La Sorcière et la Bête-English story - Marvel Wiccan fanfiction, Agatha Harkness

Part 12

Chapter 12

** indicates where to play the song if you'd like to :)

It was midafternoon when Billy finally took a break from his time studying in the library. He hadn't seen Dorrek since breakfast and the tray Cassie brought him for lunch still rested on his table holding an empty cup and a plate of crumbs. He fell back into his chair and let out a long breath. His brain felt exhausted and he knew he needed a break.

Grabbing his red cloak again he wrapped it around his shoulders and headed outside. Even though the tattered hem of the cape only went to his waist it still helped to keep in most of his body warmth to fight off the chill in the winter air. As he walked he tried to convince himself that he was only out here for some fresh air and to admire the scenery; there was no secret desire to find Dorrek. As gorgeous as the landscape was, his heart still fought off his thoughts and debated his inner monologue; insisting that Billy knew fully well that Dorrek had been spending more and more time outside and he had high odds of finding the royal out here.

That train of thought led his mind down another road as he wandered the courtyards. Just adjusting to using Dorrek's title in his head was a bit disorienting. He'd always known, from the luxury of the palace alone, that Dorrek must have been a well-to-do person from a first class family. But prince? And prince of what? Thinking back to a few days ago when Dorrek mentioned memories of war and danger in his childhood, and of course mentioning the death of his mother, Wiccan could only imagine what sort of life the prince had been living. Clearly something along the lines of political rebellion, or resistance, or usurping had been going on but the stranger thing was: Why didn't Billy remember something so important? Wouldn't something of that caliber been broadcast on the news? Been in the papers? But he had no recollection of anything of the sort.

Perhaps it was part of the spell, a small inner voice chimed in, right before he was pulled from his thoughts and realized where he'd wandered himself off to. The result of the struggle between his head and his heart fighting over control of him and his actions, clearly while his mind had been distracting him from his denial his heart had still been putting up a fight.

His heart won the battle when the footpath Billy had taken did in fact lead to a small circular grotto made of stone pillars with a thin statue in the center that looked like it would function as a fountain in any other season and sitting on a marble bench was Dorrek reading to himself quietly.

Without any hesitation or fear Billy turned off the path and headed over. Dorrek seemed aware of his presence but continued reading, engrossed in his book. Tilting his head slightly Billy was able to get a glimpse of the cover.

"Hmm, Romeo and Juliet." Billy commented and Dorrek's head snapped up as he closed the book and held it back cover side up.

"I'm only reading it for the war between the Montagues and the Capulets." Dorrek told him, perhaps a bit too quickly as Billy's lips turned up in a smile he tried to hide.

"Still, it's a romance." He said as he took a seat on the edge of the fountain across from the prince.

Dorrek shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Fine. Yes, it's a romance. But I'll have you know it was my guardian who first had me read it and he was the toughest soldier in our army."

Billy's brow furrowed and he looked at Dorrek amused, "Is that what you're afraid of? That I won't think you're masculine for reading Romeo and Juliet?"

Dorrek didn't respond, he only rolled his eyes again and avoided eye contact.
Wiccan chuckled, "Well, you don't have to worry about that. The town where I'm from would tell you I'm not the manliest person around."