The Way Caraval Used To Be

Is Japeth...

If the ice was a person, it would be Rafal. The way he looked after the door closed and Japeth left made Aric doubt he was entirely into this because he loved his youngest son.

"What? Is this the first time you see me, Aric?" He purred. "You look quite interested. If I were a girl, I'd think you're in love with me."

"If you were actually pretty, you wouldn't have to worry about being a girl." 

It was the first thing that came to his mind. He shouldn't have said that.

"Then? Is my son pretty enough to not worry about being a girl?" Rafal whispered.

"What?"

"Don't tell me you didn't notice."

"Notice what?"

"OK, now you're playing dumb. He IS."

"He is..."

"In love with you. Now pack your things and promise me you won't break his heart."

Aric had heard many stupid things, but this was out of hand. Japeth? In love with him? Not possible. Japeth came back with a tray.

"I brought some cookies." Japeth said. His voice was not that clear because of a cookie he stuffed into his mouth before. "Do you want some, Aric?"

"No, not really, but thanks."

"Eh, more for me."

Some people tend to act childish around the person they like. And he addressed to Aric first. Perfect!

He went into the bedroom. They planned to leave as soon as they could to a safer place. He didn't know how safe that place was, since Rafal recommended it, and you couldn't truly trust Rafal, since he acted like a teenager and looked about their age.

He didn't have that much; the blue stone was not in his possession anymore, he didn't have many clothes, and they were all Caraval costumes, earrings, eyeliner, some drawings of Valenda he made while he couldn't sleep and gold coins. But the bag wasn't complete... He looked around. The whine glasses. They weren't his, but the whine glasses. He kept them in the box to prevent them from breaking. The start of kleptomania? Maybe. Were those glasses expensive? Totally.

"Ready?"

Rafal was leaning on the door frame. He, somehow, opened the door without making any noise and probably watched Aric stealing the glasses. His fear was confirmed when he asked:

"Are you really going to take those with you? I have lots of those in my tower."

"No, thank you. These are special."

"So, we will wait for Japeth to get ready and we will leave. He is slower than you. And he insists on bringing those damn cookies."

"Where does he have them from, anyways?"

"I don't know."

They got into the hall; Japeth was ready. He had so many bags Aric couldn't even think about what he stole. The bedsheets? Pillows? Towels? The whole room?

They prepared to get out of the castle. It had been nice. Rafal pulled the door. It didn't move.

"Maybe try pushing?"

He pushed. It didn't work either. And someone was coming. They heard the footsteps. Now they were supposed to see the person judging of how close they were.

But it wasn't a person. There were four. The blonde guy, Alessandra, a boy with a mask and another one with olive skin and intense features. The two strangers looked like they came from The North.

"Hello, Aric. Would you be nice and give us the stone before we kill you all?"

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I actually found it funny how instead of making something normal when they left I chose to make them steal