The Sadness
POV: Alexandra
I gasped quietly and backed around the corner and ran off toward the castle. Tears were streaming down my face as the scene I just saw started an endless loop in my head. I ran into Malinus and Teddy who looked at me with concern. Teddy wrapped his arms around me, “What’s going on?” I shook my head, “I can’t…I can’t breathe.” Malinus sighed and looked back at the castle, “Lucien is late for lunch. Could you meet with the Seely Royals as planned? I think you can leave after that. I think being around friends should help you and someone needs to have that lunch. They did request you after all.” I nodded and took the handkerchief my cousin offered me. I dried my eyes, “Can you ensure I don’t see Lucien for the remainder of the day?” Malinus nodded, “I have pressing things he needs to attend to so I will have his lunch in his office.” I gave him a sad smile, pecked Teddy on the cheek, and walked off to the castle. I tried to regain my composure while I walked back to the castle. I knew that they were setting the lunch up in the Queen Mother’s tea room so I walked over there. I stepped into the room and found that there were Renier, Cal, and Blake. All three of the men turned and smiled at me. Blake stepped forward and hugged me. He whispered, “I can see you’ve been crying. We can talk about that later but for now, let’s have this lunch.” He spoke louder, “It’s so good to see you again, my friend. I’m glad you are here to have lunch with our friends from Seely.” He pulled away and smiled down at me gently, telling me with his eyes that he would always be on my side.
Cal smiled at me and pulled out my chair, “It’s always good to see you, Your Highest Highness. We were hoping that you could be with us today since it was you whom we wanted to have lunch with to begin.” Renier smirked, “No Lucien then?” I looked down and Blake stepped up next to me, “My brother is busy with work and regrets that he couldn’t make it today so he asked me to come in. I hope you are not offended, Your Majesty.” Renier waved, “I am not offended. As my son said, we really wanted to see Her Highest Highness anyhow. We are happy she is here but I have to ask…why do you look so sad. Do you not want to be here with us?” I widened my eyes and looked up, “I assure you, it’s not that. I am just tired from all of the travel from earlier and I’m beginning to have a headache.” Blake patted my shoulder, “Don’t worry. I will ensure you get home to rest after this lunch. I have business with your father as well so I can ensure you get back home safely. You see, Your Majesty, our beautiful Alexandra is in constant danger here in Vellum.” Renier leaned forward in his seat, “Oh really, why is that?” Blake leaned forward with a smirk on his face, “There’s this secret organization here that hates her because she was raised in Terre amongst humans. They are very xenophobic, hate outsiders, and feel like us pyrios should be traveling to Terre to drain humans like the old ways. They’ve already tried twice to take her out. Darn near succeeded last time. I’ve been trying to deal with them but for some reason, my brother hasn’t taken them out despite having enough evidence against them.” With each thing that Blake said both Renier and Cal were getting angrier and angrier. Renier clenched his fist, “If there’s anything I can do to help keep our Goddess safe, do let us know. She is valuable to Seely and will see it as an act of war should she see any harm.” Blake smiled wide, “I was hoping that you would say that, Your Majesty. I believe you and I could team up to figure something out. We can discuss it later. I’d like to have dinner with just the two of us.”
The rest of lunch went off without a hitch and it was time for Blake to escort me home. Cal kissed my hand, “I do hope you feel better soon, Alexandra. I will pray to Apollo for you.” He had a look of concern on his face and normally that was something I could appreciate but today I wasn’t in the mood. I merely smiled at him and thanked him before Blake quickly escorted me out of the castle. We climbed into Blake's carriage and I was thankful that I could leave my carriage there for Teddy to get home. As soon as we got on our way, Blake turned to me, “Alright, why did he make you cry?” I widened my eyes, “How did you know?” He shrugged, “Considering, you looked like you had seen a ghost and you were crying, I just assumed that Lucien was a jerk.” I looked down at my hands that were fidgeting, “I supposed I should tell you the whole story then.” I drew in a deep breath and began to recount to him what led to the date with Melody and what I saw. He clenched his jaw, “I’m going to punch him in his stupid face. I won’t mention what I would love to plan for that Melody hag. How dare they play with your feelings!” I placed a gentle hand on Blake and shook my head, “I need you to calm down, Blake. I don’t want you committing treason just because you’re angry with Lucien.” He grunted in frustration, “You know I came to concede to my brother because I knew that would make you happiest and now I’m not going to. Alexandra, if I was King and you fell in love with me, I would not have hurt you this way. You know that right?” I nodded, “I know Blake but I don’t want the power. I just wanted Lucien. Now…I don’t know.” The tears started to flow again and he wrapped an arm around me, “He isn’t worth the tears, sweet girl. I’m going to inform them when I get back that you are going to need a couple of days off. You’re ill. They don’t need to know that you are heartsick.”
We got to the house and Dana came out to greet me. Blake shook his head at her, “Take Her Grace up to her room and make her some tea with some strong sedative. She needs rest and I don’t think she will get it naturally.” Dana looked at my face then back at Blake, “Right away, Your Highness. I will take good care of her.”
POV: Blake
I watched as Dana took a weak-looking Alexandra up the stairs until she disappeared into the hallway. I walked over to the study and knocked thinking that Reggie was likely there. Talia answered the door and immediately bowed, “Greetings, Your Highness. I wonder why Dana didn’t announce you.” I smiled at her sadly, “I ordered her to take care of Alexandra. She’s had a rough day so I told her to get some rest. I’m ordering her to stay home for two days. This is the best thing for her at this point.” She pulled the door wide open for me, “I suspect that you have a story to tell about that. Right?” I nodded, “It’s half the reason I came. I saw the state Alexandra was in during our luncheon with the Seely Royals and I knew we had to get her home.” I recounted to Reggie and Talia what Alexandra had told me. Reggie’s face fell to his desk as I spoke and Talia remained unreadable. I finished and waited for one of them to speak. As I had thought, it was Reggie, “I’m going to withdraw her from the selection process. He doesn’t deserve her.” Talia shook her head, “I’m inclined to believe that we don’t have the entire story. Perhaps this was something Melody planned. I don’t think we should make any rash decisions. How is Alexandra?” I sighed, “Obviously, she was crying a lot and I don’t think she wants to see Lucien any time soon.” Talia nodded, “I think one of us needs to visit His Majesty and explain what is going on. It does no good to leave things hanging like this. Even if we clear it up, I think the assessment that Alexandra stay home for a couple of days is correct and proper.”
Just then a bell rang out in the room and Talia looked at Reggie, “I don’t think we will need to go see him. Looks like he is seeing us today.” I looked at her confused, “What do you mean?” She pointed at a bookshelf, “You’ll see there, the King will come into the house from there. It’s an old passageway that he uses on occasion to come see Alexandra secretly.” As Talia had said, the bookshelf opened and my brother stepped through. I clenched my fist but remembered the plea that Alexandra made to me in the carriage and ran my hand through my hair. I walked away from him to the furthest place in the room. He looked over at me surprised, “Brother, I didn’t know you’d be here.” Reggie and Talia bowed at him. Reggie spoke first, “To what do we owe this honor, Your Majesty.” He smiled at Reggie, “I came to see how Xan was doing. I was told she was getting a bad headache and needed to come home. I brought Teddy so he could go have a look. Do you mind if we go up to see her?” Reggie shook his head, “Sorry, Your Majesty but I don’t think she really wants visitors. I can allow Teddy up there but only because he can medically check on her to see if it isn’t anything bad.” I was going to tell him she was going to take a few days but Teddy stepped out from behind Lucien. He winked at me and left the room and I knew he would take good care of her. Reggie sighed, “I do have something to address with you, if I may, Your Majesty.” Reggie asked Talia to get some tea for us and she nodded and then left the room. After she shut the door, Reggie offered for us all to have a seat in the sitting area. Reggie was making small talk until Talia came back with the tea. Lucien looked over at me, “I thank you for escorting Alexandra home, brother.” I shook my head, “I only did what I would do for anyone I loved, brother. I always do my best to treat her well.” I gave a little more aggression to that last sentence to indicate I was displeased with him.
He shrugged, “I was completing a task that was asked of me by the Elder Council. Had I been there, I would have ensured she got home properly and safely. You know that brother. I love her after all.” Reggie’s jaw clenched with that declaration but he held his tongue. Talia walked in with a tea cart and placed the setting in front of all of us. She took a seat where Alexandra would normally sit. She nodded at Reggie who drew in a deep breath before he started. He leveled his gaze at Lucien, “I have to ask how your date with Melody Maigny went, Your Majesty.” He shrugged, “It was an obligation but I wouldn’t write home about it.” He groaned, “I mean to say, did you perhaps lock lips with the Maigny girl?” His eyes widened, “She tried something on me, yes. I pushed her away.” I spoke up angrily, “Bullshit! You didn’t think to push her off your lap before she was sucking your face. I don’t believe you!” Before Lucien could reply, a breathless Teddy ran into the room. Talia sprung up, “What’s the matter, Teddy?!” He caught his breath, “Alexandra, she’s…not doing well at all. I think she might be in a coma.”
