#sydelle

 Griffin didn’t like this house most times, but the people he stayed close to made it worth it. He had to remind himself that while the head of the household was… not kind, he at least had his partner, Ardghal. And said partner’s daughter. Two people he loved very much. And while Ardy was happy to tell him “we can go whenever you like”, he didn’t want to impose. It was better to leave for a reason that was for them, not himself.

 And he liked the stability. He liked the accessibility. Of a big, grand, ancient vampire home, housing so much information about the things he liked. He had no objections to it. He’d just find ways to avoid the problem. It wasn’t hard to, in such a labyrinthe home.

 He thought that to himself as he adjusted his best sweater, listening to Ardy talk about what he was looking forward to at dinner. While said head of household spurred him on, discussing who would be cooking, who would be there. It was a general little personal birthday party - for Demetre’s only son. Finn never met him, but he was happy to meet the child of the man housing them.

 Demetre was… not kind. In fact, he was extremely close minded, but he knew from what Ardy said that his son was far from that. He could trust his opinion. So he was eager about the arrival. Some of Demetre’s friends would be there, some family, but Finn would be mostly shy and courteous with the guests. Just some names he hadn’t heard before, some he did hear of. Layla, the Wisterian princess and queen to be. Esme, the Winter court queen. Her son, from what he’d assume, a Winter court prince? Maybe? Ardghal was mostly vague about that one. The princess’ protection detail, lots of people he didn’t expect to be seeing.

Exciting, but anxiety inducing. He could handle it.

“One other thing,” Demetre said to Ardghal, as he fixed his bolo tie, “Constantine replied late. He said he would be coming too. Do you want to sit away from him?”

“Don’t give much of a shit where he’s sittin’,” Ardy said. “The man doesn’t talk to me and I won’t talk back. His fault if anything comes up.”

“Well, I’m mostly thinking about how you two fought the last time, I mean-”

“No, we didn’t fight. Daft cunt wanted to ask too many questions about me being a legitimate coven leader. I jus’ told him ta shut the fuck up. Can’t go wrong there.”

“Well… I can keep him distracted. That’s the best I can do.”

 Finn mostly kept in mind the part of this Constantine person being a problem. He only saw him once and did not like the feeling he gave him. But he was there for Demetre. Finn paid it no mind. But he’d make sure to keep Ardy away if he tried to speak to his partner.

The night was going swimmingly, all things considered.

 Finn couldn’t eat a lot of the food brought there unfortunately. The Winter court queen so graciously offered him something from her lands, a courtesy to anyone she spoke to. He just shyly smiled at the tall woman, waving his hands at her.

“My stomach is quite, er, sensitive,” he said, hoping it wouldn’t seem like an offense. “I would hate to get sick and insult your cooking.”

“Oh, by all means, it’s a light delicacy,” the woman said, smiling so charmingly as she gently held it in front of him. “A little minty, but it’s best for weak stomachs. Its texture is also quite… Crispy, I’d say. Nothing too heavy like what Demetre’s been offering.”

 Hmm, it did look tempting. Just small snowflake shaped cookies, topped off with pretty little leaves. Maybe it was fondant, made to look like a mini-mint leaf? Or real. Esme looked like the type of person to forgo fondant. But she did go to the trouble of making them look like snowflakes. How on the nose. It was kind of cute - but he knew from the stories that the Winter queen wasn’t exactly cute. But, it was a personal affair. She was in her element.

Finn smiled, taking one. He needed to stop overanalyzing some damn cookies.

“Thank you,” he said, doing his best to be as polite as possible. “I assume you made this?”

“In my off time. Sweet little Adrien loves these. Although he asks for less mint, it hurts his head,” she laughed, sitting the tray down. 

Surprisingly, it wasn’t so bad. His stomach didn’t feel heavy as it settled. Thank goodness. He’d feel terrible if he got sick tonight.

“I figure you would be making the food he enjoys most,” Finn smiled as he reached for another. “Is that why there’s so much garlic? I didn’t expect it until the princess told me he’s half.”

“Garlic is Adrien’s favorite…” Esme cringed, crossing her arms as she stared at the table. “Favorite flavor, I suppose. The full vampires living here can handle it, I’m sure.”

“Ardy hates the smell, but he’s definitely not dying or anything.”

“I assure you, we all do,” she laughed, grimacing for a moment. “I must ask though, you’re a new arrival here. You and Ardghal’s little girl, no less. Are you…?”

She waved her hand, mostly to indicate whatever his relationship was with Ardghal. Finn smiled proudly, nodding.

“He’s my boyfriend, er- uhm, partner! Boyfriend feels kind of immature to use for him, b-but yes! My name is Griffin, but you can call me Finn.” 

“Oh, that’s so sweet,” she smiled warmly, in a tone he didn’t expect from someone so stone cold. “You must be very good for him, then, Finn. He was always so dour and quiet when he first came here. Demetre’s younger sister, Milla, would tell me all sorts of things about him when she’d come to watch Adrien and my son.”

“He must have been here a long time. I just want to get used to it,” he said, sighing. “Altissima doesn’t have much by way of diversity, at least where I’m from. All these vampires and fey are…”

His face heated up. Why was he speaking so casually to a queen? Much less the queen of Winter?

“I apologize,” he said, stammering as a sweat broke out on the back of his neck.

“For what? You are not being insensitive,” she said, tilting her head. “Just observant. Correct?”

“Y-Yes, I… do not mean any ill will. But it’s a different world, I hope to adjust well here and maybe be as close to everyone as Ardy is,” he laughed, hoping his blush wasn’t so obvious. “Demetre I do not get along with so well, but I hope it will be okay.”

“Oh, darling, that’s just Demetre,” she said, sounding a little bitter. “Whatever it is, it’s going to be him. You’re better off ignoring him. He’ll stay as passive and nice as possible to you, but it’s not worth it.”

“... You mean that?”

“He’s close minded as they get. He’s a longtime friend, but…” She hummed, staring at Finn with half-lidded eyes. “But I am mostly here for Adrien and our friends. I mean, everyone here is just happy to see family they haven’t in so long. You know how the Erythrinian princess is here?”

“Y-Yes, miss Adelaide. One of Adrien’s friends, right?”

“That is the only reason she’s here. He…” She breathed, closing her eyes. “Long story short, she’s dark fey. He does not… favor them.”

“I can tell that much. He doesn’t like talking about their court at all.”

“Yes, that’s a constant of his…” Another grimace. “Adelaide does not like his presence, but it’s her second oldest friend’s birthday. I’ve seen those two interact since they were young. Adelaide wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Now that you mention it, she has been steering clear of Demetre, despite him being the host.”

“He treats her coldly. He doesn’t talk to her like you’d speak to a princess, much less a fey kingdom’s ruler. I’ve fought with him too many times on that subject, but he’s stubborn.”

“He’s… pretty cold to me, too,” Finn murmured, scratching the back of his neck. 

“Oh?” She narrowed her eyes, looking around. The only people near them was just some help that lived in the castle, and then Adrien himself, indulging himself on some rolls. Completely lost in his own world. “How so, Finn?”

“Ah…” She’s a borderline eternally living fey queen. She wouldn’t judge, would she? “He… does not support my identity, I suppose. He doesn’t respect who I am.”

Something in her must have clicked. Because right then, she sighed, irritated, like this was old news.

“What facet of your identity, darling?”

“I…” Finn hummed, clasping his hands together. “It’s uhm, a gender thing.”

“So then it’s what I think it is?”

“... That he’s uhm, t-transphobic?”

“Yes, there it is.” Esme groaned, looking as if she were tempted to go and chastise the man right then.

“I… t-try not to think about it, but he’s very adamant that I am just uhm, not… right. In the head for it. I’ve tried multiple times to appeal to him over it, but he does not budge.”

“And unfortunately, he won’t,” she muttered. “He’s taken that same stance with Casimir’s newest partner. Even saying it to his face. It didn’t go so well. Done the same to…”

A stark silence, as she swallowed hard.

“To my daughter. She took it in stride, but it angered me and her father. Demetre is… Stupid, he’s incredibly ignorant and doesn’t understand how other people’s minds work.”

“That’s what Ardy said. He’s been telling me we could leave if I ever feel unsafe, but I’d much rather stay here and leave on better terms,” Finn said. “It… hurts. A lot. I don’t like hearing someone tell me who I am isn’t real because I’m not okay, but I can bear with it. It’s better than where I used to be.”

“Well…” Esme hummed, staring at him with a caring look in her icy eyes. “You certainly are stronger than you look. But don’t let that stubbornness keep you from finding any comfort. There’s no growth in an environment that harms you.”

She wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t fight her on that.

 There was a little bit of silence, until a woman, decked out in a teal and black dress, donning a little flower tiara, came to excitedly greet Esme. That had to be the Erythrinian princess. For all the grace and decorum Esme exuded, Finn felt a far more friendly and personable aura from her as she turned to say hello to the princess.

 He figured it was time for them to say their hellos and catch up. Finn graciously smiled, thanking Esme for her time, as he took another cookie and entered the main grounds for the party.

 It was a big deal, sure - but the group was more or less friends and family. Adrien’s close friends, Layla’s protective detail who were also friends. But going by some of the guests - a white haired boy, excitedly scarfing down a plate as an older man with that same stark white hair looked on in sligh worry - there was definitely no worries about food running out. 

 He shyly avoided most of the crowd, besides seeing Ambrose - who he was most definitely familiar with. He warmly waved to the redhead, who was engaged in a conversation with his draconic husband and a female elf. He happily waved back, smiling as he beckoned Finn forth into their little discussion.

“I had no idea you were invited here,” Rose said, as his husband excitedly waved at him. 

 He hadn’t seen either of them since they had to traverse the maze-like cathedrals in Altissima. Finn had only been told that Ambrose fell into a deep depression, spending most of his time in Erythrina - but right then, he looked much better than he heard. Hair tied back into a neat bun, wearing what had to be the most tight yet ruffly outfit he had ever seen. 

 His husband - most definitely more bright and cheery than when they met - slouched behind him, smiling like a dork. Dressed in his own eye catching ensemble, he couldn’t help but worry about all the dangly pieces on his outfit, if he’d trip on them or not. But that thought left soon enough when he got his words together, shyly smiling at the pair.

“I live here, actually,” he laughed, clasping his hands together again as he adjusted his posture. “I’m just sort of looking around to see if I recognize anyone.”

“It might just be us, besides Adrien. I didn’t know you lived here, though, are you a friend of Demetre’s?” Rose tilted his head, ignoring his husband idly resting his head on top of his. He was like a damn puppy.

“Ah….” Not at all. “My, er, partner is. But Demetre was kind enough to give me a place here as well.”

“I guess it’s sort of like culture shock being here, huh?”

“I… suppose,” Finn shrugged, smiling sheepishly. “You know about my former arrangements. The freedom is different. But it’s most definitely appreciated. Are you uhm, here for Adrien, or just as Layla’s protective detail?”

“Ah, sort of both.” Rose hummed, side-eyeing Adrien, who was busy, still, with those rolls. “A lot of my friends are here, too. I don’t really like talking to Demetre, but he’s easy to avoid.”

“It sounds like you and Princess Adelaide both don’t want anything to do with him,” Finn mused, as he saw Aidoneus huff, closing his eyes. “And Aidoneus, it seems.”

“He’s stupid,” Aidoneus said. “Super annoying and selfish. But Adrien is one of my best friends. Demetre’s just the host, not the birthday boy.”

“What he said,” Rose chuckled. “If he says anything to us, Layla will just fight with him again, anyway. I hear he’s…” Rose chewed on his lip, looking around. “Inviting someone else none of us want to see, but thankfully he’s going to just be near Demetre, so it’ll be easy to avoid.”

“... Is it someone named Constantine?” Finn frowned, remembering how Ardy was talking about him earlier. 

“Lucky you, sounds like you haven’t met him,” Aido grumbled. 

“He’s… a piece of shit, to be short,” Rose said. “But he knows the only person here that’d tolerate him, maybe, is Adrien. But he only does because he may or may not be dating his aunt? And Adrien still wants a connection with her. It’s… complicated. But you would not enjoy his presence.”

“If Demetre’s an asshole, Constantine’s the shit,” Aido said, tilting his head to look over to where Demetre might be. “But he’s smart enough to know he can’t bother us, especially with Layla around.”

“Constantine has enough braincells to know not to pick a fight at Adrien’s birthday, anyway. He’s always been the most deceptively kind to him,” Rose added. “Adrien knows, but it makes these things easier.”

“You really don’t want to talk to Constantine anyway,” Aido said. “He’s fucking creepy and not… trustworthy.”

“If you find yourself alone with him, call for any of us.”

 Finn wasn’t quite in the loop with these things, but he just smiled, nodding. He was grateful for the heads up if anything. That… sounded especially dubious, but he didn’t want to ask for further information. Not right then, anyway. He was a little nervous the man would hear somehow.

“Do you wanna come with us and eat for a bit?” Rose asked, trying to lighten the mood. “I think you and Addie would get along, if you’re nervous about any of the new people.”

“Oh, sure,” Finn smiled, nodding. “I’m just waiting to see about Ardghal and Sydelle.”

“They’re free to join us,” he said, smiling at him.

 So the night dragged on - Finn sat with Rose and his friends, listening to them talk about various things, going from birthday discussions, to favorite foods, things that happened to them recently, while he looked out for Ardy, hoping he and his daughter would arrive soon.

  Weirdly, though, he hadn’t seen either of them. He knew Sydelle wanted to take her time and look pretty - she was excited to meet  family friends she hadn’t seen since she was a child. He chose a dress with her and everything. Ardy was… he wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he wondered if he was just going there to see about her.

 So he waited. Trying out some of the food Rose would suggest. He had a similar stomach problem, definitely not as severe as his own, but he had issues eating food that would be too greasy. So he sort of had a good idea of what Finn could eat. Meanwhile, his husband and the princess’ betrothed ate like beasts. Not to say that the Wisterian princess wasn’t eating a lot too - happily indulging in some meat pie while she talked to her fiance and his friend. It was friendly, it was warm. He really liked being here.

But that feeling wasn’t going away. This pit building in his stomach.

Something was wrong.

 Finn started to get up, deciding to listen to his gut. If something was happening, he needed to do something about it. Swallowing hard as he looked at the exit.

“What’s wrong, Finn?” Rose asked softly, staring up at him.

“Oh, er, nothing,” he said, looking back. “I just want to see what’s taking Ardy and Sydelle so long. I’ll be back in a moment.”

 Smiling before he left, Finn walked slowly out of the room, then broke into a brisk pace down the hall. He hadn’t seen Demetre or this Constantine either. Where were all of them? Talking? He doubted Sydelle would want to - she was always irritated talking to Demetre, and he figured she had no relation to Constantine to care.

But something felt wrong. Something here felt off.

 That feeling only grew worse, his skin beginning to crawl as he got further and further from the clamor of Adrien’s party. Only the sound of his loafers clicking against the flooring his companion. He figured, wherever any of them might be, it had to be up on the second floor. Rushing up the winding stairs, his throat going dry.

Why did this feel so wrong?

 He wasn’t sure what to think. No idea what was in store. Maybe Demetre just took the two aside for an important talk about their differences. Maybe Sydelle was taking her time and Ardy went to badger her to hurry up. Maybe Demetre was busy talking to his friend. It couldn’t be so bad. It couldn’t.

 Finn continued his way down the hall, aiming for the den. He could hear voices coming from there. If it was just some of the help, maybe they would be able to answer his questions. He stopped short at the door, taking a deep breath, trying to center hi-

Wait, that was a scream.

“Don’t you dare touch my daughter again, you crusty old fuck!”

Oh gods, that was Ardghal.

 Finn, in a panic, reached for the doorknob, before he felt someone’s hand land on his shoulder. He froze in terror, looking back at whoever it was.

“Oh, I wonder what’s going on in there?”

Gods, it was Demetre.

 He stammered in terror, staring at the tall vampire, who had his eyes on the door. Eyebrows pull together in concern, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. More like an annoyed resignation, like that of a parent overhearing their children having a fight.

“I figure you are also curious, then?” He surveyed him for a moment, definitely taking advantage of his height. Finn was a tall man, sure, but Demetre was a vampire. His kind were ridiculously tall.

He couldn’t help the anxiety brewing. 

“Y-Yes,” he sputtered out, eyes darting to the door. “I-I was worried about you, Ardghal, and Sydelle, s-so-”

“I was just having a conversation with Ardghal. He left in a hurry. I think I heard his daughter. Come, let’s try and solve their problem together.”

He didn’t like how calm he sounded.

 Finn nervously opened the door, looking in. At first he was hoping it was his unbalanced emotions going extremely out of line, but the image before him-

 There stood Ardghal, arms wrapped around Sydelle from behind, as he protectively had her pulled to his chest. Eyes wide, furious. He was practically foaming at the mouth as he stared at the other party.

 The other person looked back, uninterested for a moment, just checking to see who came in. He was a strange man with wavy, chestnut brown hair, tied into a low ponytail topped off with a little ribbon. His eyes narrowed slightly at Finn and Demetre, and he couldn’t help but to realize just how off his eyes looked.

Completely dark, almost black. With the smallest teal glint in them.

 He honestly looked like a stereotypical vampire. Wicked, cultured, unnerving. Finn couldn’t figure out what was happening that caused for Ardy to be holding onto Sydelle in such a way. Not until he looked at her, and his stomach sank.

 Her own eyes were just as wide as Ardy’s, but more fearful than anything. Mouth clamped shut, as she held onto her father’s arms for more protection. Her hair seemed a little out of sorts, her dress riding up unnaturall-

 He swallowed, eyes travelling to the seating in the room. Throw pillows out of place. He looked back at the new addition, surmising it had to be Constantine. He had only one glove on. Finn’s eyes immediately scanned the room, looking to see if it were anywhere else.

Lo and behold, the glove was on the ground, near the section of the couch with its out of place pillows.

No. No no no. No.

He looked at Demetre, who seemed just as uninterested as before.

Finn needed to say something.

His anxiety couldn’t take this. But the people he loved were in trouble, and he was brave, right?

He could do this, right?

Finn tried to find his voice, and-

“Constantine, I told you not to bother anyone while you were here.”

… Demetre spoke instead.

“Oh, I heard you loud and clear, Demetre,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t have a chat with my betrothed.”

“She’s not your fucking wife!” Ardghal snarled at him, stepping further back and taking his daughter with him.

“Oh? Not my wife?” Constantine tilted his head, staring at Sydelle. “Dear heart, speak for yourself. Tell him what you were to me.”

 Sydelle was stunned silent. At least, Finn thought she was. No, she tried to open her mouth, tried to say someth-

“You kidnapped-” She made a ghastly gagging noise, but fought to continue, “-me and r- gghkk-!”

 There was a horrible silence in the room as Sydelle started to cough violently, trying to pry herself from her father as she doubled over, vomiting on the floor. He stepped forward, reaching his hand out, until the light caught what came out of her.

Needles.

 The silence filtered in again, as she stood there, trying to clear her throat and crying in response. Little whimpers leaving her, as Ardghal tried to comfort her - but it wasn’t like any of them knew how. She threw up needles, how were they going to help? Finn just stared on in horror, until Constantine started to speak again.

“Well, that’s proof enough. Still mine. Why don’t you act out your only fatherly duty and just pass her back to me? She won’t be throwing up like this in my home, you know.”

 Ardghal didn’t have words. He just met Constantine’s stare with the most viscerally angry look he’d ever seen his partner make. Finn needed to say something. He couldn’t let this get violent. Sydelle needed to be away from this person. She needed help. Not this.

“You have no right speaking to him like that,” Finn said to him, slightly shocked by the calm anger in his own voice. “Sydelle doesn’t belong to anyone, much less you-”

“Oh, no, she does. We finished our vows and sealed them with a kiss. And then she ran off with half of my fortune somehow. This girl didn’t divorce me. She’s still-”

“Sydelle is barely an adult!” Finn stepped forward, clenching his fists. What was he doing? Fighting a stupid vampire? Would his holy magic stand a chance?

Wait, Demetre, would he help? He prayed he would. This wasn’t going to be pretty. He needed to avoid a fight and get his partner and daughter out of here.

“She’s matured. What I’m more interested in anyway is taking my wife back and-”

“Sydelle isn’t yours to fuckin’ have, cunt!” Ardghal screamed at him, bowing up in response.

 Finn wasn’t sure how to gauge this. He swallowed, getting closer, closer and closer, flexing his hands to ready a barrier. Constantine wasn’t going anywhere near his family. He was going to handle this cleanly, and Demetre should be able to help, too. Getting closer and closer, he opened his hand wide, ready to brandish his magic and-

 Constantine was moving again, reaching for Sydelle. Finn’s panic spiked as he rushed to send out a wave of energy, trying to block the vampire off from touching h-

It wore off.

It immediately wore off.

 He felt hands around his wrists, pulling him, yanking him back. Griffin barely had time to respond, just hearing the noise of Ardghal’s guttural screaming as he sprung to action. He fluttered his eyes open and saw him in front of Sydelle, rushing to attack Constantine and Demetre both. Wait, why De-

 No, he saw why. Demetre was the one that pulled him away. Demetre was standing in front of Constantine, protectively, arms raised to block off Ardghal’s attack.

…

Why was he defending Constantine?!

“Ardghal, you do not want to make this mistake!”

“Why’re ya’ fuckin’ defending him?!” Ardy screamed, reaching for Demetre’s collar - no matter that he was much taller, Ardy could break that distance. “He did something to my girl!”

 Finn’s eyes immediately travelled to Sydelle, who was still on the ground, coughing up little needles. Wheezing, crying, paying no mind to any of the chaos that ensued. He swallowed, looking at Demetre and Ardghal, back to back.

He needed to stop this.

“I can explain for him, you can’t just throw yourself at him the second something happens to her. Sydelle’s an adult, she can handle he-”

“She’s throwing up needles on the goddamn floor and you’re tellin’ me she’s handling it?!”

 Ardghal was scrambling to knock Demetre off his footing, but the man backed away in time, roughly pulling back from his hand reaching for his cravat. Constantine backed further away all the same, and Finn couldn’t handle this show of cowardice.

  Taking the energy he could, he formed a magic barrier, covering the door behind Constantine, and then as calmly as possible, stepped in front of Ardghal. Looking back at him with a little smile, trying to give him a nonverbal sign he was going to help. The poor man was in a wild rage, but held his ground, fists clenched, staring ahead as he waited for the next move.

“Demetre,” Finn said softly, looking at the vampire. “You can’t be defending this man. He clearly attacked Sydelle. She’s clearly in trouble and you’re trying to side with him.”

“Neither of you understand the situation, Constantine just wanted to tal-”

“Yeah, that went so fuckin’ well!”

“And you’re telling me he tried this by throwing the pillows around and messing up her outfit for the party? Sydelle, sweetheart,” he looked back, watching her rub her throat. The girl looked up at him, eyes tear-streaked. “Would you be able to tell me what happened?”

She shook her head, sniffling. He’d take that for now.

“The girl is nonverbal and vomiting needles. What did you do to her?” Finn asked, with a tone laced with more venom than he intended.

Constantine stayed behind Demetre, moving his head to poke out and stare at Finn, smiling slightly.

“All I did was try to discuss our arrangements. I only wish to talk to my wife.”

“And she wants nothing to do with you.”

“She could say so, rather than cry for her father like a child.”

“If she were a normal human girl, she’d be freshly eighteen,” Finn grumbled, narrowing his eyes.

“So neither of you have any say in what she does.”

“Neither do you.”

 Constantine stayed silent, looking up at Demetre, then back to Finn and his little family. He looked back to Ardy, who stayed on guard. He was definitely ready to attack if something happened. That was secure. Finn wasn’t sure how well his holy magic would work against both of these men. 

“Demetre, he’s in the wrong. Why are you defending him?”

“He’s my friend.”

Oh, gods.

“Your friend assaulted my partner’s daughter. Why do you think that’s okay? What if it were your son? If he cornered him instead?”

“He would never-”

“I have no interest in anyone within Demetre’s family, boy.” Constantine sneered at him, looking disgusted. “Even his sister is just there of her own accord.”

“Constantine is here to see me. Not Adrien, anyway. None of his friends. I’m the only one willing to listen to him. He’ll be out of here in a m-”

“If you want this arrangement to be safe, you’re kicking him out,” Griffin said to him through grit teeth.

Demetre stared at him, blinking blankly.

“Excuse me, Griffin?”

“You don’t just tell a former king what to do, little aasimar,” Constantine said in a soft tone, clinging to Demetre.

“I welcome you into my home by the pure virtue that you are important to Ardghal,” Demetre said, trying to sound level still. “You cannot just tell me who I can invite in here.”

“You saw Ardy suffer for years, looking for her, and- And you’re fine with someone that hurt her staying here?”

“She can deal with it. That’s life.”

 There was a disgusting stretch of silence, as Finn stared at the man in disbelief. Deal with it? Griffin closed his eyes, clenching his fists. Listening to Ardy get closer. This was going to end violently if Demete kept talking.

None of them were safe here.

“I said it before, and I’m saying it again,” Finn said, breathing evenly. “He’s terrorizing people I care about. If you want to see him, go to where he lives. But we’re not staying if you let him wander freely here.”

“Griffin, you’re making a stupid decision. Constantine means well and from what it sounds, Sydelle stole from him and betrayed him. How could I not take his side when Sydelle herself has shown she’s not to be trusted?”

“She’s a little fuckin’ girl!” Ardghal roared at him, reaching for the little coffee table behind Finn. Finn looked back, shaking his head violently, trying to get him to slow down. Ardy somehow was able to stay in place, hands violently gripping the table as he stared at Finn. He looked back at Demetre, taking more ragged breaths.

“Are you fucking insane?” Griffin said to him, starting to sound like his partner. “You’re defending this dangerous man over a little girl?”

“She clearly deser-”

“No, no, you’re not saying that. You’re not saying she deserves that.” Finn couldn’t help getting closer, staring at Demetre with bewildered eyes. Constantine didn’t even speak. He didn’t even need to! “I really do appreciate what you’ve done here, but you’re encouraging this? You want them both to keep hurting? What the fuck is wrong with your head?”

Finn was practically against him, staring at the vampire in disgust.

“What kind of ruler are you?”

Something in him snapped.

 Demetre reached down, grabbing onto Finn’s collar as he yanked him up into the air, ready to pull him close and growl some sort of threat at him. But Finn could barely process his words when Demetre fell back, dropping him.

 He groaned, rolling onto his side as he tried to look back- Ardghal was practically at his throat. Screaming something. Finn couldn’t let this happen. No, no no no- No if he killed him they’d all be on the run and no one would be on their side-! 

 Finn panicked, losing control of his barrier, instead trying to use his magic to pull Ardy back. Light chains wrapped around his legs to pull him back. Ardy barely wasted a second in trying to get back to beating the shit out of Demetre when he stopped using the chains, but Finn quickly set up a barrier and rushed to his side.

“Ardy, we need to go now.”

“First he wants to say all this shit about my little girl and-”

“We need to make sure our little girl is safe and get out of here.”

 Demetre seemed ready to verbally defend himself again, trying to get close, so Finn used his barrier to shove him and Constantine back.

“Griffin, you and Ardghal both are being hysterical. You just need to listen and-”

“You just need to leave!” Finn screamed at them, shoving back once more. That was enough to get Demetre to stop, taking a deep, resigned breath.

 He led Constantine out of the room - Demetre adjusting his clothing as if this were nothing. Finn wanted so badly to apologize to the guests at the party, but he needed to solve this now.

  Finn struggled to keep the barrier up until he knew they were gone, then rushed to Sydelle’s side. She was out. Lying on the ground next to that horrible puddle of needles and blood. Finn gagged, trying to pick her up, then looked to Ardy. He needed to hold her instead. He’d just get their things and rush out.

“Ardy, please get her, she’s a little heavy for me-” A complete lie, but he needed to distract him with his daughter. It was the only way to get him to do it.

 He wordlessly rushed over to get her, whispering apologies to her as Finn stood, rushing to get the two of them to follow him. 

 The fortuitous thing was that they had money. Sydelle had some saved from selling the jewerly she got from… It had to be Constantine, and he and Ardy had their own savings from their own odd jobs. He’d just get onto the carriage they used a lot and find an inn. 

 Getting them to follow him, he mapped it all out in his head. Escape was easy. He knew that much. And he’d be the one to make sure his family was okay. He wanted so bad to know what happened, why Sydelle threw up like that - but it didn’t matter.

 Ardghal was a wreck, practically sobbing to his unconscious daughter as they raced up the stairs. He could hear confused voices - was that Rose? Oh gods, he wished he could leave a note. Maybe he’d write later. He needed to think of a nice place to stay and take care of Sydelle, then get Ardghal in order. It was Finn’s turn to be the strong one here.

It was like an art, learning to be silent walking through that mansion.

 Sydelle had honed it well - learning to keep either her socks or leggings on as she padded down the hall. She had her skirt tied in such a way so she wouldn’t trip if she needed to rush back to her room. The girl knew how to close and open doors without making a sound. 

 It was almost funny, all the things she learned to be as quiet as a corpse - while most of the things she learned from her dad growing up was to be as bold and boisterous as possible. She wondered if he had to be the same way at some point. He never told her many stories when he lived in Rondeletia, but who knew? Maybe he had to be the same way.

  She swallowed, ignoring the cold sweat on the back of her neck once she made it to the floor she was aiming for. She just wanted to spend some time in the library, maybe find some stationery and write to her dad.

At least. Write what she wanted to say. 

 She’d been doing that for years. Trying to find the words and tell him she missed him and hoped he was doing okay. That she was… mostly fine - at least, the best she could be at that point. There was no doubt she wanted her dad to come and get her, but she was more afraid of the repercussions. No, she… Just wasn’t sure what the best action to take would be.

 Sydelle finally got to the library, looking around to make sure no one saw her - not that anyone would snitch, she figured, but she was more afraid Constantine would see. She didn’t want to deal with him today. Not after the stupid fight they had. 

 It was getting harder to stomach his bullshit. She couldn’t ‘perform’ any of the things he liked for her to do without being induced by some weird fey (and she emphasized it - fey.) spell he knew. She could still feel the awful ache deep in her stomach, when she tried to deny him a week ago. Ugh.

How did some women deal with it? It had been over six years and she still hated it.

 Pushing her way through the door and into the room, the smell of the books surrounding her was an instant comfort. Sydelle wasn’t one for reading - oh heavens, no - but she liked to nap in the personal library Demetre had. The smells were so nice and warming, and the silence would help her rest. 

 Sometimes, as a child, she’d follow his son, Adrien, and listen to him and his friend discuss places to travel to. Peruse the books in the room and have friendly banter about whatever they’d read next. She never really caught on to whatever they were up to, but both boys were nice enough to stay hush and even cover her up before they left. 

 She… Missed that. An awful lot. Sydelle’s eyes were already getting misty when she went to one of the tables, situated near a little reading nook, and sat down, grabbing one of the pieces of paper readily available to write on, and a pencil, and stared at the sheet.

 … And once again, all she could think of was to switch between either telling her dad to get her, or to not get her. Not that she knew where she was, anyway. She hadn’t left the mansion. At all. She swore she was worlds paler than she used to be, and that was a problem. It just felt like Sydelle was losing more and more of what linked her to her dad. 

 Well, there was no way Constantine would take away anything else that linked her to him. Her claddagh ring would always stay safely hidden on a chain, within her room. And he’d never know about the jacket she pretty much stole from him as a little kid. That was pretty much all she had, linking her to the outside world.

 She focused on the paper again, trying to comfort herself in the dim light. Daddy, this is Sydelle. I’m sorry I- No. Daddy, it’s Sydelle. I haven’t been able to do this at all, but I just wanted you to know I’m- No…

 The girl grumbled, scratching out all the text. She didn’t want to apologize. She didn’t want to make it sound like she felt bad for being kidnapped. And she sure as hell couldn’t say anything about the situation. Uttering any of Constantine's secrets would just make her vomit needles. And she was sure doing that on paper would make it happen, anyway. Sure, you could drop this information within the walls of his estate, but the outside? No.

 She heard the doors open and she tensed, scooting her chair back silently, grasping the paper as she readied herself to duck under the table. She focused on the sounds of the new arrival’s footsteps, adrenaline beginning to pump into her vei-

 Wait. No. It wasn’t the footsteps of a pair of fancy loafers. She realized it was the more casual strides of one of the coven members. She lost some tension in her position, as she looked and realized-

Ah, it was Johannes.

 He wasn’t exactly looking for her, either. The man just happened to be there, casually flipping through a section of books. She relaxed in her seat, but kept her hands over the paper. She just kept her eyes trained on him, afraid she’d have to answer for herself somehow. Instead he just calmly looked over, his empty eyes half-lidded as he set them on her.

“Writing something?”

 Sydelle stammered, feeling small under his gaze. She hastily pulled the paper to her chest, but didn’t dare move. Johannes wasn’t… Well, bad - he was good at distracting Constantine, and had a knack for getting him to leave her alone if he irritated him enough. She didn’t know him well, but she saw the man hanging around Milla a lot.

 And she knew Milla some - she was Uncle Demetre’s sister. She only saw her a little bit, growing up, but that told her enough that Johannes was… Okay. Sure, Milla was the assistant - but it was obvious she didn’t want to be there, either.

So… He was fine, but she hadn’t dealt with him without Constantine being around.

“Uhm-” Wasn’t he fey? She should stop being so mousy. She took a deep breath, sitting the papers down. “Y-Yeah.”

“To family?” The interest in his eyes sparked - it was weird seeing him be curious.

“M-My dad.”

“Ohh,” he nodded, setting down a stack of books on the table. All having something to do with curses. “I’ve heard you mention him before. Have you been able to get letters to him?”

“No. I just… Write what I want to say.”

“Makes sense. Things come in here, but things never leave. Not unless he lets you, anyway.”

 God, weren’t that the truth. Johannes cracked open one of the books, but didn’t stop staring at her to talk. Before he somehow lost the… Intensiveness in his stare - making her feel less like he was scoping her out for some reason.

“I… Don’t think I’d ever be able to get any of my words to my dad, anyway,” Sydelle said, breaking eye contact. “It’s a stupid little habit, writing to him when he won’t be able to see them.”

“Would you like to, somehow?”

 Sydelle perked up, staring at the man. He didn’t change his expression at all, just blankly looking at her. Why would he care? Sure, he was a wish granter and all, but they both knew that Sydelle couldn’t really keep up her end of the bargain. She wasn’t much of a fighter - she learned things from her dad, but if she could defend herself the way he could, she wouldn’t be here.

 She swallowed, tapping her fingers on the table. She didn’t want to use the wrong wording. Fey were… Weird. But he wasn’t being very fey like right then. Or was he? Fey were fucking confusing. At least vampires were easier to understand. She took a deep breath.

“Of course I do. I want to see him again. I don’t…” She lowered her voice, feeling sweat break out on her neck. “I don’t want to get married, I-I don’t want to be here. I… H-hate Constantine. I hate it here. I can barely hide it anymore-”

“Is that why the engagement party got called off?”

She flinched.

 Sydelle remembered how pushy Constantine was about it. Trying to rush things so they could get to the wedding. She already had an awful night with him - one she was going to shut out of her mind somehow. She was practically kicking and screaming at the people that did her hair and makeup for the occasion, and the dress…

Ugh.

 The only thing that got her out of it was fake crying. Well. Were they fake if she was truthfully upset? She tried to make it look like she was upset about something else - something related to the party. She knew it would just put everyone’s efforts to a waste, but she couldn’t do it. She hated this. She hated the idea of being his bride. Sydelle was barely an adult. 

She just. She just wanted to be at home. That was all. She swallowed, closing her eyes.

“Yeah.” 

“I figured. Honestly, it was better that way. Constantine’s fancy parties are no place for someone your age to be at.”

“Constantine’s bed is no place for someone my age.”

“You’re right.”

 Her hasty response left her face reddening. She didn’t mean to go there. But Johannes’ casual response helped alleviate the embarrassment. He hummed, sitting down, keeping his hands on his books. She didn’t expect him to speak so openly to her. She was wary, but it was… Welcome.

“Tell you what,” he started, his voice barely above a whisper. He pushed his glasses up as he stared at her. Sydelle gulped, staring back. “If… I arrange something, would you want to leave?”

… What? Was he seriously asking that? 

 Sydelle couldn’t believe it, but she couldn’t help thinking about it. How nice it’d be to escape and get back to her dad. She was practically tearing up, thinking about coming home and holding onto him as tightly as she could. How she’d promise she wouldn’t wander about again, no matter how enticing the path seemed. She swallowed, trying to steel herself.

“That’s… Not some fey trickery thing, is it?” 

 Johannes stared at her for a moment, eyebrows pulled together in amusement. He started to laugh - genuinely amused by her question. She just felt more anxious. Sure, he seemed nice, but she knew he was capable of some nasty shit.

“Oh, Sydelle-” he laughed again, brushing his hair out of his face, “I’m glad you would recognize me as what I am. You really are too good for Constantine. No, I’m not here to trick you.”

“You… Promise.” 

“I’m being as genuine as ever. If you wanted, I could break my arm to prove I’m not trying to pull a fast one on you.”

 Sydelle stammered, eyes widening - as she held her hands up in protest. No - she could tell he meant that! She shook her head furiously, trying to get her words out. Johannes just laughed again, sighing.

“That may or may not be a joke. So you’re levelling with me, then?”

“W-Well…” She took a deep breath, looking around the room. Afraid someone may be listening. Or watching. “I… Y-yes. If there was a way to leave, I would. I just… Want to see my dad again.”

“And you deserve to,” he said, nodding. “Well. That’s all I needed to know. That was enlightening, Sydelle.”

“... you only wanted to hear me say that?” She frowned, tilting her head.

“I won’t say much, but I’ll try to pull some strings here and there.”

He was getting back to his books, staring at the open one for a moment. Sydelle leaned forward, deeply confused.

“Why… Are you doing this?”

Johannes stared at her, confused, then smiled smugly. “Maybe I just want to ruffle Constantine’s feathers a bit. Maybe you shouldn’t be in a place like this. What would sound nicer?”

 Sydelle opened her mouth, then closed it. She wasn’t… Sure. Both were fine, but she just didn’t expect him to offer. And considering he was fey, she knew he wouldn’t be able to lie to her. Sure, wordplay was a big thing with his people, but…

 She sighed, leaning back again. She needed rest. She looked at her paper, already ruined from how tightly she held onto it. Drat.

“I… Should get back to my room. I don’t want him to find out I left. He’s still convinced I’m upset.”

“That’s not exactly a lie,” he said, propping his head on his hand. “Would you like me to lead you back? You seem nervous.”

“I’m afraid someone might snitch on me.”

“Then by all means, I wouldn’t mind taking you back.”

 He was already standing up, offering his hand to her. Sydelle gulped, still nervous, but the gesture seemed genuine enough. She took a deep breath, took his hand, and let him lead her out of the library. 

 The walk back wasn’t nearly as terrifying, at least. They both stayed quiet, and she just kept her eyes on the ground, hoping she wasn’t making any noise. Weirdly, despite his hurried footsteps, he barely made a sound.

Maybe he had to learn to be just as cautious, then.

 He finally stopped, opening the door to her room, peeking in, then looking back. Nodding to let her know it was safe. Thank goodness. She sighed, stopping in her doorway.

“Thank you,” she said, looking back at him. “That talk helped clear my head some, at least. I hope your studies go well, Johannes.”

The man smiled, adjusting his glasses. “Don’t thank me. I’m doing what I can. Just don’t forget my promise. You’ll get out of here, Sydelle.”

“I’m… Not so sure. But thank you.”

 He smiled, but didn’t say anything else. The implication lying behind his smile was too much for her to just write off, but she decided to do it anyway. Turning away to get to her room.

 … She stopped again. Maybe she should ask. Maybe she should ask what he meant. The girl looked back, ready to ask, but he was already gone.