Elemental Kingdom

"There's no need to, Snow. There's no such thing as lost, just happening upon a new destination."

---

Nathan leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes with a heavy sigh.

"Then what will mine be?" She whispered.
____________

Ethan slept quietly.

"We will find out when we come to it. Do you want to stay in the castle, or return home? I'm not sure I want to leave Nathan alone with Ethan, but I also don't want to be close to Nathan in case of..." Blaze hesitated, grimacing slightly.

---

Nathan seemed as if he were asleep, but rather he was in a state of meditation. He wouldn't sleep and leave himself open, but was too weak to stand, so he was just quietly sorting his thoughts out and focussing on the warmth and weight of Ethan in his arms, using his son to keep himself grounded.

Ethan remained asleep until his stomach rumbled and it forced himself to wake up.
________

"I'll walk home....You have a duty to perform." She bowed her head to him and walked away.

"You hungry, buddy?" Nathan asked softly, still leaning against the wall.

---

"With the events of today, I won't be needed." Blaze moved to take hold of her elbow. "Not while Nathan prepares for Garnet."

She stopped as he grabbed her. "Then let's go home."
________

Ethan nodded.

"You would rather be at home than here, hmm?" Blaze moved to rest his arm gently across her shoulders.

---

Nathan groaned quietly as he got to his feet, murmuring, "You still on milk? Or do you want some solids, like cereal?"

"Cereal please daddy." Ethan told him as he looked up from where he still sat on the floor.
___________

Snow nodded.

"That we can do." Nathan scooped him up from the floor, keeping him close. He gave one last quiet glance to Garnet, and then walked down the corridor. The ice she was encased in couldn't be broken by anyone other than him, after all. It was more like diamond than it was ice now, hard and impenetrable.

---

Blaze held her close as he guided her down the hallways to a small entrance instead of the main entrance, to leave by.

She went with him.
_____

Ethan looked back at his mother also, and he waved to her before Nathan carried him away.

"I'm sorry about Garnet." Blaze's voice was quiet.

---

Nathan took Ethan to a small kitchen, that the servants usually used in order to get Ethan some breakfast.

Ethan helped his dad as much as he could.
_______

"It's all my fault...I should have stopped them."

"It's okay," Nathan murmured. "Just sit down, daddy can do this for you."

---

"In no way at all is it your fault. It is no one's fault. They managed to slip under the net and there was nothing we could do."

Ethan nodded, doing as he was told.
________

"It feels like it is."

Nathan set breakfast in front of him shortly after, sitting down opposite him and waiting, though he had no food himself.

---

"Trying to stop them would be like trying to stop the moon from rising in the evening and sinking with the beginning of the day. There will be more casualties, and none of them will be our fault."

"But she was Garnet...The only elf left in his part o the world, probably in the whole world...The only family I had..."
________

Ethan ate quickly.

"In this part of the world, yes, overall, no. While she is in stasis, there is hope. Besides, do I not qualify enough to be family?" Blaze added the last bit on in a weak, joking tone as if nervous he wasn't good enough.

"Of course you are." She told him.

"Don't rush," Nathan murmured. "We have time."

---

"Did you want to go home for now?"

She nodded, she was suddenly wrapped back in her silence.
_________

Ethan nodded.

Blaze quietly moved to wrap an arm around her, holding her gently to his side to lead her down the hallways.

---

"No more maids," Nathan murmured. "You'll have to spend time in the throne room with me."

He nodded. "Okay daddy, I'll behave for you."
________

She stayed close to him.

"Don't worry about behaving, worry about staying close. There are too many people here eager to snatch you up should you stray."

---

"I'll make sure to put wards up in the house," Blaze murmured. "Soon as we get home."

He nodded. "Okay daddy."
_______

She nodded.

"Do you have any toys you want to play with while waiting?"

---

"They're going to be locked against everyone but us."