A Little Bit of Magic Cpt. 1

Charlie wasn’t sure he was supposed to be there, but he wasn’t about to leave either.

The thing was, “there” happened to be the castle library, meaning that by all probability normal people ought to have gotten permission from… well, somebody, before just walking right in. Except Charlie hadn’t walked in, he’d teleported from the outside, because he had a feeling that just walking up to the front gates wasn’t going to have the desired outcome. The guards likely wouldn’t have even looked down to notice the five-inch-tall leprechaun trying to gain access. So instead he had just found a way in himself, and was hoping that nobody would notice if he read a book or two. He intended to put all of them back as best he could.

The small leprechaun walked along the edge of the library bookshelf, seemingly undaunted by the comparatively enormous drop to the floor right next to him. He was much too busy scanning the titles of the rare, old books as he passed them, his head tilted to the side in order to better see the faded lettering. He had heard that there were some records in the castle library documenting the history of the kingdom before it had really been the kingdom, back in the time long since past when tribes of humans fought the Fae Courts. Though Charlie was immeasurably interested in the topic, he himself hadn’t been able to find such wonderful first-hand accounts. There was no better place to look than the royal family’s own collection, however, so here he was.  

Adrian sighed and pushed open the solid wooden door to the library. Its faint creaks were muffled by the multitudes of books within the vast room, packing shelves arranged in a claustrophobic maze of literature. Strategically-arranged tables, made of thick dark wood at least a century old, waited in various corners and alcoves. Everything had a cozy feel to it, right down to the warm light cast by the few lanterns in the room and the high windows.

With a book of his own tucked under his arm, the prince made his way into the room, soothed by the high shelves with their thick tomes and the smell of aging paper. The collection housed some of the rarest books in the country. Adrian had barely scratched the surface of what the royal library had to offer. And even then his focus had been on the volumes his tutors picked out for him.

Being the Crown Prince of an entire kingdom, Adrian had a lot of responsibilities. Including educating himself in a variety of political and historical subjects.

It made moments like this rare. So he wasted no time heading for his favorite alcove in the back with his sketchbook under his arm. There was a lower window back there that always offered new views for him to draw. However, when he rounded the corner, the unexpected sight of a small something walking along one of the shelves in this row made Adrian gasp and the book fell from his grasp.

The sound of a distinct gasp and a book hitting the floor caused Charlie to immediately stiffen and squeak in alarm, and in the blink of an eye he had darted around the end of the row. Sufficiently concealed behind the furthest book, wide-eyed and with his back against the faded leather, Charlie took deep breaths and tried to calm down from being so startled. Though his heart was still thumping he was curious, although nervous about who might have spotted him. If they had actually spotted him. He was small and fast enough that they might not have; which made looking back a bit risky, but the leprechaun was too curious not to.

Oh so cautiously Charlie turned around. Placing his hands on the worn leather binding he peeked around the edge of the book, looking down the row at the one who had surprised him. It was a human (presumably- Charlie knew better than to outright assume, though for all appearances he seemed to be). A young man to be more specific, pale and blond, with bright blue eyes that hadn’t spotted the tiny leprechaun just yet. Something about the human’s face sparked recognition in Charlie’s mind and he sucked in a breath. He’d seen that face before, in books about politics and history and the important parts of the kingdom. Oh gods… it was Prince Adrian. Charlie retreated back, to the point where he could just barely keep one eye on the young man. The little leprechaun felt like he was probably in deep trouble. Sneaking into the castle library and disturbing the Crown Prince? That had to be frowned upon at least.

The slam of the book on the floor lingered in the air as if the library was offended by the outburst. Adrian looked away from what the thought he saw to stare at it in surprise. He knelt to pick up the well-worn book, with its creaky bindings and page corners curled from constantly flipping through it. He picked it up and looked back at where he thought he last saw whatever it was.

Adrian crept forward just a step or two before stopping again. Maybe he had just been seeing things. After all, his lessons had run a bit long today. His mind was already quite active. Still, he leaned a little to get a better look around the corner of that last book. "Hello?" he tried, an almost hopeful note in his voice as he waited there, a respectful distance from whoever might be there, if he truly had seen what his memory insisted upon.

As the prince stepped forward Charlie stepped back, keeping out of sight of the human’s gaze. His heart thumped madly as his mind whirled through the decision. To talk or not to talk. On the one hand, he didn’t exactly want to leave Prince Adrian hanging like that. Obviously he had seen Charlie in some part, and just teleporting away now might leave him wondering. That wouldn’t be nice. On the other hand, however, Charlie definitely wasn’t supposed to be there. If he piped up he might get in a lot of trouble. …Then again, he might not.

Taking a deep breath Charlie crept forward and peered around the edge of the book. His eyes widened as they met the bright blue ones of the Crown Prince. Well, there was nothing for it now. “Hello,” Charlie returned the greeting, stepping forward slightly and tucking his hands behind his back respectfully. He swallowed and bowed slightly before straightening up again, polite even while flustered. “I, er, I greatly apologize for intruding. I didn’t think anybody would be in here.” His eyes widened and he quickly added, “Not that I meant to sneak in or anything, um, I just wanted to maybe read some texts…” The leprechaun’s voice petered out and he swallowed again, feeling like he was making a fool of himself. Not knowing what else to do he bowed again, thinking he had just made the most awful first impression on such a prodigious person and feeling terribly embarrassed about it. “…I’m sorry.”

During the absolutely tiny person's stammered speech, Adrian couldn't help but stare a little. His eyes were wide and admittedly curious as he looked over the person's few inches. This wasn't the first of the small folk that Adrian had met, and with the Fae Courts being major players in the political scene, he doubted it'd be his last. Of course, Adrian couldn't be sure without asking, but he thought it would be reasonable to guess that this was a leprechaun, just from the liking for green in his clothes. An actual leprechaun. Some of the most elusive of the wild fae, and here one was, apologizing to Adrian in the castle library of all places.

"Oh!" Realizing that the little guy's speech was over, Adrian gasped and gave his own little bow of greeting, the hand with his sketchbook tucked behind his back while the other settled over his heart. "Don't worry about it, I think I've just made more of a commotion than you," he admitted sheepishly, referring of course to his book slamming to the ground. "But there's no one to disturb so I guess that makes both of us lucky, doesn't it? If you came looking for things to read I suppose you hit the jackpot." Adrian knew he was rambling a little, something his mother tried to discourage, but how often does one meet a leprechaun in the library? "I just, if I may ask, I wonder how you got in?" Adrian didn't want to be rude, but he certainly couldn't see this tiny fellow pushing open the library's solid wooden door.

Charlie’s eyes grew wide as the prince actually bowed in return, and he stared (likely rather rudely) as Prince Adrian began to talk to him as if he weren’t actually some stranger who had somehow gained access to the castle library. At the expected question, however, Charlie stiffened and his heart pattered. “I, er…” he stammered. Of course he had known such a query would be posed; he wasn’t supposed to be in there, after all. Naturally the prince wanted to know. “I came in through the window,” the leprechaun respectfully replied, his voice only slightly quieter due to nerves. He pointed over to the lower window, by the chair the prince was evidently headed towards. That was the only one he had been able to see any of the bookshelves through; therefore it was the only one he was certain belonged to the library, but more importantly it was the only one he could use to teleport into the room.

Adrian took his eyes off the small leprechaun to follow where he pointed. He smiled faintly at the sight of the very window he'd planned to sit by. "Oh, of course!" The chair and small table next to it were illuminated by the sunlight pouring in, making them look very inviting indeed. That window always provided the most interesting views overlooking the castle and the city beyond it.

Now, it seemed, the window had provided a chance to meet a very interesting person, too. Adrian could only hope that his clumsy first impression didn't ruin things. He glanced back at the smaller man once before stepping past the shelf to peer further out the window. His sketchbook was laid absently on the table as he observed that the window was still rather high up by a leprechaun's standards. "Well, I'm certainly glad you made it inside without incident," he remarked, knowing well that some of the castle attendants didn't always respond the most politely to the presence of small folk.

Charlie stood on the shelf and turned to keep track of the prince as he walked, his eyes still wide and his mind whirling. Prince Adrian had given him ample opportunity to teleport away should he choose; the prince had looked away from the leprechaun more than enough. Still, Charlie had already begun talking to him, and it would be terribly rude to leave now. No, if he was in trouble (which he was beginning to be unsure about, seeing as Prince Adrian kept on talking to him in such a friendly tone) then he ought to face it with respect at least. So with a small sigh he teleported over closer to the prince; one moment he was on the shelf and the very next he was standing atop the prince’s sketchbook. It took less time than blinking but the leprechaun seemed unfazed by the instant shift in perspective.

“There wasn’t much chance of incident,” he remarked quietly, unsure if he was even supposed to reply at all. Still, Prince Adrian seemed at the very least interested in holding a conversation with him. The thought nearly bowled the tiny leprechaun over. “The tree outside provides a good view, and that I can see from my house.” Charlie flushed, realizing that he was casually discussing how he had managed to sneak into the library without permission. “I- I mean, I would have asked to come in if I thought I could.” He was red by this point and he ducked his head, staring at the leather binding of the sketchbook below his feet. “I just haven’t had the best luck approaching humans on my own in the past.” Of course Sawyer could have accompanied him, but Charlie didn’t think the guards would have let him in either. Nothing against his best friend, but he didn’t exactly look like the kind of person who belonged within the walls of the royal residence.

The sound of the quiet little voice a lot closer almost startled Adrian. He turned his head quickly, surprise overtaking his face upon seeing the leprechaun standing on his sketchbook. Adrian drew his hand away out of politeness, and to give himself space as well. Luckily he doubted the leprechaun would be after a handshake. He turned away from the table to patiently face the tiny man while he spoke. A glance to the shelf where he'd been, and then one towards the window, told Adrian that those distances were clearly greater than the little guy could have walked or climbed. Adrian finally remembered one of the things he'd heard about the elusive wild fae. Leprechauns could teleport.

Adrian couldn't shake the feeling that he was looming over the little leprechaun. Even as a smile came to the prince's face over the flustered explanation, he felt so tall. Considering Adrian had to look up to meet the eyes of almost every human he knew, it certainly felt strange. He'd only ever had long conversations with one person closer to this leprechaun's size. And Colfax never really seemed to care about anything like that. Or anything at all really, unless it was something to do with furthering his research.

He sighed, knowing what the little guy must mean about his experience with humans. "I can understand why you'd be cautious. I've noticed there aren't many accommodations in place for the fae." He put his hand on the back of the chair to push it back just an inch or two before politely taking a seat. He smiled sheepishly. "I won't mention your 'secret entrance' to anyone."

Charlie looked up and over at the prince as he took a seat, thinking that ‘not many accommodations’ was more like none at all, at least not for smaller wild fae like himself. He’d certainly had his fair share of experiences around town; though, he’d also learned that there were many human-sized people who were just as kind and respectful as any leprechaun. Like Sawyer, and apparently even Prince Adrian. Charlie was continuously taken aback by the direction the conversation seemed to be going. It was as if Prince Adrian didn’t care at all that Charlie had snuck in… no, more like he wanted to encourage it. It was confusing, but somewhat relieving as well. “I… thank you,” Charlie said, blinking. He chanced a smile at the prince in return.

The leprechaun’s eyes widened as he realized something. “Oh!” he gasped, looking all kinds of embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself.” He turned and gave the prince a short bow before straightening up and trying to look as respectable as he could. It was kind of late for a first impression, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t try. “My name is Charlie Cullane.” The leprechaun flushed, hardly believing he was saying this to the Crown Prince of all people, and added, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Adrian was a little fascinated to see a man around five inches tall standing on his book so casually, bowing politely. He'd met briefly with pixies before, but he'd never had very long conversations with any fae before. He had seen brief correspondence with the Courts, but had never met any of the higher up fae. And Colfax, though he wasn't very forthcoming on what he was, was at least adamant enough that he wasn't a fairy of any kind.

"Mr. Cullane, the pleasure is mine," Adrian answered truthfully. It wasn't often that he met someone outside the day to day of speaking with officials and dignitaries and nobility. The rules and manners and endless decorum was just a part of his life, and he accepted it. But Adrian also loved a chance at a friendly conversation for no other reason than the conversation itself. "I'm Adrian Kennet." He introduced himself casually, a little thrilled to do so. Adrian was certain Charlie knew who he was, but it felt good to say his name rather than let his reputation say it for him.

Charlie swallowed the ‘yes I know’ before it could slip out. He was vaguely stunned that the prince had introduced himself as he would to any close friend, without titles or pageantry of any sort. Not to mention the leprechaun was still reeling from ‘the pleasure is mine’. Attempting to compose himself, though he could feel the heat lingering in his cheeks, Charlie said, “Yes… sir.” He still wasn’t entirely sure what he should address the prince as. Did the fact that he gave his name mean he wanted to be called by that? Surely a title was necessary. By this point Charlie was wishing he had brushed up on his court etiquette more in his studies. Little did he know someday that might apply to him somehow.

Reining back his thoughts (a mental process not unlike gathering a crowd of unruly chickens) Charlie swallowed and chanced a glance up at the prince. He looked so open, and friendly. For that Charlie was grateful, if still a bit confused. “Please, call me Charlie if you wish,” he offered. Chuckling nervously he added, “Whenever anybody says Mr. Cullane it makes me think they’re talking about my father.” Of course that was ridiculous, as his father was many miles away and Charlie hadn’t seen him in months. He had certainly never come to the city. Still, old habits die hard, and certainly nobody ever addressed Charlie like that. He wasn’t a Mr., he was just… Charlie.

"I understand." Adrian smiled, privately thinking that he knew all too well what it felt like to be following his father's legacy like that. After all, his own father had been the king, a strong sovereign over the country even as his health began to fail. Even though he'd been born with a different title, Adrian knew about the unspoken expectations that everyone had. He could only hope he'd live up to them. "I'll try to remember it, Mr... ah, Charlie." He chuckled sheepishly. Old habits, learned from a very early age, died hard. Inwardly, Adrian was thrilled to be having such a friendly chat with someone. Especially considering he'd started things off by startling the poor little guy into running behind a book.

"Fair's fair, Charlie. You may call me Adrian if you want." That would be interesting. Even to the friends of the family, Adrian's mother tended to coach them on calling him 'Prince Adrian', considering it was his public title and his place in the royal lineup. It wasn't certain when he'd be taking the throne, but it was certain that any visiting nobility needed to observe such rules. Charlie, Adrian thought, should be as exempt from such things as Colfax was.

Adrian's cheeks reddened a little then, a sheepish expression on his face. "I hope you'll forgive me for not offering to shake your hand or greet you more properly. I usually have gloves with me but today I left them since I didn't expect to run into anyone."

Charlie’s heart nearly stopped when the prince offered to call him by his first name. The leprechaun knew he was often treated more casually than a human-sized person in this society, but this was something else. This was the Crown Prince, saying that Charlie could just call him Adrian. It was hardly fathomable. Charlie was forced to move on, however, as the prince kept talking. Swallowing thickly, though his eyes were still wide with shock, Charlie stammered, “I, um, that- that’s fine.”

He flushed deeply himself, hardly able to form a coherent thought. He was a little confused as to why the prince was mentioning gloves but he was too flustered to know whether that was actually something odd or just himself not thinking straight. “What with, ah, circumstances I don’t mind not having a handshake.” He laughed somewhat sheepishly; it was obvious to both of them, though. Handshakes between species were often awkward, save for the occasional pixie he had met. Charlie didn’t even expect a handshake as a way of introduction anymore. Not in the city, at least, where he could fit in the hands of most everybody.

Still redder than a beet Charlie added, “I apologize myself for such an informal greeting. I didn’t expect to run into anybody either, much less you Pri- … Adrian.” It felt entirely strange to address the Crown Prince so informally, but Charlie tried to swallow his awkwardness. After all, it wasn’t the oddest thing he’d ever gone through; that particular bar was set rather high.

Adrian wondered briefly if he'd been too forward, offering for Charlie to call him by his first name without a title. After all, it could be seen as very improper by many a subject of the kingdom. Even if Adrian himself had requested it. But ... this was the library, where he came to relax. It was not relaxing to have a title and all of the responsibilities that came with it. Hopefully Adrian wouldn't blow his exceedingly rare chance of a normal conversation with someone by freaking Charlie out or pushing him away with a spontaneous lack of decorum.

But really. How often does one meet a leprechaun? Stereotypical as it may be, he thought this might be his best chance at a lucky break.

"I don't mind. A library is a place for relaxing and learning, not endless ceremony, right?" he answered, his eyes flickering once to the window that lit up their conversation. The peaceful view punctuated by the smell of books all around simply didn't feel like the place for stuffy old traditions. "I'm very curious now, though. What did you plan to read?"

As Adrian glanced to the window Charlie’s gaze followed and some of the stiffness slipped from his shoulders. He could understand exactly what the prince meant. Amongst the company of books, their quiet peace and silent acceptance, one didn’t have to worry about the rest of the world. It was something he had always felt, but never heard articulated quite so well by anybody else. That more than anything lessened his nerves about being around the prince. It was the kind of common understanding that carried real weight amongst them.

At Adrian’s question Charlie turned back to look up at him, feeling a bit calmer now and more able to form a coherent reply. “I heard that this library held some authentic texts covering the history of the kingdom before the Imperial Age; records, accounts, and the like.” He flushed, somewhat embarrassed for being such an obvious scholar when it came to history, but it was his favorite thing to learn about. “We don’t have anything of the sort in the University library and I was interested. I had hoped to find them and learn more about that time period.” He looked to Adrian, curious as to his response. Of course he expected the prince to be well educated, but he was still in uncharted waters what with holding an intellectual conversation with the man.

"Well, you're not wrong," Adrian answered with a chuckle. There was a large portion of the library devoted to exactly that subject. Adrian couldn't hope to read all of them, but he'd been subjected to the most important texts regarding the history of his kingdom. It was important to keep it in mind. However ... "But this isn't the right section for that time period. I'm sure you only just started your search but this area tends to be less focused on local history. If you want, I can show you where you'll find something closer to what you're looking for."

The leprechaun’s demeanor brightened immediately and he looked up at Adrian with unfiltered happiness. “Really? That would be fantastic!” Flushing immediately at his own enthusiasm Charlie coughed self-consciously and tucked his hands behind his back. “I mean, I would be much obliged if you could help me find the correct area.” And potentially point out some good research to start with, since Charlie wasn’t familiar with the texts they had. Still, he was more than flattered that the prince was offering to help show him around the library. It was more than he ever could have imagined when he planned to visit.

Adrian was glad for the enthusiastic response, even if Charlie covered it up almost immediately. If he were honest, both actions were quite endearing. Adrian knew it'd be rude to say so, but he quietly believed it all the same. It was similar to some of Colfax's rare moments of being unintentionally cute; it was as though the prince never noticed.

Instead, he pushed his chair back to stand. This time, he hesitated, because he knew next to nothing about how to politely lead a leprechaun somewhere. With pixies, they flew, and with Colfax he could sometimes tolerate the smaller person standing on his hand if he had his gloves. Remembering that Charlie had traveled instantly from the shelf to the table, Adrian could only hope Charlie could repeat the task enough. "Right, well, it's this way," he began, leaving his sketchbook since he planned to come back to this table and because someone was standing on it.

Charlie looked up, and up, as the human stood. The leprechaun didn’t flinch; it certainly wasn’t the first time he’d had that perspective, and it would by no means be the last. Adrian was even short, so far as most human-sized people went. Sawyer was a great deal taller. Charlie watched as Adrian started off, somewhat relieved that the prince hadn’t tried to pick him up (not that the leprechaun ever imagined the prince would have such bad manners). He spoke up hesitantly, however, after the human took a couple of steps. “Um, excuse me?” he queried from the sketchbook, raising his voice slightly to call out to Adrian. “Sorry, I just… could you point out where we’re going? I don’t want to miss it and have to try again.” He’d already teleported three times that day, and though only one was recent he still felt a bit tired from it. It would be best if he teleported as few times as he could within the library itself. Otherwise he might have to rest for a great deal longer before attempting to make his way back home.

Adrian's cheeks reddened a little. Even though all he had to go by was hearsay to tell him how leprechauns did their magic, he felt he should have anticipated this better. Sure, Charlie could flicker about (and had already done it once), but Adrian hardly knew the mechanics of it. "Right, right, of course!" he answered, flustered. Hoping to correct for his rudeness, Adrian leaned slightly to get a better angle of the viewing angle Charlie had to work with. He pointed steadily before straightening and turning his gaze back towards the leprechaun. "You can see the bird statue there? That's almost directly above the section I'm thinking of. I can show you the correct alcove once we're in the same place, if that suits you."

“Yes, that would suit me just fine,” Charlie said with a small breath of relief. He hated feeling like he was being nitpicky, but really it was important. He straightened his suit jacket, waiting for the prince to continue walking so that he could follow him over there, but a few brief moments passed and nothing happened. Looking up at the prince and flushing a deep red in the awkward silence Charlie realized the prince was likely waiting for him to go first. Of course, since the prince was still looking at him, that wasn’t like to happen. Feeling more than embarrassed that he had to keep causing delays Charlie timidly said, “Um, I’m terribly sorry, but I can’t do it if you’re looking.” That was the one thing about leprechauns half the city seemed to know about somehow, but Charlie flushed even deeper having to explain it. “‘You can’t look away or we’ll disappear’ and all that. It’s just how it works.”

Adrian's lips thinned to a line and he blushed fire again. He'd even heard that saying before. He'd thought he might be polite and let Charlie go on ahead of him. "Gods and saints," he muttered to himself. Adrian covered his loss of composure with a smile. "Right, I had forgotten," he said gamely, taking his eyes off the leprechaun. With his face turned away he let his eyes widen in the mortified expression threatening to overtake his face. It was rude, is what it was, and he was just stumbling backwards through every faux pas under the sun.

Of course Charlie caught Adrian’s muttering and felt just awful about it. Here he was talking with the prince, of all people, and confounding the entire thing to ruins. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Prince Adrian such obvious exasperation, but he couldn’t exactly change the nature of his being. Thinking now he ought to make up for it, the moment the prince’s eyes left him Charlie teleported to the shelf by the statue that Adrian had pointed out, sucking in a deep breath once he got there. Teleporting always left him feeling like he’d just sprinted a great ways, but if he spaced it out enough that was all the consequences there were. This was just fine. Turning to look at the prince, who still looked worryingly upset, Charlie gave a little wave so that Adrian could see that he had made it over there. Gods this was so embarrassing.