Chapter 33

“That was Diona Gonzales for you,” Juan said while leading Heather toward their next stop.
“She seems like a nice woman,” Heather responded.
She was not sure how to bring herself to ask Juan about his relationship with Diona, if there was even one. Further, she also had no right to inquire about or meddle with his affairs.
“Sometimes,” He replied in one word. “Do not pay any heeds to her. How about I take you to the seamstress in our community?”
“Fun,” Heather exclaimed with fake enthusiasm.
“Oh, come on! Don’t all the ladies love getting dressed?” Juan looked at her while arching his brow.
“I would not go far and say all the ladies. Some women don't enjoy dressing up as much as others." Heather grinned.
"And if I may guess. One of those select few women is you. We do have one special woman with us, then.”
Juan's comments made Heather chuckle. Nonetheless, he drove her to a nearby boutique before taking her to the town's central market.
Even though the entire journey to Warsavor was pleasant, she couldn't help but draw comparisons between Warsavor and Mystes. The locals here seemed to be nice and friendly, but they were nothing in comparison to her family and friends back home.
It is true that when something is far away from you, one learns its full value.
Although Heather never took anybody of them for granted and has always valued their kindness and affection, being separated from them has made her truly understand their worth. Nothing ever felt foreign there but here, the case of different.
Everything was new to her. The people, their way of life, and their culture. Mystes was ruled by the people of the town. There was no ruler or king there. If she thinks about it now, she had never heard a story of anyone who had ever tried to take over Mystes to make their own realm.
Mystes had unique characters and personalities where people coexisted in peace.
Heather sensed that Warsavor was an exception to the rule. Everyone had to abide by the laws, regulations, and decrees that the Diadems made. She finds the idea of a monarchy to be quite alien.
Mystes was a village where members worked together to create their own rules and laws, making it a location governed by the town's citizens. Warsavor, on the other hand, is governed by the King, the Queen, and their appointed representatives.
Heather was certain that she would have a completely different experience during her time in Warsavor. One of her crucial concerns was surviving this place unscathed. Something about this place made her uncomfortable from the moment she stepped in. She at first attributed it to her uneasiness of visiting a new region for the first time, but she knew in her heart that it was something different.
“There you are!” As soon as Alexander saw Heather and Juan enter Heather's cabin, he exclaimed.
“Well, here she is. Safe and sound.” Juan retorted, mentally rolling his eyes but nonetheless smiling as he gave Heather’s hand in that of Alexander's.
“Aren’t the two of you dramatic,” Heather said, looking at the brothers' childish behavior.
“You have not seen half of it, my ‘lady,” Juan stated as he gave Heather a bow.
Juan's words only made Alexander shake his head. “Ignore him, Heather. I hope he took care of you. If not, do let me know. One word, and I will have his head cut off right at this moment.”
“Brother, I can feel the love. Don’t I have the best brother in the entire world?” Juan said flatly.
“You do. Yet occasionally best brother needs to teach the younger one lesson.”
It was Heather who had no choice but to interrupt their ongoing battle, “Alexander, you do not have to teach anyone lessons. Juan had been a perfect gentleman. If I may be honest, I quite enjoyed his company.”
With a joking grimace, Alexander added, “I hope not too much. But I am glad in any case.”
"How was your day, then?" Heather enquired.
"It's dreadful not having you at my side. But I am certain that your mere presence will make up for the moments we were apart.” Alexander said, kissing her hand.
"Aren't you two adorable together?"
Alexander scowled at Juan because of his cooing. "Juan, I appreciate you looking after Heather. Your job is over, so if you don't mind leaving, I'd want to spend some alone time with Heather." Alexander said, coming straight to the point.
“Alexander!” Heather exclaimed at the straightforwardness of her companion's words.
“Heather. Be at ease. Juan is unconcerned by anything I say. I know my brother well.”
Juan turned to face Heather and nodded in agreement. “He is correct, Heather. In fact, I am quite surprised that Alexander did not manage to escape from our father’s clutches to reach you sooner. I half expected him to show up unannounced, but he did not. It is progress, brother.”
“I wished I would have been able to find my way out, but it looked like Father had a ton of work that he saved for me and waited for my return to finish it. After a few months away, one would expect some warm welcome or perhaps a stimulating conversation, but the only thing he could comment about was on my reckless behavior of leaving unannounced.” With a tight voice, Alexander remarked.
“You are the future king, Alexander,” Juan said simply.
"Not my top pick," He grumbled in response.
Juan was aware that gaining control of the realm was a touchy subject for his brother, and he did not want to delve too deeply into it and upset Alexander further.
"Now, you two enjoy, and I will go unwind. I will see you tomorrow, Heather.” Juan bowed and left.
“Alexander, you might also be tired,” Heather remarked.
“Not more than you. Moreover, I have prepared dinner for us.” Alexander said with a tint of excitement.
“You did not have to. Alexander, you ought to eat dinner with your folks. They would anticipate your arrival.”
Alexander could feel Heather's emotions. He forced her to gaze at him while stroking both of her shoulders. “Heather, I had enough of my mother and father's company while they were making me catch up on the work.”
“How about personal time? That is also vital.” Heather pointed out.
“Yes, it is, but that is not how our family functions. Trust me on this. I have mentioned this to you before. Juan and I rarely have meals with our folks.”
“So, we must invite Juan too. I do not want him to have his meal alone.”
“From tomorrow, we would. Now all I want is to be with you and hear about your day in detail.”
Before Heather could object, Alexander claimed her lips, making her forget about the words she was going to speak.