Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 84

There was a knock at Patton's door. Four knocks, two soft, two loud. Remus' special knock for him.

Swallowing back tears, Patton sat up. "Go away." He said, voice broken by hiccups.

"Kid?" Remus asked. "Let me in? Please?"

"No!" Patton yelled and threw himself back on his bed. "Leave me alone!" He hugged Smoke tightly to his face. The back of her head was already soaked through with tears.

Remus knocked again.

"Leave me alone!" Patton screamed.

"Patton, kid, I've got to come in." Remus insisted gently. "Please?"

"No!" Patton sat up again. "You're gonna try and convince me to leave but I won't, I won't! I won't be a prince! I won't be! I'm gonna be a toy-maker! I don't wanna rule a kingdom! I don't want any other parents but Papa and Dad. I don't want to be royalty!" Fresh tears welled up in his eyes and trailed down well-worn tear tracks in his face. "So leave me alone."

There was silence from outside for a while. Patton swallowed and sighed. He hugged his elbows, rubbing small circles with his thumbs.

"Kid, I'm going to have to come in." Remus said eventually. "And you've either got to let me in or I'm coming in regardless."

Patton sighed and hung his head. "Fine." He mumbled. He raised his voice. "You can come in, I guess."

He heard the door open but didn't raise his head. He heard Remus' heavy yet somehow quiet footsteps but didn't raise his head. He felt the bed shift as Remus sat down but didn't raise his head. He stared at his clasped hands, determined not to cry.

"Kid, I'm so sorry-"

"Stop calling me that!" Patton snapped. He looked up and, for the first time, he glared at Remus. Properly glared. This wasn't a game anymore and he didn't feel like being treated like a child. "I'm not a kid! I'm not a child! I'm an adult. I'm of age! So stop calling me 'kid' when I'm not." He glared back at his hands, really feeling like he was going to cry now.

"Alright." Remus said gently. "Patton, I'm so sorry. We should have told you sooner, I know, but it's, well, it's difficult."

"Oh?" Patton asked monotonically. "Difficult? Can't imagine what that's like."

Remus sighed. "Patton, there's no way to... easily explain this-"

"Tell me a story." Patton said numbly. He glanced up at Remus, tear tracks still fresh on his face. "Tell me a fairy-tale. Give it a happy ending." He looked back at his hands.

Remus swallowed. "Alright." He swallowed again, his throat bone dry. "Once upon a time, there was a king and queen. They lived in a beautiful kingdom with loving, happy subjects and everyone was joyful and content. Only, the king and queen wanted a child but they'd had no luck. Then, one day, the queen was walking in the woods when she came across three fairies. They granted her one wish."

"A child." Patton said. Remus nodded and Patton laughed numbly. "So that was me?"

Remus nodded again. "There was a great party and everyone was invited. Friends, family, even the brother and father of the baby prince's betrothed-"

"I'm betrothed?!" Patton yelled in shock. "I can't get married, I'm 16!"

Remus winced slightly but nodded anyway. "Everyone was invited." He continued. "Even the three Good Fairies." He took a breath. "Roman, Virgil and Remus. Remember the Princes Council I told you about years ago? There's the Forest Council instead, which the three fairies were part of. Everyone had been invited and everyone was enjoying the celebration when, suddenly, there was a crash of thunder and a gust of wind." Remus steeled himself. "The king and queen had forgotten to invite one person. The sorcerer Janus."

Patton watched Remus' expression change. He was almost wincing in pain. Was Janus the boy who'd broken Remus' heart all those years ago?

Patton said nothing but waited for the story to continue. "Janus threatened the baby prince." Remus said. Patton felt something inside him grow cold. "He very nearly cursed him." The nightmare man? Were he and Janus related somehow? "But he was interrupted before he could and he fled. Just to be safe, however, the three Good Fairies took the child away and hid him. They couldn't be sure that Janus wouldn't strike again."

Remus glanced out of the window. "For 16 long, wonderful years, the prince lived with his fairy family in complete seclusion. On the night of his 16th birthday, he found of his royal heritage and was returned to his real parents, who rejoiced in the reunion. The end."

"I asked for a happy ending." Patton said quietly.

"That is a happy ending." Remus replied. "The family is back together again. They're reunited, with no fear."

"But it's not the happy ending I want." Patton said. "I don't want to leave. I want to live with you and Papa and Dad. Here. For all of my life."

Remus shook his head and Patton saw his eyes gloss with tears. "I'm sorry, Patton." Remus said, sounding sincere. "But this is happier for more people. You need to meet your real family."

Patton shook his head. "You are my real family."

Ouch.
Bye,
Blaize