Eventually Fredrickson snr came ambling out setting room at one of the tables for the tea tray he carried with some fresh sandwiches, tea and sliced fruit. A humble display for a Prince but the Prince smiled warmly regardless and gave a soft and honest thank you. Slipping over to the chair and being seated he was poured the tea by Fredrickson Jnr who had followed him over at his fathers behest. He glanced from the Prince to the Fae and back again as the boy scrambled up and down shelves like a monkey, at first a smile was all it took to redirect the mans attention to the Prince but Rei's antics soon were causing more concern to the book keeps until finally, under his breath, the shop owners son muttered, "What is he?" 

Alessandro had watched Fredrickson snr shuffle out to go organise books or treat the bindings of donations, it was only he, Rei and the younger now in the room. While not panicked he was concerned, no human moved as Rei did and it would only take a man like Fredrickson jnr a little while to realise this too. How he disturbed nothing, how the wood didn't so much as creak, aye Rei was small but even still his size should have produced some noise, some resistance but he traversed the wall as easily as a fish swam the sea. Alessandro was loathed to tell Rei to stop and it would be entirely too suspicious now if he did, the Fae would no doubt dismount like some viper from the branches, it was these small things, this lack of understanding that would have Rei exposed long before his ears or other tell tale signs did. So it was, in his mind, up to the Prince to keep his secret for him, the fae man ever so rarely showed such enthusiasm, except while killing, it really would have been too bad to stop it. 

Alessandro took Fredrickson Jnr's hand in his own, the warmth of the Prince causing the book seller's head to whip around so quickly Alessandro was worried for a moment that the man would give himself whiplash. A scarlet colour had slipped into Fred's face and Alessandro rubbed his thumbs over the tops of the book sellers hands. "Did I ever tell you how grateful I am?"
"G-g-g-rate-ate-ful?" The shopkeep stammered out in a high squeaky voice. "F-for for what?" The man swallowed hard and Alessandro felt a pang of guilt, this man had truly cared for his brother and nowhere he was using their similar features to distract Fred from his monkey like bodyguard. 
"When my brother died." Alessandro had dropped his voice low, a private, intimate whisper for just he and Fred, both his hands now held one of Fred's, circling the mans smaller, frailer hands while looking him straight in the eyes. "I felt very much alone, the palace had stopped feeling like a home. You and your father welcomed me here whenever I was sad, do you remember?" 
"O-o-of c-c-course my-my Pr-prince." Stammered the man, wavering under the smoldering stare of the Prince.
"I don't know what I would have done without this safe haven, I don't know where I'd be." Fred swallowed hard and nodded faintly, whispering timidly back, "It's my duty sir and....and it was no bother."
"Do you remember, you used to bring me hot chocolate and small cakes and we'd sit under the books, I'd never say anything to you, just sit there and you'd let me. Even after the shop had been long closed."
"Y-you lo-looked so sad." Alessandro smiled faintly, sadly and moved one of his hands up to Fred's shoulder, squeezing it gently. 
"You gave me time and I thank you for that, I want you to know that I mean that, they aren't words but something I feel, deeply." The poor book seller nodded frantically, almost the colour of scarlet. Alessandro smiled again and leaned across the table slowly, slipping his hand from the man's shoulder to his hair where he picked a small thread, likely from book bindings, from his hair. He could almost feel Fred's disappointment as he leaned away and dropped the thread and felt momentarily guilty. 

Not long after that though the fae was silently at his side, scaring Fred almost out of his seat and causing Alessandro to glance over to the man. He was very much like a puppy, adorably cute right now, in the 'off' mode. Though it wasn't long ago he'd been in 'on' mode and had plunged a knife into a would be killers back, he was a puppy but he was a ferocious one when crossed. Although this, the memory of only a few minutes ago, neither disturbed him and he fought the urge to pet the young fae's head. Fred muttered something about ruined moments and shot icy daggers at Rei but any suspicion aside from 'home wrecker' had died from his eyes and his mind as far as Alessandro could tell. Which was at least something.

Approaching the counter with Rei he vaguely glanced at the titles the boy had chosen, curious rather than nosy as regardless what they were Rei would still get them. Once at the counter -Fred still shooting icy, hurt looks Rei's way- Alessandro dropped a hand lightly onto Rei's head, helping stop him from moving that cap and watching as his hands fidgeted, they'd have to go back to the castle soon it seemed. "I'll take all three please Fred, could you wrap them in some paper for the journey back please?" Fred quit glaring at Rei long enough to flash Alessandro a smitten smile and some sweet words of thanks before takign the books and wrapping them in some brown paper. Despite his feelings for both men he was professional when it came to his work, securing the books in their parcel with some string before offering them back to Rei and taking the payment from the Prince. 

Fred almost whimpered when Alessandro said they had to leave but perked up again when there was a promise of another visit soon, there was a mutter about leaving the body guard behind but Alessandro ignored it, smiled at Fred and left the shop with the fae in tow. Once out in the town's centre they were hurried into the carriage and whisked back towards the castle.