Even Glamour Can Hurt
Summary: When Greylock hears that Slickwell has been released from prison, he locates him, and they have a much-needed conversation.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Sofia the First. While they're not mentioned by name, Nana and Tanya belong to Marionette J2X, and Serena and Charlie belong to me. Nakia and Zahra also belong to me.
A/N: I've been meaning to write something like this for years now and finally decided to go for it. I'm convinced that Greylock and Slickwell were actually friends before the drama in "Baileywhoops" and later "Day of the Sorcerers." Imagine working for a ruler like King Magnus. I think I'd probably be looking for a way out too. Also, this could be read as a stand-alone AU, assuming events in "A Friend in Need" and "Bad Habits" didn't happen. I really just wanted to write this story. :)
*Story*
Greylock sat at a table in a tavern about thirty miles away from Rudistan, sipping on a cup of warm cocoa. He'd already eaten some bread, but he was waiting until his guest arrived before asking for some actual food. He looked up when he heard the door to the tavern open, and about six people entered, the last of whom happened to be the person for whom he was waiting. He waved his hand twice, nodding when the other man noticed him. He smiled disarmingly as the visitor sat in the chair across from him, taking off his coat. "Hello, Slickwell."
Twenty years ago… It was hard to believe that much time had passed. Slickwell had experienced minimal changes over the last several years since his imprisonment. His features were more or less the same, but his once dark brown hair was now peppered with a few silver hairs throughout, and it was long enough to tie back into a short ponytail, which he had. He'd always been thin, and nothing had changed in that aspect either. However, his clothing was a lot more simplistic now: a beige tunic over olive green slacks with simple black shoes. Granted, his coat matched the pants he wore, but that was about as close to "stylish" as he got these days.
"Greylock," Slickwell greeted in an even yet pleasant tone. His voice even sounded the same, which was somewhat comforting to Greylock. "I was surprised to receive your letter last week. After all the things that occurred with Magnus, I couldn't believe you still wanted anything to do with me."
"Yes, well…" Greylock shrugged. "I'm not so innocent myself. I'm sure you heard about the Order of the Wand, right?" Seeing Slickwell nod, he sighed. "Not my finest moment… I suppose trying to overtake the kingdom wasn't exactly the brightest idea."
"I'll say. I merely tried to steal Baileywick's job—not an entire kingdom." Slickwell couldn't help laughing as Greylock smirked. He glanced up when a man stepped over to the table, asking for his drink order. "Just water please. And…" He nodded toward Greylock. "Food, right? I'm hungry."
Greylock laughed. "Of course. I'll have…"
The old friends took time ordering their food and requested some more bread before continuing their conversation.
"I know it's not a popular opinion," Greylock began, "but while I don't necessarily agree with you vying for Baileywick's job, I can't blame you for trying to get away from Magnus. He was already insufferable before that, but he got worse after you left. And your replacement was… Well, it was Bryce, so you already know how that went."
"Ugh. I couldn't stand that child. 'King Magnus, I can do this better than Slickwell! Please just give me a chance!' I hope he got scolded as often as I did."
"He quit after a week." Greylock smirked as the ex-steward laughed. "After my little incident, I think I heard something about one of Magnus's relatives stepping in. Why not? The whole kingdom is run by a blowhard. Might as well keep it running with someone who's probably just as intolerable as he is. Genetics and all that." He tapped his fingers alongside his cocoa mug as Slickwell leaned back into his chair, settling in a bit. "How have you been?"
The other man blinked before shrugging. "Well, I… I was released about five years ago, and I…actually met someone." He smiled as Greylock lifted his eyebrows in interest. "Her name is Nakia. She's from the Buktamba Tribe. She helped me get back on my feet when I was first released, and she was just…the kindest person I'd ever met. Selfless, considerate, understanding…" A goofy smile formed on his lips as he sighed. "We married four years ago and have a three-year-old daughter named Zahra."
"I can honestly say I never imagined you as a family man, Slickwell, but I'm thrilled for you." He chuckled. "I'm married now myself. My wife Ivy and I have two children: Zinnia and Gareth."
"Mr. I'm-Going-to-be-a-Bachelor-Forever actually got married and had children?" Slickwell chuckled as Greylock rolled his eyes. "No, I'm equally happy for you. Perhaps someday, our families can meet."
The older man nodded with a soft smile. "I'd like that, Slickwell…"
Their food soon arrived, and they ate in comfortable silence, though they chatted a bit here and there. When their meal was finished and they paid, the old friends sat and continued talking.
"If it's any consolation," Slickwell began after they'd finished talking about some of the more up-to-date events, "after hearing about your involvement in the Order of the Wand debacle, I… I can honestly say that I didn't blame you for your actions either." He shrugged his coat back on, feeling a bit chilly in the tavern as the wind had blown through some of the open windows. "As far as I'm concerned, you'd be a better king than Magnus any day."
Greylock blinked. "Are you serious?"
Slickwell scoffed. "Greylock, honestly… You practically ran the kingdom anyway. He couldn't do anything without your magical help, so you might as well have been running it. And despite how the kingdom was acquired, I believe you would have had support eventually. The hardest part to get past is people realizing their leader is gone—good or bad. But even our subjects hated that man. Had the authorities not caught you, I'm sure they would have stuck up for you."
"Huh…" Greylock grinned, removing and polishing his monocle. "Perhaps I should try again and see what happens, hmm?" He laughed, soon joined by Slickwell. "No, no… My days of hidden delinquency are over and behind me now. I have a family to take care of, and quite honestly, I've been enjoying my freedom and adventures. I've actually teamed up with Princess Sofia of Enchancia and her husband Cedric numerous times." He replaced the monocle, folding his hands into his lap.
"Princess Sofia?" Slickwell hummed. "Oh, that little girl who—wait, her husband?" He raked a hand down his face. "She's already an adult? Where did the time go?"
"Tell me about it. And she has four children." He snickered when Slickwell's mouth dropped. "Two adopted, and two little ones of her own… A heart of gold, that princess. She took in two young girls who were products of the Never Realm, which I'm sure you've heard of. She and Cedric, my friend from school, raised the girls as their own, and they are now thriving. And their other two are growing up so fast, just like my own children."
"That's so interesting…" He sighed as he glanced at his pocket watch, realizing he'd been at the tavern for over two hours now. "Well, it's getting late, and I promised Zahra I would be home early enough to read to her before tucking her in." He smiled toward Greylock, who returned the gesture. "It was really nice to see you again, Greylock. We should do this again—perhaps with our families."
"I'd like that…" He frowned, growing contemplative. "You know… I know we lived our lives in Magnus's shadow, and we tried our best to shine for him—the glitz, shine, and glamour forever on display to make him look good…" He rubbed his arm in a self-soothing manner. "But even glamour can hurt. Being exposed to an audience when you're not ready, having things backfire on you when you're normally so good at them… He exploited us, Slickwell." He saw the other man nod before lowering his head. "Glamour is nothing if we end up harmed as a result, and we were. Unappreciated but flaunted like some sort of trophies, just to one-up a much better king with King Roland…"
"I…" Slickwell looked up, obviously trying to hold back any emotions as best as he could. "I never quite thought about it like that before, but… You're right. The glamour did hurt. It hurt a lot… Um, let's…" He nodded toward the door to the tavern and stood, hearing his friend stand up and follow him. Once they were outside, he turned to say something, but he was shocked when he was enveloped in a warm hug. He slowly lifted his hands, placing them along the sorcerer's back. "Greylock…"
"I wish we could turn the clock back and live better lives," Greylock muttered, finally feeling some of his own tears escaping his eyes. "We deserved better than Magnus."
Slickwell nodded, sniffling just a bit as he moved his hand to wipe his own eyes. "Yes… I know." He gently released the sorcerer and smiled in contentment. "But perhaps it's better we can't. We have our own families and better lives now, and I'm happier than I ever was back then."
"Me too…" Greylock chuckled, using a handkerchief to dab at his eyes. "Oh, no one told me when you got older, your emotions grew lax." He shook his head, sighing, pocketing the handkerchief. "So… Sorry for crying on your shoulder like that."
The ex-steward laughed. "I think it was warranted." He held his hand out, smiling as Greylock shook it. "I hope things continue going well for you, old friend. And thanks for inviting me. It's nice to know someone still cares."
Greylock released his hand, nodding. "Indeed, it is." He held out his arms, declaring, "I promise I won't cry this time." He laughed as Slickwell snickered before giving him a much firmer hug, like they used to share many, many years ago when they were much younger. "Give my best to your family."
"Same to you." Slickwell stepped out of the hug and tugged his coat more snuggly around him, and then he turned and walked away from the tavern.
A weight he didn't know he'd been carrying lifted from Greylock's shoulders as he sighed peacefully, staring up at the twinkling stars above him. Sure, even glamour could hurt… But when he had the wonderful life of being a father, a husband, and a good friend to others versus being a prized royal sorcerer for a king who couldn't care less… He'd take that over the glamour any day.
The end