Chapter 18

Gabriel watched as John spoke with Nyline in a hushed tone. He could feel her emotions as they plummeted, making him suddenly feel like he was being dropped into ice water. Then he saw the shock and horror cross her face as she pulled the music things from her ears. Whatever John was saying to her, was crushing her. It hurt him to see and experience that much pain coming from a single person.

So, when Nyline turned and walked away, he understood, but that didn't keep his eyes from following her all the way to the door. She glanced back, her eyes connecting with his just long enough for him to see that she had tears running down her face. He wanted to run to her, hold her close, and fix any problem that she had. However, in this moment, he would need to hold himself in check. Understand the situation and figure out the best action afterwards.

"What's going on?" The prince that Nyline had called Damien asked as he walked towards John

"She's just having a hard time facing reality." John's voice was sad and soft as he kept his eyes on the castle where Nyline had just vanished. He only got a single word from her mind as she walked away. Meld. Gabriel could connect the dots at that and turned his attention to John.

"Did you really use a meld skill for her entire life?" John looked over at Gabriel at that.

"If she thought otherwise then she wouldn't stay, now would she." His voice was hard and for the first time since Nyline had walked away, he turned from the castle. "You guys might want to just head back to your kingdoms for the time being. She isn't going to simply accept this."

"I for one have nothing else to do," Gabriel spoke sounding bored, "So I might as well stay. Set up camp for the time being." His scouts darted off.

"We'll if he's staying, I'm staying," Damien spoke crossing his arms, he turned to his scouts. "Rebecca and Jake inform the airship captain that we will be staying here for a little while."

"Wait," John spoke taking his time to look around at all the scouts. "Under no means are you to enter the dining hall. This is not a request." Damien raised his eyebrow at him as he turned and walked back into the castle.

"Listen to what he has to say for now. Rebecca and Jake don't forget to bring back supplies. Angelica, Nyline looked upset, could you talk to her?" Everyone nodded before they vanished as Angelica blinked up at him, she crossed her arms.

"Shouldn't you be the one doing that?"

"Because that will go over so well. You are soft spoken so you should not annoy her. Ryan and Nathan go see if Gabriel's scouts need any help setting up camp." They nodded before they vanished. Damien turned to look at Gabriel who was still standing in the snow looking at him.

"Shall we talk?" Gabriel smiled.

"Sure, why not, I've got nothing better to do at this point." Damien sighed as he rubbed his face.

"I've come here often, so I know the castle well, just follow me." Gabriel spoke as they walked into one of the doors.

"Why would you come here often? My parents would never let me wander here. They say this entire kingdom is cursed and that's why no one has tried to take it over." Damien spoke as he looked up and down the destroyed hallway.

"It is in a sense. The entire town and royal family were killed in one night. No one knows what happened here. Except for maybe John, but I don't think he will be talking anytime soon."

"Yeah," Damien laughed, "He's a scout inside and out. This is really difficult," Gabriel looked at him and laughed.

"Yeah I guess you're right." Gabriel stopped as they looked out at the courtyard. "Nyline was saying something about you being her mated pair?" Damien ran his hand through his hair.

"Well, about that. It seems she hates me." Damien leaned against one of the walls and looked at the ceiling. "It's an agreement that our parents set up when we were born. I'm guessing that you are her actual mate?"

"Yes, we were born that the same time but if she outright refuses to have a mated pair then there isn't much I can do." Gabriel looked at him, his face going deadpan. "Pardon me if I'm rude but don't you have an actual mated pair, why are you chasing after her?" Damien's eye widened before he sighed and glanced out the window, they were next to.

"I've spent my entire life looking for her. Since I've found her, I can't really make myself let go." Damien spoke with his arms crossed

"What about your real mate?"

"I don't know, my entire life I always thought that she was my mated pair. I only found out that she wasn't a little while ago."

"Have they never connected with you?" Gabriel looked shocked at this fact.

"Apparently, Nyline's aether masks me because she isn't paired with anyone, so my mate is unable to find me."

"That sounds lonely, I bet there someone close to home."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well if your parents knew that there was a chance that you wouldn't be able to find Nyline I'm sure they had someone else lined up. In your kingdom you must have a mate to rule, so it only makes sense." Gabriel looked at him before he smirked.

"Yeah I bet your right. They gave me one more year to find her before they paired me with someone else. Wait… how do you know that?"

"That is common knowledge for more than just your kingdom. On another note I have spent excessive time studying not only my kingdom but the other's as well. I am versed with most general laws, locations, and capitals for each kingdom." Damien could only stare at him.

"When did you ever find time to do that?" Gabriel shrugged.

"I didn't have much better to do when I was growing up. So, I spent an excessive time reading." Damien took his time understanding what he meant by that before he changed the subject. Gabriel tried hard to keep the smile off of his face as he guessed that Damien was unhappy about how versed he was in the knowledge of the world.

"Anyways, that aside. John said that she gets to choose who she wants to be paired with. So, I still might have a chance, she's just a little difficult to deal with." Those words sounded more like they were trying to convince Damien himself more than Gabriel.

"I don't think she's hard to deal with. I think she is just afraid of what it means." Damien laughed loudly and harshly.

"Angelica said the same thing, but I don't think she is a fearful person. She got attacked by a darkling when we found her and she walked right up to it, didn't even flinch. Anyone who can walk right up to a daemon and not flinch is made of stronger stuff than a lot of us. Plus, she has a spark that I've never seen before in any other, it's like she can control a room just by walking in." Damien's words made Gabriel think about the small amount that he knew about the princess. From when they had been trying to find her, she had been terrified and only calmed when she saw his daemon form. Then after, she was so stressed that he could tell that she was falling apart. However, when she had jumped out of that window and started yelling at the both to recall their scouts, she had looked fearless, but Gabriel knew that was just a mask she wore to hide how she was really feeling. He understood why Damien would think that she is unbreakable, especially if that's all she'd shown him.

"She is a lot more fragile than you would think," Gabriel confessed right as Angelica appeared next to them, going down on one knee.

"Report."

"Princess Nyline has gone into a bedroom on the bottom level. I think she is tired, so I left her alone. Angelica spoke in her soft breathy voice.

"It is true that she hasn't gotten any sleep since yesterday… thank you for checking, please go find the other scouts and see if there is anything, they could use your help on." Angelica only nodded before she vanished.

"Don't forget about her movement skill, I'm sure she fell asleep the second that her head hit the pillow." Gabriel muttered under his breath trying to hide the prideful smile that was trying to force itself onto his lips.

"I don't think I've ever seen a person other than a scout use a movement skill. I'm amazed she can use it so well."

"She grew up with a scout, I'm sure she knows many more of their skills. If John is insisting on her choosing a mate. I think it would be better if we got along. It would make things easier on Nyline."

"I think you are right," There was a long silence before Gabriel turned.

"I'm going to leave you here; I want to go check on something." Gabriel spoke over his shoulder and Damien nodded at him as he glanced out over the snowy landscape.

Gabriel wanted to do something for Nyline. He knew that she was upset and didn't want to be around anyone, but he thought he could help a little. He did a quick mental check and found that she was indeed fast asleep. It only took a quick stop by the drawing room as he grabbed the blanket and her patchwork teddy. Delta walked in as he was heading out and looked at him with surprise.

"Did you see where Nyline went to sleep?" Delta gave him a warm smile.

"She's in the queens' quarters." Gabriel gave her a nod before he turned to go but stopped and back tracked.

"Did you need anything?"

"No, I was just checking on you. I saw that your conversation had finished with Prince Damien."

"Ah, well yes. I guess he can't give up the fact that he's been looking for Nyline for his entire life. So, he is going to keep trying to win her over." Delta raised her brow at that.

"I do not believe Princess Nyline would appreciate that from him. From the way she acted towards him in the garden, I believe that she would like him to simply leave."

"I am aware; however, Damien isn't going to listen to me. He will simply have to figure it out on his own."

"And what is our plan?" Gabriel looked down at the patchwork teddy in his hands, his mind going to what Nyline had been saying. She didn't want a mate at all.

"Well if she rejects me, there isn't much I can do. Personally, I want her to be happy and if she will be happier on the other side of the fairy gate then I'll support her leaving."

"Is that something that you'll be able to live with?" Delta's voice sounded off, making Gabriel look up. Her eyebrows were drawn together, and he had a feeling that all of his scouts were currently looking at him in that moment.

"I've lived up to this point without a mate, I do not mind living the rest of my life in the same way. I have all of you, always." Delta's face cracked slightly, and she just gave him a small smile.

"I'm going to go sneak in and give these to Nyline. When I return, we can speak more on this matter. I would like all of your council on how exactly to go about doing this." Delta nodded and Gabriel headed down the hallway and through the maze that was the Thaul castle.

He reached the Queens door, he paused listening to Nyline's soft breathing from the other side, then slowly he turned the knob and slipped in. Nyline had curled up on top of the queen's old bed into a tight ball. Looking down at her, he couldn't help the small half smile that lifted one side of his lips. Without hesitation he threw the blanket over her and tucked the patchwork teddy into the nook of her arm. At that point, he reached down and ran his hand across her cheek, feather light. Her face broke out into a smile as she rolled into his hand.

Gabriel couldn't help but grin down at his mate. So strong and brave, yet delicate and fragile. She was everything that he could have hoped for, but he knew that if she woke and found him here, she would be unhappy. So, he pulled his hand from hers and replaced it with the patchwork teddy. She rolled over and clutched it, then taking one last look at her, he turned and went back to the door leaving just as quietly as he had entered.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you sneaking into her room." John spoke from the wall once the door had closed.

"Oh, don't make me out to be a pervert. I brought her a blanket and the bear that the queen made her."

"How do you know the queen made it?"

"The stitching is horrible." John's face broke as he cracked a grin.

"Yeah it is, but Stephaney worked really hard on that stupid little bear."

"I'm assuming she worked on it for a while?" John nodded.

"And stabbed herself with the needle about a hundred times. The maids tried to take over the project, but she insisted on finishing it herself." Gabriel smiled.

"She'll be happy to hear that her mother actually made that, she doesn't know yet." John's face went straight.

"She doesn't know a lot of things yet."

"What does that mean?" Gabriel raised his brow at John who only shook his head.

"Once you get to know her more, you'll understand."

"She seems pretty dead set on going back to the human world." Gabriel's words were soft as he tried to cover the sadness that those words brought.

"She won't, I assure you. So, don't give up just yet. We'll speak more about this later after she wakes up. Try to stay out of her room." Gabriel opened his mouth to speak, but John pushed off the wall and walked down the hallway. Gabriel watched him go before he turned and returned to the drawing room and his scouts.