The Price
POV: Alexandra
I tried to turn to look at Cal to ask him what he meant by it costing him dearly but I felt his arms tighten around me, “I don’t want you to see me like this.” I sighed, “Cal, I need to see you so I can see how I can help you.” He shook his head as he buried his head in the crook of my neck, “There’s no helping me, sweet girl. I am punished for life and there’s nothing to be done.” I shook my head, “I refuse to believe that Cal. Please let me see.” I softened my voice and put some sympathetic emphasis on the last sentence. I knew this would soften his resolve for me not to see him. He sighed, “Alright but try not to be horrified. It will break my heart for you to look at me with disgust.” He walked over to his bed and lit up the lamp on his side table. He tried to hide his face by training his eyes on the floor. I walked over to the bed and kneeled in front of him. I took my hands and gently placed them on his cheeks and lifted his face to me. On his face from his left forehead to his right cheek was a large gash that had taken damage to his right eye. Anger at what his father did to his beautiful face bubbled up inside of me but I didn’t want to let it show on my face. I would find a way to get revenge on Renier for what he did. I called out, “Mordred, I need you again.” A portal opened and he stepped out, “I was waiting to hear you call out to me.” He took a crouching position and leaned his head over my shoulder then whistled, “That one is a nasty piece of work if you ask me. Something in me knew Prince Cal was the sole reason for them both coming to House of Dark. We will fix this the best we can. Sadly, dear one, he might not have the full function of his eye again. A pity because his eyes are as gorgeous as the turquoise stones in Terre. If you want, dear one, we can find a way to save it together…perhaps the light-healing potion could work. Do you have any left from the Seely shipment?” I nodded, “I had Jheelis keep a few vials in my store room just in case Renier did something to him or Cal.”
I looked up at Cal with tender eyes, “One thing you need to know Cal is that you are such a gentle soul that I could never look at you with disgust.” I placed a hand on his heart, “This is what makes you beautiful. Your aesthetic beauty will fade in time and all that will be left is what you show on the inside. The only people I could ever be disgusted with are Melody and Renier because they are disgusting black-hearted creatures that don’t deserve to occupy any space where you exist. One day and I hope it is very soon, they will have their comeuppance and I will not have one ounce of sympathy for them.” I heard clapping behind me, “Excellent speech, dear one. It is all true, the world has a way to balance these things but…sometimes it takes a little push.” I looked up and squinted at Mordred to see if I could read his face but unfortunately, he was hiding in the shadows. He was planning something, “Should I be concerned that you will start a war?” He chuckled, “My dear girl, I would never. The price of war is too steep and far too many civilizations are too quick to jump into that and usually the ones who don’t have to pay the ultimate price are the ones who make those choices. I value the lives of the people of Vellum and Lasparia. Still, it angers me that my dear nieces would be hurt so by that stupid man.” I widened my eyes and gasped, “Mordred, you are a freaking genius.” I got up and kissed the tall, older gentleman on the cheek, “You just gave me the best idea.” I whispered my idea in his ear while he nodded and chuckled, “Clever girl, I will set that up for tomorrow morning then. Before work?” I nodded, “Please and thank you.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek, “You are my favorite for a reason.” He chuckled loudly, opened the portal, and left.
I sat down on the bed next to Cal and grabbed his hand, “Hey, you haven’t said anything since you sat down. Talk to me.” He squeezed my hand, “I keep thinking about how he’s trying to make you his, and I can’t allow that to happen. What if he does these types of things to you?” I leaned my head to his shoulder and sighed, “I wish I could tell you that would never happen because he needs me but I don’t want to speak in absolutes since the world is never absolute. All I can tell you is that I’m a fighter and I have the Gods on my side. He’d anger them if they tried. It’s never good to anger the Gods.” He sighed and leaned his head against mine, “I want to protect you, Alexandra…but I don’t know how.” I shook my head, “I don’t need protecting, Cal. I need strengthening and the man himself will do that for me.” He took his head away from mine and looked down, “What do you mean?” I looked up at him, “He’s offered to allow Jheelis to show me how to use a bow so I can protect myself. As for the mind games he likes to do, I’m going to ask Mordred to school me. If it ever comes down to me becoming your wife, I will be prepared for his bullshit.” He sighed and whispered, “My wife.” There was silence hanging in the air and he turned to me. He cradled my head in his hands, “What if you did become my wife? Would you hate that you ended up with me instead of Lucien?” I opened my mouth to answer but a knock sounded on the door, “Calypso, open this door now.” He bristled at the sound of his father’s voice and sighed. He rose and took a glance at me, regretting that I couldn’t answer him, and answered the door.
Renier stepped into the room with a large smirk on his face, “We will need to glamor your face so that no one will see what you did to yourself.” I drew in a sharp breath and I sprang from the bed, “A bit late for that, Your Majesty. I ordered him to show me.” His eyes widened as he realized I was there still and I had seen his handy work. He regained composure, “That is unfortunate that you had to see his hideous form, Highest Highness. He was so upset that he wasn’t able to help you that he disfigured himself.” What a load of shit and I knew it. Cal would have never lied to me like that, it was the respect he had for me. I decided it would be best for Cal if I had played along. I placed a gentle hand on the man standing next to me, “I am going to try my best to fix him up though. I have the ability to at least fix the giant scar.” He shook his head at me, “I don’t think you should, Highest Highness. It should remain in place to remind him of his mistake.” I knew he was referring to his delusion that Cal should be punished because he wasn’t the one to help me. I shook my head, “I wouldn’t be so sure he wasn’t the one to help me. I wonder if you know that for sure, Your Majesty.” He was taken aback, “Well…no.” I tried my best not to smirk at him, “There was a gentleman there that did help me and he was blonde. I was just unable to see his face. There’s no telling it wasn’t His Highness. I think I should heal him because it wasn’t really his fault. Wouldn’t you agree, Your Majesty?” The look on his face just then was one of hesitance. Check and mate. He nodded without a further word and I smiled, “Thank you for your agreement, Your Majesty. I will leverage the witches at House of Dark to help me in this task. You are probably well aware that they are very powerful healers. I will not have Cal suffer on my behalf.” He sighed, “Even so, do you not believe we should glamor his face still? He is going to be in public but his face is admittedly hideous now.” I thought to myself, “Whose fault is that you douche canoe?” I shrugged, “I suppose that would be up to Cal but I don’t believe he is hideous now. He never could be.” He smiled down at me, no doubt remembering what I had reminded him earlier about his heart.
Renier looked at his son curiously, “Do you want to glamor?” Cal shook his head, “I think it will be okay as long as Alexandra is with me.” Cal looked down at me and gave me a gentle smile and I gave him a reassuring nod. I looked back up at Renier, “He won’t have to be around too many people in House of Dark so I don’t think a glamor is necessary. My uncle will have him looked after properly there.” Renier gave me a smile but it was fake, masking irritation he undoubtedly had with the fact that he was outsmarted, “Well, I must get going then so I can prepare my things to stay in Lasparia for a few days then. Calypso, I will send Jheelis to help you pack just as soon as I get word he is back. I expect him before we leave for Lasparia this evening.” Cal nodded, “Yes, father. I will start to pack then.” Renier nodded at him and looked at me, “I hate to leave you so soon, Highest Highness.” I waved him off, “It is quite alright, Your Majesty. I understand that you are busy with preparations. Please don’t let me keep you.” He turned and left the room and I let out a puff of air, “Okay, now that he’s gone. Let’s get some light in here. You’ve shut yourself in the dark for far too long, Cal.” He smiled down at me gently, “Thank you.” I giggled as I threw open his curtain, “It’s just letting light in. It’s no big deal.” He shook his head, “No, I mean that conversation with my father and reminding me that true beauty is more than what you can see on the surface. You have the most beautiful soul I have ever met.” I stared out the window that I had just uncovered and saw a good view of the chimney at Blackwood. I nodded at it, “I am what I am because of them.” I came over and looked over my shoulder, “They were so very worried for you. We all were but I think your father was ready to follow you into death if he had to. That must be where you get your strength. I was envious of you when I was there. What is it like to have a father to love you and worry for you?” I opened my mouth to answer but he cut me off, “You don’t have to answer that. It’s more of an out loud ponderance. I will never know and I will never understand what it is like either. I am curious though.” He walked over to his bed again and the light that came into the room from the window striped his face. I looked over my shoulder at him, “What are you curious about? I will do my best to answer.” He smiled at me with all the love in the world in his eyes, “You didn’t get a chance to answer my question from earlier.” I looked back out of the window toward Blackwood, “Do you really want to know? Even if it could hurt you in the end?” He spoke quietly, “I think I do. It won’t hurt since I have resolved to myself that you love Lucien. I know that. So?” I placed my hands on the window sill and leaned. I looked down at the floor and sighed, “If I’m honest…I’m…confused.”
