Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 66

"Hey, Uncle Remus?" Remus glanced up at Pat.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Could I go for a swim?" The 15-year-old lifted his shoulder-bag up. "I've got spare clothes and I snagged a towel."

"Uhm- sure. I mean, you'd have to ask Virgi-"

"Papa said yes." Pat said quickly. Too quickly. Remus' face fell and he sighed.

"Pat, you know I can't approve anything without your dad's permission."

"But Uncle Remus." Pat whined. "I'm 15 now, it's not exactly like I'm helpless!" He dropped his bag on the floor. "I can throw a punch, look-"

"I'll take your word for it." Remus held up his hands. He sighed and stood up from the table. He walked around the table and placed his hands on Pat's shoulders. "I'm just worried, okay?"

"Why?" Pat asked, a laugh escaping him. "I'm not a kid anymore and it's not like I'm going to see him anyway." He met Remus' gaze. He still had to look up to stare Remus in the eye. "Uncle Remus, in a year I'll be of age. I'm nearly an adult and I haven't even been swimming alone once!"

"Yeah, don't I know it." Remus muttered. It was uncomfortably close to Pat's 16th birthday. In a year, he wouldn't even...

Remus shook his head to pull himself out of his thoughts.

"It'd just be in the river, I promise!" Pat insisted. "I'd stay out maybe an hour. Hour and a half. Tops."

Remus sighed for a very long time and let his hands drop from Pat's shoulders. He groaned. "Fine, fine, you know you're impossible to say 'no' to." Pat's face lit up in a grin that never failed to melt Remus' heart and he grabbed his bag. "But not a word of this to your Papa, if he finds out, he'll have my head."

"Thank you so much, Uncle Remus." Pat pressed a quick kiss to Remus' cheek. "You won't even know I'm gone."

The door banged shut and Remus slumped down at the table. Pat hadn't even taken his shoes.

"Elven mischief." He murmured, rubbing his hands along his face. He was getting too old for this.

In a year, Pat would be Prince Patton again. A year. Where had all the time gone?

Pat ran through the woods excitedly. He pushed his glasses up his nose and stumbled to a stop by the river. He set his bag down by a tree and set his glasses carefully on top of that. In one swift movement, he pulled off his shirt and dived head-first into the river.

Years of living in the forest had taught him exactly where the deep parts of the river were. That and many head injuries.

Pat came up for air in a shallower part of the river and shook water droplets out of his hair. He laughed and stretched his arms up above his head. He looked up at a twig snapping.

On instinct, he ducked below the water so it was up to his neck. "Hello?" He called. No reply. "Who's there?"

"No one." Came back the very unconvincing reply. Pat laughed.

"Lo?" He asked. The prince stepped out of the trees.

"Hello." He said it like an admission of guilt.

Pat grinned and pulled himself up out of the water. "How are you? What happened? I saw you one day and then you just... left." Pat could just see a brown splodge over by a tree so he guessed that was his bag.

"Royal... complications happened." Logan said. "I came of age and so I was carted off to my betrothed's castle on the other side of the forest for a couple months. No betrothed has turned up, however, so I am back." Pat found his glasses and pushed them up his nose. "I'm so sorry that I left with no explanation."

Pat couldn't help but smile. He'd missed Logan but now he was back and he couldn't find it in his heart to be anything but glad. "Lo, there's no reason to apologise. Besides," he sat down on the bank of the river, swinging his legs in the water, "one more year and there'll be no more royal complications."

Logan sat down on the other bank, drawing his knees up to his chest. "You still wish to run away with me? After everything?" He looked like he was blushing. Pat decided not to mention it, despite it being very cute.

Pat pushed himself into the river and swam over to the other bank. He pulled himself up beside Logan, careful not to drip on his clothes.

"Course." He said. "Why shouldn't I? I've missed you for this long, don't want to miss you anymore."

Logan stared down at their reflections in the water, smiling shyly.

"Anyway, what were you doing in those trees?" Pat asked, leaning back on his hands. He turned his face up towards the sun and smiled to himself.

"I came to find you." Logan admitted. "I wanted to see you as soon as I got back but obligations and complications and father got in the way. But, I came as soon as I got out. And I was going to call out to you but then, um..."

Pat giggled. "You got flustered?"

Logan ran a hand through his hair. Pat had the urge to as well. "Perhaps."

HERE, HAVE A NOTHING CHAPTER!
And yes, we have skipped an entire year of Pat's life. This story is long enough as it is, okay?
Bye,
Blaize