The Gift

SOME PROMISES, UNLIKE others, were kept. Just two days later, Alice was summoned over to Wyatt's office while she was in the middle of preparing tea for Charlie and Miles as an after-training snack. One of the mansion's servants had tottered over to her in a hurry, claiming that Wyatt had something he had to relay as soon as possible.

"You called?" She asked, stepping into the office after he had beckoned her in.

Wyatt was seated behind his desk right in front of the large windows, sunlight streaming in from behind him. It fell onto his silvery-white hair, making the strands catch and reflect the light, glistening like gossamer. A stack of papers was in his hand as he leafed through the texts, scribbling something down every few seconds as he read.

At the sound of Alice's voice, Wyatt looked up from the papers. He removed the pair of glasses that had been sitting on his nose bridge, placing it neatly on the table before standing to his feet.

"Ah, Alice," he said, "You're here. Come this way, if you will."

Crossing his study, he led her towards a large cabinet before pulling the doors open. Among many trinkets and precious-looking objects, Wyatt took hold of an ornate box. The carvings on the small wooden box were intricate, each curve detailed and delicately planned. At first, Alice had thought that it was a jewelry box. It was only until Wyatt had unclasped it and opened the lid had she realized that he most likely wanted to show her what was in the box rather than the container itself.

"Charlie had requested this be made for you. A present, he said," Wyatt relayed. He held out the box for Alice, motioning her to take the sheathed dagger inside. "I thought it was a good idea. You may be with us most of the time and Gladiolum's crime rates aren't as high in the capital but it's always best to bring some form of protection along with you. The dagger is small enough for you to bring around without it being too flashy like a sword."

Unsheathing the weapon, Alice softly gasped when the silver blade caught the golden beams of sunlight. It shone, dazzlingly clear that Alice could even see her own reflection on the flat side of the blade. The handle wasn't anything overly decorated. There was a small blue sapphire embedded onto each side of the handle, adding a touch of color to the weapon. On the scabbard, the Ragan's house emblem was stamped.

"In case of emergencies, you can use this dagger to represent us," Wyatt explained once he noticed Alice's fingers trailing after the symbol.

"Aren't you afraid that I'll abuse it?"

"No," came his immediate reply. "You're a part of the Ragan family now."

Wyatt's words made warmth bloom in Alice's chest. She had been stuck in Gladiolum for some time now and it felt good to have a place to belong. No matter which world she was in, it was a fact that humans survived better together than in solidarity. To be treated like family was a priceless feeling.

Touched, beads of tears gathered at the corners of Alice's eyes. She hastily wiped them away before Wyatt could see them, holding in her sniffles as she held the weapon close to her chest as if it were a babe.

"Thank you, Wyatt," she said.

"It's Charlie's idea," Wyatt humbly reminded. "I am merely a messenger."

To that, Alice shook her head fervently.

"No, I wasn't thanking you for just the dagger. I meant… I am grateful for being treated so well during my stay. I was a stranger and you didn't have to do so much for me."

The corners of Wyatt's lips stretched upward into a soft smile. He raised a gloved hand, placing it at the crown of Alice's head before gently ruffling her hair, trailing his fingers down the strands as if he were pacifying a cat.

"You say the silliest things sometimes, Alice," he mused. "You are someone very important to me. There isn't a need for 'sorry's and 'thank you's between us."

A knock came from the door of Wyatt's study, jerking them both out of their little private bubble. With the atmosphere torn, Alice jerked back, chewing on her bottom lip as her heart thundered in her chest. The look she had caught in Wyatt's eyes sent her cheeks into flames as she stared hard at the ground, almost enough to sear a hole right through the carpet and into the earth below.

Wyatt, on the other hand, was as cool and collected as ever. He turned his head towards the door, his expression calm as he beckoned the person on the other side in. The door clicked open at his command as a Miles strode in quickly, an envelope in his hand which he quickly presented to Wyatt.

"It's from the palace," he informed, waiting for Wyatt to take hold of the letter before letting his arm fall back to hang by his side. "Addressed to Alice. However, the letter seems to be from His Highness."

This time, a crack formed on Wyatt's perfect doll-like face. Curiosity flashed across his face as his fingers made quick work on the wax seal, peeling the envelope open to withdraw the letter within.

"Prince Hartley?" Wyatt asked.

It didn't seem like he was going to read it, however. Ever the gentleman, he was already preparing to pass the unread letter to Alice when Miles said something that made Wyatt hesitate.

"No," Miles replied, his expression grave. "Prince Spade."

Wyatt looked as though a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped on his head, drenching him to his bones. His posture turned rigid, jolting a little at the mention of Spade's name. Alice, who had been observing the two friends' exchange, raised an eyebrow inquisitively at the dramatic way Wyatt had reacted to Spade's name.

However, as trained and as cunning of a man Wyatt was, he wouldn't let the look stay for a fraction too long. It only appeared for a fleeting second before he returned to his carefree state, holding the letter out for Alice to take. The paper was still folded, its contents unread.

"There you go." Gesturing for Alice to take, Wyatt's eyes were trained on the letter like it was god-forsaken. "Go on. See what the prince requires of you."

Grasping the letter, Alice quickly unfolded it. Her eyes were met with neat script, the handwriting elegantly in cursive. With two pairs of eyes on her, she read the contents of the letter as quickly as she could. Once she was done, she looked back up, a little surprised.

"Huh," she murmured. "Spade invited me to tea in the palace. Today."

"Oh," Wyatt said. However, nothing on his face betrayed his thoughts. Alice turned to look at Miles only to find the same expression on the guard. "Is that so?"

Immediately, Alice felt unsettled. She wasn't going to refuse the invitation but she also didn't like the way Miles and Wyatt were reacting to Spade's letter. There was something brewing in the background and it seemed like the only way to find out what it was was to go to the tea party and find out for herself.