The Happy Couple (Tag: Alidia and Rahim) rated M

When Nicabar saw what happened, he was furious.  But he had heard something from the spell that made her disappear.  He knew where she was!
He snuck past his traitorous brother and left the church to find his people.  He needed a wagon.  Something told him it was necessary.

Meanwhile:
Esme was still in the cold. She realized something. When her and Nicabar were kids they loved picking on each-other. Then years later having almost forgetting all about him he comes and saves her. Even though she was super cold and her heartbeat was slowing down. She noticed that she loved him. She realized that regardless of him being a monster he made feel her amazing.

It was several hours before Nicabar was able to locate Esme.  He found her, slowly being buried under a layer of snow.  Quickly, the gypsy king wrapped her in a number of blankets and placed her inside the wagon.
"It's okay, dear Esme.  I'm here." he said, though he wasn't sure she could hear him.  He placed a light kiss on her cheek before getting into the driver's seat again.  Then, he turned the wagon around and returned to the city, with his lady fair.

Esme felt warmth. She fluttered her emerald green eyes open and saw she was covered in blankets and she saw Nicabar. He saved her once again. He was human self again. "Nnnnicabar...you came for me...thank you...I owe you my life...you're a hero..." she shivered. Meanwhile Joseph was watching them in his magical sphere. "Dang it they found each other...she is mine not his...he'll pay but I'll deal with her with some curse..."

"Thank you for saying so, my dear.  I try so hard to do what is right.  Now, I just hope we can get back before dark.  I don't fancy anyone coming upon us when I transform at sunset." Nicabar told her.  He sent her a sweet smile as he looked back at her.

Esme weakly got on the front of the wagon. She kissed his cheek. "you're a really good person my Nicabar don't let anyone let you differently. Now let's see..." Esme was looking around for a place for them and smiled. She pointed to it. "There...an empty church." Once they got settled in. She began singing a gypsy song. It just came to her. She giggled as she found a well inside the pulpit. She thought she saw Joseph. But she ignored it. She went to the horses and watered them. She went back in still singing and she was curious. "Nicabar why did Joseph make you that way?"

"Because he's...not my father's legitimate son.  He may have been born first, but the woman who was his mother was not married to my father.  So, he couldn't accept Joseph as his heir because of our laws.  Heartbroken, his mother took him and left.  I assume he hoped that our father would never have another child and would be forced to give his the crown of gypsy king in they end.  But then, I was born and that ended that plan." Nicabar began.
"As you know, he came back and placed a curse on me to try and break me down.  He told me he would only lift it if I let him have control of the gypsies, but I refused, thinking him mad.  It wasn't until the sun set that day that I realized what he had done.  But, that gargoyle body has some benefits to it." he added.

Esme looked at her friend and secret crush. "I'm so sorry..." then when he said there were benefits she smiled. "How so?" she giggled.

"That body is very strong.  I could fight a group of ten men and win.  Gargoyles have wings to glide, if they are up high enough.  And I can't tell you how many times I've eluded capture by sticking my claws into the stone of buildings and climbing up the walls." Nicabar said, flashing her a rakish grin.  He couldn't resist cracking a joke for his Esme.
Hold on, his Esme?  They may have been friends when they were kids, but that was different.  And was she his now?  Time often changed things, for the better or worse.  Maybe, things between them had changed for the better.

Esme smiled. "Sounds so fun and interesting. Seeing the world as you fly. Watching the stars up close like you can almost touch them." Esme looked up at the church's roof and looked at the stars. "Heaven's Light..." she muttered. "You must have a lot of gypsy girls always wanting to fly you."

"No, actually.  I always hide from my people when I feel the change coming.  You're the first woman who's gotten a good look at me when I'm like that.  And gliding is not the same as true flight, just so you know." Nicabar informed her, moving a little closer to her.

Esme giggled as Nicabar was being somewhat cocky and funny. She noticed him moving closer to her. She blushed. "So umm I'm the first woman to see your cursed self..." she said as she moved closer to him blushing and smiling. She placed her hand down on the bench close to him. And she locked her emerald green eyes into his sparkling.

Nicabar noticed her hand near him.  He was tempted to take her hand, and he went for it.  His hand placed itself on top of hers.
"Yes, you are.  It was such a relief to me when you weren't frightened off by it." the gypsy king told her.  A sudden thought struck him.  He had kissed her when she was unconscious; how was kissing her when she was awake any different?  So, he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

Esme blushed more red as she caressed his cheek with her free hand as she swayed the other gently back and forth. "My Nicabar..." she whispered as she leaned forward. "I liked that kiss." she smiled. "But I love you...only you...my gypsy hero/king..." Esme gasped as she saw the sun setting. "No..." she cried. "I wanted to do something before the sun set..." Meanwhile Joseph was casting his spell on Esme. He knew a memory loss spell should work. He decided to do it when she was asleep.

"Oh Esme, I'm so sorry.  I didn't realize the time.  Please forgive me for what you're about to see." Nicabar apologized.  He only had time to say that.  In an instant, he doubled over in excruciating pain as he started to change.
He cried out in agony as the claws tore through the tips of his fingers and toes and his ears became pointed.  The tail growing felt like someone was trying to pull his spine out of his back.  And when the wings burst out of his back, he felt like his body was burning with the pain.  He sank to his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

Esme started to cry as she ran to Nicabar. "Never apologize my love...I'll always be here for you...and that is why I put my snowflake necklace on you...cause I love you and I will stay by your side..." she sniffled as she hugged him. Joseph decided he couldn't wait. He cast the spell. And then Esme flew back. She screamed in pain as she grabbed her heart. "Something's happening to me..." she screamed as she passed out on the floor.

"Thank you, my love.  I'm so glad that I found you.  I knew I did the right thing by helping you during that fair." Nicabar said, some of his strength returning with her near.  He reach up and hugged her.

Unaware to the couple that Joseph cast his spell. Esme looked at Nicabar and gasped. "Who are you...please don't hurt me...I'm just an innocent young girl..." she moved to the back of the wall where she held her knees. "Please don't hurt me..." she whimpered and repeated.

Nicabar didn't understand what happened.  One minute, she claimed she would always be there for him, and the next, she was acting like he was a monster.  He placed a hand against his heart.
"Why would I do anything to hurt you?  You mean more to me than anything.  Esme, how could you forget me so easily?" Nicabar asked in sorrow.

Esme was about to speak but gasped as a smoke cloud appeared. Joseph was on it. "Well well baby brother...looks like my spell was a success...your Esme is all mine..." he took Esme's arm. "Ow you're hurting me..." she cried. She looked at the creature with her sorrowed filled eyes. "I'm so sorry whoever you are but I wanted you to hold on to my lucky scarf..." she unwrapped the scarf of stars and placed it around his neck. Joseph grabbed her again. She screamed in pain as they left.

Nicabar fingered the scarf around his neck and the snowflake necklace she'd given him earlier.  His heart was breaking, and he had a pretty good idea of who was responsible.  Joseph had better start sleeping with one eye open from now on.  Because if he ever saw him again, regardless of what form he was in, he would kill him.  Then he thought 'why wait until you see him next?'  With his heart shattered in a hundred pieces, he climbed to the roof of the abandoned church and glided back to town.

Esme looked outside her window but she only could see a tiny bit cause the man named Joseph chained her in the Justice Place dungeon. She remember the face of the one who was called Nicabar. He seemed familiar to her. She began singing a song that was on her heart but gasped as Joseph came in and started to hurt her. She cried in pain but in her heart she screamed the name that sounded comforting to her. "Nicabar...help me..." but then she was gagged and thrown in a different room. Joseph cast a fire spell. Esme muffled her screams and began to feel warm and dizzy. "Nicabar..." she muttered as she passed out.

When Nicabar arrived, glimpses of a fire was becoming visible at the Palace of Justice.  Something told him Joseph was up to something.  He landed on the terrace near where the fire was starting.  He saw Joseph standing outside the door to the room; he grabbed his half-brother and forced him to open the door.
"How dare you do this to her.  You deserve to burn for treating Esme like this." Nicabar hissed.  He shoved Joseph into the embers and picked up Esme to make his escape.  He shut the door behind him and locked it.
"You're safe now, Esme.  I, Nicabar, promise you will be safe." he told her as he ran.

When Joseph was burning Esme got her memories back. She looked at her beloved with tears in her emerald eyes. "Nicabar..." she said raspy. "I love you..." she coughed as she smiled as kissed his lips. "That's what I wanted to do when you were human...but regardless what form you're in I love you..." she nestled her head on his chest and began sleeping. She took his free hand into his like when they were in the church.

"You remember me, Esme?  You really remember me?" Nicabar asked.  He felt his heart lighten at the possibility that she recognized him again.