How the Emperor trapped a Witch

Chapter Sixty-five: Compromise

Alaric

I stared at Celestia in amusement as I had to make a conscious effort to keep the smile that threatened to grow, off my face. Her pouting face was too cute for words and usually I would happily follow along with what she said.

However, this time: I couldn't do that.

We may of succeeded in rescuing Celestia from the Demon Realm, but we weren't out of the clear just yet. Radna has yet to be defeated and there was no way that he wouldn't come back for revenge and Celestia.

"I'm sorry Tia." I stood up and walked around my desk, attempting to put my arms around her. "I understand your frustration, but-" 

"Alaric." Celestia suddenly turned towards me, the air around her starting to shimmer with power. "I am not weak."

"I know that-"

"And yet, all of you continue to treat me as a glass sculpture that could break at any moment!" She huffs, glaring up at me. "I know that I was kidnapped before, but you one-sidedly protecting me is exactly why that happened in the first place."

I clenched down on my jaw, not trusting myself to remain civil, her words hurt me more then when I discovered her missing. 

We stood there in silence for what seemed like forever when Celestia relaxed her stance and reached up to stroke my jaw.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as I gathered her into my arms and sat down on a couch, holding her tightly so that she couldn't leave my lap. "I didn't mean it like that..."

I didn't say a word as I buried my face into the crook of her neck and sighed.

"What I meant was; we need to work together." Celestia leans into me, playing with my hand and tracing the lines along my palm and fingers. "Divided: we will always have to watch our backs for Radna but if we were united; we would be able to finally conquer him and never have to worry about Radna again."  

I mulled over her words as an internal fight began, one side saying that we didn't need her help and that I was more than capable of protecting her. The more rational side agreed with Celestia; she was right. 

I groaned into her neck causing Celestia to giggle a little before sitting up and giving her a quick peck on the lips. 

"Your right. We should be working together." I smiled back at the happy grin which bloomed across Celestia's face before she hugged me tightly. Celestia stands up in a hurry and quickly leaves the room calling for Kimbra and Valerie.

 I sat there stunned for a moment at the ease that she had shone in escaping my grasp until light chuckles filled the empty room, coming from me. 

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

"So I heard about you agreeing to allow Celestia to help with protecting herself." Barrett suddenly barges into the study in the late afternoon, interrupting Valerie mid sentence. "Man, you are whipped!"

I made eye contact with Valerie and nodded towards the door as Barrett flops down onto the couch that had been Celestia's. Nolo lightly nods towards her as he closed the door behind him and sits on the opposite couch.

"Yes." I rest my pen on the table and fold my hands as I stared Barrett down until he sat up right. "I allowed her to use her magic to assist with the protection around the mansion."

"I bet you wouldn't say it like that to her." Barrett guffaws as Nolo looked unimpressed. "You'd loose your head if you did! Or use her magic."

"Considering that I know Celestia extremely-" I empathized on the word. "Well, I have no doubt I would not loose my head. She wouldn't speak with me at all; though I am not sure if she would use any magic on me..." 

I trailed off, thinking about how she had made me forget her for an entire year before shaking my head to clear those thoughts.

"As long as you are honest with her..." Nolo speaks, his musical voice pleasant to the ears. "I do not think that she would become angry with you... though women can be difficult to understand."

Barrett and I both nodded along with Nolo's statement.

::::::::::

Time had passed and it was now time for dinner; but Celestia was not present at the table.

"Miss Celestia is currently in the workshop." Valerie answers my unspoken question and hands me a tray with two plates of food and drinks. "She would not stop working when I called her."

"I see." I turned and left the dinning room, ignoring the cat-calls from Barrett as I entered the hall, following it to the workshop that I had set up for Celestia long ago. 

I balance the tray onto one hand and lightly knocked on the door, only to be greeted with silence. I knock once more before entering and sighing in relief a little at the sight of her leaning over the table as magic swirled around the room.