Chapter Text
It was Sir Malory who told Adam that he was needed on the plain. Though he tried to hide it, the order filled him with dread. It was a common place for the nobles to gather especially on such a fine day, and Adam very well knew that they were in fact gathered to celebrate the coming union of the beloved prince of Henrietta and the honorable Lady Blue Sargent. As he took his leave, he was met with jealous looks and scorn of the other servants. If only he could, he would willingly trade places with them just so he did not have to leave.
The moment Adam stepped outside, the sun was in his eyes. More so than ever, his body was in tune with Cabeswater. It sang in his blood, and the grass seemed to curl around his feet before finally letting him go. He could not help but think that if he decided to lie down, the earth would swallow him whole. The call only grew louder as Adam made his way forward, and he had to force himself to take hold of reality.
He was Adam Parrish. He was flesh and bone. He was what was real.
The whispers finally hushed when Adam caught sight of Gansey who was watching his approach with a smile on his face- a god amongst his own kind. It was hard to ignore the curious stares of others, and Adam could almost hear their thoughts, making his face burn. Perhaps Gansey had good intentions in calling him over to this celebration, but Adam had never felt more belittled than he did in that moment.
Blue and Noah waved at him from afar, and Adam saw Ronan standing close by. Their eyes met before he made himself look away casually, pretending as though his heart was not trying to escape from his chest.
“Your royal highness,” Adam greeted, keeping a careful distance between him and the prince.
Gansey did not care for that. He defied all conventions and wrapped an arm around Adam’s shoulder in a comradely fashion. “Adam! I was afraid Malory would not let you out of his sight.”
The words prickled at Adam. The difference of his place in society from the others seemed more pronounced than ever. Stiffly, he answered, “Sir Malory has always been ever so kind to me, your royal highness.”
Gansey’s smile diminished. Then, very gently, he guided Adam away from the others. When he was certain that no one else could pry into their conversation, Gansey said softly, “Now, it’s just us.”
Unsure of what to say, Adam’s lips curled upward slightly. “Congratulations. I know you have waited for this day for so long.”
With a laugh, Gansey told, “I have. I am ever so lucky. Not simply to be in holy matrimony, but to be with Blue and every single one of you.”
Looking into the distance, Adam said quietly, “Well, I am not going anywhere.” The words were rooted into something far deeper than the friendship between the two young men.
Clearing his throat, Gansey asked, “I heard you have been called to the South again.”
After a short moment of deliberation, Adam finally answered, “The ley line has been temperamental. It is weak when it should not be. It is Greenmantle. I know it.”
Gansey sighed at the mention of the name. “Adam-”
“No,” Adam cut off whatever was going to be said. “Do not start with me. Believe whatever you want, but it will not be long before he makes a move. We must be prepared.”
Gansey turned frustrated. “Of course I believe you. It’s just that I cannot sound the alarm without any kind of evidence. There is nothing that can be done.”
It was no different from what he told Adam every time the subject was brought up. Yet, the bitterness that washed over Adam still took him by surprise. Pushing it down with all his might, Adam simply replied, “Just be careful.”
“I will,” Gansey answered. Then, with a sigh, he continued, “Do you wish to talk about the mess Ronan has gotten himself into?”
Adam shook his head. “I’d rather not.” In fact, that was the last thing he wanted to talk about. Shifting his gaze elsewhere, his attention was caught by a gray horse that trotted around nervously.
Following Adam’s line of sight, Gansey said, “Ah, yes. A gift from Ronan to Orla. Unfortunately, it seems to be in a foul mood today.”
However, Adam knew it was more than that. “I will take care of it,” he said, and took off before Gansey could reply. With a task in mind, Adam could let himself forget the blatant stares of others.
Before he reached the whinnying horse, Adam stopped in his tracks to greet a dark mare. It pressed its nose against his palm, and he could not help the smile making its way across his lips. “Hello, Chainsaw,” he whispered. He did not have to look to know that Ronan was watching him.
When Adam turned back to the gray horse, Chainsaw followed him before snorting haughtily and trotting off. Such a reaction may seem like a mystery to others, but it was clear to Adam. To a dream thing, those that came from reality were the ones that did not belong. Chainsaw did not think that the gray mare was worthy of her attention, but on the contrary, Cabeswater seemed to be paying too much mind to the nervous creature, creeping and taunting it in a mischievous manner.
It took quite a bit of effort, but Adam finally caught the horse in his hands. “Shhh,” he whispered when it threatened to balk. Go away, he told Cabeswater with his eyes closed. When he sensed its reluctance, Adam added more empathetically, Leave.
It finally did.
Adam was so absorbed in his task that he did not realize that someone had moved to stand next to him until he opened his eyes and saw Lady Orla looking at him as though she was awaiting a reply. Adam felt his chest tighten as he shifted and said, “Sorry, my lady. I cannot hear from my left.”
Lady Orla turned apologetic. “I did not know. I simply came to thank you.” She placed a hand on her horse and added, “She is not usually like this, but this is not the kind of magic I deal with.”
Adam swallowed. He should not be surprised that Lady Orla knew magic herself. There did not seem to be a single fault in her.
A perfect bride, his mind supplied cruelly.
Suddenly, Lady Orla leaned in conspicuously and asked, “Shall I ask after your health and laugh in a friendly manner?”
Adam furrowed his eyebrows, “My lady?”
Lady Orla smiled. “It will do us good to appear as friends if you are to be at the estate regularly after Ronan and I are married. Though, I would not mind if we would genuinely become friends.” She pressed on when Adam did not answer. “These people are easy to fool, and my gift allows me to decipher what they are going to say before they actually do. It makes it simple to please them. Although it is nothing compared to your talent, it helps.”
Adam laughed self-consciously. “I’m afraid you have been mistaken, my lady. My gift is rather worthless.”
Lifting her head, Lady Orla said, “I do not judge something’s worth from the eyes of others.”
In that moment, Adam understood why Ronan had chosen her. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed with his emotions, and a large part of him wanted to thank her for giving them a chance at happiness, no matter how small it was. He tried but could not find the right way to say it.
Lady Orla simply smiled knowingly. She lifted her hand and Adam caught the scent of jasmine. “Now, give me a kiss, and I will be off.”
Of course, Adam did as he was told.
Tracing the dark mark over Ronan’s back - the handprint of Cabeswater - Adam could no longer ignore the tension in the other boy’s shoulders. Very quietly, so as to not disrupt the peaceful quality of the night, he asked, “What troubles you?”
Ronan exhaled heavily but moved closer to Adam on the bed. “I have not been able to dream.”
Adam’s finger stopped in motion, making Ronan turn so he could look at him. “Is that so?”
Ronan answered in a matter-of-fact manner, “You think it is Greenmantle.”
Adam told, “Of course I do.”
“He’s coming,” Ronan said tightly.
Pressing his forehead against Ronan’s shoulder, Adam replied, “And I will stay and fight.”
Ronan laughed dryly. “Not that you have a choice. You are sworn to this place.”
Adam looked at the other boy with a small frown on his face. “My duty is to the ley line. That ends when it no longer has any need of me, or when it ceases to exist. It is my oath to Gansey as his sworn companion that ties me to this place as long as I breathe.”
Ronan was quiet before he said, “He will let you go if only you asked.”
Adam made a tired sound. “He is like a brother to me.” Then, he added, “Besides, you do not know for certain. After all, Gansey prefers to have all his things where he can find them.” Ronan hummed but did not say anything else, so Adam closed his eyes and muttered darkly, “You would never leave this place either, even without an oath.”
Brushing his fingertips over the nape of Adam’s neck, Ronan answered, “Part of me will always be here at home, but-” He breathed out sharply. “I realized a long time ago that my place is with you.”
At that, Adam’s eyes flew open. Ronan’s cheeks were flushed in the candlelight, but it was Adam’s knees that felt weak. With all that was happening, he had been wondering whether his wants truly matched what he needed. In the rare times when Adam’s pride was quiet, everything he was working for did not seem as important anymore. He needed Ronan, that much was true, and he knew if he could finally let the reins go, the prospect of happiness would drown the rest of the world.
Adam smiled wryly. “If only things were different.”
Ronan snorted. There was a comfortable silence before he spoke again. “Orla told me about this place called Paris.” He continued when Adam made a questioning noise, “It is far from here, but not as far as one thinks. She told me that men took lovers there. Men… and men. No one thinks it strange.”
Adam’s eyes felt heavy under Ronan’s steady heartbeat. “What a place to be.”
Distantly, Adam heard the other boy say, “I just wish-”
The world turned quiet.
Sir Greenmantle finally made his move the very day Gansey and Blue were to be married- a day when he could have every significant figure under one roof. Together with Sir Whelk, they found a way to plunge into dreams, stealing from the ley line, weakening its magic. Things happened bloody and fast. It was the act of a man careful, eager, and fearless.
Everything as they knew it to be was dying.
By midday, the king was wounded, and half the army was injured or dead. Whoever was left retreated into the forest, hoping to hide until safety was finally made possible.
With his back against an old tree, Gansey coughed terribly as Blue wept beside him. Noah looked as though he did not know what to do with himself. Swiftly, Adam got to his knees and pulled open Gansey’s shirt. To his relief, he found the ribs bruised instead of broken.
“You’ll be alright,” Adam told them reverently, barely feeling Ronan’s hand on his arm.
Then, there came a buzzing that grew steadily louder. As someone screamed, Adam turned and saw an influx of hornets heading their way. A rumble followed, and the ground began to crack, the lines drawing closer and closer to them.
Adam could see the fear in everyone’s eyes. They were going to die.
Then, Adam felt a soft call, and he knew there was something he had to try. Pushing every other noise out of his head, he placed a palm against the tree that Gansey was leaning on, and reached deep inside him. With his eyes shut, he felt the weak presence of Cabeswater swimming away from him, but he ignored the strain and stretched for it. When he finally had a firm hold, his mind all but commanded: Move.
Suddenly, the world turned to rain.
Adam opened his eyes to the sound of laughter. Looking around, he realized that he had done it. He had moved the part of the forest that Gansey and his people were in to a hidden part of Cabeswater. The first person Adam turned to was Ronan who was staring at him with a strange look on his face. It took a while for Adam to understand that it was pride.
The fight was not over, but Gansey only needed to call for reinforcements from the neighboring countries, and they will win the war. Nothing felt clearer to Adam then. Tearing his eyes away from Ronan, he knelt down next to his prince and said, “The first day I stepped into the castle, I swore loyalty to you, but it has always been more than that. You are my brother, and you always will be. You will always have me, but I ask for you to let me go.”
Gansey’s eyes were wet and no one else dared to move. Then, Ronan got on his knees next to Adam and held his hand. He did not speak.
Finally, Gansey reached for them both and said, “Go. Be free. Be happy.”
Those words seemed to set everything in motion. With a kiss from Blue and an embrace from Noah, Adam and Ronan took two horses in the midst of all the commotion. The rain sounded like an applause as the two boys shared a lingering kiss, and off they went.
The letter arrived one bright afternoon. The young man with the elegant hands sliced it open and tried not to smile when he felt soft lips on his neck, but he did not ask for it to stop.
On a fine piece of parchment that smelled distinctly of jasmine, there were only a few words written in a prince’s script: Être gentil à l'autre.
Be kind to each other.