That winter brought storms like no one remembered seeing in the years previous. Snow battered at the windows daily and the palace was so cold that even Connor felt like shivering. He and Jude took to spending most days in the Games Room, the door firmly shut to keep the heat from the fire place in. Jude, particularly, was always shivering. He spent the morning in the stables with his horse and then he and Connor would always meet at noon to have lunch and play games.

Jude had to admit that he became lazy during those months. The carts brought up lunch and often brought a book or two from the library with them. Jude had developed a like for reading, because it broke the monotony, and because he got the feeling that Connor liked it when they read. Jude was trying to teach him, with his limited skills, and though Connor listened raptly, he seemed embarrassed whenever Jude offered him a book to read. Connor would never hold it, sometimes lifting his claws as an apology and an explanation. Jude would hold the book and flip the pages, and Connor would sit a distance away and lean in. Or, that was how he had sat, until Jude had quietly murmured that it was okay if he just wanted to sit close. And so, he did. They sat close to each other at the long dining table now when they ate supper there, Jude didn't feel guilty if they brushed feet while sitting at their small games table. He could tell that physical contact still made Connor a little uncomfortable, which saddened Jude. How lonely Connor must have been!

And how strange Jude found the empathy that he now had for the Beast.

Jude rubbed his fingers against Phillipe's wide forehead. He was confused, but he didn't really understand why. Phillipe stamped his back foot and swished his tail, though his ears remained pricked forward. Jude checked over his shoulder, but he was alone in the stable, as he normally was. There were stable hands that cared for Phillipe, and Jude had anxiously inquired about them to Stef once. She had assured him that the objects like her no longer felt cold and that the stable hands were happy to have a horse to care for.

"Next day it's not storming, I'll let you out. I worry about you getting hurt in weather like this."

Phillipe snorted.

"I know, you're restless. I'm sorry. But there's not much I can do. I can't really let you inside to run around the palace," Jude joked. "Although there are all of those unused rooms. Connor doesn't seem to care too much about the place."

Phillipe dropped his head further into Jude's arms and Jude continued to scratch. As he always did when he went to visit Phillipe, growing plump and lazy in the stables, Jude felt guilty. Horses were expensive, but he and Callie had always scraped to make sure that Phillipe could eat as well as they could. He was their only source of transportation. Jude had worked for years with the same farmer, paying off the runty colt while he and Callie tried to live off her wages alone. It had been several long hard months, but Phillipe had been worth it. Phillipe had technically been Jude's horse – Jude had paid for him and had done most of the work in training and raising him – but Callie had needed him more for work.Now, Callie didn't have him and Jude knew she needed him. More than Jude did. Jude was never getting out of here.

"I wonder if he would let me take you to Callie," Jude mused. "Perhaps let me stay a night with her, just to say goodbye. I … I don't want to be alone here without you either, Phillipe. You're the last piece of home. Not that I hate it here. I did. But something seems different here now, Phillipe. Do you feel it?"

Phillipe didn't seem to. Jude wondered if it was all in his head or if he should just stop taking advice from his horse. He wasn't sure that Phillipe was the best gauge of things anyway. He gave his horse one more pat and then he let himself out of the stall. The stable itself was large and sturdy and, though it wasn't warm, per se, it was a lot better than the howling winds that Jude knew awaited him outside. He thought of the warm fire that was waiting for him upstairs in the Games Room and that gave him strength to dart out the door. He had to wade through the thick snow and his pants quickly became soaked. He was glad to be able to slip through the servants' door to the kitchen. It was always overwhelmingly warm in the kitchen; it was the perfect thing to walk into after the trauma of the snowstorm.

"How's Phillipe?" Lena asked.

"He's good. He's restless here. He's a work horse. He likes being useful."

"Then he fits right in with us here," Lena mused. "Are you worried about him?"

"Yes. I mean, more worried about what Callie is doing without him."

"Do you think of her often?"

"Every day." Jude took a seat at the small servants' table in the kitchen. "I don't … don't let Connor know. It's strange. Like I don't want to hurt him. But I shouldn't worry about that. I'm his prisoner. He's the reason that I miss her so much. He should know that."

Lena smiled a little; Jude thought she always did that when he said Connor's name, though he couldn't begin to fathom why. "At the risk of saying too much, he does know about that. I'm not telling you to hide your feelings, Jude, I think that it would be good if you did say something. But that's up to you."

Jude propped himself up on the table. Lena was Connor's confidant. He knew she wouldn't betray Connor, just as she wouldn't betray him. Jude thought that he might be able to get her to help him somehow, though. Like she would be able to help him understand the confusion and the tangle of feelings he had.

"Do you think it's strange that I don't want to hurt him?"

"You and the Master have spent a lot of time together recently. What do you think?"

"I think it doesn't answer my question."

Lena laughed. "No, and I don't think I meant to."

"Why not?"

"Because it matters what you think, Jude."

"I was worried you were going to say that. I know how I should feel but sometimes I don't know if that's the way it actually is. Nothing about that seems fair."

"It's probably not. You're a smart young man. Emphasis on the young." Lena's lips twisted and her tone was strange as she added, "You have a lot of time to figure things out. Don't rush anything. It's up to you to define how you feel about the Master and what he is to you."

"Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"Why do you call him 'the Master'?" They were servants. He was a master. There was something in Jude's brain that wanted to click, but Jude wasn't ready to let that happen.

"It seemed the appropriate thing to call him. Now, shouldn't you get out of those wet trousers before you make yourself sick?"

Jude could easily recognize the dismissal. "Need me to take you anywhere?"

"No, thank you. I'm actually waiting for Jesus. If you happen to see him on your way, however …"

"I'll send him on his way."

"Thank you."

"And do you mind sending up something warm to the Games Room sometime soon?"

"Not at all. It'll be there for you shortly."

"Thank you."

Jude left the warm kitchen and hurried through the drafty halls of the palace. He rushed up the main stairs, his pant legs rubbing uncomfortably against him. He was glad to reach his room and strip out of his damp clothes. Mariana already had warm fleece ones ready for him, carefully folded on the side of his bed. He pulled them on gratefully.

"Hey, have you seen Jesus? Lena's looking for him."

"No, I haven't," Mariana answered. "But he could be doing anything."

"That's helpful. Well, Lena is looking for him if you happen to see him."

"All right. I'll let him know."

Jude opened the door to the room and Mariana made an indignant noise.

"What?"

"You're not going to stay and talk to me?"

"I talk to you every night. You know Connor's waiting for me. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Jude."

Jude left and he tried not to move too quickly to the Games Room. He shouldn't be in a rush to get to this part of his daily ritual. Connor knew that he was coming and that he wouldn't be let down by waiting for Jude, but Jude wanted to be in that warm cozy room. The Games Room, which Connor had repeatedly reminded Jude was now his room. Jude pulled open the door and stopped. On the first floor of the Games Room, there was a sofa set up in front of the grand fireplace.

"Where'd this come from?" Jude called.

Connor leant over the railing of the upper floor. "Oh." Connor hopped over the railing and landed neatly next to Jude. "I had it cleaned up from one of the sitting rooms. I thought you might like it a bit more … you know, so you can stretch out while reading or whatever. It's really comfortable. I promise. Um, unless you don't like it. I can always put it back."

"No, it was very sweet."

Jude lowered himself onto the end of the plush red couch. He could tell it had been a long time since anyone had taken a seat on the couch. There were squeaks of protests from it, but the cushions were plump and firm. He pushed his feet out of his shoes so as to not dirty the freshly cleaned fabric and then he tucked his feet up on the other end of the sofa. It was a bit of a short piece of furniture – or maybe Jude was just that tall – but he was able to find a comfortable position. Connor had added a few more extra cushions to the couch and Jude tucked one underneath of his head.

"You didn't have to do this for me."

"I wanted to. Do you like it?"

"Yeah. It was a great idea! Oh, but!" Jude straightened up. "I'm not leaving you much room to sit with me."

"Oh, no, don't worry about it. I … don't exactly fit onto furniture like that anymore." Connor's tail swished anxiously against the floor. "I'll just sit on the floor here."

"I'll help you bring one of the chairs from upstairs down. We can sit here in front of the fire."

"I can manage a chair. Why don't you grab move a table over here and find a game?"

"Oh, you know me well enough to know I want to stay on the couch today." Jude grinned and pushed himself upward.

"I try to know you anyway."

"I think you do pretty well. What else am I thinking?"

Connor squinted at him, his heavy brows nearly obscuring his bright eyes. He cocked his head to the side. "I'll throw some more wood on the fire when we come down."

"Ah, so you've secretly been a mind reader this whole time."

"I wish." Connor rolled his eyes. "It would've made you a lot easier to understand."

Jude put his hands on his hips, frowning at Connor as he jumped up to the second floor and flung himself over the railing.

"You're the complicated one."

Connor didn't say a word, but with the way he stared at Jude, he didn't have to say anything.

"Really. I'm very simple."

"Oh, sure."

Jude rolled his eyes and set about dragging one of the small tables over in front of the couch. He didn't want Connor to accuse him of being a slouch if he didn't have the table over there by the time Connor got downstairs with the chair.

"You're very complicated," Jude added.

"How am I complicated?"

"I've never known anyone like you before," Jude said.

"Because of the beast thing?"

Jude was glad he couldn't see Connor's face as he carried the chair down the stairs.

"You're the hairiest person I know," Jude confirmed.

Connor put the chair down and let out a small chuckle. Jude was glad that he was laughing. He'd been so worried that Connor would find the comment offensive. Yet more proof on how unpredictable Connor was.

"That's probably true." Connor threw a few more logs on the fire. Jude smiled at the remembered gesture. "What are we playing today?"

Jude ascended the steps and climbed one of the ladders. The ladders slid easily from side to side on rollers, as if they were part of the grand library instead – matter of fact, the same ones were in the library. Jude grabbed one of the boxes off the shelf at random and turned to look at Connor, who had gently sunk himself in the big chair that he'd carried downstairs. Jude secured the box under his arm and slowly walked back down the stairs, all the while trying to think of an answer to Lena's question. How did he view Connor?

He put the box on the table and sat down. "Connor?"

His massive head turned, cocked inquisitively in a way that was definitely characteristic of an animal.

"I –" Jude stopped as the door swung open and a cart rumbled it.

"It's early for lunch."

"Oh, I asked for cocoa. I thought it would be good."

"That sounds good."

Jude carefully poured them cups, knowing how much Connor hated to do it with his claws. They were silent for the first few sips of their drinks and then Jude opened up the game box.

"What were you saying before?" Connor asked.

"Oh. Um, would you call us friends, Connor?"

Connor nervously picked at his cloak. "I … would want to, Jude."

Connor was breathing shakily and Jude had to prompt him. "But?"

"But … with everything, you're the one that has to decide that."

Jude tried not to make a face. Why wouldn't anyone just bother having a conversation about this with him and just helping him talking it through? Why so much emphasis on figuring it out for himself? He focused on setting up the game tiles and then he looked to Connor and nodded decisively. "Even with everything, I think I would call you my friend."

There was an indescribable light in Connor's eyes as Jude said the words, and Jude couldn't help but smile at the expression. There was just something more to Connor. More than the fearsome creature that he'd seen his first night here. But there was also a large part of Jude that worried about forgetting that part of Connor too. The Connor that was capable of the atrocious acts that had landed them here, sipping cocoa as friends in front of a warm fire. Jude curled his legs up onto the couch, leaning onto the arm that was furthest away from Connor. Maybe it was more complicated that just being friends. Maybe that was too simple. But Jude didn't know what else to do or what else to think when it came to Connor.

"Is everything all right?"

Jude hadn't thought Connor would notice. The Beast who had scared him so severely that he had run to wolves; the Beast that would throw his sister away like she was nothing; the Beast that had made Jude his prisoner. It was sobering to realize that he was still a prisoner.

"Jude?"

There was a strange affection in Connor's voice and it made Jude's heart feel off-kilter, like the bottom of it was twisting and then falling off. He picked up his cocoa again. "Do you want first move?"

"You haven't told me how to play yet."

"Oh, right!"

Jude looked at the rules, which were carefully engraved on the top of the box. It was easiest to just fall back in the routine that he was used to with Connor. There was something comforting in that. And right now, above all else, Jude would rather be comfortable.

On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!

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~TLL~