Gregory

Greg’s chest tightened as he saw Mellissa crumble before him. He quickly leant forward and grabbed her. He managed to catch her just before she hit the ground. Victoria screamed Mellissa’s name, but she was out cold.

“What’s wrong with her?” Victoria shouted, kneeling in front of him. “She was fine just a moment ago. She was talking with us like normal.”

This was the first time since meeting her that he had seen Victoria look truly frightened. As much as she went about dismissing Mellissa and intimidating her, she seemed to be genuinely concerned. This went beyond her duty as her guardian. She was more concerned than when he was healing her brother. Maybe it was because Mellissa’s reaction had been delayed. Whereas, she had seen what had happened to Matt. His condition made sense, so it must have been easier to manage her worry. Victoria’s worry mimicked exactly what he was feeling, but he couldn’t let that show. He was a healer, and he had to do his job.

“What is your evaluation?” Lady Gabrielle asked.

Greg waved his hand over Mellissa head. “Magic exhaustion.”

“She is going to be all right then?” Victoria asked.

“Yes,” Greg said. “She used more magic than her body is used to. She will sleep for a while, but she should recover on her own.”

Lady Gabrielle gestured two people over. “Take the keeper to her quarters where she will be more comfortable.”

With a click of their fingers, a stretcher was produced. Greg helped them move Mellissa onto it and watched as they took her away. Victoria followed them. Greg wanted to go with her, but Lady Gabrielle put her hand on his shoulder. She then turned to everyone. “Nothing to see here. Everyone back to your rooms.” She waved her arms at them, and they all did as she said.

Greg stayed where he was as everyone left. Once the corridor was empty, Lady Gabrielle gestured for him to follow her. He did as he was told. She led him to her office and pointed at a chair.

“Take a seat, Gregory.”

Greg sat in the chair. “What is this all about? I thought you would be happy.”

“I am happy, but I am also concerned,” she said, walking over to a cabinet. She opened one of the drawers and started flicking through some papers.

“Concerned? I know it looks bad, but Mellissa will be fine and so will Matt.” He hoped he managed to keep the worry out of his voice.

Lady Gabrielle picked out a couple of papers from the pile and went and sat at her desk. “That’s not what I mean. I trust in your ability as a healer.”

“Oh, thank you. What is concerning you then?”

“I am concerned about Lady Mellissa’s future. She has great power, just like you said, but she is not ready.”

“I don’t understand. She has completed the task we asked of her.”

Lady Gabrielle interlaced her fingers. “You cannot repeat what I am about to tell you. Only the council knows about this, but I believe you are in the best position to help her. After you went to show the keeper her quarters, the council continued to discuss matters. There is an overwhelming number that do not wish to let the girl leave now that she is here.”

Greg leant forward in his seat. “What?”

“They wish to reinstate the elf monarchy. They want to make her queen, whether she likes it or not.”

He shouldn’t have been surprised. Of course they would want her to become queen. However, it would be nothing but a PR stunt—something to make the people happy and hopefully encourage them to overlook the real problems. One thing was for sure: Mellissa wouldn’t like it, and she wouldn’t be as easy to keep here as they thought.

“You can’t let the council do that. She knows the responsibility she has as the keeper of the Heart Crystal. She has already proved she will help us when needed, but you can’t force her into a life she doesn’t want. That would be bad for all parties. Do they really want to turn Mellissa against them?”

Lady Gabrielle’s whole body seemed to relax. “I am so happy you responded like that. You have grown so much in your absence. You are looking at the big picture and the effects a decision like this could have on the people involved.”

Greg would’ve liked to think he was considering all those involved, but really, his main concern was Mellissa. He may not have gone looking to make friends when he left, but he couldn’t deny that was what happened. He’d gotten to know Mellissa and knew this wouldn’t make her happy. Greg knew what it was like living under the scrutiny of the council. He wouldn’t let that happen to her.

Lady Gabrielle pushed the papers across her desk. “I happen to agree with you.”

“You do?”

“Yes. I feel the only reason certain members are so eager for her to become queen now is so they can manipulate her lack of knowledge of this world. That is why I want you to fill out this form.” She handed him the papers. “I will be putting it forward to the council that the girl return home and continue to learn about magic there. When she feels ready, she can then return to this world and take up her position as queen.”

Greg looked at the form. “What does me filling out this form got to do with your motion?”

“I want you to apply to go back with her, to continue teaching her. You cannot tell me you did not enjoy your time in the human world. I believe Lady Mellissa is as good an influence on you as you are on her.” Greg wasn’t sure what to say. Lady Gabrielle took his hands in hers. “Just think about it. Although, if you want your father onside, I suggest you exaggerate the situation. Make him think Mellissa needs extra training even more than she does. Now, I think you should go get some rest. It is very late.”

Greg got up. “I will definitely think about it.”

“Oh, and one more thing before you go.”

“What is it?”

“What is Lady Mellissa’s favourite colour?”

“Why do you need to know that?”

“I think a celebration is in order. Kadon has been resealed. The girl deserves a party in her honour before she leaves.”

“It’s pink.” Greg shook his head. “Wait, why do I know that?”

“Good night, Gregory.” She gave him a wave as he left.

Greg made his way back to his room. On this stay, he was lucky enough to be able to stay with Samson, meaning he wouldn’t have to explain himself to his father. He hoped Samson would be asleep when he got back, but he was not. He wanted to know all about what happened when Mellissa had sealed Kadon. Instead of getting rest, he ended up telling his cousin everything that had happened, while trying to not overthink what Lady Gabrielle had suggested to him.

Greg woke bright and early as usual. He got himself ready for the day, but just as he was about to leave the room, he paused at the door. He may be back in the magic world, but for some reason, he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. What was he leaving this room to do? Greg lay back on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. Now that Kadon was sealed, he didn’t have a purpose anymore. He’d thought that when he returned, he would be happy. His dad would be proud of his achievements, and he would go back to his old life. So what was this he was feeling? Maybe this wasn’t what he wanted anymore. Had it ever been what he wanted? He had spent so long trying to live up to his father’s expectations that he hadn’t realised that everything he had done was not truly what he had wanted, but what was expected of him. Lady Gabrielle had given him the option to do something else. He hadn’t considered returning to the human world. He hadn’t thought it was a possibility, but maybe that was what he should do.

“Greg, are you actually going to do anything today?” Samson asked, standing in the doorway.

“I thought you were on messenger duty for the council,” Greg replied.

“I am, but I came to check on you after I found out no one had seen you all morning. It is nearly seven o’clock, and you haven’t left this room.”

Greg shot up. “Did you say seven?” Samson nodded. “Then it is late enough to go check on her.” Greg walked past his cousin and headed down the corridor.

“What is significant about seven o’clock?” Samson asked, following him.

“Mellissa is not a morning person like us. She would actually consider seven early.”

“Seven o’clock early? That’s insane.”

“I know, but you get used to the odd human behaviour after a while.”

Samson put his hand on Greg’s shoulder. “Are you all right?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know. You just seem different.”

“Different isn’t always bad.”

“I guess not.”

Greg patted Samson’s arm. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Now, you go back to your council duties, and I will do my job as a healer and check up on a patient.”

Samson smirked while raising an eyebrow. “But are you just checking on a patient?”

“Of course.” Greg flashed a smile at Samson and ran down the corridor. He skidded around the corner, narrowly missing a member of staff. He didn’t stop until he reached Mellissa’s room.

Greg knocked on the door. He heard fast-moving footsteps, and the door swung open. He was greeted by a glare from Victoria. “It is about time you got here.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him through the sitting room and into one of the bedrooms. She pointed at Mellissa asleep in the bed. “Why isn’t she awake yet?”

“She hasn’t stirred at all?” Greg asked.

“No, she hasn’t twitched all night. You’re a healer. Do something.”

Greg walked over to the bed and checked Mellissa’s pulse. He waved his hand over her head while whispering a healing spell. There was no response. There wasn’t anything medically wrong with her. Greg turned back to Victoria. “Her condition hasn’t changed. She just needs more time to recover.”

“I have depleted my magic before, and it didn’t take me this long to recover,” Victoria said. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing? Maybe I should get another healer to check.”

“Magic depletion and magic exhaustion are not the same thing,” Greg replied. “Magic depletion is when you use up all your magic. It varies from person to person, but we all have our limits. Magic exhaustion is different and is less common. It happens when you use magic you are physically not ready to.”

“How would she have been able to pull off those techniques if she wasn’t ready?”

“Because I fast-tracked her training. The way you and I learnt magic is not the way I taught Mellissa. We learned lower level spells first, which allowed our bodies to adjust slowly to the use of magic. I went straight to higher level techniques when teaching Mellissa because it was what was necessary at the time.”

Victoria clenched her fist. “This is your fault.” For a moment, he thought she meant to hit him. He knew he could block any attack she threw at him, but he wasn’t sure he should.

“I know. I didn’t think about the consequences at the time.”

Victoria unclenched her fist, but her jaw was still tensed. “I guess it isn’t really your fault. Time wasn’t on our side, and she picked it up so quickly none of us thought it would affect her negatively. You’re still an idiot though.”

That was almost Victoria being nice, until she added that insult on the end. He didn’t blame her for being mad at him. She was just worried about Mellissa, but there wasn’t anything he could do.

“I am going to go check on your brother now,” Greg said.

“He was fine last time I checked.” Victoria put her finger on her chin. “Can being hit on the head change the way you talk?”

“Sometimes people can slur words and have difficulty expressing themselves, but that is only if they are not treated straight away. I healed Matt quickly after he got hurt. He shouldn’t have any lasting damage.”

“It is nothing like that. He just doesn’t sound like himself.”

“I’m sure it will pass. I will check myself.”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Greg left and headed to the infirmary across the street. Once inside, he could barely move. The infirmary was overrun with people, but none of them seemed injured. He pushed his way through the crowd to the front desk. “What’s going on?” he asked the woman behind the desk.

Without looking up from her tabular screen, she replied, “They all want to meet the keeper’s guardian, who risked his life to help save us all from Kadon.”

“I guess I won’t be getting in that room anytime soon.”

“Nope. You will have to get in line with all the other groupies.”

“I am not a groupie. I was the first responder last night.”

“Oh.” The woman looked up at him. “Hey, aren’t you that elder’s son?”

“I’m Lord Ainsworth’s son.”

The woman’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry. You didn’t say. Of course you can go in ahead of the others.”

“No, that’s quite all right. I just wanted to know Matt was okay.”

“Of course. He is absolutely fine. He has been awake for hours and is seeing people in small groups and giving out autographs.”

Of course he was. It sounded like Matt’s newfound fame had already gone to his head. “Thank you for your help.” Greg pushed his way back through the crowd and out of the infirmary. The massive crowd was ridiculous. The people were like sheep flocking to Matt. They really needed to move along. If someone actually needed help, they wouldn’t be able to get through. Maybe he should go talk to Lady Gabrielle about this.

“Greg, there you are!” shouted Samson, running over from the council building.

“Samson, I told you I was fine. You really shouldn’t keep leaving your post to check on me.”

“I am here with a message for you. Your father would like to see you in the tearooms.”

Greg looked back at the infirmary. It was something he could also bring up with his father. That was if he was able to get a word in after they had discussed whatever it was he’d called on him for. Greg walked back to the council building with Samson. “What sort of mood was my father in when he gave you this message?”

“He seemed all right. He was in a better mood than Miss Victoria. She answered the door to the keeper’s quarters when I went looking for you. She doesn’t seem overly fond of you and referred to you as Flopsey—whatever that means.”

Greg put his hand on his head. “It is a rabbit reference. I am sorry you had to suffer her.”

Samson sighed and tilted his head. “It’s fine. She is rather feisty, but she is awfully pretty.”

Greg raised an eyebrow. “Do you like her?”

“I hardly know her, but she holds herself with such confidence. It is something to be admired.”

Greg held back a laugh. “If you say so.”

He gave Samson a big grin before wandering off to the tearooms. Even if he wouldn’t admit it, Samson definitely had a crush on Victoria. The smile on his face faded as he arrived at his destination. It was a public area, so his father couldn’t have called him here to have a go at him. Samson said he was in a better mood than Victoria, but she had been rather unhappy when he’d seen her. A step up from that was still not happy. Greg pulled at his shirt to make sure it was straight and pushed his fringe back. A haircut was seriously overdue now. He headed to his father’s table.

“Father, I heard you wanted to see me.”

“You heard correct. Now sit.” His father pointed at the chair opposite him. “I ordered you a pot of tea.”

Greg sat. “Thank you, Father.”

“Is there anything else you would like?” Steffen asked.

Something to eat would have been nice, but he knew his father was just trying to butter him up before revealing what he wanted. “What is it you wanted to see me about?”

Steffen poured them both a cup of tea. “Straight to the point, I see. Very well. I wanted to speak with you about the girl.”

Of course that was what he wanted. Everyone was interested in Mellissa. She had a great power and no allegiance to anyone. It scared them. They all wanted it for themselves and needed to find a way to get her on their side. This was where he came in. He would hear his father out. What Lady Gabrielle wanted for her wasn’t bad. Maybe his father would think in a similar way.

“What do you want to know about Mellissa?” Greg asked.

“For starters, why do you think it is all right not to follow protocol when it comes to Miss Hail?” This was how he should refer to her, according to proper etiquette.

“Mellissa is not from our world and does not understand our ways. I believed getting her onside was more important than following protocol.”

“Well, now that you are home, you shall go back to following the rules and regulations of the council, with no deviation. The council plans on giving the girl her crown. She is to become queen. From now on, she shall be Lady Mellissa to you.”

Greg tried to stop himself, but he couldn’t help laughing.

His father scowled at him. “This is not a laughing matter.”

“I am sorry, Father, but I do not believe Lady Mellissa will respond well to that.” He made sure to emphasize her name the same way his father had.

“That is why I want you to convince her to stay. You have built a relationship with the girl. She trusts you. Make her see that it is in her best interest to stay here.”

He didn’t like how informal his relationship was with Mellissa, but at the same time, he wanted him to exploit said relationship. Greg took a sip of tea and tried to stop any emotion showing on his face. “Why are you so insistent she stay here?”

“She is the keeper of the Heart Crystal. We have searched years for her. We cannot just let her leave. We need her power.”

“I think we should let her go.”

Steffen leant forward and put his arm on the table. “You think what?”

“We should let her go home. She is not ready for all of this. If we try and make her stay, she will just disappear on us, and trust me, she is very good at disappearing. If we give her time, she will return on her own.”

“How can you be so sure she will come back?”

“Because Mellissa likes to help people.” His father shot him a disapproving look. “I’m sorry—Lady Mellissa. In time, she will come to realise that, with her powers, she can help more people on this side of the veil.”

“Does this mean you will not convince her to stay?”

“I will not.”

Steffen looked him up and down. “You have never disobeyed an order before.”

“You have never asked me to manipulate a friend before.”

“I did not send you to the human world to make friends. You were meant to cement the changelings’ position with the new keeper. I thought I had trained you better than this.”

“I don’t recall cementing the changelings’ position as part of my briefing when I was sent to the human world.”

“I thought you were smart enough to realise it was a secondary mission for our people. It was why I agreed to put you forward for the task when Emerson suggested it.”

Greg’s heart sank. His father had never put him forward as a candidate to find the new keeper. He had taken comfort thinking his father had been paying at least a tiny bit of attention to him but it had been Emerson all along. Greg pushed his shoulders back sitting up straight. “I don’t see how being Mellissa’s friend harms our position.”

“It has already harmed our position as you are not willing to do what is necessary.”

“No, Father. We just don’t agree on what is actually necessary. Mellissa is more than just a crystal; she is a person as well. Maybe if you treat her like one, she won’t run scared of us. If this is all you wanted me for, I will be going.””

Greg stood to leave but his father grabbed his arm. “Don’t let a few months in the human world ruin years of training.”

“Don’t let a difference of opinion ruin the appearance of a nice father-son chat.” Greg gestured to the room full of people. His father’s choice of venue actually worked in his favour. Steffen let go of his arm. “I will speak to you later, Father. I have some paperwork I need to see to.”

Greg left the tearooms and went straight back to his room. He pulled out the forms Lady Gabrielle had given him and started filling them in. His father may not have meant to, but he’d given him the push he needed. He knew his father meant well, but his point of view was skewed. Hopefully after Lady Gabrielle made her motion, he would see things differently. He was more likely to listen to her than Greg. Even if his father didn’t come around, he wasn’t going to change his mind. He was going to do what he thought was right, not what his father wanted anymore.