Thank you so much to all of our readers! I can't believe that over a year has surpassed since we first began posting chapters of the Days of Future Past trilogy. How time has flown by since the very beginning... As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR- Meanwhile in the Enchanted Forest, Queen Snow White and King David's castle
"Hey Neal!" Liam called after his uncle. "Where are you off to?"
"I was just going to my study." There was a hint of nervousness in the prince's tone.
"You spend way too much time in there! Leif, Oliver, and I are headed down to the training arena if you want to join, or are you just afraid a few younger teens will beat the high and mighty heir to the throne." Liam said mockingly.
"Have fun watching Leif and Oliver try and kill each other, I'm going to my study." Neal started walking away.
"What do you even do in there? You never allow anyone in your study, not even your parents." Neal paused in the hall.
"It isn't your place to ask me what I do in my free time," Neal growled.
"Are you calling rank on me?" Liam snapped. "You are my uncle and only three years older than me."
"It still makes no difference. You are officially third in line to the throne, behind both me and Kendra and you are required to treat both of us with respect. It doesn't make a difference whether or not we are related," Neal huffed.
"Kendra would never call rank on me, and I didn't think you would either! What is the matter with you? Are you hiding something?" Liam yelled.
"It is none of your business, and you better be grateful that I am not enforcing punishment for defying a senior officer."
"Neal, this isn't like you. If something is bothering you, feel free to talk to me. I won't try and force anything out of you."
"Thank you Liam, but I can assure you I am just fine." Neal turned and disappeared down the hallway.
Neal reached his study, unlocking the doors and slipping inside before re-locking them behind him. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. Neal couldn't stand doing that to Liam, but he had no choice, Liam couldn't know anything about his hobby.
He walked over to one of the shelves lining the entirety of the room. He admired the collection that lined each and every ledge, various magical objects and incantations. No one could ever know about Neal's talent.
Neal, like Emma, was the product of true love, the son of Snow White and Prince Charming, and he, like Emma, also possessed a gift. From the age of fourteen, Neal had found he had a special way with magical objects. He could make any of them work, repair them, and even make his own. After seeing how different Kendra had been treated after the discovery of her own powers, Neal had vowed to himself never to tell anyone about his magic. Neal's secret had been one of the main reasons he had distanced himself from a lot of people and turned down every possible suitor that offered themselves to him. But now, it looked like Neal might have to use his magic to help someone close to him. Kendra.
Shortly after his niece's departure, Neal had overheard his parents, Emma, Killian, and even Henry talking about how different Kendra would be when she returned. She would be in possession of dark magic that she was unable to control. Neal knew that he wasn't supposed to have learned of Kendra's unfortunate set of new skills, but he had to help her.
Neal plucked a black leather cuff from one of the shelves. This was the cuff that Peter Pan had made, the one used on Rumplestiltskin to neutralize all of his magic. He had found it rummaging through various magical objects in Rumplestiltskin's castle while he was waiting on Kendra to come out of one of her first lessons. Fascinated, he had slipped the cuff into his pocket to study back home. Neal laid the cuff on his work table and got busy. If he was going to offer it to Kendra when she returned, he knew that it could not resemble the shackle that Pan had made at all.
He spent hours stripping the cuff of the enchanted leather, refashioning the wristlet into a simplistic, woven bracelet that he hoped Kendra would want to wear. He had strung a few onyx colored pearls onto the ends of the leather before finishing the project. Looking at it, Neal vowed that he would never let anyone force it onto Kendra. The decision would be fully up to her upon her return.
How am I going to give this to her without her finding out what I've been keeping a secret all these years? She will have to be the only one who knows. No, I can't tell her. What if she tells someone? But she has to know what the bracelet will do and how it works. She won't be able to take it off herself, so I'll have to tell her, just so she knows she can trust it. If anyone will understand why I've kept it hidden, it's Kendra. I can't imagine how it must feel to know that everyone secretly fears you.
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