A case of Stockholm.

Chapter Eleven.

I lose myself in the Seven Kingdoms for a little while. I'm taken in by tales of knights and castles. By fictional places like Winterfell and the Wall. The characters become as real as Elijah and Callum in the next room. I can't ignore the raging argument that seems to be going on between them. The light outside of the hut was fading when my stomach starts to rumble, signalling the need for food.

Leaving the room, the corridor seems so dark. I hadn't noticed before. When I enter the living room I take in the scene. Elijah looks tired. His usual cheekiness gone from his expression. It almost saddens me to see. Almost. Callum's face is the opposite. Anger welled up in his eyes. That scares me. Callum was such a controlled person, today seemed to have altered that immensely. He was finally fighting back but Elijah already seemed defeated.

"Cal you know where it is. Just do what you think is right. Look at the trouble they've gone through to get it back. We can't do this. Even if they get it back why would they restore what they took from me years ago? Please."

They were arguing over the rose. Callum knows where it's hidden. If I could just get him to tell me its location then I could see what all the fuss was about. Why would they lie though? What possible motive could they have?

I shouldn't have shouted at him. I see that now. I'm just so sick of this. Callum deserves so much more than this. I understand that he's old enough to make his own decisions and that he can leave at any time he wants. That stupid rose was the cause of this. No. I was the cause of this entire thing. Coming from a family with very little, stealing was the only way I could achieve anything. I should have known that this couldn't have lasted forever. Bringing Gwendolyn here was supposed to prolong the inevitable. Unfortunately she seemed to have acted as a catalyst and has sped up the process. Women.

Elijah trails out of the room and Callum collapses to the sofa; his head in his hands. I make my way to the sofa and sit down beside.

"You okay?" I know the answer but I'm awful in these situations. Lack of human interaction I suppose. I have a horrible feeling that he's going to start crying. Shit. I didn't sign up for this.

He lifts his head. "Yeah I'm fine." He stands up. "I'm starving. Dinner?" I nod and stand up. Callum is slightly shorter than Elijah but still considerably taller than me. He looks at me shyly and steps towards me and envelopes me in a hug. At first I'm completely stunned, human contact hadn't really been a regular thing for me. I allow myself to give into this hug though and even relish it. It almost seems natural with Callum, as though I had known him my entire life. He steps back sheepishly. I smile at him.

"Sorry, I guess I really needed that. That probably made you feel really uncomfortable since my best friend kidnapped you and all."

"You're not responsible for his actions. Even then I kinda needed a hug as well. I can't remember the last one that I had." I look at him. He's a rather handsome guy. Quite the catch but then again the only three guys my age that I had had a relatively lengthy conversation with had been a posh prat, a psychopath and Callum. My experience with the male species has been somewhat limited over the years.

"So dinner? Any requests? As long as it's cheap."

"Wow, you certainly know how to woo a girl." I say, a mocking smile playing upon my lips. "Hold that thought. I'll be right back." I hurry to the room in which has the mattress and rummage through the rucksack until I find the white envelope with bank notes bursting from it. I pick it up and walk back to the living area where Callum stands looking puzzled. I hand him the money.

"Gwendolyn, I couldn't possibly." I reach up and push my finger against his lips silencing him.

"Think of it as rent. Plus we all need to eat and it's not as if I'm going anywhere for now. Put it to good use and keep us fed. Oh and Gwen is fine."

Callum smiles then looks down at the money. "There must be hundreds, possibly thousands in here. Are you sure?"

"100% sure." He hugs me again and I can feel his arms around my petite frame. It's so nice being so close to another human being. "So know any good take outs?" Callum laughs and it's such a natural sound.

I walk back to the cabin and when I walk in Gwendolyn and Cal are stood together, his arms wrap around her comfortably. In one hand he holds a chunky white envelope. It seems my loss of control may actually have an upside. Before they see me I'm leaving the cabin again, closing the door slowly to avoid making any noise. They seem happy. If I left right now with that stupid rose they would be safe but could I really stand being away from Cal for that long? Maybe forever? I know it's selfish but I couldn't live without my best friend. No, he's more than that. He's my brother.

We stand there for a while in silence before he releases me. "So Gwen, what's your favourite food?"

I look up at him. "Lasagne or ice cream I suppose."

"Well how would you feel about lasagne for dinner? The oven in the kitchen is pretty bad but we can make do." He smiles down at me and leads the way into the kitchen. He rummages through the cupboard above the sink. "Looks like we need to do some shopping. I'll wait until Eli gets back." I nod in agreement. This wasn't so bad. I just really miss Hector and want him to know that I'm safe.

"Callum? Would it be possible for me to contact Hector, he was my butler, more like a father really and I don't want him worrying about me." He studies me for a second.

"Wouldn't you rather just leave? Go home?" I shake my head. This is my adventure, the one I've waited for my entire life. I've left home and my parents. I'm surprised to find myself feeling content here.