What The Future Holds
POV: Alexandra
I was walking up to Blake and Lucien as they were starting their conversation so I was able to hear that Blake wanted Count Delnaro arrested. This came as a total shock to me since I was starting to become really close to his daughter Litha. I hurried my walk towards them and they both looked up at me. Lucien was the first to speak, “Did you hear what Blake just told me?” I nodded, “Are you sure, Your Highness?” He looked me straight in my eyes, “Yes, he approached me about marrying his daughter. She came up to me afterwards and started to flirt with me, heavily. There was no regard to her position within the competition that she is currently taking part in.” I sighed, “Do you think she’s aware that her father is part of a supremacist group?” I thought to myself that I so badly wanted her to be ignorant because she was a sweet girl. He shrugged, “I’m not sure but there is likely a way to find out. If we can hold off on arresting her father, I can find out during the retreat.” I looked over at Lucien to see what he had to say, he was thinking it over carefully. This was the dynamic of the two brothers. Where Blake was impulsive and reckless, Lucien was measured and careful. After a short while, he nodded, “I will allow it but we need someone to tail the Count to ensure he doesn’t get any ideas of harming any citizens.” Blake smiled at me, “Oh, I was planning on that. This is in regards to the safety of my beloved, I would never leave that to chance.”
The door to the room that Saraphia was in opened and Litha emerged but she was in tears. I looked over at the two men who were with me, “I think I need to be one of the ones to console her. We don’t know if she is part of the plot so she remains my friend.” Lucien patted me on the shoulder, “Of course, you may go.” I curtsied at the two of them and made my way over to Litha, I was the first to get to her and hugged her. She buried her head in my shoulder and squeezed me back. I patted her back as Jess came from the side holding a handkerchief. She handed it to Litha as we loosened up our embrace, “Thank you Alexandra and Jess. That was very rough.” I grabbed her hand, “Let’s go sit down and we can talk about it.” Lady Baltilliard, whose first name was Alesha, was walking towards us and we all sat down. Alesha was the first to speak, “What happened Litha?” Litha sniffled and dabbed her eyes, “I have a huge crush on one of the guys here and I was hoping he was going to like me back. Grand Pretre said it was very slim that I would ever get married to him. She said, as it stands, that he hates me right now. I asked her if I can change his opinion of me. All she said was that my actions would determine that. It was frustrating.” She turned to me, “You’ve met her before. Is she always like that?” I nodded, “She once told me that she could give me hints but never the answer. Her job is not to hold your hand to your fate but to help guide you.” She nodded and then patted my arm, “Thanks Alexandra. That puts me a little at ease. What do you think I can do to improve my chances with my guy?”
I knew that she meant Blake but I wasn’t aware that his inner feelings were full of hate. I should know that considering her father was, at present, helping to try to harm me. I looked her in the eye, “I think I know who you like. I saw you flirting with him earlier.” She blushed at me but said nothing. I continued, “I think you need to show him your sincerity.” She furrowed her brow, “What does that mean?” I didn’t want to give her the direct answer in case she was part of the plans that The Order had for me. It would do no one any good to help her to stay under the radar and Blake needed her ignorant in order to sus her out. I shrugged, “I only know the Prince a little so I really couldn’t give you the answer.” This was the best way that I could be diplomatic without giving away that her father was suspected of being in The Order. She merely nodded, “Well I truly appreciate your insight anyways Alexandra. If you can think of anything else, I would truly appreciate it.”
Jess was called in to see Saraphia at that moment and she was visibly nervous. I grabbed her hands, “Just breathe, she doesn’t bite.” She took a calming breath as she closed her eyes and opened them then nodded, “You’re right, no reason to get worked up.” She got up confidently and walked to the door as another woman emerged from the room in tears. I could tell who it was by her light brown hair, it was Lady Kastilidan. Lady Baltilliard giggled, “She must’ve got told she wouldn’t win this competition. She wants it just as badly as her hag of a friend. I’m honestly surprised Melody hasn’t spit her venomous vitriol at her friend for aspiring to go after the throne.” All three of us ladies at the table nodded and I spoke, “I suppose it is one of those situations where it is a united front until they get into the thick of it. I’m sure that the further this competition goes on, the more your friends will become your enemies.” I thought of Litha and hoped that Blake was wrong about her affiliation with her family’s actions. We kept the conversation light after that, talking about the small things. The conversation went to the outfits all the competitors wore; we had all agreed that Melody had the best dress there. It was hard to deny that fact and her entrance was graceful and lovely.
I was called to go in next as Jess emerged from the room and unlike everyone else who had been in there, she emerged smiling. She winked at me as I walked past her and she whispered, “We can talk about it later, at home.” I nodded and walked into the room. It was dark, illuminated by a large pillar candle in the center of the table where Saraphia was sitting. She smiled at me and it reached her ice blue eyes, “You’re rather relaxed considering you’re in the lead for the throne. You’re not nervous to be Queen?” I shrugged, “I guess I really haven’t thought about it. Marriage has never occurred to me since I’m so young and I never really had a romance in my teen years.” She nodded, “Well, you should sit so we can have a chat. Hm?” I sat down across from her and she reached out to my hands. She looked up at me and said, “You’re still unsure of what you want.” I nodded, “I am not oblivious to the feelings of those around me but I don’t really know what love, in the romantic sense, feels like.” She nodded at me, “You are cursed, you know that though.” I sighed, “Yes but Dorothea couldn’t tell me what kind of magic it was that cursed me.” She shook her head, “The water witch wouldn’t be able to see what sort of magic that comes from other realms. This curse is a magic from another realm.” I gasped, “You mean shadow magic?” She nodded, “This shadow magic is the very reason you aren’t able to fall in love.” I was confused about who could do this to me knowing that I was the soul child of a fellow celestial being, “Who?” She shook her head, “You likely know that my powers do not encompass the futures of celestial beings. All I know is that this God or Goddess wants you to fall in love with them.” My mind immediately went to Hypnos who had had a small crush on me. She shook her head, “It isn’t him; you’ve been in his presence. The magic would have taken you over the moment he came in front of you.” So, it was a celestial being that I have never met which would eliminate Aphrodite, Brigit, Hypnos and Hades. She spoke again, “This is but one thing I wanted to speak with you about. The other thing is your future because this point is very important.” I looked up at her and nodded, “And what is that?” She looked down, “Your uncle is soon to wake. He will have issues coping with what he’s done. Part of your powers is to heal through your heart and love. You need to keep in him in your heart and embrace him in any way you can. He is a part of your fate and if he falls to the darkness, you will lose him and with him your destiny.” I knew that it was very likely Talon would not be able to handle the reality of what he was made to do during his time with The Order as Zero. I nodded at her, “I will try my best.” She smiled, “That’s all you need.” Suddenly her face went blank and her eyes turned white, she squeezed my hands hard and she spoke, “Doom comes to those who stray from fate. Fear and chaos will ensue.”
