#//while Jack is sitting there chilling next to me calmly but slightly going insane. the usual

[bushido-jack]

//closing my inbox for a while to avoid the like. insane and stupid spam going around. I am not gone btw I am just going through a surprise hiatus that life and my dumb brain threw on me. I am VERY sorry to the people who have been waiting on me for so long, I don’t blame y’all if you want to end interactions! the nature of samurai jack with like. anyone at all I think. is that it just causes sudden and extended hiatus syndrome or smth. everyone that tackles samurai Jack to make content consistently has this happen to them it’s like it’s cursed. anyway I’m sorry for being away!! I’ll reopen my inbox when I’m back, but you guys can dm me or find me on discord if you want to!!

[likeshipsonthesea]

I dare you to post their get together from chowder's perspective because you're an amazing and magical writer and I'd love to read it at any level of editing

well u did dare me :P inspired heavily by this post

the thing is, chowder really, really loves his new friends.

nursey is so cool and funny and nice and he knows all this poetry that sounds so cool and he always saves chowder a piece of pie when he isn’t there and bitty’s on a baking binge, and he helps chowder write Important Emails and doesn’t even complain when chowder asks him about the exclamation point in the third paragraph for the fourth time

and dex is really smart and has a dry sense of humor and he cares so much about people even when he pretends he doesn’t, he does his laundry when chowder does and lets chowder match all the socks while he folds both of their clothes with like retail level precision and he’s great to sit and work on coding with and never gets upset when chowder interrupts him to ask him why a certain part isn’t working right and he helps bitty make him soup and pastries when he gets sick right before finals week their frog fall semester

and they’re both swawesome at hockey, they do their very best to keep the dirty puck away from his net, and they are such swawesome people and literally the only thing he doesn’t like about his new friends is how adamant they are about not liking each other

he tries, at first, to correct their complaining when they come to him. “the guy refuses to listen to anyone who isn’t himself,” nursey groans, muffled, because his face is pressed against chowder’s pillow, and chowder very kindly explains that dex is a bit stubborn sometimes but he always listens to chowder, even when he has a differing opinion, and when dex wraps himself in chowder’s duvet like a burrito and grumbles out, “he acts like he’s chill all the fucking time just to fuck with me,” chowder says that nursey acts like he’s chill even when dex isn’t there and also, why do you think he’s acting?? i think he’s just that chill

but as time goes on he realizes that neither of them believe him because they haven’t seen it for themselves and, look, he could try and orchestrate some plot where they secretly see one another being good people and miraculously change their opinion about each other and they all become a happy trio of friendos with no animosity at all, but chowder is also an ncaa athlete, a stem major, and someone who likes to party a fair amount. he’s got no time for that kind of bullshit.

and so they go through spring term and things aren’t greeattt all the time and sometimes nursey and dex get into screaming matches on the quad and chowder just has to pretend like he doesn’t know them, but most of the time it’s good, it’s fine, and he really does love his friends.

then they lose the frozen four, something happens that neither of them will tell him about, and the fuckers go and gang up on him

it seems, after all the times chowder told them about how they’re both funny and good at hockey and passionate about school and all the other things they have in common, they decide instead to bond over their mutual love of chirping their very best friend in the whole wide world.

to be honest, he’s just glad they’re getting along.

and they still show up at his room all hours of the night and day to burrow into his bed and complain about each other, but at least now chowder lives in the haus and he can eat pie as he pretends to listen to them.

and maybe he starts noticing how some of the complaints aren’t necessarily the kind of thing you’d expect, like “how are his eyes so fucking green, it’s impossible to win an argument when he’s staring at you” or “have you seen how many freckles he has after summer break?? he’s like one giant freckle, it’s unfairly distracting” and despite not really paying attention, he starts to notice when the tone of complaining changes from i hate this guy to i hate how pretty this guy is

he never brings it up. once again, he does not have time to try and get his two best friends together on top of all his other responsibilities, but he notes it down anyway. for being-a-good-friend-purposes. like when ransom sets nursey up with a girl on the volleyball team, chowder spends the whole night watching monty python movies with dex on the couch, and kindly ignores the relief in dex’s shoulders when nursey shows up to breakfast the next day and relays that the date was a bust. and when they’re doing workouts at the gym, chowder very deftly navigates nursey away from the weights when dex is using them to spare him from turning into a mumbling mess at the sight of dex’s arms

and maybe he notices when they start becoming more self aware and the complaining-about-appearance becomes complaining-about-good-things, like nursey saying, in the middle of a rant, “you know he’s fixed betsy like fifteen times in the past two weeks? how the fuck can you fix an oven fifteen different ways? that’s insane” or when dex pauses his recount of nursey’s ridiculous chill behavior to mention, “he’s been editing ransom’s thesis because he knows how much ransom stresses over grammar and he’s like, really good at it”

and it’s probably at this point that chowder breaks the bro code and tells farmer all about his dumb friends and their dumb mutual infatuation, because lbr here the boy cannot handle all this pining on his own. “they’re in love with each other but they think it’s hate”

“i know, i know” farmer soothes, running her fingers through his hair

“why are boys so dumb” chowder laments

farmer, who is currently wearing her best bra and pantie set under her clothes, sighs deeply. “i don’t know,” she says, equally forlorn.

then, well, then the dib flip happens and nursey and dex are literally shoved together and either one or both of them -- chowder has an inkling that it’s dex, but he’s not sure -- seems to freak out and neither of them comes to his room to complain for the rest of the term.

and then chowder has the greatest summer of his life, his former captain wins the stanley cup, and bitty and jack get to kiss on center ice, and chowder gets to attend a training camp with the falcs and jack and he’s on the ice with twenty stanley cup champions and chowder doesn’t come down from this high until he shows up at the haus and finds out that something has gone horribly wrong.

despite the frequent texts, calls, and facetimes, dex and nursey didn’t seem to have as great summers as they’d made it appear. they don’t really tell him directly -- that’s another thing they have in common, never talking about their emotions plainly -- but from what chowder can glean from what they do tell him, is that dex’s family seemed to take jack and bitty’s coming out as evidence towards dex’s queerness and they were dealing with it... less than great, and nursey’s parents had a fight and had since been jettisoning around the world for “work” in an attempt to avoid one another and, as a result, nursey

the living together thing goes.. not swawesome. chowder is obviously disappointed that he no longer has his two best friends just a bathroom away, but after dex moves into the basement, both nursey and dex start coming back to his room for complain sessions again and it’s -- chowder wants to say it’s a good sign.

it starts out mostly complaint complaining, the familiar stuff from their frog year, but slowly but surely as the year goes on the old “his fucking hair” and “he literally helped a little old lady carry her groceries to her car” come back into play and chowder lets go of some stress he hadn’t realized he’d been holding

“they’re going to make me go gray before i’ve even hit 25,” chowder says, another night when he’s complaining to farmer, and farmer says, “you’d look sexy as a silver fox,” and, well. the rest of the night is spent very much not complaining

senior year, they’ve got an ncaa championship under their belt and dex is the captain. he stops coming to chowder’s dorm, probably out of some sense of loyalty to his team that chowder finds both ridiculous and sweet. nursey seems to have no qualms complaining about his captain, on the other hand, but soon even the thin veneer of complaining he’d covered all his pining with has washed away.

“he’s so good with the baby frogs,” and “never tell this to another living soul, but his cherry pie is even better than bitty’s,” and, one memorable night, “do you think i’m in love with dex?”

it’s after sunset, the world dark outside chowder’s window but he’s not exactly sure of the time, and nursey’s lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and he looks -- chill. he doesn’t always look chill anymore -- looking back, chowder can admit that maybe the ever-present chill from their frog year had been more a show than anything else -- so this chill means something important, chowder thinks.

chowder thinks, smiling a little, that nursey is finally ready.

“of fucking course i think you’re in love with dex,” chowder bursts out with the frustration that’s a by-product of having patience for three and a half fucking years. “you’ve come into my room at all hours of the day since we were freshmen to complain about how pretty his freckles are, you’ve been in love with the dude for years, and i’ve had to sit here and deal with all of it.”

nursey’s staring at him with a slightly open mouthed, wide-eyed expression.

chowder gathers his poise and then says, very calmly, “yes.”

nursey nods, once or twice slowly and then picking up speed. “wow. okay.”

“i’ve been holding that in for a while.”

“i could tell.”

“hmm.”

a stupid, hopeful, optimistic part of chowder thought that would be the end of it. nursey realized he’s in love with dex, he’d tell dex, and they’d be all stupid and gross and finally chowder would get them back for years of fines.

but nothing seems to change. nursey still comes in and ostensibly complains while pining and dex still doesn’t, instead apparently baking away his frustration (and it’s not like chowder’s going to complain about that) and really, chowder should’ve known these two idiots would need more than a few sentences to get over their combined stupidity

it comes to a head a week before graduation. never let it be said that chowder’s friends are anything less than Dramatic Fuckers

he’s helping dex pack away everything he won’t need in the next few days so when he and nursey leave for new york after graduation there won’t be much to do. he finds a random green beanie in a drawer with dex’s workout clothes and says, “hey, where should i put this?” and dex gets the most ridiculous sappy look on his face.

he hasn’t technically been chowder’s captain since the season ended with a back to back ncaa championship a month ago, and it’s not like dex has any authority over him after how many times he bugged chowder about nursey’s nose, so it’s without hesitation and with purely dex’s best interests at heart that chowder says, “you know you’re in love with him, right?”

dex surprises him then by saying, “yeah.”

a vein in chowder’s neck nearly pops. “then why the fuck have i been listening to nursey pine about your eyelashes for months.”

dex’s eyes widen and, when he gets over the surprise elation whatever, he stumbles over some stupid explanation that captains shouldn’t date their players and it wasn’t the right time and all this other absolute crap, and so chowder does the most meddling he’s ever allowed himself to do and tells dex that he will finish the packing as long as he goes and finds nursey right this fucking second

when nursey and dex tell the story to him and farmer later -- dex blushing and nursey embellishing with his arm curled around dex’s shoulders, pulling him close -- chowder will laugh and tease them and play his part as their very best friend in the whole wide world.

but that night, when he’s gross and sweaty from packing up dex’s entire fucking room and he can’t even sleep in his own goddamned bed because his friends are being exceptionally loud just one bathroom away, he shows up on farmer’s doorstep and says, with all the sincerity in the world, “i hate my friends”

[deartimekeeper]

Roses and Distant Echoes Ch. 4

Find On: AO3

Pairing: Nine x Rose

Rating: General

Chapter Summary: In which Rose finds out what happened to the palace.

Note: Sorry it’s been so long! School has kept me insanely busy. Enjoy!

Rose’s meeting with the Prince happened quite by accident. She wasn’t aware of the inner working of the palace, but upon her stay the night before she had assumed that he had been aware of her arrival as well as her imminent stay. Considering his palace did not wish to let her out, it seemed an easy assumption to make. However, she soon learned it was not the case.

She and Tim were awakened by one loud knock on the door followed by Sarah Jane rushing in with a smile and with a bursting energy, throwing the large heavy curtains wide open. Sunlight poured in causing Tim to groan and bury himself further into the blankets. Dust motes were visible as the rays of light filtered in. Rose blinked the sleep out of her eyes and squinted toward the window. While the previous night she hadn’t been able to see beyond the gates, she could now discern the large forest that separated the home she had known from this strange and wondrous place.

“Looks like the fog’s gone. It’s really sunny out there. How late is it?” Rose quickly sat up, attempting to smooth her hair and hopped off the bed. Sarah Jane stood by the window, smiling widely out at the gardens. Her expression had an aura of disbelief and her eyes did not waver from the sight outside.

“We haven’t had sunlight in so long,” she murmured quietly, unsure if Rose was meant to have heard her she began tying up her shoes.

“Do you think your doors will let me out today?” Rose smiled, partially joking. Sarah Jane’s smile turned into a frown as she turned and looked at Rose. The pain in her eyes was unmistakable but she quickly hid it behind a smile.

“We’ll have to see after breakfast then won’t we? Hurry up, or the food will get cold.” She walked toward Tim who was blearily rubbing his eyes while trying to slide out of bed.

Together the three of them made their way to the kitchen. Rose looked curiously around her as they walked the same hallways they had in the darkness. Now that the palace was flooded with dim light coming in through the dusty windows, she could make out small intricate details all around her. The white moulding on the high ceilings had statues of cherubs and small animals smelling and holding out flowers, the portraits hanging on the walls were dusty but held in gold frames with swirling designs. As they walked past the front door Rose looked at it in wonder. The dull blue color of the door was now brighter and the gold handles gleamed in the sparse light that entered through the tall windows on either side. She looked at it for rope, perhaps a system of some sort that caused the door to shut, proof that the door did not in fact close itself but someone was in charge of it. She found nothing and was left with more questions. Magic, maybe. She made it a point to believe in almost everything.

Sitting down at the table they had occupied the past evening was much more difficult in the morning. There were new faces she hadn’t seen before all crowding around trying to take food from various bowls, talking over one another and laughing. It looked and sounded like a celebration. Certainly a far more different atmosphere than what Rose had arrived to. As soon as Sarah Jane made it closer to them with Rose and Tim in tow the occupants of the table all went silent and stared at them. Some pausing with food halfway to their mouths and others mid chew. Rose fidgeted while Tim looked at them suspiciously.

“You must be Rose!” a man stood up grinning widely, “I’m Mickey.” Everyone once again started talking and continued eating.

“Almost everyone that works here comes to the kitchen around this time for breakfast,” Sarah Jane explained. Rose smiled as she was shown to a seat and served a plate. The man, Mickey, took his seat again grinning at someone sitting next to him and once again continuing his conversation.

Tim got more talkative as everyone around him smiled at them and handed them food. Rose did not miss the curious looks they threw at her every other time. Carefully avoiding direct eye contact she focused on the porridge in front of her.

“And Wilf said that the tower that faces the stream echoes when the birds fly in so it sounds like ghosts,” Tim finished his story.

“Who’s Wilf? Lynda said he was minding you while they were in the kitchen last night.”

“Well I don’t see him here with everyone. He said he’s friends with the Prince. He’s really nice. He let me play with the old watches he polishes,” Tim grinned at Rose, his mouth smeared with food. Rolling her eyes Rose wiped at his face and with a grimace he took the napkin from her hand. “Is there really a Prince here Rose?” The intrigue in his tone was not disguised in the slightest and she had to admit she was also curious about the Prince that had been mentioned.

Before she could answer the kitchen door slammed open. A tall looming figure stood in the doorway and Rose shivered holding Tim closer to her side. Something felt off.

“What’s going on here?” his voice was loud, imposing, she resisted the urge to cower away but saw others quickly stand and step back. Rose slowly stood with Tim at the end of the table, trying to reassure him with a squeeze on his shoulder.

Behind the man Jack ran in, grimacing at everyone and his eyes falling on Rose last.

“James,” Jack began walking in front of him, “I was just on my way to speak to you.” he grinned nervously and his eye contact wavered from the icy blue ones that turned their ire on him.

“You told me they would be gone last night,” his gaze swept over the crowd by the table, all who flinched in return as he looked at them, and stopped on Rose and Tim.

She held his gaze, fighting the instinct that told her to look away, that little voice in her head that whispered ‘get out; danger.’ She focused her stare. It felt like looking at the palace for the first time when she had been searching for Tim. Like a haze was covering him and flickering in and out. He was tall. A bit taller than Jack, dressed in old worn out clothes. His shirt was barely buttoned up and his boots looked close to falling apart. She examined his face last, although his eyes were the first feature she had noticed. He had a prominent nose above a grown out beard and messy hair close to reaching his shoulders. Her eyes flickered back to his. Blue like the first frost of winter. Beautiful. They made her pause, held her tethered to….something. It felt like finding that which had been missing. Something in her saying ‘this is where it all begins’. She felt a dull throb at her temple but ignored it. Her curiosity always won out.

His angry expression turned to curiosity and confusion.

“My Prince,” Jack called back his attention but James only tilted his head toward him, his eyes not leaving Rose, “There was a situation with allowing their departure.” Finally tearing his gaze away he looked at Jack. Rose breathed a sigh of relief and disappointment. His intense gaze had her quivering in her spot. She wasn’t sure if it was out of fear or the pain and wonder she could see in his eyes. She had wanted to see beyond the haze around him but to do so meant battling her body’s natural response. It felt wrong to look straight at him, but it felt wrong to look away from him as well. Rose tuned back into the conversation happening in front of them, noticing those around her, especially Lynda were itching to leave the room, fidgeting and glancing at the doorway.

“Show me,” the Prince’s words were curt and he turned and walked out the door. Jack nervously beckoned Rose to follow him and everyone at the table quickly made room for her to pass. She nudged Tim toward Sarah Jane, and taking a deep breath she walked with Jack. She could see out of the corner of her eye some of them following far behind, making sure to maintain their distance, and Sarah Jane leading Tim back to his plate of food. Those that followed stayed where the hallway opened to the foyer.

Once they reached the entryway, the Prince looked straight at the door and nowhere close to her.

“Open the door.” As soon as the command was given Jack rushed over and opened it, a cool burst of wind chilling them. Finally the Prince looked at her his eyes seemed to watch her every movement. She felt as though he could see each unsteady breath she took or the twitch of muscles as she hesitated in walking to the door. Could he see her heart pounding in her rib cage as well?

With a shaky breath she took cautious steps toward the door. She hated the slamming sound of it from all the times it had closed the night before. She had felt it verbarate in her feet each time. Her slow steps made the door shut more calmly, but quickly nonetheless. The noise not so harsh as the night before, Rose only startling slightly from the sudden movement. She looked back at him, standing by the staircase. He was still. Not even a hint of a response and his eyes seemed to be watching something else unfold. He was lost in a memory perhaps, or some long lost dream. It surprised Rose how interested she was to know what was going on behind the turmoil in his eyes.

His face was grave, lips pressed thin. He didn’t look at her as he turned to walk away and she found that she wanted him to. She clenched her hands into fists at her side.

“You’ll have to stay. Indefinitely.” His voice echoed in the hall and gave no room for argument.

“I can’t stay here!” The silence after her outburst was heavy like the air before a storm. He turned, his eyes pierced through her and her heart stuttered.

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice in the matter.”

Although Rose understood that there was something more at work, some force that wouldn’t allow her to leave, and wasn’t that just ridiculous to think of, his lack of explanation and indifferent attitude made her feel cold and alone. As if he were the one condemning her to this fate. It was unexpected, the surge of despair that went over her. The plea that was ready to escape from her lips. A plea for what, she wasn’t sure. Freedom? But she barely had freedom at the orphanage. She only set foot out when she was expected to run errands into town. And even then her trips were limited. Nevertheless, she took a step toward him as he left. His shoulders tense, he paused only for a moment before he continued walking away as no words could leave her lips.

She was sure her eyes betrayed her as she turned to look at everyone else. All the people that had just witnessed what felt like a life sentence. They all looked unsure. Struggling with opposing emotions she saw. Some relieved and others ashamed.

Wanting no one to see the building tears fall she turned to look at the staircase.

“Jack, you owe me a story,” she was surprised her voice held none of the fear and sadness she could feel overcoming her. She felt a calmness wash over her that allowed her laboured breaths to ease and turn to face the man with an apologetic look on his face.

“Come with me,” he held out a hand and she looked at his sad gaze only for a moment before she took it, “Lynda, tell Sarah Jane to keep Tim entertained for a while.” Lynda nodded and left in a hurry.

***

Rose wasn’t sure how many doors they passed or which turns they took to wind up at the open doors of a library. Jack walked to the windows at the back of the large room, the high ceilings making him look small, and pulled the curtains aside, only a small cough and grimace revealing his disgust at the cumulated dust. Rose stood by the doorway and slowly made her way in, taking in the filled shelves and haphazard piles of books all around her, piles that tilted every which way as though one small movement would cause them to tumble to the floor.

He led her to several tables all full of books. Some were stacked like the books by the shelves and others lay open. Some had pages ripped and corners bent, their spines broken from constant use.

He stopped at one of the longer tables by the window and gestured for her to sit down. Rose carefully took a seat in the wooden chair, opposite from Jack, flattening her palm on her skirts resting on her thigh. Glancing at all of the books Jack picked one up and flipped a couple pages in, then placed it in front of her. She looked at him in question and he motioned for her to look and read the page. She leaned forward. It was an old book, she could tell by the delicate feel of the page as she touched the edges of it and the illumination surrounding the letter R at the beginning of the sentence. A book like that seemed like a treasure.

“These books were not here before. Well not all of them,” Jack rearranged other books around them. “This library is bigger than it used to be and contains more knowledge than anyone has ever had at their disposal. These are books written and lost long ago found again and books that have yet to be written.”

“What does that mean? How can you have books that haven’t been written yet?”

“It’s early,” he smirked, “We’ll have time to get to all that. I’m here to tell you the basics of why certain things are the way they are. The rest you will find out soon enough. Just read the page.”

Rose leaned over the script once more and focused.

Jack stood and went to read behind her shoulder. Impatiently drumming his thumb on the table. It only distracted her for a moment before she focused on the content of the book she was reading. She finished quietly and slumped back in her chair.

“So Prince James, son of Odeia and Robert of House Lungbarrow. King and Queen of Gallifrey,” she trailed off, “But that’s impossible.We haven’t had a King or Queen in ages.”

“You’ll start to believe the impossible around here,” he sat back down and leaned back, balancing the chair on two legs. “Have you never heard of the palace in the mountains? I was under the impression when this was built that it would never be forgotten.”

“That’s a legend,” Rose said, “the palace in the mountains has never been seen. It was a story from centuries ago. Surely this can’t be it.”

“What did the story say? About the palace?” Jack urged.

Rose’s eyes unfocused as she remembered the times her mother had told her the story to put her to sleep. She had adored imaging the gleaming halls, the idea of Kings and Queens and the parties they must have had. “It was said that there was a family, a royal family back before The Lords took over, who overlooked the trade and protected this region. And they lived on a palace built into the side of the mountains that separated our region from others.” She paused and glanced back at Jack. “But that story originated hundreds of years ago. The Lords disposed on any other form of rulership, and even then Kings and Queens never existed, this book shouldn’t even exist. No one truly knows if there was ever anyone who looked over us. How could a palace this large be hidden away? Someone would have found it.”

“Not if it was being shielded away. Waiting.”

“For what?”

Jack grinned, “Time is a tricky thing, even I don’t know everything. But sometimes, timing is everything, and waiting is key.”

“You know that makes no sense. Do you say things just to seem clever?”

“I didn’t know a critique would come with this explanation. Otherwise I would have let Sarah Jane do it.”

“If this is that palace then where are the King and Queen? What happened to all of this to change everything that I know? That all the people of the region know? ”

“There was an accident. The whole family was in a building, invited to celebrate the engagement of a distant relative. There was a- well…” He trailed off and clenched his jaw. Taking a deep breath he continued, “Only James managed to survive. He became angry. He hated the world and well, the world didn’t seem to like him so much either. One night a woman came to the door. Turns out she was some messenger from these ancient beings. At the time we didn’t know what they were, I’ll be sure to give you a book about them to read, but she cursed him and us. This whole palace is trapped. We can never leave and no one can ever see us.”

“But Tim found you,” she interrupted, “and so did I, for that matter.”

He smiled in delight, “Yes, and you’re the first visitors we’ve had in 320 odd years.”

“Three hundred and twenty?” she looked at him in disbelief.

“Give or take a decade or so. However, I’m not done with the story. So Prince James was cursed-”

“How?”

“Couldn’t you tell?” he looked at her inquisitively. When she showed no sign of recognition he sat forward the chair once again on all four legs, “No one can look at him without feeling fear, disgust, sometimes even hatred. How did you not see it? Or feel it?”

“I think I did feel it, somewhat. It was like the palace,” she shrugged slightly shaking her head, “I was a bit afraid at first but I could see it flickering in and out. It gave me a headache trying to see past it, but I see him fine. At least for the short time he was there.” she laughed trying to lighten the mood but Jack just stared at her incredulously.

“You don’t realize,” his eyes searched her face, trying to find what made her so special. Trying to come to terms with why everything was happening now rather than years before. The centuries they had spent in a constant terrifying routine. There had been many days when they’d all considered ending their own lives in some way or other. Morbid curiosity after the first 100 years, of what would happen. Accidents, if they could be called that, from wrists being slit by broken plates to getting tangled in the cords of the thick hanging curtains and hanging by the neck, had plagued several people. But they all lived, they felt no pain and healed from self inflicted wounds. It was only the creatures of the gardens that could kill them, but no matter how desperate they were to be done with the curse, no one would dare face the torture of the gardens. Jack had to remain strong for everyone, he had to make them laugh, had to bring something new to each hopeless day that had passed. And now, he felt it in the tips of his fingers, in the buzzing energy of everyone in the palace, something was changing. It could be felt like a current surrounding everything. He grinned at the confused Rose.

“So he was cursed,” he jumped back in with the same carefree tone as before, “So were we, and so was this palace. We didn’t realize at first. James’s curse was easy to see, to feel, but us…we wanted to call for a doctor and sent out a servant, as soon as he reached the outer gates they slammed shut. People began panicking, tried to climb up and jump to the other side but were pulled back…” he trailed off and Rose saw him reliving those moments.

“What happened?” She whispered, his eyes focused back on her.

“The beginning was tough on all of us. Some had family out in the town but there was no way to leave. We thought that surely someone would come looking, wondering what had happened to the Prince if not for us, but no one came.” Jack cleared his throat, and shot her a wistful smile. “The woman that had come to the door, she was a corpse. A maid said she was had been the wife of a farmer from the outer region. She had died several weeks before she showed up at our doors.”

Rose’s eyes widened as she stared at Jack, bewildered.

“The message she gave us…” he trailed off and looked away from her, “this palace is a doorway. Creatures appear and wander the halls. Each room in the palace changes locations. You could open a door and find a jungle then open the same door sometime later and find something completely different. We have been given the pleasure of being, overseers of sorts.”

“That is…insane,” although her response was disbelieving her face was open with curiosity, “But, you said it’s a curse, so there must be a way to break it, surely. Don’t all curses have a way of being broken?”

He looked at her, a faint smile on his face then stood and held out his hand. Confused she took it and stood.

“There is only one way it can be broken,” he tucked hand in the crook of his elbow and led her out of the library, “but it’s not something we can force. It has to happen naturally. Now, let me show you these magical rooms we have here.”