Silence accompanied the both of you for the rest of the ride. Neither of you knew the direction you were going. You tried to keep track of the turns, but the road became windy and your count was thrown off. You passed the time trying not to think about anything or look at your fellow passenger. Both were unsuccessful.
When the carriage lurched to a stop, both your eyes met in a panic. What awaited you was here.
Your body remained rigid as the men began talking and joking jovially outside the carriage. Instinctively, you lunged backwards when the carriage door swung open. Chuckling lightly at your reaction, one of the men roughly entered the carriage and ripped you into the now setting sun of the outside world. You tried to turn and look to see Alexander one last time as they were pushing your forward to walk, but a quick yank of your hair set you straight.
Stumbling as you were roughly guided to where you needed to go, you let your eyes wander. You were deep in a woods you didn't recognize. The already dead leaves of the trees surrounding you crunched underneath your feet as you noticed a small cabin in the distance. You swallowed thickly, knowing that would be your destination.
Your feet tripped over several branches and loudly disturbed the quiet nature of the woods. Closing your eyes, you forced yourself to focus. Listen to the wind and the stillness. The silence. Find peace before whatever happened next.
A hand on your shoulder pulled you to a rough stop. You stumbled and opened your eyes to find the beaten down cabin looming before you. A tight grip formed on your forearm as the man took out a ring of keys and unlocked the door. It swung open unceremoniously and hit the wall with a stale bang. You swallowed thickly.
Though it may have seemed like a cabin from the outside, it was more of a room with no windows divided in two by iron bars. This was a prison cell.
Before you could protest, the man pushed you inside cell so forcefully, your body slammed against the back wall. Heaving staggered breaths, you looked up at him with pleading eyes as he loudly clanged the bars shut. A single tear slipped down your face as you still stared in shock as the man exited the cabin, closing the door behind him.
You were left alone in the cold dark to wonder what was to happen to Alexander.
After what seemed like hours, but was probably mere minutes, you once again heard someone at the door. Your eyes shot up, waiting. Eventually, the door was once again opened, and through the dim light you could count the outlines of three men, one a bit scrawnier than the other two. You stood up hopeful, and much to your relief, you caught Alexander as he was push into the cell with you. Other than his hair looking more disheveled than usual and a black eye he seemed okay.
While it was unexpected they didn't kill him, you were grateful they hadn't.
Still holding Alexander up, you looked worriedly at the two men sneering at you from the other side of the iron bars. You noticed one holding some wood logs; he unceremoniously threw them into the small fireplace you just noticed on the opposite wall. A tiny weight was lifted off your chest when you realized the cell would be kept warm enough that you wouldn't freeze.
Suddenly, Alexander ripped himself from your arms and slammed his body against the cell, angrily screaming, "Let us out, you bastards!"
Both of the men chuckled at his pathetic pleas, to which Alexander responded with a growl. One of the men walked straight up to Alexander, and when he was mere inches away, looked past Alexander straight at you.
Your stomach became a damp, desolated swamp when your eyes met him. Your jaw clenched, so as to keep your body from shaking with no prevail. His eyes just taunted you. You know why you're here.
"Best teach your little friend here how to laugh at a situation like this. Irony doesn't get much more prevalent," the man darkly jested. A cold sweat broke out on your skin.
Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Alexander turn around and stare at you bewildered, searching your eyes for answers. But you kept your eyes trained on the men as they made their way out of the cabin. When the door shut, you knew they wouldn't be coming back until the next day.
His eyes were still on you though, but you didn't have enough strength to face them. Instead you turned to take your turn on the only cot in the cell first. Maybe after a few hours rest, you would feel better, and then Alexander could sleep on the-
"Are you serious? You're just going to ignore me?"
You grimaced and remained silent. It was easier than-
"For the love of- Y/N we're in this together." His voice was pleading with you now, and you looked back at him with tears streaming down your face.
He didn't seem to be expecting you to look so broken, for his mouth was open to say something, but no words came out. You wrung your hands as you looked at the man who shouldn't have been in this cell with you.
"No we're not," you whispered. Then, without another word, you curled up in the cot, facing the wall, and attempted to keep your body from shaking too much through the sobs. Eventually, the sobs soothed you to a dreamless sleep.
When you awoke, you groggily shifted your stiff body to face the rest of the cell. The fireplace was still ablaze, and you could feel its heat on your feet. When you shifted again to allow your eyes to search for Alexander in the cell, you noticed a warm fabric resting on top of you. You sat up confused, swinging your legs over the side of the bed. As you grasped the fabric, you realized it was a cloak, but not yours.
"You looked cold," a voice called from across the cell. Your eyes were still adjusting to the light level in the small cabin, so you squinted at the source of the sound. Alexander was sitting calmly with his back to the wall, his head resting sideways so as to look at you. You noticed he still wore a cloak of his own, and he laughed gently, sensing your confusion.
"I wear a lot of layers when I am to be outside selling in the winter," he explained simply. You still stared at him, but the confusion was gone. He held your eyes for a few moments before he became uncomfortable and cleared his throat.
"They brought us each a loaf of bread–if you could call it that–and some water," he stated, gesturing at lump of bread no bigger than two fists and two cups of water. You noticed one cup was already emptied of its contents.
You nodded silently, and then gingerly got up from the cot, leaving his cloak behind. Gracefully, you sat in the middle of the cell and crossed your legs, grabbing the stale loaf of bread. You picked at it silently for a few minutes before you looked up at Alexander, who was studying you carefully.
"How long was I asleep?" you asked quietly. He shrugged.
"I don't have a good way to tell time, but I think it's the evening," he offered. You froze.
He looked at you concerned, with a piece of bread frozen in your hand halfway to your mouth. "I slept a whole day? I-I meant to give you the cot, I-I-"
"Hey," he said softly, scooting across the cell to sooth you. His deep purple eyes searched, but for what you didn't know. "You're okay. I slept on the straw, which was probably just as soft. You're still in shock. You're okay."
You nodded numbly and forced your hand to finish putting the bread in your mouth. Your eyes stared at the floor while you chewed and you tried not to focus on Alexander's body heat next to you.
"Can I make a deal with you?" Alexander said suddenly. You looked up at him in confusion, pausing your chewing momentarily. When he had your attention, he continued. "I know you're reluctant to talk to me or tell me anything, but since we're going to be here awhile, I need something to think about. So I'm offering you a trade." You furrowed your eyes in confusion. "Three questions," he stated simply. "We each get three truthfully answered questions." You bit your lip as anxiety filled your stomach.
What would he ask you?
Then you almost laughed. What did it matter what he asked you? You were both abducted in a cell in a cabin deep in the woods. Nothing could make it better or worse.
His eyes shone with hope as he asked, "Deal?" Reluctantly, you nodded, and a brilliant smile covered his face, so much so, you found yourself turning the corners of your lips up in response.
"Okay," he said, suddenly becoming serious. "I have created several lists of questions in my head to ask you, but I think I have it down to my top three, so I'll go first." You rolled your eyes, but swallowed thickly. "Why do you hate me?"
Your eyes widened at the question and you froze. The words "Starting off light" were mumbled from your lips, and he smirked sadly. You fidgeted with your shoelace and then took a deep breath.
"I don't," you said quietly. When your eyes met his, he looked as if he were about to protest, so you quickly cut him off. "I know I act pretentious around you," you continued. You heard him mutter "That's an understatement", but you ignored it and pushed on. "I truly don't mean to, but I'm just protective of Bethany. She's everything to me. She was my best friend growing up, and I know she thinks I abandoned her to, I don't know, get power or something, but I just-" Your voice caught in your throat, and Alexander looked you patiently with sympathy as you struggled to find the words to continue. "I can't let her into that part of the world. In other households, it may just be balls and politics, but our house holds too many dark secrets." You pulled your knees to your chest and whispered, "I hold her at an arms length to preserve her."
You moved your eyes up cautiously to meet Alexander's. His shone with an emotion you couldn't quite put your finger on, but before you could ponder it, you diverted your eyes once again. "Besides," you continued, trying to use a lighter tone of voice without succeeding, "she's wants to make you her Choice. And that's a once in a lifetime decision. Of course I'm going to be critical of the man she chooses. I need to make absolute certain she will be happy."
You both sat in silence, your words hanging in the air.
Then Alexander spoke. "If she chooses me–and that's a huge if, as I highly doubt that will come to pass–you can be certain I would be the most attentive partner."
You were silent for a few moments, fiddling with your shoelace again, when you finally mumbled, "Thank you, Alexander."
"That does, however," Alexander commented in a bit of a louder tone, "lead me to my next question." You looked up at him expectantly, though you didn't know what to expect. "Why is your Choice complicated?"
You immediately dropped your eye contact with Alexander and began shaking. His concerned eyes watched you carefully as you stood up and began pacing the cell. Finally you stopped and looked him dead in the eye. He sat unapologetically waiting, but still with a bit of concern in his eyes.
Your voice filled the cabin, shakily. "I want you to know that no one knows about this besides Bethany, my father, Philip, and Theodosia." He nodded solemnly, understanding your plea for secrecy. With a large sigh, you continued. "About five years ago, I began seeing my best friend, John. He had worked odd jobs around the estate for most of his life, and Philip, Theodosia, and I befriended him when we were all quite young. He was my rock for a lot of years. And I know it sounds silly, but we were madly in love." You paused choking back tears.
"It's not silly," Alexander defended. When you met his eyes, they flashed with resilience and you flashed him a grateful smile.
The smile soon fell from your face, however, as you sat on the cell floor with a defeated thump. "And then… He wasn't protected like Philip was. He wasn't a noble. He was drafted to fight in the war about two years ago. And I'm left here wishing I hadn't been so terrified of telling my mother of the inferior relationship that we could have been out in the open, and I could have Chose him. He wouldn't have been able to be drafted then." You were silent a few moments and then whispered. "It will always haunt me."
Alexander looked at you with such pity in his eyes, it took him awhile to find the words. "You can't-" He grimaced and shook his head and tried again. "You can't blame this on yourself. Though now I understand why you hate Bethany potentially courting someone inferior. It's just proof your mother would have allowed you and John. And-"
"She wouldn't have," you squeaked. He stopped and stared at you.
"Surely if Bethany and I could-"
"No," you stated again, more firmly this time. "Bethany and I are two completely separate beings. The rules for myself do not apply to Bethany."
He stared you again, considering your words carefully. "Because you're the eldest and of high rank," he finally stated carefully, sure to avoid phrasing it into a question. You scoffed.
"Because I'm Y/N," you stated angrily, not necessarily pointing the anger at him. "Because she's Bethany. Because Bethany does no wrong. Because I am the dictionary definition of 'wrong'. Because I taint the household. Because I am impure. Because I'm not one of her minions. Because I am the envisionment of everything that could go wrong in her life squashed up into one person."
You were breathing heavily after the outburst and refused to meet Alexander's eyes. "Y/N, I-"
"Next question," you all but growled. You looked up at him with your intense expression, and he looked at you with his mouth hanging up and his sad eyes, and you wanted nothing more than to escape his pity. "Next question, Alexander," you declared louder this time.
He looked as if he was pondering whether or not to push the subject or let it go. But he reluctantly decided to ask his final question.
"What did you mean yesterday when you said I wasn't in this with you?"
Your jaw set as you looked at him with silent tears streaming down your face. "You're a poor stall boy who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. I am me–the despised daughter of Lady Aremine. In this situation, we are not the same. This will not end the same for both of us. You are not with me."
He studied you carefully before he realized what you were saying, as you figured he would. "Do you know why we're in here?" His eyes got wide as you averted yours. He quickly crawled over to you and took your shoulders in his hand and force you to look up at him. "Y/N: Do you know why we were abducted?"
You were silent for a moment before you whispered, "You're out of questions." He sat back defeated as you stood up and curled back onto your cot, once again allowing the sobs to soothe you to sleep.
The next couple days when you woke up to eat, Alexander didn't speak to you. He always seemed deep in thought, and you noticed him staring at you out of the corner of your eyes, but you never addressed him.
A good day was when you were able to force him to sleep on the cot for once. On that day, he finally spoke to you again, and you regretfully admitted you had missed the company of someone else's voice.
"I wish I had a paper and quill to write to pass the time," he commented absentmindedly as he dug into his loaf for the day.
You sipped your water and then looked at him curiously. "What would you write about?" you asked quietly.
He looked at you as if he wasn't sure whether or not to believe you had engaged him in conversation. Then he shrugged, without replying. You huffed.
"It's one of my questions. You owe me a truthful answer: What would you write about?" you asked again, determined this time. You needed something to talk about, or you might go mad in this cell.
He sighed and looked at you reluctantly. "Anything. Everything. I would write made up stories of some of my customers. I would write about being abducted. I would write about everything I saw at the ball. Probably end up writing a thing or two about my mother." His eyes warmed when he mentioned his mother, and you smiled slightly.
"I've never heard you mention her before," you commented lightly. He gave you a side glance.
He uncomfortably shifted his position. "She died eight years ago," he finally commented. "She was the last of my family."
Your stomach dropped. You hadn't meant to- "I'm so sorry," you quickly stated. Your eyes were wide and he chuckled at them.
"Your fine," he said sincerely. "She was pretty great though."
With a smile, you looked back down at your bread. Then you absentmindedly mumbled, "Would have prefered her to mine." You were both silent.
"Y/N?" Alexander inquired, breaking the silence with the serious edge in his voice. You looked up at him, a small smile still attached to your face, but as soon as you saw his expression, it vanished. "I get that you and your mother have differences, but mine's dead." There was so much passion behind his eyes, that you cowered a bit, while pushing back the tears in your eyes. "There is nothing in this world she could have done to you that would be worse than having her dead." His words punched you in the gut, and tears began streaming down your face. "God," he continued, even more angry than before, "every time I think you might not be a stuck up noble blooded pretentious bitch, you always prove me wrong."
You froze, staring at the floor. After a few moments, you calmly swallowed the piece of bread in your mouth, took a deep breath, and looked up at Alexander. Anger was still written on his face, but it was almost as if he was expecting an apology.
But instead, you stared him dead in the eye, and in a monotonous voice stated, "My mother ordered to have me kidnapped and executed so her heir wouldn't be a dirty blooded mage who ruins everything for her pureblood daughter."
Alexander stared at you, saying nothing. The entire cell was at a standstill.
Finally, you pushed the rest of your bread at him. "Eat the rest of this, I'm not hungry," you stated quietly, with an edge.
Then you silently climbed over Alexander to curl up once again in the cot.
It took much longer to fall asleep this time though.