Gabriel turned to face away from her completely and began to unfasten the buttons on his jacket. She wanted to protest, but her words caught in her throat as it dropped revealing his shirt with two slits running down the back.
She saw what looked like golden light under his shirt before two large white wings spread out behind him. They looked soft but firm and she wanted to reach out and touch them. Luckily he turned around or she feared her self control would have broken.
The offered his hand and at that moment Morgianna had to make another decision. If she took his hand she would be letting him lead, but if she flew herself he would know how strong her affinity with air was.
"I can fly by myself." Her words slipped past her tongue and were met with a small sad smile.
He did not lower his hand bust instead reach further so he could clasp hers within."Could you pretend for a moment that you can't?"
Every bone in her body wanted to run away from this golden-haired boy, to seek the company of someone, anyone that could not hold such a power over her future. Against her better judgement she nodded her head. She did not like it when others are sad, even if that someone could later cause her pain.
His wings began to beat softly, just a small flutter almost unnoticeable. "Then hold on." With a speed, she had not expected he pulled her towards him and then all at once shot into the sky.
Barely able to stifle a scream she felt her feet leave the ground one second and in the next she was surrounded by clouds. They were so close she felt she could reach out and touch them.
She couldn't help but be amazed at her surroundings, yes she had flown before many times, but she had never gone so far. The highest she had ever flown was last year during the ordeal with the pirates and since then she never attempted such heights again.
A breath fanning her cheek brought her back to the present. The view had almost made her forget how she had come to see it, to begin with.
Not wanting to turn and look into his eyes she kept her own focused on a star in the distance. She knew he was looking at her, his arms not loosening in the slightest. His wings continued to beat strong and sure, holding them above the ground.
Against her better judgement she looked down and regretted it immediately. She tore her eyes away from the small shape in the distance that could only be her home. From this high death would be almost guaranteed, her air magic was the only thing that could save her if he decided to let go.
Her body tensed with those thoughts. 'He wouldn't let go, I've done nothing to make him dislike me... Yet.'
As if he felt her discomfort he began his descent to solid ground. The whole time they had been up in the clouds he had said nothing, choosing to only look at her as she looked at everything that wasn't him. When the castle started to look more like a castle and not a dark blob he finally broke the silence. "What are you thinking about?"
Without even thinking before she replied, the words spilled out. "That one day, you princes will be the death of me."
His arms tightened but he did not respond. Morgianna had not meant to say that, but she found deep in her heart that it was the truth.
Unknown to her Gabriel had a special ability, one she had not seen in the file on him and one that was not spoken about in the game. Through his touch he could get someone to speak the truth, it only worked under special circumstances such as being alone and it is quiet. In the heat of the moment he had asked what was on her mind, hoping to glean any information about who she was but was instead shocked.
He did not know why she felt they would be the reason she died, but he knew without a doubt that she truly believed what she said. He wanted to tell her she was wrong, to tell her that he would never hurt her even if he teased her, but decided actions spoke louder than words. He promised in his heart that he would make sure no harm came to her, especially from himself.
Just as their toes touched the ground he released her. He had brought her into the sky with him to distract himself but had only opened up new worries. At that moment he was uncaring of the way his parents expected him to be perfect. His old problems seeming small in the scale of the fact that the girl in front of him was scared that he and the others would cause her death.
"Thank you for coming with me." He bowed his head hoping she saw his sincere feelings and let his wings recede back in his back. He pulled his jacket back on and watched Morgianna as she toed the ground.
As if waking from a dream Morgianna stared at him with her wide eyes. "It w-was no p-problem." Her voice shook and caused his heart to hurt.
Morgianna was still shocked at her confession and worried about how it would affect the future.
...
The rest of the party was a blur, no other princes dragged her onto the dance floor upon her return and she could not help but feel relief when the party was coming to a close. Like a good noble lady she told everyone goodbye with as much poise and manners as she could muster. She would have had to be blind not to have seen the look her mother had thrown her way when she returned from her time in the garden and for the rest of the night had been on her best behavior.
As the last of the guests were entering their carriages Morgianna turned ready to flee to her room but was stopped by her parents. "We saw that you danced with each of the Crown Princes tonight, have you decided which one you may like to pursue?" Her mother the ever relentless matchmaker was practically glowing as if forgetting Morgianna disappearing earlier in the night. If her mother did not bring it up she was not going to remind her.
"Mother, I had barely a few minutes with each one, that is not enough time to say that I like them." She wanted to tell her mother it was however enough time for her to dislike them, or at least most of them.
Her father stood to the side a strange look in his eye as he watched the departing carriages. "I do not like her talking to boys, she is still young, let her have more time.."
His words were cut off when his wife threw him a glare. "She will have to think of it eventually. One of those boys will be her betrothed and I would rather her decide sooner rather than later so that she has more time to fall in love with him." Lillian huffed as if what she had said should have been obvious and everyone else was just too dense to see it.
Morgianna wanted to sneak away while they argued over her future, but knew that the talking down she would get the next day was not worth it. So she played the next best card. "Mother, Father, could we talk about this in the morning? I am tired from my Birthday celebration and would like to lie down." She batted her eyes and prayed to the Goddess above that her mother would release her from this awkward conversation that would be fruitless.
With a sigh her mother nodded. She knew the eyes were Morgianna's way of escaping but it was her daughter's birthday so she would acquiesce for now.
...
Unknown to her parents or even hear guards going to bed was the last thing on her mind. She had one more stop tonight and then she would rest up for the conversation she was sure would ruin her breakfast.
The woods surrounding her house were dark, the trees seeming to climb high into the sky blocking any light from the moon from reaching the ground where Morgianna was currently walking. She had once again found herself walking the familiar path that would lead her to the stream she associated with the black wolf.
As it came into view she felt her anxiety spike. There was nobody there, no unwanted prince or a black wolf. With slow deliberate movements she lowered herself, still clad in her vibrant red dress. She sat next to the flowing water, letting her hand trail through the water as her mind drifted just like the leaves that had fallen in the stream.
She had been sitting there for several minutes when she felt eyes on her. Normally she would be scared, but somehow she just knew that it was him, the black wolf. "Took you long enough." Her voice rang out into the night air.
Moving slowly into her view his black fur almost blended into the night, the blue of his eyes the only thing that was truly distinguishable. 'I did not think you would be here.' His voice was deeper than she remembered, it had not even been that long since they had last spoken.
She looked at him and felt her worries melting away. She had told him many things about herself and considered them friends. He had heard things before she had even told Fafnir and that in itself was a feat.
Without even thinking she found herself telling him about the events that had occurred that night. "I actually came here earlier to find you, before the party that is. When I arrived it was not you that was here though, but one of the princes. We did not talk for long but he warned me of the dangers that lurked in the forest and I found myself thinking that the most dangerous thing out here was him. He does not even know it but in the future he with the others will probably cause me to die. Then I had to dance with almost every other crown prince one after the other. It seemed like they were trying to flirt with me but I know that if I let them get close it will only make the fall so much worse later when they become my enemies. Gabriel even took me flying but all I could think was that if he dropped me from that height I would die. I hate how I feel like everything could be normal when I know that it can't."
As she talked Kieran only listened, he had felt his heart hurt when she had said they will cause her death. He would not kill her, and though he did not exactly get along with the other princes he did not think that they would kill her either. He found himself getting jealous when she talked about the time that she spent with each of them. As she spoke it only made it harder for him to tell her who he was. He knew eventually he would need to, but the trust she had put in him while in this form was not something he wanted to lose.
"Soooo, what do you think I should do?" Her question caught him off guard.
'I would not worry about it too much now, you and them are still young. In the future things may be different and you would not need to worry about them harming you. I will not let them hurt you.' He did not realize how much he meant what he said until he had actually given voice to his words.
She gave him a toothy smile. She did not believe that he could save her from the future, but if it made him feel better to promise her help then she would not stop him. After all once she left for school she would probably never see him again.
She stood slowly crossing the last few feet that were between them. Without giving him any notice she folded his large black body into her arms and hugged his neck. "Thank you for being such a good friend. I hope I get to see you again soon, but if I do not know that I am away on a special mission and that I will return. I should get going now." She gave him another squeeze and then pulled away planting a kiss on his fuzzy cheek.
Without another word she left him standing there in a daze. Once he was sure that she was completely gone he changed back to his human form. His cheeks held a deep blush and one hand touching the cheek she had kissed. "I am so screwed, I definitely cannot tell her who I am now." His words were swallowed by the darkness around him, and he too left to go home.
___________________
So she spent a lot more time with Gabriel and Kieran than the others this time but the others shouldn't be counted out yet. There will be plenty of time in the future.
This will be the end of her Birthday and the next part is Fafnir's home! Woooo
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Word count before note:2220