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Chapter 8 – The Inescapable Past

Fog surrounded him every which way and blocked his view from all possible directions. Matthew could tell that it was nighttime, could taste the salt in the air, but that was all he could gather from the bleak darkness. In the distance a keening sound wailed out, it was the sound of ships creaking due to the drop of humidity and the rocking motion of the gentle waves hitting against the dock.

He didn't dare get his hopes up, but yet at the same time it was almost impossible not to. The impossibly green grass beneath his boots, slick with condensation, squeaked as he walked further into the mist. Theoretically Matthew should not have known where he was heading; his steps were as blind as his vision. But no sooner had he began walking forward than the fog lifted before his very eyes and a brightly coloured house could be seen that at once warmed his heart and soul.

He was home.

There were no stars in the sky and the remaining path was only lit by the impossibly large moon high in the sky. Matthew hesitantly placed his hand on the old rusting doorknob. Immediately he sensed that there was something off about the house, something that didn't strike right with what Matthew remembered. The paint looked old and withered and the warm life that one normally felt when they entered an occupied house was missing. It was as if this house had been abandoned for years.

The desire to return overcame any doubt and Matthew carefully stepped into the house, noticing at once the lack of coats and boots that normally lined the hallway.

"A-arthur… are you still here? Arthur… I'm home!" There was no reply.

A foreign sound emanated from the living room and pierced the eerie silence all around him. Matthew quickly rushed off to find its source, stopping only at the entryway when he saw a faint glowing blue line that was traced on the ground between the two doorframes. Inside the room he found that the furniture was left pretty much how he remembered it, although all the normal decorations that had adorned the house were now missing.

There was someone sitting in the old recliner facing the window, effectively blocking his view from Matthew.

"Arthur… is that you?" But it was not, and instead a smiling cherub-like face poked itself around the edge, grinning with humour at the sight of the familiar human.

"Matthew! What a fantastical house you have, I have never seen anything like it!" Feliciano jumped up from where he'd been sitting and chose to seat himself instead on the same couch that Matthew had shared with Arthur only a few short days before.

"W-what are you doing here? Is Arthur here?" Matthew tried to come to grips with what was reality and what was not, but so much of it was mingled strangely in his mind.

The forest spirit titled his head to the side curiously and Matthew was beginning to wonder if this was a nervous reaction of his. "I don't know where Arthur is. But I very much doubt he'd be in your mind, even if this is a stolen scene from your memory past."

Matthew felt relieved to learn that this strange apparition was not in fact his abandoned home, but saddened at the same time that he had not arrived home after all, even with no sensible reason to believe that he had done so in the first place.

But at the same time, this didn't seem like a very accurate memory to him. It wasn't at all how he remembered leaving the house, and there was no way it could have degraded in such a short time. The small Fisherman's house had been a hundred times more comfortable, very much the cozy sort of home that Arthur had always liked to live in.

A strange thought occurred to Matthew as he recalled the spirit's words in his head, but his question was soon stopped when he saw a second head peak shyly out from around the couch. It was a small boy, maybe no more than 2 or 3, with blonde hair that fell in wavy ringlets around his face; his small hands braced themselves against the chair in caution. Matthew might not have at first recognized the child, having never seen any photos from his youth, but the wide blue eyes that stared back at his own were undeniably of the very same shade and proportions.

Feliciano noticed where his gaze fell and he happily picked up the frightened child, trying to comfort him in his arms. "Isn't he adorable? I found him hiding behind the couch! He's had a very interesting few days… and may take some time to recover from them."

The forest spirit's eyes turned sad as he stroked the small red cheek, perhaps even wistful. "I would have taken much better care of him, you know… I would have given him the whole world. But… they took him from me… before I even had a chance to try." The spirit's grip tightened as he hugged the little boy possessively and despite Matthew's fondness for the sprite, the scene unnerved him greatly.

"But… that's me… that little boy is me!" Matthew shook his head questioning his own statement, not entirely sure what to make of everything he was seeing.

Feliciano nuzzled the little boy's cheek fondly, playing with a youthful curl or two before placing the boy back on the ground. The younger Matthew shyly waved goodbye to the sprite, trying to act polite even though he looked about as unsure with the situation as the older Matthew felt. He then ran over to his larger self and wrapped his tiny little hands around Matthew's leg, hiding his head underneath the pant leg and a curtain of his own curls.

Matthew licked his lips with some consideration before picking up the small boy and holding him in his arms. He noticed with some interest that the boy weighed no more than a small dog might and he offered no resistance to the embrace whatsoever as he nestled himself further into his arms. Matthew stared down at the familiar eyes that were filled with trust and love, their former insecurity vanishing the longer he was held securely in Matthew's arms.

"I don't understand," he finally admitted, looking back up at the forest spirit for any form of clarification he could offer. Feliciano's face fell and he appeared genuinely sad and distressed, as if forced to remember a particularly painful event in his life.

"Do you truly not remember any of this my sweet, dear Matthew? Did they tell you nothing of your past… of how you came to be in the Winter Knight's possession, hidden away from the land that you rightfully came to claim and to discover… all on your own?"

Matthew was speechless, the more the forest spirit spoke, the more he was sure that this was nothing more than a fanciful dream that was invading his already weary thoughts.

"Matthew… despite everything they've done… despite how they tried to keep you away from Tir Na Nog… despite how they tried to keep you from… me… you've returned again… again all on your own. Shouldn't that be enough for you to begin to question everything you already know?"

Matthew furrowed his brow, entirely unsure how seriously to take the dream that offered nothing more than illusions and riddles at every turn. The forest spirit walked closer to the doorway and held out his hand for Matthew. He did not cross the entryway but instead was asking for Matthew to make the first move and to join him in the living room with the small bundle that was quickly falling asleep in his arms. Those brown eyes normally so full of mirth looked heartbreakingly filled with sorrow and Matthew did not have it in him to deny such a simple act of comfort. He reached across the door way and took the smaller hand in his own, letting the smile that sprung up on the spirit's face ease his worries, even as he was pulled slowly into the room.

The blue light that had been glowing beneath his feet started to sparkle and fade, being soaked up just as before into his body. But he did not enjoy the feeling for long before a much more 'real' and far more unpleasant sensation struck him from behind and forced him face first into the hard ground.

His surroundings changed in an instant and Matthew moaned out loud at the sudden headache that was already forming from the act of hitting the earth so hard. He looked around with sleep-induced eyes that were once again blurred from his lack of vision.

The nighttime was gone, as was the fog, and it was now replaced with the sounds of some kind of animal chirping in the distance. Dirt was pressed against his cheek and a large immovable object was unwittingly forcing the air out of his lungs as it crushed him from above.

"Get… OFF!" Matthew grumbled, his mood already soured by his rude awaking. But the large King above him made no motion to obey, instead grabbing his chin roughly between his leather clad fingers so as to examine his eyes.

"Are you fully awake now? Are you aware of your surroundings?"

Matthew struggled with frustration, but it was of little use, he had no chance of knocking the powerful man off when he'd had such a good start to begin with. And his efforts soon died off as he felt himself grow dizzy from the lack of oxygen. "I'm awake… just please… I can't breathe."

The King jumped up so quickly that the sudden rush of air to his lungs almost made him dizzier still. Ivan pulled Matthew up by the hem of his coat and brought over to sit on the log. Offering him water from his flask and some strange looking berries before his blurry eyes as he orientated himself to his new surroundings. The dream that had been as real as anything he ever knew was now fading in his mind, details lost and becoming jumbled with other memories.

Matthew wanted to bite out a nasty comment, but he was stopped when he heard a remorseful tone to the King's speech.

"I did not mean to startle you… or to cause you harm."

"Then why did you?" Matthew mumbled under his breath, only mildly placated by the apology. The King was still examining him in great detail and Matthew could make out the details of a frown from their close proximity.

Ivan was clearly worried, but he spoke as indifferent as ever.

"You were in a Faerie trance… and you had broken through the protection of the circle. I was only trying to prevent you from leaving."

Matthew hungrily ate the berries and chased them with a large gulp of water, wiping the trickle of liquid that fell from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand. He was ever mindful to how Ivan's eyes followed the unconscious movement intently before quickly directing his gaze back towards the safer territory of a spot of earth beside them both.

"You mean… I was sleep walking?" Matthew asked as he passed back the flask of water to the King.

"No… I do not mean that at all!" Ivan stood up abruptly, annoyed at being questioned. It was not something he was used to and Matthew did it an awful lot. "You were under a spell. I thought the circle would be enough to keep you safe, but it is useless if you can so easily be lured out of it while you sleep."

Matthew had a dark foreboding suspicion that he knew what the King was going to say next.

"The Fall Kingdom is only a few days away… we will have to hurry to evade the Summer King now that he is closer, and sleep… is unfortunately no longer an option." Ivan widened the girth between them, causing his outline to again become a blurry mystery to the young human.

Matthew at once wanted to protest the plan, to complain like an ungrateful brat being denied his dessert… but he knew that if he really was out of his senses, then the King was perfectly right in asking them to push through the last portion of their journey. So he swallowed his pride and hung his head silently, nodding in agreement that he would do as the King asked, just like he'd promised.

Ivan appeared to take pity on him, perhaps surprised at how easy it was to convince the normally contrary young man. "We will still rest when we can… and I will do my best to find more food for you along the way. The closer we are to the border, the more I am beginning to recognize the vegetation."

"Alright," Matthew whispered and then with a stronger voice. "Alright, I said I would trust you, and I do."

Ivan narrowed his eyes in suspicion, clearly not excepting any of this at all. "You do… without question?"

"No… not without question. I'd have to be pretty stupid to do that. But your reasoning makes sense, and you're actually bothering to run it by me for once, which is not something that you've ever actually bothered to do before. So yes, I have to trust you." Matthew wasn't quite sure if it was a trick of the light, his limited vision preventing him from seeing things clearly, but he could have sworn that the King was mildly flustered by his remark.

Ivan's mouth made a few vague movements as if to say something, but for a while nothing sprouted forth until finally, "Then we will make use of the early morning sun while we can. We will rest during the hottest hours of the day and then carry on into the night for as long as we can."

"B-but... my eyes?" Matthew protested, contradicting the very words he'd said not moments before about trusting the King. As hard as it was to make any progress during the day, it'd be even worse at night.

Ivan held out his hand once more, standing tall and impressive in the morning light. "I will have to ask you to trust me a little more then. I do not deny that it will be difficult, but it is our best chance of returning you home. And if what you say about Arthur is true… I would imagine he'd be very angry with me if I did not return you in good health."

Matthew couldn't help but think the King was joking with that last remark, and he smirked ruefully at the idea of his stuffy Guardian attacking the powerful King, and so said as much. "I doubt that Arthur would be very much of a challenge for your kind, especially such a 'great King' as yourself." His tone was teasing, mocking both men equally. But the response he got was a serious as Ivan could make it.

"I disagree… I'm sure he would be a formidable enemy if he had the right motivation… and my Kingdom has enough enemies to deal with as it is.

xxxxxxx

The party of four crossed the border with little to no trouble, a fact that bothered Gilbert greatly. The three horses that they'd chosen to bring with them padded their large hooves across the melting snow, soon stepping on thawing leaves and branches that dripped away any traces of ice.

For the most part Francis had been unconscious thus far; he had woken up shortly after the group had begun their journey to the Spring Kingdom, but upon waking, Francis had made the grave mistake of blearily commenting that Arthur smelled 'just like him' in an all too happy voice. The former knight had promptly raised his stolen sword and smacked the hilt sharply against the back of the prisoner's head, causing him to slump forward again into blissful silence.

Alfred had chosen to keep his distance from Arthur as much as possible, choosing to guard the rear in much the same way that Gilbert headed up the front. While the Kingdom they'd just departed and the one they were currently entering into were not at war and therefore, by their standards, very much a peace, it was still a dangerous choice on their part to cross the border without first expressly asking permission from the Queen herself. An approval that would have been most likely denied save if Ivan had pressed the issue himself.

Alternatively however, if they now came across the Queen while trespassing on her territory, it would be a sticky situation at best and at worst they might accidentally reveal that the Winter King had been spirited away by none other than a cursed human who'd returned from his imposed exile.

No… this was not a good situation for any of them to be in.

Gilbert managed to drop his guard somewhat after the first few hours in the warmer kingdom had proven safe. A quick glance towards Arthur showed that he too was calming his nerves and was no longer as on edge as he had been before. It was after all, not for certain that the Queen would notice their presence, just something they had to be aware of.

The trees around them began to grow thicker, a beautiful display of spring flowers blossoming around them almost as soon as they approached at every turn. The fragrance was a bit strong for those that were used to the clean crisp air of the Winter Kingdom and Gilbert found the atmosphere particularly stifling when compared to the wide-open expanses of his own land, with its subtle beauty and riches that he had long grown to love.

The pale haired regent frowned when he heard an odd chirping sound coming from up ahead. He slowed his horse down in order to approach the small object that was jumping about on a low branch. The creature was like nothing else he'd ever seen before, small and fluffy with golden feathers crowning it from head to toe.

Gilbert unsheathed his Iron sword, a weapon that would strike fear in the very heart of any faerie creature (save Arthur and the King, of course). But when he extended the weapon in order to poke at the small creature, it did not shy away, and instead jumped directly onto the iron, hopping its way down the length of the sword until it was nearly at the hilt.

"Arthur… look at this… what sort of creature is this? I've never seen its like before."

Arthur's horse languidly approached the 'beast', its rider rolling his eyes with an annoyed look at the young Regent. "Honestly Gilbert, if you're going to turn this exhibition into a bird watching trip, I may as well leave you behind now and take Francis off on my own."

Gilbert scowled at the little creature that had by now used its tiny little claws to climb up his leather and cloth tunic until it was well situated on top of his shoulder. Gilbert didn't particularly want to look frightened when Arthur was doing his best to disapprove so condescendingly, but when the little thing started pecking away at his white hair, he swatted at the creature until it fell onto his lap in disarray.

By then Alfred had approached them as well and was peering at the strange creature with about as much interest as Gilbert had, reinforcing his belief that Arthur was under reacting.

"W-what is it Gil? Do you think it's dangerous?"

"Of for the love of… it's a BIRD… a little baby bird! It's no more of a threat than either of YOU two are!"

Twin sets of angry eyes glared back at the former knight before the sad cries of the little bird caused Gilbert to rethink his action of hitting the defenseless creature. He lifted it up into his small hands to confirm that it was ok. "What is it doing here do you think?"

"That…is actually a good question. It's from the human world and even if a bird did manage to survive the portal, one as young as this should have perished without its mother's aid."

"It has… no mother?" Gilbert asked despondently, Alfred's face falling in equal sympathy at the news.

Arthur slapped his face with a single gloved hand, disbelieving that he'd ever left the Kingdom at all in the hands of these two men, even under Ivan's watchful eye.

"It is not natural you fools, it is obviously a trick or an apparition of some sort. I suggestion you run it through immediately before it reports back to its master."

At the mere mention of hurting the little bird, Gilbert drew it close to his chest and Alfred drove his horse in between the Regent and the former knight.

Arthur only raised his eyebrow in distaste, utterly tired of dealing with the two men. "Fine, keep it. Maybe it can tell you where the King has gone." With these last words he prodded his horse into motion again, ready and willing to leave his two companions behind if he had to. But no sooner had he started off in the direction than the little bird started chirping furiously again.

"Uh… Arthur… I don't think he wants you to go that way."

Arthur snorted loudly, moving the horse even quicker. "Well in that case maybe the little pest has some uses after all, I'll be sure to go wherever it doesn't approve."

Alfred scowled and Gilbert could just barely hear him mutter under his breath. "I don't remember him being this much of an ass. Maybe… he should have just stayed away for good."

The little chirps had by now turned into outright cries and Gilbert looked back up at Arthur's retreating form with dismay. "Arthur… I really think…" No sooner had the words left his mouth than Arthur was flung off his horse by a large tree vine. He never even had the chance to hit the ground before a second vine curled itself around his body, holding him high in the air and slowly cutting off his air supply.

Alfred's eyes widened in panic and he frantically jumped off his horse to try and pry the vines open with his bare hands, his sword unfortunately still in the possession of the trapped Fae above them. Gilbert was not far behind him, raising his own sword high in order to cut down the deadly vine that curled tighter and tighter around its victim. But before his iron blade had struck its mark even once, a sweet voice wrung out from the side of a tall particularly flowered tree.

"I would not do that if I were you." The melodic voice commanded in a tone that brokered for no argument.

Gilbert turned in the direction of the voice and brandished his sword at the stranger instead. "Then I'll cut you down first if you do not release him."

Alfred was still digging his fingers through the cracks of the vine, his fingertips bleeding in their efforts to free his former mentor, but it was all to no avail and still the vine grew tighter.

"And who might you be to think that you can give orders to the Queen of Spring?" Green eyes could be seen glowing now from the shadows. The full figure of an exceptionally beautiful woman stepped forward dressed in a long white gown covered by a forest green overlay of cloth with delicate gold trimmings. Her soft brown hair was thick and spun like silk as it reached well past her waist in smooth waves. There was a single green flower, much the same colour as her gown, which was placed securely in her dark locks near by her temple. And as she leaped directly off of the branch that held her fast, her feet never even touched the ground before great tree roots sprung up high to meet her every step, only to then bring her gently down to the earth below. Little flowers blooming after each patch of earth her bare feet walked over.

But Gilbert was undeterred in the least; he raised his deadly weapon high and thrust it perilously close to her pale flawless neck. He noticed with some satisfaction that she flinched minutely at the action and the vines around Arthur let up just enough for him to allow him a single breath of air.

"I am the heir to the Winter Throne, a member of the Seeley court and by rights I will defend an attack on one of my people."

The Queen looked momentarily amused, unaccustomed to displays of brute strength in a world where nearly everyone could use some form of magic. Never removing her bright eyes from Gilbert's, she flicked her wrist absently and the vines around Arthur opened wide to drop him unceremoniously to the forest floor. Alfred just barely dove down in time to catch him before he hit the ground. He laid him gently down in order to check his pulse and dilated eyes that were still spinning from lack of oxygen.

"I have heard words about you… Gilbert of the Winter Kingdom. They say you were born without a trace of magic to your blood. Abandoned by your own mother… and wholly dependent on the only man who would ever dare take you in. Your so-called 'Uncle', a man who can barely tolerate your presence, but does so only for the prestige that it brings him to have in his possession the son of the greatest and most powerful Fae of all time."

Gilbert pushed the blade forward, causing the Queen to take a step back even as she raised her chin defiantly. "I would be careful with your loose words, Queen Elizabeta, for I'm feeling a tad short tempered today."

The Queen nodded her head graciously, as if she were agreeing to a witty comment at the dinner table, and not admitting to defeat against a blade that could easily cut her throat open no matter her aptitude in magic.

"Then answer me this instead and I may yet let you pass unharmed."

Gilbert wearily looked back at his companions, Francis who still lay helplessly unconscious on the ground and Arthur who was just now stirring, coughing greatly as he was helped up by a very angry looking young Knight.

"Fine… if that's your price for safe passage, you may ask."

The Queen's smile widened and she stepped forward to reclaim her dominance of the situation. "Just when, young Prince, had your King intended to inform me that the human child had returned."

TBC…

Thanks again to Kaylessa. You are the best Beta ever

Really sorry about the delay, got a one-shot in my head and I had to write it. But it's out of my system now.

Anyways maybe I answered some questions… maybe I created more… look Gilbird… yay J

Description
Chapter 8 – The Inescapable Past

Fog surrounded him every which way and blocked his view from all possible directions. Matthew could tell that it was nighttime, could taste the salt in the air, but that was all he could gather from the bleak darkness. In the distance a keening sound wailed out, it was the sound of ships creaking due to the drop of humidity and the rocking motion of the gentle waves hitting against the dock.

He didn't dare get his hopes up, but yet at the same time it was almost impossible not to. The impossibly green grass beneath his boots, slick with condensation, squeaked as he walked further into the mist. Theoretically Matthew should not have known where he was heading; his steps were as blind as his vision. But no sooner had he began walking forward than the fog lifted before his very eyes and a brightly coloured house could be seen that at once warmed his heart and soul.

He was home.

There were no stars in the sky and the remaining path was only lit by the impossibly large moon high in the sky. Matthew hesitantly placed his hand on the old rusting doorknob. Immediately he sensed that there was something off about the house, something that didn't strike right with what Matthew remembered. The paint looked old and withered and the warm life that one normally felt when they entered an occupied house was missing. It was as if this house had been abandoned for years.

The desire to return overcame any doubt and Matthew carefully stepped into the house, noticing at once the lack of coats and boots that normally lined the hallway.

"A-arthur… are you still here? Arthur… I'm home!" There was no reply.

A foreign sound emanated from the living room and pierced the eerie silence all around him. Matthew quickly rushed off to find its source, stopping only at the entryway when he saw a faint glowing blue line that was traced on the ground between the two doorframes. Inside the room he found that the furniture was left pretty much how he remembered it, although all the normal decorations that had adorned the house were now missing.

There was someone sitting in the old recliner facing the window, effectively blocking his view from Matthew.

"Arthur… is that you?" But it was not, and instead a smiling cherub-like face poked itself around the edge, grinning with humour at the sight of the familiar human.

"Matthew! What a fantastical house you have, I have never seen anything like it!" Feliciano jumped up from where he'd been sitting and chose to seat himself instead on the same couch that Matthew had shared with Arthur only a few short days before.

"W-what are you doing here? Is Arthur here?" Matthew tried to come to grips with what was reality and what was not, but so much of it was mingled strangely in his mind.

The forest spirit titled his head to the side curiously and Matthew was beginning to wonder if this was a nervous reaction of his. "I don't know where Arthur is. But I very much doubt he'd be in your mind, even if this is a stolen scene from your memory past."

Matthew felt relieved to learn that this strange apparition was not in fact his abandoned home, but saddened at the same time that he had not arrived home after all, even with no sensible reason to believe that he had done so in the first place.

But at the same time, this didn't seem like a very accurate memory to him. It wasn't at all how he remembered leaving the house, and there was no way it could have degraded in such a short time. The small Fisherman's house had been a hundred times more comfortable, very much the cozy sort of home that Arthur had always liked to live in.

A strange thought occurred to Matthew as he recalled the spirit's words in his head, but his question was soon stopped when he saw a second head peak shyly out from around the couch. It was a small boy, maybe no more than 2 or 3, with blonde hair that fell in wavy ringlets around his face; his small hands braced themselves against the chair in caution. Matthew might not have at first recognized the child, having never seen any photos from his youth, but the wide blue eyes that stared back at his own were undeniably of the very same shade and proportions.

Feliciano noticed where his gaze fell and he happily picked up the frightened child, trying to comfort him in his arms. "Isn't he adorable? I found him hiding behind the couch! He's had a very interesting few days… and may take some time to recover from them."

The forest spirit's eyes turned sad as he stroked the small red cheek, perhaps even wistful. "I would have taken much better care of him, you know… I would have given him the whole world. But… they took him from me… before I even had a chance to try." The spirit's grip tightened as he hugged the little boy possessively and despite Matthew's fondness for the sprite, the scene unnerved him greatly.

"But… that's me… that little boy is me!" Matthew shook his head questioning his own statement, not entirely sure what to make of everything he was seeing.

Feliciano nuzzled the little boy's cheek fondly, playing with a youthful curl or two before placing the boy back on the ground. The younger Matthew shyly waved goodbye to the sprite, trying to act polite even though he looked about as unsure with the situation as the older Matthew felt. He then ran over to his larger self and wrapped his tiny little hands around Matthew's leg, hiding his head underneath the pant leg and a curtain of his own curls.

Matthew licked his lips with some consideration before picking up the small boy and holding him in his arms. He noticed with some interest that the boy weighed no more than a small dog might and he offered no resistance to the embrace whatsoever as he nestled himself further into his arms. Matthew stared down at the familiar eyes that were filled with trust and love, their former insecurity vanishing the longer he was held securely in Matthew's arms.

"I don't understand," he finally admitted, looking back up at the forest spirit for any form of clarification he could offer. Feliciano's face fell and he appeared genuinely sad and distressed, as if forced to remember a particularly painful event in his life.

"Do you truly not remember any of this my sweet, dear Matthew? Did they tell you nothing of your past… of how you came to be in the Winter Knight's possession, hidden away from the land that you rightfully came to claim and to discover… all on your own?"

Matthew was speechless, the more the forest spirit spoke, the more he was sure that this was nothing more than a fanciful dream that was invading his already weary thoughts.

"Matthew… despite everything they've done… despite how they tried to keep you away from Tir Na Nog… despite how they tried to keep you from… me… you've returned again… again all on your own. Shouldn't that be enough for you to begin to question everything you already know?"

Matthew furrowed his brow, entirely unsure how seriously to take the dream that offered nothing more than illusions and riddles at every turn. The forest spirit walked closer to the doorway and held out his hand for Matthew. He did not cross the entryway but instead was asking for Matthew to make the first move and to join him in the living room with the small bundle that was quickly falling asleep in his arms. Those brown eyes normally so full of mirth looked heartbreakingly filled with sorrow and Matthew did not have it in him to deny such a simple act of comfort. He reached across the door way and took the smaller hand in his own, letting the smile that sprung up on the spirit's face ease his worries, even as he was pulled slowly into the room.

The blue light that had been glowing beneath his feet started to sparkle and fade, being soaked up just as before into his body. But he did not enjoy the feeling for long before a much more 'real' and far more unpleasant sensation struck him from behind and forced him face first into the hard ground.

His surroundings changed in an instant and Matthew moaned out loud at the sudden headache that was already forming from the act of hitting the earth so hard. He looked around with sleep-induced eyes that were once again blurred from his lack of vision.

The nighttime was gone, as was the fog, and it was now replaced with the sounds of some kind of animal chirping in the distance. Dirt was pressed against his cheek and a large immovable object was unwittingly forcing the air out of his lungs as it crushed him from above.

"Get… OFF!" Matthew grumbled, his mood already soured by his rude awaking. But the large King above him made no motion to obey, instead grabbing his chin roughly between his leather clad fingers so as to examine his eyes.

"Are you fully awake now? Are you aware of your surroundings?"

Matthew struggled with frustration, but it was of little use, he had no chance of knocking the powerful man off when he'd had such a good start to begin with. And his efforts soon died off as he felt himself grow dizzy from the lack of oxygen. "I'm awake… just please… I can't breathe."

The King jumped up so quickly that the sudden rush of air to his lungs almost made him dizzier still. Ivan pulled Matthew up by the hem of his coat and brought over to sit on the log. Offering him water from his flask and some strange looking berries before his blurry eyes as he orientated himself to his new surroundings. The dream that had been as real as anything he ever knew was now fading in his mind, details lost and becoming jumbled with other memories.

Matthew wanted to bite out a nasty comment, but he was stopped when he heard a remorseful tone to the King's speech.

"I did not mean to startle you… or to cause you harm."

"Then why did you?" Matthew mumbled under his breath, only mildly placated by the apology. The King was still examining him in great detail and Matthew could make out the details of a frown from their close proximity.

Ivan was clearly worried, but he spoke as indifferent as ever.

"You were in a Faerie trance… and you had broken through the protection of the circle. I was only trying to prevent you from leaving."

Matthew hungrily ate the berries and chased them with a large gulp of water, wiping the trickle of liquid that fell from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand. He was ever mindful to how Ivan's eyes followed the unconscious movement intently before quickly directing his gaze back towards the safer territory of a spot of earth beside them both.

"You mean… I was sleep walking?" Matthew asked as he passed back the flask of water to the King.

"No… I do not mean that at all!" Ivan stood up abruptly, annoyed at being questioned. It was not something he was used to and Matthew did it an awful lot. "You were under a spell. I thought the circle would be enough to keep you safe, but it is useless if you can so easily be lured out of it while you sleep."

Matthew had a dark foreboding suspicion that he knew what the King was going to say next.

"The Fall Kingdom is only a few days away… we will have to hurry to evade the Summer King now that he is closer, and sleep… is unfortunately no longer an option." Ivan widened the girth between them, causing his outline to again become a blurry mystery to the young human.

Matthew at once wanted to protest the plan, to complain like an ungrateful brat being denied his dessert… but he knew that if he really was out of his senses, then the King was perfectly right in asking them to push through the last portion of their journey. So he swallowed his pride and hung his head silently, nodding in agreement that he would do as the King asked, just like he'd promised.

Ivan appeared to take pity on him, perhaps surprised at how easy it was to convince the normally contrary young man. "We will still rest when we can… and I will do my best to find more food for you along the way. The closer we are to the border, the more I am beginning to recognize the vegetation."

"Alright," Matthew whispered and then with a stronger voice. "Alright, I said I would trust you, and I do."

Ivan narrowed his eyes in suspicion, clearly not excepting any of this at all. "You do… without question?"

"No… not without question. I'd have to be pretty stupid to do that. But your reasoning makes sense, and you're actually bothering to run it by me for once, which is not something that you've ever actually bothered to do before. So yes, I have to trust you." Matthew wasn't quite sure if it was a trick of the light, his limited vision preventing him from seeing things clearly, but he could have sworn that the King was mildly flustered by his remark.

Ivan's mouth made a few vague movements as if to say something, but for a while nothing sprouted forth until finally, "Then we will make use of the early morning sun while we can. We will rest during the hottest hours of the day and then carry on into the night for as long as we can."

"B-but... my eyes?" Matthew protested, contradicting the very words he'd said not moments before about trusting the King. As hard as it was to make any progress during the day, it'd be even worse at night.

Ivan held out his hand once more, standing tall and impressive in the morning light. "I will have to ask you to trust me a little more then. I do not deny that it will be difficult, but it is our best chance of returning you home. And if what you say about Arthur is true… I would imagine he'd be very angry with me if I did not return you in good health."

Matthew couldn't help but think the King was joking with that last remark, and he smirked ruefully at the idea of his stuffy Guardian attacking the powerful King, and so said as much. "I doubt that Arthur would be very much of a challenge for your kind, especially such a 'great King' as yourself." His tone was teasing, mocking both men equally. But the response he got was a serious as Ivan could make it.

"I disagree… I'm sure he would be a formidable enemy if he had the right motivation… and my Kingdom has enough enemies to deal with as it is.

xxxxxxx

The party of four crossed the border with little to no trouble, a fact that bothered Gilbert greatly. The three horses that they'd chosen to bring with them padded their large hooves across the melting snow, soon stepping on thawing leaves and branches that dripped away any traces of ice.

For the most part Francis had been unconscious thus far; he had woken up shortly after the group had begun their journey to the Spring Kingdom, but upon waking, Francis had made the grave mistake of blearily commenting that Arthur smelled 'just like him' in an all too happy voice. The former knight had promptly raised his stolen sword and smacked the hilt sharply against the back of the prisoner's head, causing him to slump forward again into blissful silence.

Alfred had chosen to keep his distance from Arthur as much as possible, choosing to guard the rear in much the same way that Gilbert headed up the front. While the Kingdom they'd just departed and the one they were currently entering into were not at war and therefore, by their standards, very much a peace, it was still a dangerous choice on their part to cross the border without first expressly asking permission from the Queen herself. An approval that would have been most likely denied save if Ivan had pressed the issue himself.

Alternatively however, if they now came across the Queen while trespassing on her territory, it would be a sticky situation at best and at worst they might accidentally reveal that the Winter King had been spirited away by none other than a cursed human who'd returned from his imposed exile.

No… this was not a good situation for any of them to be in.

Gilbert managed to drop his guard somewhat after the first few hours in the warmer kingdom had proven safe. A quick glance towards Arthur showed that he too was calming his nerves and was no longer as on edge as he had been before. It was after all, not for certain that the Queen would notice their presence, just something they had to be aware of.

The trees around them began to grow thicker, a beautiful display of spring flowers blossoming around them almost as soon as they approached at every turn. The fragrance was a bit strong for those that were used to the clean crisp air of the Winter Kingdom and Gilbert found the atmosphere particularly stifling when compared to the wide-open expanses of his own land, with its subtle beauty and riches that he had long grown to love.

The pale haired regent frowned when he heard an odd chirping sound coming from up ahead. He slowed his horse down in order to approach the small object that was jumping about on a low branch. The creature was like nothing else he'd ever seen before, small and fluffy with golden feathers crowning it from head to toe.

Gilbert unsheathed his Iron sword, a weapon that would strike fear in the very heart of any faerie creature (save Arthur and the King, of course). But when he extended the weapon in order to poke at the small creature, it did not shy away, and instead jumped directly onto the iron, hopping its way down the length of the sword until it was nearly at the hilt.

"Arthur… look at this… what sort of creature is this? I've never seen its like before."

Arthur's horse languidly approached the 'beast', its rider rolling his eyes with an annoyed look at the young Regent. "Honestly Gilbert, if you're going to turn this exhibition into a bird watching trip, I may as well leave you behind now and take Francis off on my own."

Gilbert scowled at the little creature that had by now used its tiny little claws to climb up his leather and cloth tunic until it was well situated on top of his shoulder. Gilbert didn't particularly want to look frightened when Arthur was doing his best to disapprove so condescendingly, but when the little thing started pecking away at his white hair, he swatted at the creature until it fell onto his lap in disarray.

By then Alfred had approached them as well and was peering at the strange creature with about as much interest as Gilbert had, reinforcing his belief that Arthur was under reacting.

"W-what is it Gil? Do you think it's dangerous?"

"Of for the love of… it's a BIRD… a little baby bird! It's no more of a threat than either of YOU two are!"

Twin sets of angry eyes glared back at the former knight before the sad cries of the little bird caused Gilbert to rethink his action of hitting the defenseless creature. He lifted it up into his small hands to confirm that it was ok. "What is it doing here do you think?"

"That…is actually a good question. It's from the human world and even if a bird did manage to survive the portal, one as young as this should have perished without its mother's aid."

"It has… no mother?" Gilbert asked despondently, Alfred's face falling in equal sympathy at the news.

Arthur slapped his face with a single gloved hand, disbelieving that he'd ever left the Kingdom at all in the hands of these two men, even under Ivan's watchful eye.

"It is not natural you fools, it is obviously a trick or an apparition of some sort. I suggestion you run it through immediately before it reports back to its master."

At the mere mention of hurting the little bird, Gilbert drew it close to his chest and Alfred drove his horse in between the Regent and the former knight.

Arthur only raised his eyebrow in distaste, utterly tired of dealing with the two men. "Fine, keep it. Maybe it can tell you where the King has gone." With these last words he prodded his horse into motion again, ready and willing to leave his two companions behind if he had to. But no sooner had he started off in the direction than the little bird started chirping furiously again.

"Uh… Arthur… I don't think he wants you to go that way."

Arthur snorted loudly, moving the horse even quicker. "Well in that case maybe the little pest has some uses after all, I'll be sure to go wherever it doesn't approve."

Alfred scowled and Gilbert could just barely hear him mutter under his breath. "I don't remember him being this much of an ass. Maybe… he should have just stayed away for good."

The little chirps had by now turned into outright cries and Gilbert looked back up at Arthur's retreating form with dismay. "Arthur… I really think…" No sooner had the words left his mouth than Arthur was flung off his horse by a large tree vine. He never even had the chance to hit the ground before a second vine curled itself around his body, holding him high in the air and slowly cutting off his air supply.

Alfred's eyes widened in panic and he frantically jumped off his horse to try and pry the vines open with his bare hands, his sword unfortunately still in the possession of the trapped Fae above them. Gilbert was not far behind him, raising his own sword high in order to cut down the deadly vine that curled tighter and tighter around its victim. But before his iron blade had struck its mark even once, a sweet voice wrung out from the side of a tall particularly flowered tree.

"I would not do that if I were you." The melodic voice commanded in a tone that brokered for no argument.

Gilbert turned in the direction of the voice and brandished his sword at the stranger instead. "Then I'll cut you down first if you do not release him."

Alfred was still digging his fingers through the cracks of the vine, his fingertips bleeding in their efforts to free his former mentor, but it was all to no avail and still the vine grew tighter.

"And who might you be to think that you can give orders to the Queen of Spring?" Green eyes could be seen glowing now from the shadows. The full figure of an exceptionally beautiful woman stepped forward dressed in a long white gown covered by a forest green overlay of cloth with delicate gold trimmings. Her soft brown hair was thick and spun like silk as it reached well past her waist in smooth waves. There was a single green flower, much the same colour as her gown, which was placed securely in her dark locks near by her temple. And as she leaped directly off of the branch that held her fast, her feet never even touched the ground before great tree roots sprung up high to meet her every step, only to then bring her gently down to the earth below. Little flowers blooming after each patch of earth her bare feet walked over.

But Gilbert was undeterred in the least; he raised his deadly weapon high and thrust it perilously close to her pale flawless neck. He noticed with some satisfaction that she flinched minutely at the action and the vines around Arthur let up just enough for him to allow him a single breath of air.

"I am the heir to the Winter Throne, a member of the Seeley court and by rights I will defend an attack on one of my people."

The Queen looked momentarily amused, unaccustomed to displays of brute strength in a world where nearly everyone could use some form of magic. Never removing her bright eyes from Gilbert's, she flicked her wrist absently and the vines around Arthur opened wide to drop him unceremoniously to the forest floor. Alfred just barely dove down in time to catch him before he hit the ground. He laid him gently down in order to check his pulse and dilated eyes that were still spinning from lack of oxygen.

"I have heard words about you… Gilbert of the Winter Kingdom. They say you were born without a trace of magic to your blood. Abandoned by your own mother… and wholly dependent on the only man who would ever dare take you in. Your so-called 'Uncle', a man who can barely tolerate your presence, but does so only for the prestige that it brings him to have in his possession the son of the greatest and most powerful Fae of all time."

Gilbert pushed the blade forward, causing the Queen to take a step back even as she raised her chin defiantly. "I would be careful with your loose words, Queen Elizabeta, for I'm feeling a tad short tempered today."

The Queen nodded her head graciously, as if she were agreeing to a witty comment at the dinner table, and not admitting to defeat against a blade that could easily cut her throat open no matter her aptitude in magic.

"Then answer me this instead and I may yet let you pass unharmed."

Gilbert wearily looked back at his companions, Francis who still lay helplessly unconscious on the ground and Arthur who was just now stirring, coughing greatly as he was helped up by a very angry looking young Knight.

"Fine… if that's your price for safe passage, you may ask."

The Queen's smile widened and she stepped forward to reclaim her dominance of the situation. "Just when, young Prince, had your King intended to inform me that the human child had returned."

TBC…

Thanks again to Kaylessa. You are the best Beta ever

Really sorry about the delay, got a one-shot in my head and I had to write it. But it's out of my system now.

Anyways maybe I answered some questions… maybe I created more… look Gilbird… yay J