The Twilight Children//The School for Good and Evil

42 ~ Match-Making Business

. : Sebastian of Havfrue : .

"Mom? Dad?"

Sebastian stared up across the large room at his parents, who were seated on a corner couch, along with eleven other storybook heroes.

It had only been two and a half years, yet Sebastian was surprised at how much his parents had aged. His mother's bright auburn hair-- the same colour as his-- was streaked with grey, and his father's face was heavy with wrinkles.

Sebastian remained frozen, well aware of the eyes on him. Not only were the heroes staring at him openly, but so were the Council, and Tedros and Agatha. Gods, he should've told them not to mention the water magic.

What would his parents do if they knew? What would happen to him? His parents were heartbroken over Melody's leaving, what would they do if they found out he had allied with the enemy to save his own skin?

Sebastian could feel his hands begin to tremble, the water magic thrashing in time with his fear. Gods, he needed to get out of here before his parents found out. They would kill him.

He took a small step back, his heart pounding, only to collide with Laura. She braced a hand on his back, and the warming sense of her magic pulsed out, flowing into him, calming him. He could do this. They didn't need to know. Not yet.

"Sebastian," His mother's voice cracked into a sob, and she stood, racing to her only living child.

Sebastian let her sweep him into her arms and they sunk to the floor. He was trembling. His mother smelled the same. The same sea salt and vanilla perfume. He could feel his mother's tears leaking onto the collar of his shirt. Behind him, he could feel another pair of arms wrapping around him. His father's scent wrapped around him. Sebastian could feel tears leaking from his eyes.

"What is your name?"

Sebastian looked up to see who his father was speaking to. At some point, Laura had moved around the three on the floor and was now standing a little ways back from the crowd, closer to the table in the centre of the room. He could see mild anxiety on her face as his father addressed her.

"Laura," Her voice was firm.

"Laura of?"

Sebastian swallowed, and his eyes widened. Despite the council, and Tedros and Agatha, watching him, he pleaded silently with her. She couldn't tell them who she was, they would try to kill her.

Laura's eyes drifted to his and back to his father. "Laura of Villeneuve."

His father nodded behind him, his warmth leaking into Sebastian in an entirely different sensation than Laura's magic. Sebastian couldn't help the slightly unsettled feeling it left behind.

"How are your queen and king? Any luck with an heir?" His father's voice was kind.

Sebastian hadn't been born at the time but could recall the tale. There had been two children in the kingdom famous for Beauty and the Beast. The oldest-- the male heir-- had died of illness in his teenage years, shortly after returning from the School for Good and Evil. The youngest-- the female spare-- was young and became heir upon her older sibling's death. Villeneuve had nearly recovered only to have a fire break out in the West Wing of the palace. The Princess Royal of Villeneuve was the only casualty.

Laura's face tensed. She would have no knowledge of Villeneuve's proceedings.

"They are getting old, and no. The King had no extended family, and neither does the Queen."

Sebastian blinked. Maybe Laura had been paying better attention than he thought in their history class.

Merlin clapped his hands, and Sebastian watched him step in front of Laura, a subtle way of drawing the attention away from her.