“Don’t you see Cosmo, I finally get to show him I’m more than some helpless princess. Maybe if he sees I’m not as big a burden as he thinks, he’ll finally give in to me.”
“Oink, Oink.” Cosmo shook his head at Alexandra’s naïve innocence.
“Fine. Have it your way tiny grump. But I’m still going to get ready.”
Rolling over, Alex sat up in her bed. It was still early in the morning, but she had a lot to get done before evening fell. Pushing herself off the bed, she moseyed over to the vanity and brushed her hair. As the brush slid down her chestnut locks, Alex noticed something lurking in the corner of her eye. Shifting her body towards the window, she made eye contact with a raven sitting on her windowsill, glaring at her.
“What in the world?” Alex mumbled to herself out loud “Is the same bird from before?”
Usually, Alex would have paid little attention to birds sitting at her window as such things were not uncommon. However, the presence of this particular bird was a little alarming given everything that had happened recently. Ever since her birthday, Alex had seen the raven everywhere she went, watching her. It could easily have been a coincidence, a random raven here and there, but Alexandra did not believe in coincidences. Somehow, the immediate presence of the feathery stalker near her room was raising some concerns.
Flouncing towards her window, Alex flung the curtains shut with a loud huff. With a racing heart, she sat down in the dark and pondered her next move. Burying her face in her hands, Alex wondered what the darn bird wanted with her, to begin with. She recalled Rupert's words from a week ago. The butler said something evil was afoot, and perhaps this darn bird was a part of it. Alex had no idea who the dark master was, but she knew this raven was connected to him somehow, and that she’d need to deal with it soon enough.
Lamenting over what to do with her stalker, Alex glanced up at the clock and noticed the hours ticking away. Not wanting to waste any more time she decided it was best to change out of her nightdress if she wished to get anything done. Slipping into her tired, old dress, Alex went over to the hiding spot under her bed to check on the newest treasure she had hidden. Pulling out a silver pocket watch she sighed with relief, it was still where she left it.
Turning the watch over in her hand, Alex ran her finger over the intricate details that had been laid onto its surface. The front was covered in a wreath of roses which framed an elaborate letter J. The back held a simple inscription she picked out when Rupert asked if she wished to add something. This watch was made especially as a birthday gift for Jay, and Alex made sure it matched the locket she wore, down to the last detail.
As she held Jay’s watch, reading over the inscription on the back, she felt a small spot around her chest grow warm. Placing the watch back in its hiding spot, Alex took the chain with the locket off her neck and noticed it had a pulsing, pale blue glow to it. She ran a finger across the surface, curious as to what could cause such a phenomenon. She could hear strange voices coming from inside, and against her better judgment, Alex opened the locket up to look inside.
What was once a solid piece of blue glass, now rippled in different shades of silver, calling her name. Reaching out, Alex hesitated before touching the surface with the tip of her finger. A jolt went through her body as her finger connected with the liquid on the inside. The fog in the glass cleared, and an image came into view. Glancing at the picture being revealed, Alex let out a startled yelp, letting the necklace fall to the floor.
Leaning over to peer at the moving picture playing on repeat inside the mirror, Alexandra could not believe her eyes. In a sea of lilac Heather flowers, stood Jay, his hair swaying with the breeze. Nearby, a small boy with blond hair was chasing around a black butterfly as the sun set over the horizon. Calling Andy’s name, Jay knelt to swoop the boy up as he ran into his arms. They both turned as if looking straight at her and smiled.
“Mama.” Andy’s excited voice squealed. “You made it.”
“What took you so long, sweetheart?”
Watching the images in the locket caused a throbbing pain to stab Alex in the head, and she doubled over in agony. Watching his mistress crying on the floor, Cosmo swooped down to push the locket shut with his snout. This was not supposed to happen. The necklace was meant to keep the memories hidden away, but it would appear Alex had grown more powerful than expected.
“Wee?” Cosmo bopped Alex with his snooter.
“I’m fine. It’s just… I don’t know what that was. But it seems to be over now, thank you.”
“Roink.”
“You’re right. It’s best to get moving before everyone else wakes up.” Alex put her necklace back on and got back up to her feet. She was headed for the door before she turned to Cosmo one more time. “Why don’t you stay here pal. You can use the rest.”
Grunting with delight, Cosmo flew back down to the pillow and curled up for another nap. Alex waited for the pigrie to drift off to sleep before she headed out into the palace. There was no need to transform into anything this time though. Her father had left the door unlocked since the engagement to Philip became public. Seems as if the dear prince had some talks with Arthur regarding their arrangement, thus saving her from house arrest.
For the first time in ages, Alex was free to move about the palace without an escort to keep an eye on her. Sticking her head out the door, she listened for signs of life in the long, empty corridors, but she could hear nothing. The family was still fast asleep, and the servants were busy preparing for the day in the confined portions of the building, far out of her way. Content no one would bother her, Alexandra shut the door behind her and scurried down the stairs.
In the downstairs parlor, a few maids were busy cleaning the banisters, stopping only to give Alex a courteous nod of the head. There was no need to worry about the staff, they had long shown their loyalties were to Thomas and her, and who could blame them, Quinton was a deplorable leader. Hoping to procure a few more ingredients for the dinner she planned for Jay, Alex hurried down the west wing, heading for the kitchen.
A quick wave to the maids working in the hall let them know she was looking for a quick snack and to keep quiet about it. With her heels clicking on the wood floors as she hurried along, Alex stopped dead in her tracks halfway to the kitchen. Listening close, she heard muffled voices coming from the library.
“Now who could be up at this hour?” she whispered to herself.
The sun just crested over the horizon recently. It was far too early for anyone in the family to be up and the servants would not go into the library without Arthur’s permission. Curious to know who was meeting outside normal place hours, Alex decided to investigate further. Glancing around to make sure no one was coming, she snuck into the parlor adjoint to the room in question.
Tiptoeing her way to the door, she stopped to listen to the people inside. Alex could make out two distinct male voices, but she didn't know who they belonged to or what their conversation was about. She wanted to know what they were talking about, but the only way to do so was to go inside. Alex was sure she could slip in unnoticed and hide amongst the shelves where the men would not notice her.
Reaching a hand for the door handle, she paused, getting second thoughts. Whoever was meeting at this hour was probably not discussing anything good. Otherwise, there would be no need for secrecy. No, thought Alex, if they are plotting something, all the more reason for her to know. Stilling her beating heart, she reached for the glass doorknob one more time.
As her trembling hand touched the cool surface of the handle, someone grabbed Alex from behind. The assailant put one hand on her waist and one over her mouth. Terrified, she let out a muffled scream as she struggled to get away. Undeterred by her flailing, the figure dragged Alex away into a secret passageway behind an old bust. Concealed by the dark, the stranger activated a floor switch, allowing the marble head to slide back into place.
The mysterious captor shooshed her from behind, warning her to keep silent
. Surrendering to her circumstances, Alex calmed down and stopped resisting, hoping the stranger wouldn’t hurt her. But as the dust from the statue settled, the library door creaked open, and heavy footsteps walked around the parlor before their owner slammed the door shut. Backing up against the wall, the person holding Alex crouched down and guided her to look through a small hidden hole in the wall.
Separated from them by a thin layer of wood and plaster sat Dalton on a cushioned, wingback chair. He was reclining with his fingers forming a triangle pressed up against his lips. The mystery person who saved Alex from being discovered unclasped their hand from her mouth, trusting her not to scream. Not able to turn back to look at him, Alex pressed closer for safety as they continued to observe the library from their secret vantage point. On the other side, Dalton lowered his hands as Quinton strode back into the room and sat down across from him.
“Who was that?”
“There was no one there. Perhaps it was just the maids walking by.” Quinton motioned with his hand “This place has a way of distorting sounds.”
“Very well. Now, perhaps we can get back to the important task of getting rid of Philip. It was rather unfortunate that our plan had been foiled so easily last time.”
“Yes, we can thank Alexandra and her clumsiness for that. If the stupid girl didn't faint when she did, Philip would be good and dead by now.”
“Do you think your sister is on to us?”
“Doubt it. She may be easy on the eyes, but her head is as empty as the pockets of the grays.”
“Still, she fainted at such an opportune moment. Not to mention how adamant she was about my men not belonging to the resistance and even going as far as accusing a pure-blood. How could she possibly know the poison is unaffordable to those pond scum outside the walls?”
“The fainting was just lucky timing for Philip. The girl gets dizzy rather quick. Perhaps he spun her around too much during the waltz. As for the poison, my crazy grandmother keeps filling her head with useless knowledge, so it’s no wonder she knew what we used.”
“What about the resistance? Does the old bat teach her about that too?”
“Oh, that.” Quinton rolled his eyes in disgust. “The silly creature has a soft spot for the grays, you know. She’ll side with them any chance she gets. Can you believe she actually thinks those nasty people are her friends?”
“How utterly ridiculous. Servants as friends?” Dalton laughed at the thought. “That sister of yours definitely has a few screws loose.”
“Indeed. But we should discuss the real problem at hand, those brothers of ours. Last time Alexandra foiled our plan, but I foresee those two getting in the way if we are to continue.”
“Yes...” Dalton twiddled his thumbs with a scowl on his face, “those meddlesome, goody-two-shoes brothers of our pose a bit of a problem, don't they?”
“We will have to figure out how to deal with them, and soon. If we are going to gain control of all of Vega, we need to make sure all obstacles are out of our way.”
Clasping her hands over her mouth, Alex was able to stifle a gasp. She could hardly believe what she heard, though she wasn’t the least bit surprised. She should have known their plan all along. Of course, those two would wish to gain control of Vega by getting rid of anyone who stood in their way. Quinton had always been a megalomaniac, and acts of treason were not exactly beneath him. Fuming with the thought of what the two men were plotting, Alex looked on from behind the wall.
“Unfortunately,” Dalton went on, “we can't get rid of them so easily. Not without causing more problems for us.” He brought his fingers up to his nose and heaved out a sigh “No, I'm afraid we will have to do this the hard way.”
“How do you suggest we do that? I doubt we will have another chance to take Philip’s life, at least not until the wedding, and that would be too late.”
“We do the only sensible thing we can. We take rightful control of our provinces first.”
“You realize the only way we can do that is to inherit them from our fathers. Are you suggesting we get rid of the old relics first?”
“That is exactly what I'm suggesting. Mine will be easy, the old bag of bone is on his death bed already, won't take much to send him walking into the veil. On the other hand, your father is in tip-top shape, he will be a lot harder to deal with.”
“And I suppose you have a plan for that as well.”
“I do indeed, my friend, I do indeed.”
“In that case...” Quinton leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs “... do share, I've been trying to oust the old fool for a while now.”
“Here is what we do.” Dalton lowered his voice so no one would overhear. “First, we need to find a gray in Winter Haven who we can arrest and charge with an attempt on Philip’s life. I do believe such crime carries a death sentence.”
“It certainly does.”
“Next, we will capture him with no evidence and sentence him without a trial. Such a brazen act will surely flush out the resistance. We both know they won't allow an innocent man to lose his head. With the resistance out in the open, there will be no longer be any denying that they exist.”
“You have my attention so far. And I even know the perfect patsy for the job.” Quinton snickered. “There is a pesky boy who used to work here. He got fired after he put the moves on my sister, and I’ve been dying to get at him ever since.”
A chill ran down Alex’s spine as the blood drained from her head. She felt faint, and sick to her stomach realizing Quin was referring to none other than Richard. This was nothing more than his way of getting back at her for protecting Richard all those years ago. Quinton was going to hurt Alex the best way he knew how. He would go after her friends and make them suffer.
“Marvelous,” chuckled Dalton, “such story will go so well with the rest of the plan.”
“Which is?”
“Well, the next part of the plan includes Mathis staging a kidnapping of your sister. Your father will undoubtedly go looking for her, and when he does, I shall kill him. Mathis tells me he knows the perfect person we can blame for that as well. And with your father dead, you will assume power over Manevia. You will use his murder and the kidnapping of Alexandra to wipe out the resistance, while I take care of our little brothers by having them suffer unfortunate... accidents.”
“I have to hand it to you Dalton, that is one well-thought-out plan.”
“I thought so myself. Then, with our powers combined, Rexham will not be able to stop us from taking over.”
“I expect you’ll want something from me in return, something other than my loyalty that is.”
“Now that you mention it...” Dalton stroked his pointy goatee “... I would like to have that pretty little sister of yours. You see, I had the intention of securing her hand in marriage, but your father refused me, settling for that dolt instead.”
“If that's all you want, be my guest. I won't have any use for her once I’m king and I'm sure she will make a lovely toy for you to play with.”
“I have no doubt she will provide me with countless hours of entertainment. Especially while I'm breaking her in.”
“If you really think you can break her, you don’t know her very well.”
“On the contrary. I can tame even the wildest horse. All you need to do is ride them long enough and hard enough until they give in to their master.”
Their happy laughter made Alex break out into a cold sweat, and a shiver ran down her spine. It wasn't bad enough they were planning on murdering her friends and family, but Quinton was intent on letting Dalton have his way with her. Sitting in a hidden room, in the arms of a stranger, Alexandra wondered at what point in her life did she become nothing more than a bargaining chip. Then she remembered, she had always been nothing more than an object to be traded, her father simply treated her more like a living being.
“The family will wake up soon. What do you say we continue this talk some
where a little more... private?”
“Sounds fantastic. Lead the way, my friend, lead the way.”
Alex watched the two men rise off their seats and leave the library. She listened as the wood door creaked open and two sets of footsteps walked across the parlor. Their shoes clanked and clacked as the men turned down the hallway, leaving Alex behind in her hiding spot. Sitting in the dark with the man who saved her, she waited for them to fade into the distance before asking her companion if it was safe to move on.
Chapter 22
A New Ally
At first, Alexandra’s companion sat silent, until no sounds remained in their wing of the palace. Satisfied the men had gone, and no one was coming, the stranger released Alex from his grasp. Giving her a gentle nudge, the man urged her to move forward.
Crawling along the floor, Alex located the hidden switch at the base of the statue, pressing it down with her palm to activate it. The bust slid forward with a groan to release them from the hidden tomb. Able to stand on her feet again, Alexandra turned to face the mysterious figure who saved her, not expecting to see the man who stood there looking at her.
“Henry?”
“Hello, Alexandra.”
“What in all of Alteria are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“Unlike you, kind Sir, I live here.”
“That's right, you do, don’t you?” Henry averted Alex’s scrutinizing glance, unsure how much he should reveal. But her green eyes were unwavering, and Henry surrendered to their pull. “I was here to spy on our brothers.”
“I think got that much on my own. I want to know why. And do I even want to know how you managed to get in here?”
Flustered, Henry looked around the room before sliding down the wall to the floor, motioning for Alex to join him. She tilted her head to make sure no one was in the hallway, still nervous of them being caught. The family would get up soon, and Alex did not want them to find Henry where he did not belong. Still, despite her reservations, Alexandra gathered her skirt and sat down on the floor beside her childhood friend.
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