Roused 051 You See It All In Her Eyes

- Roused
- Chapter 051
~ You See It All

@ Phillip tries to come to terms with his feelings for Aurora.

The princes have left their princesses in their room and the maid left them at the top of the stairs down from the kitchen level, watching protectively.

The next level down, they cross the tower to the next set of stairs. Phillip pulls on his steel shod gauntlets, the leather stained with green-black goon blood. He is walking quickly with a great determination.

Then, with a low growl he punches a granite Ionic column. A sickening crunch is heard, but as he pulls back his hand; it is the granite that is flaked and crumbling.

"Are you alright?" asks Eugene, surprised by the intensity of will coming from Phillip.

"Yes," Phillip barks, looking at his flexing hand.
"No…" he says more gently, his arm dropping to his side, looking back up the stairs.
"Looking into her eyes…." Phillip trails off, not really knowing how to describe it.

"It's wonderful and terrifying at the same time," says Eugene, gently but knowingly.

"Yes," says Phillip, quietly.

"You see it all, don't you? Her whole soul," asks Eugene looking deliberately at Phillip, taking him by the shoulder.

"Yes," Phillip says very quietly, looking down.

"Rapunzel is the same way. We look into each other's eyes and she holds nothing back. Her whole soul is open to me. Looking into the eyes of a baby is the only thing that's even close, but a baby, doesn't have the sheer depth our princesses have. She may not be able to use the word love, but she loves me with her whole soul, I know that and there is no way for me to live up to that."

"Aurora loves me totally. It's like I can feel her beating heart in my hands. I trained all my life to be brave, to choose the right, to defend the weak and the helpless, to defend her. How can I trust even myself with what she is giving me?" Phillip looks at his cupped and armored hands.

"Would you, could you, trust anyone else?"

"No! Don't be ridiculous." Phillip's head comes up, fire in his eyes.

"See."

"Oh. Yes, I guess I do now. She is in such pain," he looks back up the stairs.

"So is Rapunzel. It hurts my heart so much to see her pain. Their Mama's are looking out for them. Our girls are going to be well taken care of."

"Yes, and we need to protect them all. Let's go do that." Phillip finished decisively.

- End of Chapter 051