The Majesty of Choice

Changes

The day is uneventful. Their second day on horseback, with nothing but scenery and small talk to fill the time. Gerard doesn't hate it. He gets to talk to Frank for the entire day and it's nice. But it's a boring day, especially considering the fact that it follows a previously boring day.

Gerard keeps reminding himself that they're getting closer and closer to the castle. One stride closer to knowing where Brendon lives. One step nearer to being able to find him.

Of course, once Gerard knows where he lives, he has to go there. Brendon could live a day's ride away, or six, or seven, or a couple of weeks. The kingdom is pretty huge, and horses are only so fast. Gerard's mind always imagines Frell as being far from the castle but in reality, it's close relative to a lot of the Kingdom. Gerard isn't able to wrap his mind around how big the world is.

"If Brendon lives, I don't know like a week's ride away from the castle-" Gerard starts.

"I'll go with you," Frank finishes for him. "Don't want you being eaten by any Ogre's. Wouldn't be a very Kingly thing of me to do to let you go on a suicide mission."

"Is that why you'd come with?" Gerard asks, hoping for the answer he actually wants to hear. ­­

"To keep you safe, Gerard, I'd follow you across the Kingdom and beyond. Because I want to keep you safe." Frank stops there, putting his head on the back of Gerard's neck, which makes him feel very nice and warm inside. "And because I want to be with you."

Gerard smiles. That's the answer he wanted. Also, he is a little terrified to go around this kingdom alone, especially considering his party consists of two people who have never been outside of Frell and don't know how to fight and then the absolute brick of a creature that is Pete.

"On the subject," Frank says, looking back up, Gerard feels him stiffening slightly behind him, which is a good thing, because in fairness, Frank's the one who knows how to ride a horse. Gerard's been on this horse for a very long time so he might be able to maneuver her, but Frank raised Willow from a pony so he trusts Frank more. "Do you know what you're going to do after you find your illusive fairy?"

"I... I've thought about it," Gerard confesses. "But I don't have any plan hatched out yet."

"Would you consider... maybe, staying in the castle for a little while? Only if you want of course. Patrick and Pete could be put up there too, we've got like a hundred rooms."

"I really should get back to Ray. He's all by himself with Buggy and my stepsisters. He's probably being driven mad. I can't leave him all alone."

"Well, he could come too. No need to bring the rest of your family with, if you don't want. But like, if you wanted to stay at the castle, or in town. That way you can... help me figure out what kind of King I want to be, because you've got all the ideas that I want. I can't let your knowledge and wisdom too far out of my sight or I might accidentally set the Kingdom on fire."

Gerard doesn't respond. Somehow, he expected a grand gesture like this from Frank. Gerard has no doubt in his mind that Frank's feelings for him are genuine, if not a bit ill-placed. Frank wants him there, and Gerard wants to be there. But he also doesn't know if that's the life he wants to have. He doesn't want to be a shadow to Frank. He wants to be himself. Gerard has never had freedom before, so as soon as he finds Brendon and gets it, he wants to take advantage of that. Gerard doesn't want to be a puppet or a puppeteer. He just wants to be alive.

"I don't know, Frank. Things will become clearer to me once I find him. Once I-" Gerard tries to say 'break the curse' but his tongue glues itself to the top of his mouth. He just tries to say it. To let the words out, even if he has to vomit them out. But he can't say it. His body won't let him. "Once things are different," he settles.