A/N: Hello World! Welcome to chapter seven of Turning Pages. This chapter was going to be in chapter six but I wanted the story to be longer and I wanted half of my work to be already done so here it is. I hope you guys are still reading by this point and hopefully reviewing because those make me happy. Sometimes I just go to my reviews and stare at them because they are all so wonderful and made by you beautiful people out there reading this story. So again thanks for that and keep on reading and reviewing. Without further ado here is chapter seven of Turning Pages. (sprinkle sparkly pixie dust)
We find them tangled in one another. They are frozen together just as I had left them.
"Nice work." Sage says walking around the ice statue. "Now if only you could do this when you intend to. By the way, how did you do this?" he says raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know. I just panicked and I remember feeling the power build up and then it was all gone and when I opened my eyes there they were."
"So basically what Ash, Vincent and I have been telling you this whole time"
I stand there exasperated and it must show because he just smiles and stand beside me again. "Well what are you waiting for, unfreeze them."
My mouth forms a giant O and I turn to him and say "That's why you're here. So that you can unfreeze them and I can have the explanation ready."
"That's no fun. I came to be entertained so I'll just tell you how to unfreeze them instead."
"You're so helpful" I say sarcastically.
"I know right" he says as he smiles and ruffles my hair. He whispers in my ear the spell I should cast and I nod in understanding. "What are you going to tell him?" asks Sage.
"Well you came to be entertained, just wait for the show"
"I like surprises so, okay" he says as he walks further into the frosted forest looking very dramatic with his hair flying in the wind.
I turn toward the statue once more and can just imagine all the chaos that is going to come from my next act. I summon my courage, take a deep breath and feel my Glamour just like before and suddenly the sound of violence once again crashes upon my ears.
I open my eyes and fight to pull them apart. "Stop it both of you or you'll end up as ice statues again." They stop and I manage to have Vincent on my right and Aaron on my left.
"How could you Page!" Aaron screams in rage.
"I have perfect explanations for both of you just be patient with me."
"Patient! How can I be patient at a moment like this? You betrayed me and with him."
"She never had any loyalty to you in the first place. She doesn't love you and she never will." Vincent yells at him. Aaron growls and starts to charge at Vincent but I step in before he reaches him.
I can barely hold him back as I say "Wait! Hold off for just a second." Aaron still tries to push past me. "Aaron!" I yell. He looks down to me as I say "Listen, you and I have much to discuss but I'd like to do that if you were in a calmer state of mind. Just breathe for a second." He looks above and stares one more dagger at Vincent then holds back. I smile and say "Good. Now wait over there by that tree I'll be there in a second."
"I'm not leaving you with him." Aaron protest.
"Then I'll take her away" Vincent says angrily.
"Over my dead body" Aaron snarls.
"That can be arranged" Vincent challenges.
"Boys please! Aaron please just wait for me." I say giving him my best puppy eyes.
"Okay" he says as he kisses my forehead and walks away. I turn to Vincent and sigh. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"It's okay it was bound to happen eventually. Next time we will have to be more careful."
"I don't know if there can be a next time Vincent, not with the lie I'm about to tell him."
Vincent stares at me in confusion then recognition hits his eyes. "You're going to tell him you love him and that this whole thing was a mistake. I'm just some love sick best friend and you never felt anything for me. I just kissed you and…it wasn't supposed to happen…none of it." He says each word as if they are all individual knives in his heart.
"That's the only way to keep you safe. If they know then..."
"I'm dead, I know." He says with agitation in his voice. He sighs and says "Page, I'd do anything for you…but…" My heart speeds up and I hear it banging in my ears. He's going to give up on me. How could I blame him? He's probably just tired of all of my craziness. I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the next brutal words to come. "I'd do anything for you Page but I don't know how we'll get through this together. I'll be with you though always and forever." He reaches forward and takes me in his arms. I accept as he kisses me like before and I like I hope he always will. I will probably regret accepting his kiss when I talk to Aaron but I let him linger for a few minutes more before pulling away and looking disgusted which I don't pull off very well. What can I say: he makes me smile. Vincent smiles also and says "I'll be in the garden just in case you can get away from him for a little while."
"I'll try. Now go before he gets suspicious and when you go look sad like I just broke your heart." He nods puts on a sad face and walks away. I smile to myself but then as I remember the task at hand I take a deep breath and go to the next part of my master plan.
I walk over to Aaron who is crouched under a frost covered tree. I sit beside him but he scoots a few inches away from me. "Aaron I…"
"Don't even bother Page. I know you chose him. But I will not be made a fool of." He stands up and walks away angrily. I stand up quickly and chase after him. "Aaron wait, wait wait," I stand in front of him with my hand on his chest to hold him still.
"Look at me. I don't want to hurt you and what happened wasn't my intention."
"Oh really so you were gone for all day without telling me because…" he says letting the question hang in the air. He actually looks like I hurt his feelings. It's hard to look him in the eye. I almost feel bad for lying to him. I'm silent for a moment thinking this over.
After I am silent for a few minutes he says, "Exactly what I thought Page. Wait until you hear what the royals have to say about this." I swear he is the most predictable person I have ever met in my life.
"Aaron let's talk about this for a moment. I didn't know he was going to kiss me." I say
"Oh really Page," he screams at me. He comes closer and stares daggers into me. "I saw you Page. You just sat there and laughed, and then you let him. There was no fight or struggle or anything, you let him kiss you!" he says shaking with rage.
"I'm sorry" I say simply.
He gives a bitter laugh and says "Your sorry means nothing to me. Page I'm engaged to you. In a few weeks we are getting married and now you come out with some random and forget about all of that. Page I actually care about you." I'm taken aback because he actually looks sad. I highly doubt it but maybe he does love me like he says. "I can't do this right now Page. I…I just can't" he starts to walk away and I grab his hand quickly holding him back.
"Aaron I really am sorry." I say apologetically. He turns around and gives me a pained look. Suddenly he pulls me toward him and kisses me hard on my lips. I grasp onto him and fight the urge to push him away. He pushes me away has he lets go and we both take deep breaths.
"Page, I want to see you later today. We need to talk." He says affirmatively and walks away without another word. I watch him walk away and as I feel his kiss still burning on my lips I know that my planned failed. There was no getting through to him in this stage. I hope he won't do anything rash but knowing Aaron he can be capable of anything. Before long I see Sage coming out of the shadows. He truly looks like a Prince when he does, his long black ponytail flying behind him and his silver coat flowing with it.
He stares at me for a moment before saying "Well Page that was entertaining. I'm sorry it didn't work out like we planned but…if he tries something rash and you don't know what to do, I'm here for you. Now I suppose you should go and warn Vincent. No doubt they will come for him, just tell him to lay low. He could stay in that little secret garden of yours."
"How do you know about the garden?" I ask shocked.
"I followed you once. You guys were doing what got you into this mess in the first place. Then I saw you enter the portal. I also overheard you two talking about a garden once and so I just put two and two together." He says as if I should have found the whole thing to be frightfully obvious.
I just sigh and say "Well now I shall go and find him." I say as I run and hug my big brother. "Thanks Sage." I let go and trot off to go and find my love.
"And so, I need you to lay low for a while. I don't want you to get hurt. I'll sneak off to see you if I can but I don't know how often that will be. Aaron will probably have me glued to his hip." I say. He just stares at me for a moment sighs then sits down on a bench nearby.
"Page, like I said I'd fight whatever battle I have to if it means I get to be with you forever. I'm not letting him have you. I refuse Page to let you go." He says determination in his dark grey eyes. I smile at him and kiss his lips gently.
"I would do the same for you my love" I say earnestly.
He smiles at me and says "I don't want to talk about this for a while. Page I would just like to be with you for a moment" I smile and nod in agreement. He takes my hand and we escape deeper into the garden. We end up at a door covered in the most beautiful blooming flowers I have ever seen. He stands at the door and says "Are you ready to enter into my inner sanctuary?" he says wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I laugh and nod vigorously. He opens the door and I see it's a bedroom. It's had ornate carvings covering the ceiling and of course flower winding throughout the poles of the bed and everything else in the room. The bed took up much of the room but there was ample space for a desk and chairs and a wide space just for moving between all of these. There were also painting hanging everywhere as well as many bookshelves. The flowers were what caught my eye. They climbed like soldiers up the wall. The wound their way up the bookshelf and made spirals on the floor. It was a garden escape.
"Did you paint all of these Vincent?" I ask as I pick one up and admire it.
"A great deal of them yes but not all. Some of them I stole and others I got from other Fey who owed me favors." He says.
"You're a thief at heart." I tease.
"Well I don't steal often but these were from Fey who had no use for them."
"What's the best painting you stole?" I ask curiously.
"The best thing I stole wasn't a painting." He says smiling.
"Well I bet it's beautiful." I say looking at another painting.
"Yeah you really are." He says picking flower from the wall.
I walk around the room just admiring each painting and then when I have seen all of them I go to the books. I discover many that I have already read but still a few that I desire to read. I smile at the sight of some of them. I feel the memories of my many adventures in them rushing to my mind and then as fast as an air train moving out to be replace by another. I flip through a few until I settle on a book of short stories I have yet to read. I lose myself in a zone until I suddenly feel a pair of eyes on me. I turn to see Vincent just lying on his bed smiling at me.
"What is it?" I ask putting the book down on a nearby desk.
"Nothing Page, I just like seeing you like that." He says gazing at me still.
"Like what Vincent?" I ask curiously. I walk over to him and take a seat next to him on his bed.
He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear and says "When you're reading I can see you forget about everything around you, even me and just dive into it and then I see you smile and laugh and be shocked and every other emotion in between and it's really cute."
"Oh. Well thanks Vincent." I say smiling brightly.
"I don't know I'm just afraid I won't get to see you that way anymore." He says looking me deep in the eyes.
I take his hands and say "You don't have to worry about that. I will always be with you and we will be together."
He smiles and pulls me into his arms. "I just want to be able to hold you like this forever."
"Trust me I would never want you to let go" I say as I kiss him deeply. Our deep kiss turns into more when I feel his arms tighten around me and I find myself pressed between him and the soft covers of his bed. I wrap my arms around him accepting his kiss. I feel his hands traveling too far north and I reluctantly end our kiss. We both just stare at each other for a moment as we breathe heavily recovering from our kiss.
He quickly rolls over to lay beside me and says "I'm sorry Page. I got a little carried away."
I laugh and say "It's fine Vincent." I roll over and lay my head on his chest. "I would have let you but I'm just..." I stop unable to hide my embarrassment over the situation.
I can feel his stomach move as he laughs and says "You don't have to explain anything to me Page I understand."
I nod and then a question shoots its way into my mind. "Vincent have you ever..."
I don't even get to finish the question before he says "I already know what you're going to ask and yes Page I have but it was a long time ago and not with many." We simply stare at each other for a while and I smile and lay my head back on his chest content with his answer for now. We just stay like that for a while with me listening to the soft melody of his breathing and him running his fingers through my hair. I feel my eyes closing and I fight to stay awake but soon I let the gentle touch of his fingers and his protective arms around me take me away into the land peaceful dreams.
I wake up with a start. My eyes pop open and I sit up quickly as I mentally slap myself in the face. I turn my head to see that Vincent is still asleep. I'm so shaken that I can't even enjoy how vulnerable he looks like that. I don't want to wake him so I gently move his arm away and try and tip toe out of the room. I am not able to make it past the edge of the bed when a hand firmly grips my wrists. I sharply turn my head around to see Vincent rubbing the sleep out of one eye and asking "Where are you going?"
I smile and say "I have to go. I told Aaron I would meet him later. He probably has already told the royals about us by now and since I didn't see him I'm probably in big trouble." He lets go of my arm and I scoot off the bed and go out into the garden. As I make my way to the garden I feel his presence as his arms wrap around me from behind.
"Do you really have to go? I mean if you're already in trouble it won't make much of a difference if you go now than if you were to leave later." He says slowly kissing my neck. I sigh as he tempts me to stay just a little longer.
"Vincent please." I say turning to face him and he holds me tighter now that I have done so. "I have to go. If I'm in trouble then that means we as a unit are in trouble." I kiss him goodbye and say "I'll come back to see you as soon as I can get away."
As I start to walk through the portal I hear him yell to me "I love you Page!" I can't answer back because I am already on the other side. It seems I am always worlds apart from the one that I love but I am determined to one day make those worlds collide and become one now and forever.
I walk back to the castle alone. When I reach the staircase that leads to its gates I find the Prince of Summer waiting there for me. He gives me a cold stare. I take a deep breath as I await what is to come next. He takes my hand and leads me through the castle to the throne room and there waiting for me is my mother The Queen of Winter. I realized I was wrong to fear what Aaron would do.
A/N: Hey so how did you like that chapter? Things are really heating up at this point. What will Queen Mab do? What will Page and Vincent do? What will I do when I don't have time to update these chapters and therefore leave you in suspense?! I know the answer to only some of these questions but no matter they shall all be answered next chapter. I don't know when that will be posted but I promise it will be soon. I only really have a few more weeks of school left and when I am out (throws homework in the air and jumps for joy) I will be updating faster and with shorter intervals between chapters. I would like to thank Shiori07 for giving me some support on this story and being a faithful follower. If you love anime please check out her fanfiction titled The Story of Suzuka Tachibana: A Sword Art Online Story and be on the lookout for MY fanfiction for Ouran Highschool Host Club coming to otaku's near you. I'm not sure when production on that will begin but I like to do one story at a time so when this one ends that one will begin. Also I need a love poem for THIS story so if you have one please pm it or put it in your review because I suck at poems and I may cry if I have to write one myself for this so help a sister out and give me some great love poem that will be featured in this story. The winner will get a shoutout in my next chapter and my love forever for doing me this huge favor (blows kiss into audience). Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I have enjoyed writing it and thank you for your continued support and please keep reading, writing and reviewing. Thank you all ever so much from Maria and Page. ;)