One Week Later: April 7th
† Elex †
It was quite apparent that it was a full moon, when Elex walked into the Royal chamber and found Jaycob's wolf curled up in front of the fire. Such an instance was only allowed on a night such as this, when the behaviour of wild animals was often affected by the moon's change. And, as such, Jaycob's dear wolf was tormented by strange behaviours that the young Prince attributed to his resurrection, so many years ago. Ever since, Keno had simply never been able to cope through a full moon without being by Jaycob's side.
It was both endearing and disturbing. Yet, he thought nothing of allowing Norman to rush towards the animal and hug him in greeting. Keno was not the dangerous one, even on a full moon.
Turning his attention to the gathering, Elex nodded a hello to Jaycob and Averie, a little surprised to see Risteph and Jake sitting beside them. He had not thought them privy to the finer workings of the royal household.
At the back of the room, Rence stood guard at the door, his posture still, his eyes straight ahead and showing no sign of having spotted Elex. Perhaps that was for the best; he had still not decided how he felt about the things that had been said on their last meeting. In one way, his heart had rejoiced to hear that Rence planned to return to him as soon as he was able, but his head reminded him of the dozen ways he could have been contacted, to be warned of the falsehood of his union.
All the years of their friendship that came before that awful night, which sealed their fate, could not convince Elex to forgive so easily. He still felt the sting of betrayal and the hurt of knowing that Rence had not told him such an important part of his life. If he had thought that he must fake a union to another one day, Rence would have been the first person he told, with promises of never allowing that falsehood to diminish their love, promising to unite with him as soon as the dissolution of his false union allowed it.
Rence had done no such thing and that, above all else, was what prevented him from offering even a smile in the guard's direction.
To his great relief, just as he took his designated seat in the front row of the chairs laid out for today's hearing, the doors opened and Prosper entered, his arm linked with Spencer's so regally. The pair were the epitome of class and dignity as they walked through the room and only stopped once they had reached the podium where Prosper placed himself.
Spencer moved aside to stand close, not taking a seat amongst the audience, but offering his unwavering support to his husband, both physically and with a small smile that Prosper returned before speaking.
"Thank you for coming today," the King said, looking so very handsome and regal in his official royal crown and garb. "Today, we hold a hearing for the thief who stole from Elex's library and violated the safety of that building," he continued, looking around the room only for his eye to stall on one man.
When Elex snuck a quick glance, he spotted Risteph offering a nod to the King, while his husband grasped his hand and rubbed his arm consolingly. So he had been right, after all; Risteph had been more unsettled by the intrusion to a supposed safe place than either Elex or Norman had.
"The Royal Guards were diligent in their duties and investigated this man's background. So, before we bring him in to plead his case and answer for his crime–" he paused there and eyed the couple behind Elex once again, "Jake, would you please brace yourself? Spencer and I wished to warn you beforehand, but I hope you understand that the laws of our justice system forbid it."
For a moment, Jake looked startled, but nodded his agreement and clung even tighter to Risteph's hand. Beside them, Jaycob added his hand to the pile of clutching, nervous grips and watched the door for the revelation that was to come.
Elex felt himself grow just as curious and worried, afraid to learn that his first instinct was right. Because, if it was, there would be a whole lot more hurt in this room than his own and Rence's.
Rence moved to open the doors, allowing two other guards to escort their prisoner into the room. They did not stop until he was presented to the room, just a foot away from Prosper, facing the audience. His gaze was arrogant and furious, until it drifted across to Jake and he froze.
Just as Jake did.
It was Jaycob who, with a gasp of surprise, uttered the truth. "Charley?"
***
Silence followed for barely a moment, and chaos quickly followed. Jake bolted from his seat and attempted to reach the prisoner, but Jaycob and Risteph must have anticipated him as they held him back just in time.
"Do you have any idea what I have done for you? The risks I have taken for you? The things I have lost, because of you? And now you do this? In Jaycob's home?" he shouted at the young man, bringing a pall to the prisoner's cheeks that worried Elex.
Just as he rose from his seat and made his way to the prisoner, Spencer met him halfway. "He does not look good, do you not think?" Elex asked, though he was far from qualified to know why.
"Yes, I agree." Spencer touched his hand to the boy's forehead and sighed. "He is burning a fever. It has not presented before now," he admitted with a frown, though that did not need to be said. If any prisoner had presented with an illness, Spencer would have ensured their medical care before any hearing or criminal proceedings could be entertained.
Though it was not his place, Elex was beginning to see an explanation for the theft and could not help but ask the prisoner; "Please be plain with me, Charley. You stole two magical texts, one medical text and a fairy tale. Did you know you were sick? Were you trying to cure yourself?"
The boy lowered his gaze but nodded, causing Spencer to curse.
"You do not have any magical gifts, do you, Charley?" he asked accusingly, not showing the least hint of surprise when the so-called prisoner shook his head. "I must get him to the hospital, at once. He may have done more harm than good. Elex, would you be so kind as to–"
"Ask Jaycob for a quick healing spell, so that the boy will survive the journey?" he guessed, with a fond smile.
Elex patted his arm and nodded. "I will call your driver, while he does so, that you do not need to wait for one of your ingenious ambulances to arrive from the hospital. I believe Reagan is still outside, waiting to drive Norman and I home," he explained, unable to help but scold Spencer even a little for preparing such a thing in advance.
As he left Spencer to examine his patient, he snuck to Jaycob's side and whispered the request in his ear, so as not to alarm Jake. With a nod and a smile of thanks from the Prince, Elex continued in his task of crouching by Norman.
"Would you care to do something heroic?" he asked teasingly.
Instantly, as he knew he would, Norman nodded excitedly and held out his hand, to join him. He followed without question as Elex led him out of the building and towards the carriage where Reagan stood smoking a pipe.
It barely took two minutes to explain the situation, before Reagan was at the reigns of the carriage, awaiting Spencer, who exited the house not a minute later, with his patient and Jaycob in tow. Averie, Risteph and Jake departed behind them, heading for a second carriage parked alongside the property. They would, no doubt, head to the hospital so that Jake could be with his sick brother.
Returning to the house, he found Prosper sitting on a chair, alone bar the guards at the door. Elex offered a smile as he sat beside him. "I am sorry your hearing turned into a shambles," he apologised.
Prosper laughed and patted his knee in understanding, before politely explaining that it was to be expected. The prisoner was the younger brother to Jake, and he had anticipated some such outburst. He seemed troubled, but Elex could only imagine the burden that it would place upon Jake – Jaycob's best friend, and friend of the Royal family – to find that his own brother had committed a crime within Prosper's kingdom. And he could not be easy on the lad, with such a distant relationship to the family.
Perhaps this illness might diminish the severity of the crime, now that they knew he had been seeking a way to cure himself of an injury. Elex certainly hoped so. He had watched too many families torn apart, including his own, to imagine what it might do to Jake or Charley to lose each other for such a petty crime.
It was Prosper who first noticed Norman's look of utter confusion. "And what is wrong with you, my lad?" he asked.
With a scratch of his ear, Norman explained; "Papa said I could do something heroic, but we did not do anything."
"Ah!" Prosper grinned and leaned over his knees, looking so much like the doting father he was with Jaycob. "You see, Norman, Charley was very sick. No one had noticed because he had used magic to try to heal himself and it was dangerous, because he was not born to do magic," he began, seeming to delight in Norman's understanding gasp of shock. "What you and your papa did was heroic, indeed. You warned Reagan of how sick Charley was so that Spencer can get him to the hospital immediately and make him all better. Without you, we would all have been delayed a long time," he reasoned.
Norman nodded his understanding of that, gazing at Elex with a look of utter delight. "Thank you, papa, for allowing me to be a hero!"
It was too innocent and sweet for Elex not to laugh. The fact that Prosper joined him only made the moment all the sweeter. He settled into his seat and allowed Norman to sit with Keno, as he kept his King company, until his spouse and son returned with good news. Knowing the pain of waiting to hear of a loved ones fate reminded him that he was not the only one who saw Jake and Risteph as his children.
Prosper, the King of an entire kingdom, saw each of his subjects as his to care for, love and look after. Though he would never admit it, he would be just as concerned for Charley's safety and the effect his actions had on Jake as Elex was.