He allowed his body to sink into the water letting out a long breath that trailed into a chain of bubbles. All his tension flowed into the river and left Frederick's body as weightless as a cloud. His peaceful session is perfectly accessorized by his heart beating in his ears, creating a soothing white noise. Lately, bathing had become his escape when the world felt like too much, giving him a chance to organize his thoughts after a hard day. Or in this case, a hard morning.
About thirty minutes ago, some guests decided to make a surprise appearance at their campsite. He and Whitney were just eating breakfast when Calpernia, Curtis, and Saffron emerged from the brush. After a hurried promise of no violence, the trio sat down to discuss the results of their vote.
"We've decided that Frederick can attend meetings. Now, he won't be an official member yet. First, there will be a test trial lasting a full month. You must attend all the meetings, participate in the activities, and do whatever we require. Second, any harm done to any member on or off grounds is cause for immediate expulsion. Third, either Saffron or Curtis will escort you back and forth from the grounds. Fourth, entrance into the red barn is strictly prohibited. And finally, Whitney is not to set foot on club grounds under any circumstances."
Whitney's eyes widened. "Wha-But Cal-"
She holds up a hand.
"That condition is non negotiable. If Frederick does well this month and obeys with no problem then we'll discuss membership. But until then, I am not to see you on club grounds and if you disobey then you two will be evicted not just from the club, but the woods as well."
Whitney looked like he wanted to say more but closed his mouth in a thin line. Frederick considered this before responding.
"Can we... take a moment to think about this?"
The woman nodded.
"Very well. But just so you know our meeting is today and we were hoping you'd come along," Then she smiled long and wide; the expression brought to mind a spider spying on its prey as it flew closer to its web. The image was further solidified by the harsh gleam in her yellow eyes.
"You must understand that every one is dying to meet you."
Frederick sat up in the water; that gaze and smug smile still burning behind his eyelids. So that was the woman that Whitney cursed and put through hell. The woman that Whitney was willing allowing to execute him.
The Spider Princess...
A shiver went through his body making the water ripple. Any fool could see that she had every reason to use this opportunity to continue what she had started. Hell, this was practically the oldest war tactic in the book: Divide and conquer. Bring him to the club, distract him with whatever bullshit they had there, then she'd sneak away back to where Whitney was and-
He shook his head.
*No. Whitney won't just let her take his life. Not after...*
Their breakfast at the cafe comes to mind and he starts to tear up as Whitney's word echo around his heart.
"You mean the world to me..."
"I never thought someone could care about me so much because I feel the same about you."
"When you're around I feel like I can let myself be happy."
Those words; An unspoken promise that Whitney wouldn't let death come to take him without a fight. Now, onto the advantages. Frederick wanted to go for many reasons; the most prevailing was to keep an eye on Calpernia, make sure she wasn't going to try anything and stop her if she did. She had to be watched closer.
The other reason was... complicated.
Gwen was there and he really wanted to keep in touch with her. If she was a member then... maybe there was something to this club. Whitney had said that Calpernia was a kind princess back then... Was it possible that there was something to this club? That he could finally be somewhere he could just... be? Where he could possibly... have friends? All of these questions, mysteries, and suspicions ran through his mind and he had to put them to rest.
*Well, let's get this over with. If things get bad, I'll just kick some ass and get the fuck out of dodge.*
He made his way toward the river bed, seeing his clothes and skin hanging from a branch. After shaking them out, Frederick slipped them on as quick as he could, preferring to not catch sight of his body. He never really liked seeing his naked body even before discovering his boo hag form; that actually made those days more tolerable. It sounded odd but looking at his body that way was... almost better then seeing his regular body. He brushed off some leaves and made his way back to the water to check his reflection. He bent over, seeing his shadowy silhouette peering back at him. The river's vision of him was much kinder than the clear harshness of mirrors. The teen didn't like to look in them for too long. If he did then he would start seeing all his flaws in crystal clear contrast. Every fat fold, every hair, all of it on display for his brain to pick and dissect; To deduce that his body looked... wrong.
When he was done fixing himself up, he began to make his way back to the campsite. He walked a few step before he saw Whitney. The man was pacing back and forth; his heavy footfalls making a slight dip in the ground from the repeated motion. He didn't seem to notice the teen was there.
*Oh, boy. Poor guy's a mess. *
"Whit?"
The man's head snapped to him. He smiled but had the look of a nervous cat.
"Oh hey, Em. I was just wanted to help you get ready."
The teen tilted his head. "Ready? You mean... to go with them?"
"Of course, silly. Calpernia did come all this way to ask you so why not. Now, lets try to fix you up. Maybe start with your hair and-"
Frederick covered his head and narrowed his eyes.
"No touching my hair. We've been over this, Whitney. I want to grow it out."
Whitney went over to him and parted away the straw hued curtain from Frederick's eyes.
"And that's fine but I just want to trim the bangs a little and- oh, maybe sew up some of those tears in your pants. I think I have a few patches that I can put on really quick. The sweater is fine though it might get hot later. That reminds me I should pick up some more pants for you at the used clothing drives. It's-"
Whitney blabbed on as he buzzed around Fredrick brushing away imaginary debris from his shoulders. Frederick watched him as Whitney's spicy scent grew sour like old damp herbs.
"Whitney, you're bothered by the rule that says you can't come with me, aren't you." he says.
The man stops his fretting and suddenly became interested in the ground. Frederick takes hold of his hand and looks at him with what he hopes is encouragement.
"Whit, if you don't feel comfortable with this then I won't go. Besides, I don't think your ex is too thrilled about this either."
The man's eyes shimmer a bit before letting out a breath.
"But I do think you should go. Its just... this is the first time... we're gonna be apart. I know. Its silly that I'm feeling this on edge. There shouldn't be anything to worry about. I mean, Calpernia is... I know that right now she seems like this scary lady but she's really a kind and gentle person. I know she can help and I shouldn't be worrying but I... Its just that... with how things are going, I feel like I should be there with you but I can't and- "
Frederick pulls Whitney's chin to look at him.
"Do you really believe that this woman can help me? Truly?"
Whitney's silver eyes flash with a mix of worry and hope before he responds.
"Yes. I do."
"Then I trust you. I'll go to the meeting today and if things go well then I'll do the trial period."
He summons up a smile he hopped looked brave. "I'll be fine. I've faced down a savage tiger and killed a hell hound with my bare hands. I'm sure I can handle hanging out with your ex fiance."
I've got her scent memorized. If she's even one mile from Whitney, I'll know it and she better pray that I don't find her near him today.
Whitney sighed in relief.
"Ok, little ember. I'll hold down the fort while you're away but remember if you feel weird or anything, tell me and we'll just go."
"Got it."
The two walked back to their camp where the CPC trio waited for them. Calpernia looked up at them expectantly.
Frederick met her gaze with a determined stare. "It's a deal. "
The woman's eyes widened, seemingly surprised, but she shook it off quickly.
"Alright, let's go then."
Whitney pulled Frederick toward the fire pit. A nap sack laid by his log. He hands it to him.
"I packed a few blood packs, some water, and there should be a medicine kit in there, too. Just in case."
He nods and takes it.
"Ok, Whitty. Try not to get too bored while I'm gone."
"I'm sure I'll find something to do. Maybe I'll read some of that Pen warriors book you've been devouring lately."
"Hey, if you spoiling anything, I will scratch your face off."
"I'll be sure not to."
Frederick turns to leave but stops. Whitney still had a hold on his hand. He turns back to him and sees the man looking at it with misty eyes.
"Uh... Whitty? I need my hand back."
The man continues to stare seemingly lost in thought. Then he pulls the teen into a hug surprising both boo hag and the guests behind them
"Please be careful, Emmy." He whispers into his ear.
The teen feels his own eyes mist over as he returns the hug, head buzzing as the name warms his soul.
"I will. Same to you, too."
The man gave a murmur of agreement. A few feet from them, the trio gawked at the sight. Calpernia's mouth had dropped open, taken aback by the sight of the once ruthless Monochrome Prince engaging in such a tender act. Beside her, Curtis shared her expression and Saffron's eyes bulged out.
"What the- He's giving him a hug!? The Prince Whitney I know would never show affection! Did he hit his head somewhere?!" Calpernia thought.
Whitney let go of Frederick and the orphaned cryptid gave the man's hand one last squeeze before letting go. As soon as he turned to the trio, his warm expression turned stoic and cold.
"Let's go." he said.
Calpernia, recovering her composure, nodded. The group made their way out of the clearing with Frederick following close behind. The teen turned and gave his friend a wave and smile before disappearing into the brush. The group walked on in silence; the tension hanging thick in the air like fog on an early morning. Saffron, wanting to break the cumbersome atmosphere, spoke up,
"So, uh... How long have you been living here, Frederick?"
"A few months."
"Whoa, seriously? Prez, how have your spiders not noticed them before? Don't they like watch every inch of the forest?"
Calpernia shot Saffron a startled look as Frederick gave them a suspicious stare.
"Spiders... watching every inch... What is he talking about?"
The woman took in a sharp breath as she felt the teen's stare burn into her.
"It's just a minor security measure. My curse allows me to communicate to spiders and they come back to me with any reports of intruders in the woods or near the club premises."
The cryptid cocked his head. "So you have spiders that watch the woods and tell you... everything that goes on?"
"Yes. Everything."
The teen narrowed his eyes further. "And by that you mean... they'll tell you who's in the woods and what they're doing even if its...,"
The teen let the unfinished thought hang in the air as the three patrons filled in the blanks. After a few seconds, all three took on similar expressions of horror.
Calpernia was the first to shout, her face tomato red. "No! No! No! It's not like that! They just tell me about people that enter and nothing else!"
"How can you even suggest such a thing! Her highness would never use her abilities for such perverse deeds!" Curtis sputtered.
The skinless vampires face crossed his arms, feeling a slight satisfaction at causing this once intimidating woman to lose her cool.
"Sheesh, don't get your nips in a twist. Its just a simple question. I mean, I've been bathing in the river for months, now. Then you tell me that you have spider spies watching everything around here and now you got me thinking about whether I should find a new place to clean up."
Curtis let out a scoff of disdain, appalled at the teen's crude speech. Saffron, who was side eyeing the president with perturbed eyes, asks, "Um... I was actually wondering about that too, cause... I was talking a shower back at the club and found... a spider at the corner... "
"I DON'T ASK THEM TO PEEP ON PEOPLE! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU TAKE ME FOR!"
The teen smirked, letting loose a small snort of covered laughter.
Calpernia caught it and pursed her lips in flustered annoyance.
"For your information, my spiders can't go everywhere. They don't enter the enchanted parts of the forest because they're too scared. Further more, they have absolutely no desire to spy on anyone engaging in... private matters. And, if I may remind you, that if I ever hear you spreading any horrible rumors like that, then you can kiss your admittance and your little tramp site goodbye."
The teen nodded and they didn't speak until they approached the manor. Frederick stood in awe of the building, not expecting something so grand to be in the middle of the woods. Curtis took the opportunity to launch into the speech he gave to all new comers.
"Welcome to the Cursed Princess Club house. Home and sanctuary to any princess or prince,"
He said this whilst looking at Saffron.
"that comes to our doorstep."
Curtis opened up the double doors and Frederick's eyes widened further. It had been a while since he'd been inside a high end home and while this place wasn't as big as the Plaid palace, it still gave him a heady rush of amazement. The massive front room was elegantly furnished with cream colored couches and dark grained tables and chairs. All held up by smooth marble floor that glittered in the dawn light. In the middle was a large wooden staircase with white banisters leading to more rooms up top. On the left and right sides of the staircase were interior alcoves. The left one led to the kitchen and storage room while the right led to the club's activity room, which seemed to be where the other members were.
Calpernia turned to her butler. "How about you two give Frederick a tour while I attend to the other members."
Curtis bowed slightly. "Very well, you highness"
Curtis and Saffron walked towards a door to the left of the staircase while Frederick followed them sending a brief look back to the president.
"This first door here is where we house some of our supplies for club activities. Now, it is mandatory to be involved in at least one of club activity here if you want to show your willingness to socialize. Towards the end of the hall is where we have our kitchen and pantry. If they're is anything you require in terms of food, I can prepare it for you."
The warm smell of dark chocolate floated into the teen's sensitive nose making him stop in his tracks. Its velvety tone tickled his taste buds and stirred his stomach bringing a loud growl from its depths. The sound made Saffron and Curtis pause.
"Are you alright, master Frederick?"
Frederick nodded, struggling to keep the drool pooling in his mouth in.
Curtis noticed the teen's hungry glint in his eye and shifted away, feeling a shock of discomfort.
"It'll be a few more minutes before the mousse is done. Since you're our guest you'll be the first to know when it's done."
As the tour went on, Saffron kept his eye on the ex-prince. Noticing his barely suppressed amazement at some of their common amenities and rooms.
"Didn't this guy grow up in a palace? A place like this should be nothing compared to it but, then again, he has been living in the woods for months... After everything that Gwen told us about him, I thought he was going to be this big-headed jerk but... he's nothing like I thought... What's his deal? " he thought
The group traveled back to the front room and turned to a set of French doors that were frosted and framed by light colored wood.
Those doors look the ones from my dream...
They opened up to a lush little garden teaming with flowers, some herbs, and even a few vegetables like tomatoes and carrots. Frederick's mouth dropped despite himself. He'd been trying to start a garden like this for awhile but was struggling with some complications such as finding good soil and hungry animals.
"This is our club garden. It started as a project to promote extending care for others and personal responsibility. Its mostly flowers but we have started to expand into herbs and some produce. Saffron manages and cares for it."
"And I'm also the one who came up with this mind you," Saffron said giving Curtis the side eye. "I would like that to be on record in the future."
"Of course, your Highness." Curtis replied giving no indication of catching his annoyance.
Saffron glanced over and started towards some plants that needed his attention.
Curtis continued. "Now, I would like to take this opportunity to let you know that while you're not engaged in club activities or anything else, you'll be with me taking care of any maintenance or work that needs to be done around here. Lady Calpernia believes that keeping you busy would be in everyone's best interest. I would also like to reiterate that it would be to get involved in some alternative activities that the members engage in on free days. A few members have even started smaller clubs of their own. I've heard of an art club, a music club-Oh, Miss Gwendolyn mentioned your love for reading so maybe the book club might be to your fancy..."
Frederick stared at Saffron as the man droned on. The older prince was kneeling in front of a box of sage. Some of their leaves were blotched a pale yellow and were starting to shrivel at the tips. Around him, some of the other fauna still looked green but Frederick could see the beginnings of that same yellow. He walked over to Saffron, knelt down, and touched the soil much to the older man's surprised.
"It doesn't have enough water. Sage needs to be water regularly at this stage." Frederick said.
The Foliage prince stared at him.
"You... know something about plants?"
"Yeah. Have to if I don't want to poison myself."
Curtis smiled.
"Wonderful, Prince Frederick. The gardening club has been needing fresh members for awhile and I'm sure Prince Saffron would be delighted to have extra help."
Then Curtis's eyes lit up and he pulled out his pocket watch.
"Oh, dear My mousse is far past done! Terribly sorry but I must leave. Your Highness, can you handle the young prince for a bit?"
Saffron nodded to him.
"Don't worry. I can keep an eye on baby Dracula."
The butler dashed back into the estate leaving Saffron and a slightly peeved Boo Hag.
"No wonder you're part of the welcoming party. You're so charming." Frederick said, sarcasm dripping off every word.
"I should say the same thing, Jaws. And where did you learn to greet someone? From a pack of wild dogs?"
The teen was about to snap back but then he remembered their first meeting and his cheeks went red. He stared hard into the dirt before him hoping that it rise up like a wave and carry him deep into the earth.
"... Sorry."
The man stopped to peer at him again. "Huh, wasn't expecting a wild animal to know that word."
Frederick narrowed his eyes. "I can always take it back, asshole!"
"Oh, I think I'm due a little criticism after the stunt you pulled with attacking our president!"
" She was going to kill the man that saved my life! You think I was just gonna let that happen?"
"Calpernia wouldn't... she'd never hurt anybody!"
"Um, a little advice, if you want to lie at least act like you believe it. That pause doesn't exactly sell your case."
Saffron growled in frustration. "... Everyone knows the story about Calpernia's ex-fiance, Prince Whitney. He's the heartless and vicious dingle berry that scarred her physically and emotionally but Prez overcame that and started this club. Even though I wouldn't blame her for wanting to pound that guy, she would never... it had to be... You had to have been the first to start it!"
The teen's glare fell into a weary expression."Fine. It's not like I can blame you for being suspicious. I'll just finish up here and tell Calpernia that the gardening club isn't gonna work out."
He turned back to picking off the Sage's yellow tips while Saffron stared at him with bewilderment.
"Wait a minute. Wait a minute. That's it!? No threats!? No pleading!? What the hell is your deal!? First time I hear about you, you sound like a wimpy jerk. I meet you in the woods and see a terrifying, blood covered, monster! I hear about Whitney and expect to find see a cruel and vicious psycho but instead I see freaking huge-ass teddy bear! Nothing is adding up and I have a migraine from trying to figure everything out! I wanna know what the hell is going on, so we're going to have a straight conversation where I ask you questions and you give me answers! Got it!?"
Frederick ogled the long haired prince, who's breath was increasing into frazzled panting.
*Has this guy lost his mind? And who the fuck is he calling a wimpy jerk?*
Saffron, with a firm scowl and somewhat desperate gaze, starts.
"What do you like to do in your spare time?"
"... I read."
"Anything else?"
"I cook sometimes."
"What kinda stuff can you make?"
"Soup."
Saffron palmed his head. "Urgh! C'mon, kid! I'm trying to have a normal conversation here! Just give me one miserable minute of normalcy! One moment where I don't feel like shitting myself! I deserve at least that much!"
Frederick scooted away from him as Saffron got a little too close for comfort.
*Holy shit! This guy is losing it!*
Saffron's dark green eyes flared with frustration; the bitter scent of his anxiety stinging the cryptid's nose. Then it gave way to sudden clarity as he seemed to return to a place of clarity.
"Oh... Oh, my God. What am I doing,"
He looked up to him noticing the boo hag's cagey stare and legs poised to sprint away.
"I'm... so sorry. I just... Things have been so crazy lately. Everyone's on edge because of the CC. We have to hide our curses everywhere we go now. Coming here is... one of the only times I felt at ease and then you-"
Saffron's words stumble to a stop.
Frederick decided to finish his thought. "Freaked everyone out. I get it. I didn't make the best first impression so I was expecting that. Look, I'm gonna be honest with you. I just came here because Whitney said that this lady could help me but if me being here is making everyone uncomfortable then we'll leave. We've been talking about it for while so it's not a big deal."
Then he stood up and wiped his dirt-covered hands on his pants. "Let's just find her and tell her this won't work out."
Guilt began to eat into the foliage princes's heart prompting him to jump up.
"Wait! No! No! No! You shouldn't have to do that, especially not now. I mean you... came even after everything that's happened...That has to mean something... I guess why I'm freaking out is... You see, when Gwen asked Calpernia what happened, her response was... concerning. And she looked so... It wasn't just anger, I've seen her angry before. This was... something else. It was desperate and dark, and...I never thought she'd do something like that. It has me thinking that... maybe I don't know her that well... It's like what happened with Aurelia. Maybe everyone is hiding this secret side of themselves and- Shit, I'm rambling. Sorry. But please, let me try again at this whole thing. If you really did come here on the chance that we could help, I don't want my issues and prejudice to keep you from that."
Frederick stared at Saffron analyzing his sheepish look and avoidant gaze. A small pang of sympathy bloomed in his chest.
"... Ok, I have no idea who Aurelia is and a lot of what you just said makes no sense to me. But it sounds like you guys have been going through a lot lately and its thrown everybody off the deep end. But you seem to be... less intense then the murdery-ex-fiance, so I'm gonna take this as your way of saying you... want a truce?"
"Yeah. Pretty much"
"... Ok, then here's my question for you. Has this place really helped you?"
"Well, yeah. Before I came here, it felt like my curse was taking over my life. I lost a lot of friends and felt kind of isolated from everybody. Then I heard about the CPC. To be honest, I was a little turned off because I was the only guy in a club that seemed only for girls and, trust me when I say that, I still wish some of the activities weren't so... girl centered. But people like Syrah, Abbi, and Calpernia made me feel less alone and like I could just relax and... Not worry. I hope that you'll find something like that here and maybe... if things go good and you decide to stay, then... we could be friends?"
Frederick glanced around the garden, taking in the serene landscape of land and the calming scent of herbs. Judging from the plants and Saffron's scent being everywhere, the garden seemed to be the one place members didn't frequently visit. His presence had already unsettled plenty of people so if he was going to keep tabs on Calpernia and survive a month, he had to lie low. This seemed like the ideal place to accomplish that and maybe... He turned back to Saffron again.
"Does the gardening club have any openings?"
Saffron smiled brightly. "Absolutely. Normally our wait list is years long since we're so popular but I think we can squeeze you in. Welcome aboard, Fred-"
Then the gloved arm shot out towards the teen. Quickly, he dodged back feeling the fingers just barely scraping by his nose.
"Hey! The fuck are you doing!?" he yelled as he continued to back away from Saffron. The foliage prince blushes as he grips the rogue arm; The appendage twitching and squirming in his hold.
"Crap, sorry about that! I usually can feel when my arms about to do something but sometimes it just gets away from me."
A growl slips out of Frederick's lips as he glares at the arm; it writhed and reached out for him like the ones in his nightmares.
Saffron sees the teen's eyes once again turn into black pools centered with green feeling a twinge of concern.
"Hey, it's ok. It's just my curse. I have a goblin arm that sort of does its own thing from time to time. Mostly it responds to my inner feelings and I can't control it most of the time."
Frederick continued to back away; his skin prickled at the thought of it touching him.
The older prince's concern grew as he saw the cryptid's glare become more nervous and agitated.
"Frederick, what's wrong?" Saffron asked as his cursed spasms lessened. When the arm went still, the severity of the boo hag's glare tampered down into unease but his gaze was still fixed on it.
"Hey, talk to me, Fangs. You're starting to scare me."
That caused him to break his gaze and look briefly at Saffron before turning his gaze to the ground.
"Sorry, I... I don't like being touched."
Saffron's heart twisted; his concerning peaking. Club members that said things like that normally came from abusive families or other horrible situations. Some that made the young man almost vomit; the princess who also had problems with physical contact typically were of that variety.
Did he think I was going to hurt him? And that look... it kinda reminds me of how Nell used to act back when I first met her. What the hell happened to this kid to make him this scared of being touched?!
"Yeah, no. It's fine. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. We should head back in and continue the tour. I don't think Curtis is coming back anytime soon."
The teen nodded and followed Saffron inside.
The late afternoon sun beamed through the leaves as Saffron and Frederick made their way back to the camp. Frederick was still keeping his distance from the cursed hand but other than that, he was actually enjoying his time with Saffron. After their awkward conversation in the garden, the scruffy prince was actually keeping his word on being cordial. It was a small victory he could take solace in since he was the only member that wanted to talk to him; he bet that Gwen would have counted but, according to Curtis, this was the day she didn't come. When Calpernia introduced him to the other members, the silence was so prominent you could hear the grass growing. Needless to say, he drifted through the rest of the day like a ghost.
"So tell me, first impression? Your thoughts? Comments? Concerns?" Saffron asked, sheepish hope in his eyes.
Frederick glanced at him, deadpanned. "Well, I can definitely say that it defied my expectations. Only two people looked at me with complete contempt and/or fear."
"Yeaaaaah. It might be a while before anyone starts warming up to you. But I'm sure once they see that your not this scary monster then making friends will be a piece of cake."
The cryptid sighs. "We'll see."
A familiar buzz went through his body signaling that he was home again.
"You can go back if you want. I know my way from here."
"Alright then. See you soon, Frederick." Saffron replied.
The teen waved goodbye before taking off into the brush. He was aching to get back to Whitney and curl up with his books. Immediately, he was transported back into that familiar place of rushing color and whipping wind but it lasted only a short minute because he was hit with a sudden wave of dizziness and exhaustion. He stumbled to a stop feeling his breath straining to enter his lungs.
*Oh, God... What's going on? Why am I so woozy all of a sudden?... Oh, right. I didn't have any of the blood from my pack in hours. Fuck me.*
He sank down as he pulled off his backpack, pulled out the pack, and tore open the seal. He gulped down the salty liquid feeling his vision stabilize. Once it was empty he took in a deep breath and knelt back on the ground still feeling a bit shaky and weak.
*Shit... That was not fun... Ok, what have we learned today? Don't skip out on feeding.*
He closed his eyes waiting for his heart rate to go back to normal. His nose twitched as he caught a certain friend's spicy chocolatety scent followed by the crunch of heavy footfalls.
"Hey, how did it go? I waited for-" Whitney's voice died when he saw the teen lying on the ground looking paler than a fish's belly.
The older man was at his side in a second"Oh my God! Em, what's wrong? Are you ok? What happened?"
"I'm fine, Whit. I just... I didn't feed while I was at the club and... I thought I was fine but then I tried to run back to camp and... Now, I have some regrets."
Whitney sighed as he pulled the teen into a seated position. "Please don't do that, Ember. If you feel hungry then eat. They already know."
"Yes, but I didn't want to rock the boat anymore then I already did."
Whitney frowned. "Did it not go well?"
"... It went... fairly. To be honest, they did better than I thought. I was fully accepting maybe a fist fight, spitting, a swirly possibly, at least some colorful name calling but that didn't happen. Everyone sort of kept their distance and left me alone,"
Whitney bit back a sigh.
"Saffron, that guy wearing one glove, invited me to join his gardening club and we talked for a little bit."
Whitney's heart flickered with hope.
"You made a friend?! That's wonderful, Emmy! I know it doesn't seem like much but to have somebody actually want to get to know you is a huge victory!"
"Hmm. When you put it like that... I guess it is a pretty big deal. I mean I didn't even make one friend at military school the whole time I was there so... Hell, I guess I am doing pretty good."
That flicker turned to a flame as the man felt his relief and joy nearly bubble over. The whole two hours that Frederick was gone, Whitney's was plagued by thoughts of calamity and disaster, even his meditation did little to quiet down the weighty anxiety pulling at his chest. What if this was another mistake? He knew that Calpernia had no reason to do him any favors so this deal had put him a bit on edge. She was most likely doing this for the sake of that girl with the elf ears but even that grace seemed minuscule. He remembered telling Frederick about Calpernia's kindness and gentleness but the woman he saw that stormy day; the one that looked at him with a wrath that rivaled even the most coldest war monger. He had no recollection of this woman or any clue what she would do.
And that terrified him.
That realization caused that fear to grow inside him; the fear that clouded his mind whenever he thought of the possibility of Frederick getting hurt. It chided him for putting something so precious in the hands of the unknown.
He expected the worse so when the reality passed he was ecstatic. Frederick hadn't been hurt. Calpernia hadn't taken him away. That was all that mattered.
Then the man placed his arms underneath the teen and lifts him up, feeling light as giddy as a kid on Christmas.
The teen turned cherry red and tried to scramble out of his grasp.
"Wha- Whitney, put me down! I'm fine! I can walk back by myself! C'mon, this is really embarrassing!"
The man started walking, still smiling as the teen squirmed. "Oh, I just thought that you'd prefer getting the royal treatment today. As a celebration for Kitty's first day at his new club."
Frederick looked up at his face seeing the mischievous twinkle in those gray eyes. He let out an appalled chuckle.
"This is payback for the quartz prank, isn't it?"
"Absolutely."