Cosmo snickered, and Andy laughed in amusement as Alex stabbed the onion to kill it. The boy grabbed the bowl of potatoes from the counter, running with them to the sink. Watching him from behind the counter, Alex expertly chopped up the onions into fine pieces as Cosmo helped Andy scrub the spuds. In no time at all, the stew was bubbling away on the stovetop. The delicious aroma filled the room, and the only thing left for them to do was bake Jay a birthday cake.
Now, if there was one thing Alexandra was particularly bad at, it was making cakes. While she had no problems making them taste good, having them look good post frosting was a whole other story. She would have been happy if she could avoid the entire baking thing altogether, but regrettably, birthdays were occasions which required cake. So, despite her reservations, Alex was stuck mixing up an array of ingredients as Andy helped pour them in the bowl. With the batter looking satisfactory, she poured it into a pan and placed it in the oven with her fingers crossed. Only time would tell how palatable it would look after she was done murdering it.
Dusting off her hands, Alex glanced about the batter splattered counter and sighed. “Looks like there is one crucial job left to do.”
“What?”
“Someone...” Alex dabbed a smidgen of batter on Andy's nose “... will have to lick the bowl and spoon clean while I clean up.”
“Cosmo and I can do that.”
Without hesitation, Andy put his hands in the remaining batter. Sucking the sweet goop off his fingers, the boy dipped them back in the bowl and let Cosmo have his turn. For a moment, Alex wondered if she should even let him do that. The answer was probably a resounding no, but who would stop her. As far as she was concerned licking batter was an essential part of childhood, one she wished she would have got to experience more often. Watching Andy and the pigrie slurp up the mixture for a moment longer, Alex shook her head and set off to clean up the disaster she left in the wake of her cooking.
Once the kitchen was clean, the dishes were done, and the cake was sitting on the counter, Alex looked to check the clock. The hands had indicated it was already nine o'clock, and yet, there was still no sign of Jay. Worried something may have happened to him, Alex contemplated going out to the tavern to check on him. Unfortunately, it would mean having to expose herself, something she did not wish to do with a creepy stranger around.
Thoughts of the strange intruder doing something to Jay wrecked Alexandra with worry. Deciding go peek through the tavern window to make sure everything was all right, she went to throw her cloak back on. But before she had the chance to reach the coat rack, the door behind her creaked open, and an exasperated Jay stepped inside. Pressing his back against the door, he leaned his head back and let out a heavy sigh. Then, as if the pleasant scent of stew had finally reached him, he smiled and glanced at Alexandra’s worried face.
“Hey, what do you know. Your cooking actually smells pretty darn good.
“And I helped cook daddy.”
“Did you now? In that case, it may not be completely inedible after all.”
“You're such a jerk.” Alex moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around him for a brief hug.
“Yeah...” Jay lifted Alex's chin with his finger, “but you love it.”
“I'm not going to deny that.” Alex smiled and shook her head with disdain. “Now, go sit down, stew should be getting close to getting done.”
Smirking, Jay sat down at the table by the kitchen while Alex went to check on the stew. It was still bubbling away in the pot, and she gave it a good stir before going to fetch some plates. Watching Alex move about his kitchen Jay continued to smile, even as his eyes landed on a small box with a blue bow in front of him.
“Hey, what's this?”
Tilting her head to see what Jay was referring to, Alex saw him holding up the small, neatly wrapped box she had placed there for him and had by now forgotten about.
“Oh, that, just a gift I got you. Why not open it up and see what it is?”
“Open it, daddy! Open it!”
“What?” Jay glanced up wide-eyed. “Alex, you didn't have to get me anything, your company is enough.”
“Oh, shut up and open it.”
Setting the dishes on the counter, Alex rested her arms next to them as she leaned in to see Jay open his gift. Delicately, he pulled the ribbon off and slid the top of the silver box to the side. Pulling out the silver pocket watch, he turned it over to study it in the palm of his hand. Alex watched his expression with glee as a twinkle graced the corners of Jay’s eyes.
“I had it made to match my locket. I even had an inscription put on the back for you.”
Jay turned the watch over. Running his thumb over the words laid into the polished surface, a slight smirk appeared on his face.
“Amor Vincit Omnia. That's one meaningful inscription, my dear. Sure, you want me to have it?”
“Oh, is it now? I had no idea.” Alex rolled her eyes. “But I suppose there is no way around it, the watch is yours now.”
Jay placed the watch in his lap, and Alex heard it open. Looking down at the display in his lap, Jay smiled. Alex was curious as to what he thought of the picture she had enchanted to show up by the display, but she figured it was a topic best saved for another night. Dividing the stew amongst the plates, Alexandra scooped out enough to serve three people and a hungry pigrie, setting the plates down in their designated spots.
“Amazing, this actually looks like a stew.”
“Would you just try it before you act like such an ass?” Alex sat down in the stool next to Jay and jabbed him in the side with her finger.
Giving Alex a gentle snort, Jay dug into his stew. Putting a hefty spoonful in his mouth with some degree of uncertainty, his expression changed instantly to one of pure joy. Placing a hand over his mouth, he tried to conceal the grin on his face.
“Well, who could have guessed our princess can cook. Not half bad, for a pure-blood that is.”
“I'm sorry, I think there was a compliment somewhere in there, but it seems to have got lost under all the sarcasm.”
“All right, fine, you got me love. It's good, really good. I think there is a chance we can make a real woman out of you yet.”
“You know, instead of hiding behind snide remarks, you could just say how you really feel. It's not going to kill you, being honest that is.”
“Sorry babe, it's not in my nature.”
“Yes, so I've noticed.” Alex narrowed her eyes at Jay, annoyed with his inability to tell her how he feels. “So, Andy tells me you had a scary looking customer in there. More so than the norm for this place?”
“Yeah, just some kooky bloke who would not leave, no matter how hard I tried to kick him out. He was far too interested in my personal life for my liking.”
“So how did you get him out?”
“Finally told him I was closed and that I would summon the guard if he continued to linger. Oddly enough, he left without hesitation after that.”
Furrowing her brow, Alexandra thought it was all rather bizarre, but she said nothing. Instead, she remembered the cake she made for Jay and went up to get it. Stopping at the window overlooking the garden, she looked at the rain coming down in sheets outside. Watching the water streak down the window she caught something out of the corner of her eye. There, on the edge of the forest sat a black bird, looking through the glass at her. Startled, Alex closed the curtains and walked to fetch the cake in the kitchen.
Still shaken by what she saw, Alex did her best to conceal her fright even as her hands continued to tremble. Carrying the sloping cake with patches of frosting melting off the side, she sat it in front of Jay who looked at it with a raised eyebrow as a glop of green coating landed on the table before him.
“I hope it tastes a lot better than it looks.”
“Sorry, I'm not good at making cakes look elegant. Normally can I keep them from falling apart though.”
Lighting the candles, Alex, Andy, an
d Cosmo wished Jay a happy birthday. The cake turned out great despite its sloppy appearance, and it seemed to put Jay in good spirits. Despite a genuine compliment from Jay, thoughts of the raven still weighed heavily on Alexandra's mind. She could not relax, and as she cleaned up, she tried to gather the courage she needed to peek outside. Sliding the curtain to one side, Alex stole a glance out the window. To her relief, there was nothing there, not even a firebug. Wrapping his arms around her, Jay stood behind and peered out the window with her.
“Hey, I still need to go clean up the tavern. Do you mind putting Andy to bed?”
“Not at all, I'll put him to bed and meet you back here.”
Letting Alex go, Jay nodded his head and headed for the tavern door, leaving Alex alone with Andy. Taking the boy’s hand, she headed up the old wood stairs with him skipping along behind her. Alex helped the child get changed and watched him crawl into bed before she gingerly covered him up and kissed him on the forehead. From his pillow, Andy looked up at her with the most earnest eyes while propping his face on his little hand.
“Alex?”
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Will you marry my daddy and be my mommy?”
Dumbfounded, Alex stood there with her mouth wide open. Her eyes filled with shock at the seemingly innocent question. How could she even begin to answer something she had no answer to herself? Was there even an answer she could give that a three-year-old would understand? Their circumstance made it difficult to predict what would happen, and Jay showed no sign of wanting to give it a try. As Alex tried to come up with an answer, Andy sat up in bed to look at her with eager eyes, and Alex thought she had to tell him something to keep his hope alive.
“I guess we will just have to see what happens, won't we?”
“But...” Andy looked up at Alex, tears forming in his bright blue eyes as his bottom lip quivered “... don't you love daddy?”
“Of course, I do.”
“Daddy loves you too... he says so.” Andy sobbed “So why... why can't we be a family?” Tears poured down Andy's chubby face “Is it me... you don't love me... and you don't want to be my mommy.”
“No, no baby, that’s not it at all.” Alex scooped up the child in her arms and held him close, rocking them back and forth. “I love you very much, and I would like nothing more than to be your mom.”
“So, why can't you?”
“Andy...” she stroked his hair “... I know it's hard for you to understand, but there are a lot of obstacles in place. Ones I can't ask your father to navigate for me.”
“But I want daddy happy, and you make him happy.”
“I want him happy too, which is why I will figure it out. I'll find a way we can all be together.”
“Promise?”
“I promise. You are my boy, and I won't let anything stand in the way of us being together.”
Laying down in bed with Andy, Alex snuggled the boy up close to her body and waited for him to fall asleep. Soon his crying stopped, his breathing became even, and he drifted off to sleep. Still, Alex lay next to him, gently stroking his hair. Unsure of how she should proceed, she was determined to discuss the topic with Jay. If he were not willing to do it for her, maybe he’d do it once he knew how much it hurt his son. Tucking the child in, Alex left him sleeping peacefully in bed with Cosmo by his side as she headed for the door.
As Alex was closing the bedroom door behind her, the sound of breaking glass from downstairs caught her attention. Heart racing, she headed for the stairs as more sounds of a scuffle came from the tavern. Stopping at the door separating her from the bar, Alex stayed her breath and pressed her ear against the wood, so she could hear better the commotion on the other side.
“I told you... I don't know... what you are talking about.”
Jay's voices sounded pained and breathless as he spoke. A sickening thud and a groan of pain followed, leaving a nauseated feeling in the pit of Alexandra's stomach.
“Let's try this again pleb. Where is the girl?”
The second voice made an ice-cold chill run down her spine. Alex knew the person who the voice belonged to, but she could not place it at this moment. It would be dangerous to reveal herself she thought, but Jay was in trouble, and worst yet, he was in danger because of her. Alex had to do something to help him, even if it meant facing the consequences of sneaking out of the palace. Slowly, she pushed open the door and stepped out behind the bar with her head ducked below the counter. Peeking from her hiding spot, the blood drained from Alexandra’s face at the scene unfolding in front of her.
Chapter 24
Late Night Showdown
In front of Alex stood a figure in a black cloak, the hood hung low to conceal their face. The intruder was looking down on Jay, who was kneeling on the floor clutching his side, lip split open. Seeing Jay in pain caused Alex to inch from her hiding spot, but his pleading gaze stopped her as he turned his head to look at her. She could see his eyes were begging her to go, but she could not budge from her spot, Alexandra’s body was refusing to move anywhere but forward. A short distance from the bar, the cloaked man, knelt beside Jay, grabbing him by the collar to pull him closer.
“Just give me the girl peasant, and the pain will stop.”
“I'd rather die.”
“That can be arranged you know, so be careful what you ask for.”
Raising up to his feet the figure let go of Jay and gave him a swift kick in the gut. With a grunt Jay fell to his side, rolling over in pain. Jay tried to get up, but he collapsed on the floor while the man cackled standing above him. Crouching down behind the bar again, Alex tried to think of what she could do to help. She had no idea who this man was, but she believed she would be able to take him on if she caught him off guard.
Gladios
With a brilliant blue glow, her longsword appeared in her clenched fist. Cautiously, Alex rose back up to her feet. The dark figure still had his back to her, and she took a few steps forward until she was close enough to strike.
“I will ask you one last time pleb, where is the girl? Tell me, and no one will have to die.”
“Burn in the fiery pits of the underworld.”
“Fine, if that's how it's going to be.” The figure raised his hand in the air
Veventius!
A strong gust of wind picked Jay up off the floor and tossed him against the wall, making a sickening crunch as he hit. Alex could see a trickle of blood make its way down his face causing her to clutch her sword tighter. Barely able to open his eyes, Jay looked at her and mouthed for her to run as the cloaked figure got closer. The dark man got down beside Jay, lifting him up by his shirt again, bringing their faces together.
“I guess you leave me no choice gray. I'll just have to kill you and your illegitimate spawn upstairs.”
“Don't you dare lay another finger on him.”
Dropping Jay to the floor, the cloaked man turned around to face Alex. Realizing at once why he sounded familiar, she almost lost her weapon from shock. Standing before her was Mathis. His dark, beady eyes glimmered with ominous delight as he grinned a toothy grin at her sudden appearance.
“Well, well, well... what do we have here? Do my eyes deceive me, or is that Lady Alexandra of Manevia standing before me?”
Alex said nothing, she should have foreseen him being the one stalking her. Gritting her teeth, she clenched her fist tighter around the glowing hilt of her sword, making the blade erupt in flames. Mathis may have sounded surprised, but the tone of his voice indicated he knew Alex would be here, and she knew he came here specifically for her. Crossing his arms, Mathis stroked what facial hair he had as he admired his prize.
“A bit far outside the castle walls, aren't you?” Mathis wasn't even trying to contain the look of delight on his face as he continued to toy with Alex. “And coming out of the private quarters of a gray barkeep. My, oh my, that's just... scandalous, even for you princess.”
“What are you doing h
ere Mathis?” Alex raised her sword to his chest, ready to strike. “Last time I checked, Crowning and Manevia still have a no-trespass order in place. I don't recall you getting permission to be here. I would be well within my rights to take you out.”
Mathis chuckled at her remark as he took a step closer to Alex. Instinctively, she took a step back, putting her sword in front of her. Something wasn't right she thought, Mathis wasn’t the least bit concerned by her threats. Trying to decipher his arrogance, Alex was becoming convinced she had somehow missed a crucial piece of the puzzle, he knew something she didn’t.
“You are so right my fair lady. I am in fact trespassing. I did not count on being caught by such a cunning little vixen.” Moving closer to Alex, Mathis spread his arms out, sticking out his chest as he walked. “So, go ahead, kill me where I stand. But—” walking towards her, Mathis sported a huge smirk. “If you were to kill me, what would you do with my body? How would you explain what happened here without explaining why you were here? I wonder what Lord Hamilton would have to say to all this?”
Mathis narrowed his eyes as he got closer to Alex, who now stood frozen in fear. Ambitious to protect Jay, she had forgotten about her father and the restrictions imposed upon her. If Arthur were to find out she was sneaking out at night to see Jay, that would be the end of them both. She couldn't expect her father to understand how she felt, and even if he did, the laws of the pure-bloods were clear as to what needed to be done. Paralyzed, Alex watched Mathis come closer until the tip of her sword pressed against his chest.
“I'm willing to bet Arthur would not be happy to know the treasure of Manevia is sneaking around at night, getting polluted by all the peasants under his control. And what would happen to your handsome friend here if daddy thought the two of you were screwing each other? I would imagine your barkeep would not live long enough to defend himself. So, go ahead, press your sword in, kill me. Just be ready for the consequences which will follow.”
“No” Alex whispered hoarsely.
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