. "It is perfectly alright if you change your mind, though. As hosts, it would be perfectly respectable for us to use the side halls."

"I know," Chad said, nodding slowly. "But I um- I want this."

"Then you shall have it," the king murmured, pulling Chad into a tight hug that the blond eagerly reciprocated.

This was his to have, and he deserved it, deserved the love and support and allowances, because he'd been through a lot and come out the other side bent but not broken, and that counted for a lot.

-:-:-

Chad was with Jay when he woke up, mostly because he was too nervous to leave him unattended after he'd managed to have heart-to-hearts with all the other Enchancian heirs. The others seemed to understand this though he could scarcely articulate it himself, choosing not to comment when they retreated to his prince suite for an evening of rest, Chad holding onto his sketchbook and his embroidery and his books while he set up on the couch next to Jay's bed, the Tangun bathed under the glow of a small magic field created by the runes and candles.

His parents had already been informed of what happened, and while Chad hadn't been present for that conversation, his dad had given him a short summary of how appreciative they'd been, how vehemently they'd insisted that Sardinia weren't at fault in the slightest. While Chad disagreed with that somewhat, mostly due to reasonable feelings of guilt, he understood that Jay had taken his own risks, and that had nothing to do with him. At least, he understood this intellectually. It was slightly more difficult to understand in practice when Jay was in a healing coma, but Chad felt better just being close to him so he took comfort from that, coloring some of his sketches and keeping his laptop close, because even if Enchancia was more fixated on magic than technology, they did still have email, so even if they didn't have the same instant message programs as Auradon, Chad could keep in contact with the others back in Enchancia. Right now they had a group thread that included Uma, Gil, and Harry, who were messaging from Chad's suite. Currently, Mal and Uma were going back and forth on how dumb Harry was, though before that they'd been recounting some of the bonding excursions the chaperones had organized for them – emphasizing their misadventures because they'd all been 'grumpy assholes'.

Chad had been grinning at a collection of photos Uma had forwarded the others that featured Gil cuddling Harry, the dark-haired prince seeming more relaxed than Chad had ever seen him before, when he noticed the energy surrounding Jay suddenly cut out. He panicked, thinking something had gone awry, then felt an immediate swell of relief when both the Tangun prince and his familiar stirred awake.

Despite being more or less sure things were fine, Chad sent a message to Fairy Godmother as per her instructions, then moved to perch beside Jay on the bed, who seemed to be sleepily blinking awake.

"Jay," Chad said quietly, getting the prince's attention. "Do you know where you are?"

"…Sardinia?" Jay hazarded, his brows pinched together in concern. "I mean- just guessing."

"You got it right," Chad said. "But Sardinia is at the very south-end of Auradon. You could have- you almost died using that much energy to get here."

"It would have been worth it," Jay groaned while he slowly moved to sit up.

"No, it wouldn't have been," Chad snapped, a low feeling of anger building in his stomach. "You can't apologize if you're dead. That's the worst kind of apology."

Jay shook his head slowly, like he was trying to clear. "The others came."

"Over time," Chad said. "Yes, they exerted themselves, but you- I don't really understand it, but if Fairy Godmother hadn't been here you would have died, and how would your parents feel about that? How would Enchancia or Auradon or- you can't, you shouldn't have risked yourself like that."

"I had too," Jay said, his gaze seeming to clear up as he turned to look at Chad. "I fucked up so much, and-"

"You fucked this up too," Chad said, his throat feeling tight. "I appreciate that you wanted to talk to me, but you rushed instead of taking the time to do it right, and it could have turned out catastrophic."

Before Jay could reply, Iago let out a small hiss, the snake slowly slithering across the blanket until he could butt his head against Chad's hand. 'I pushed,' Iago urged through his telepathic link. 'I sensed the fairy here; I knew it'd be safe.'

That did make Chad feel slightly better, but the risk still seemed like an overreaction.

'We hurt you,' Iago continued. 'I wanted to give you a nice thing – secure you and the other as Jadir's mates. I forget how complicated humans can be sometimes.'

"Yes," Jay huffed, his hand loosely curled around Iago's tail. "We do care about things other than sex, you know."

'But you had the other things,' Iago seemed to pout. 'I wanted to cement the connection.' He nuzzled his head more firmly against Chad's palm. 'I like you above the others'.

Chad swallowed, because he hadn't realized until it had been given how much he'd needed to have a conversation with Jay's familiar about what had happened. He'd suspected that the modaks hadn't been malicious, but having that confirmed by Iago himself was a great weight off his mind. In the end, Chad had been correct because human and animal culture were vastly different, and despite being Jay's familiar, it wasn't unreasonable for Iago not to understand that.

"I'm honored," Chad said, because that much was true. "But your actions caused some um- diplomatic hiccups."

"My mom didn't mean to make you feel bad," Jay urged. "She'll tell you that herself – she was angrier at me than anything else. Like, it was a relief that I started getting along with the other Enchancian heirs because we'll be on a council together one day, but she thought that it wasn't fair for me to put you and Carlos – two individuals who weren't under consideration for marriage contracts – into such a compromising position. She didn't want me to lead you on." He ducked his head. "I think she thought maybe I was playing with you as a way to get out of things, I don't know."

"I'm sure she didn't think that," Chad said, not hesitating to lean forward and grab Jay's hand, and it was strange that they'd been intimate together but they hadn't done something as simple as this, despite how much Chad liked it. "I think she was just trying to protect you. Enchancia knows nothing of Auradon, and our kingdoms outnumber yours greatly. She was trying to play it safe because she loved you. I mean, she seemed really happy that you were making friends."

Jay turned this over in his mind, seeming to consider this. "She was," he whispered quietly. "She wouldn't have offered our private library or encouraged our bonding if she hadn't, I guess…" He sighed. "I'm not used to thinking of things politically."

"And down here, we sort of have to. Mostly because there's so many kingdoms we're going to have to work with some day and we can't afford to not respect each other or cause accidental slights."

"I did notice that," Jay said. "I mean, with how polite and supportive all the Auradon heirs were to each other, but we're getting off topic." He seemed to fortify himself, staring at Chad head on. "The reason I did all this, why I rushed the spell, it was because I needed to apologize to you. Because I didn't know if I'd ever get a chance to see you or talk to you ever again, so I needed to ensure that we got at least one meeting. Because I… I made this huge effort to hide who I was from you – giving a nickname, always addressing my mom as her majesty when I was in front of you, because it- it was hard to believe that you liked me for me. Which granted, you didn't at first, but then you threw yourself into trying my food and being nice to my familiar and just…" Jay swallowed. "I'd never really thought of romance before this. Like, I knew one day I'd have to get married, that I'd need to perpetuate my family line, but I met you and I thought… I could marry him, and I'd be the luckiest guy in the world."

"Jay," Chad said, feeling his cheeks heat in the wake of such sincerity. "I…"

"You don't have to explain it," Jay said, seeming to understand his unease. "The other Auradon heirs gave us some background information after you teleported out of the ball. Your grandfather… you were isolated. You were just happy to make friends, and I know it's a long shot, but if I could still be allowed your friendship, I wouldn't have words for how grateful that makes me. Though I um- I understand if you wouldn't want that." He nodded his head towards Iago. "We were both kind of shitty towards you."

"Just on that first day," Chad sniffed, a smile pulling at his lips while he tried to process the overwhelming influx of emotions. "After that, you were perfectly… perfectly you, and I'm glad to have met you." Jay seemed to blush at that, but Chad pushed onwards, emboldened by their conversation. "I'd be honored to be your friend. As for anything else, I um- I'd need more time."

"Then you've got it," Jay said, firing off a small finger gun that made Chad laugh. "After you guys left, they sort of gave up a bit on the marriage contract thing. King Adam and Queen Maleficent are trying to damage control due to us being assholes who all went after someone we couldn't have, though thankfully the Auradon heirs – at least, most of them – aren't reading it as a slight. I think a lot of their parents are sort of viewing it as a 'teenagers being teenagers' thing and are just grateful the summer didn't end in like, any huge diplomatic incidents or unplanned pregnancies. There's even talks of adding an Auradon representative onto the Enchancian Council and vice versa. So it wasn't a waste. We actually did manage to get things done."

"Then I'm glad," Chad said, meaning it with every fiber of his being. He would have hated to accidentally derail the entire intent behind the summer, making it all for naught. The idea of wasting everyone's time… well, at least they'd gotten to bond together, gotten to learn and savor an adventure before school started.

Further conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Fairy Godmother, which prompted Chad to move out of the way while she fussed and tutted at Jay, checking him over before Chad's father deposited a tablet into his lap that bore the unimpressed visages of Queen Scheherazade and Sultan Jafar.

Despite Jay's hopeful look, Chad left him to deal with that particular hurdle on his own, though he did return later to oversee Jay's transfer to one of his guest rooms, allowing the Tangun to rest a little closer to Chad and the others.

"Did your parents finish telling you how fucking stupid you are?" Uma asked by way of greeting, the princess quirking an amused brow in Jay's direction while Gil and Chad busied themselves with fluffing and positioning the pillows behind Jay enough so he could rest comfortably. "That was the epitome of stupid. That was so stupid I'm surprised you haven't been stripped of your crown prince status."

"I am definitely on probation," Jay muttered bashfully, seeming too tired to rise to any kind of fight. "I think my mom's impressed that I went through that much effort just for an apology. It won me like, the tiniest amount of brownie points."

"Enjoy them while ye have them," Harry muttered, leaning off to the side with a grumpy frown pulling at his lips, though it seemed to be for show more than anything else, the Port Royal teen more or less okay with Gil's attention being diverted elsewhere. "I don't know about ye guys, but I'm gonna be in for it when I get back to Enchancia."

"Yeah," Uma laughed, likely thinking back on the conversation she and Harry had with his parents not long before. "Your mom's probably not happy about you stealing a ship."

"She was more mad that I didn't bring a proper crew to manage it," Harry admitted, ducking his head as a small blush spilled across the bridge of his nose. "Gilly and I can do a lot, but even a small ship's difficult to man with two people. There was a lot of um- ye know, if I'm gonna apologize, I may as well do it right." He shrugged his shoulders. "Dad seemed to get it, though. Knew I didn't want to get anyone else in trouble if I didn't have to."

"You were just afraid they'd turn you in," Uma said with a roll of her eyes. "Like your crew isn't as crazy as you are. Even I know that and I've met them like, twice."

Chad decided to be kind and try and pull the focus off Harry, who didn't seem to know what to do with that comment. "And you, Uma?" he asked. "Have you talked to your uncle yet"

"Yeah," she seemed to almost sigh. "I think he realized I need a bit more like- parenting in my life. He mostly leaves me to my own devices outside of our magic lessons – he's a busy dude, you know, got seven daughters and bundles of grandkids of his own – I was a pretty unexpected acquisition, and um- he apologized for that, for not really being there, which was not something I knew I needed until I got it, so…" She shifted into a smile. "I'm going to be just as grounded as the rest of you, but I'm okay with that."

"That's the spirit," Gil chirped. "My dads were worried too, but my papa – he was proud of me looking after Harry, and even though I don't really trust my skills, they did, and were fairly certain I'd be okay." He took a moment to relish that, smiling softly to himself. "Of course, I will also be super grounded when I get home, so we should probably make the most of this."

"What I'm hearing is that we should try some more Sardinia food," Uma declared, and then they did just that – the others requesting their favorites from the kitchen so they could share them with Jay, who got exhausted halfway through eating but that was okay, because Gil and Chad were there for him, ready to help out no matter how much it made him blush.

"I've got dessert," Uma declared, and Chad wasn't entirely sure what that meant until she more or less elbowed him out of the way so she could feed Jay ice cream, something that made Harry cackle for whatever reason. Probably because Jay seemed so embarrassed by it. Chad wasn't sure why, it wasn't like he ever had ice cream on his face long, Uma always sure to wipe his mouth off with a napkin after each and every bite.

"Is this what you guys have been doing while you're here?" Jay asked, face flushed as they settled in for sleep that night/early morning. Their sleep cycle had gotten all messed up but they'd make due, enjoying the last few moments of vacation while they had it.

"Something like it," Uma informed him simply while she nudged Harry in next to Jay, the Port Royal prince scowling up a storm until Gil settled in on his other side.

Uma was kind enough to let Chad take Jay's free side, the princess sliding in behind him, until they were all in one nice cuddle pile.

"We decided not to make things more complicated than they needed to be," Uma murmured while they dimmed the lights, the projection nightlight Chad had brought with him earlier activating to display a lovely aurora borealis on the ceiling.

"And this is your version of not complicated," Jay muttered just before Chad drifted off into a contented sleep, and for all that he sounded disbelieving, he didn't question it either.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

The idea of Fairy Godmother and Chad just chilling as they play old fashioned games really makes me happy. Dominos and cards and probably like, scrabble. I'm sure King Christopher and Captain Anozie join them as well, but there's always special grandma/grandkid time ^_^

Jay over there claiming Harry is the biggest drama king in the world as though he didn't very much think it was worth it to almost kill himself just to apologize. Like, there's extra, and then there' *extra*.

Until next time :)