First Love Lost - part 4
Gregour looked up from wiping down the tables at the taverna, to see Christian and Alexis approach, walking hand in hand, shoulders touching. They were laughing at some private joke. They looked very happy. They'd been together for much of the past week. Every time he saw them they appeared closer. Always touching as if it were painful for them to lose physical contact. He had called it right when he saw their first encounter. These two where love struck! He thought it was very funny at the time but now he had concerns. Stefan Cassadine had called looking for Alexis. Somehow she was related to the Cassadines. No good could come from that. The Cassadines were rich, very powerful and more than a little criminally insane. Mikkos, the patriarch had tried to freeze the world! And the Dark Prince Stavros, he was just plain frightening. No, nothing good could come from associating with Cassadines. He needed to talk with Christian and soon.
"Good morning brother!" Christian called in out in Greek as they entered the taverna.
"Good afternoon you mean. It's well past one. What have you to been up to all morning?" Both Alexis and Christian began to blush. Huge smiles crossed their faces. "Stop! I don't want to know! Alexis your cousin called here. He is looking for you. You can use the phone inside if you want."
"Thanks I really need to talk to Stefan and fill him in on what's going on." She moved toward the phone, away from Christian, their hands remained clasped until the distance between them grew too large and contact had to be broken. Only then did either of them let go.
The two of them are totally in love thought Gregour. He just hoped that his brother would have sense enough to tread cautiously where Cassadines were concerned. "Christian we need to talk."
"Sure Gregour, about what?" Christian sat across from his brother at one of the outdoor tables.
"About Alexis' cousin, he's a Cassadine!"
"I know."
"You know and you're not concerned?" Christian didn't seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation. Gregour was becoming worried.
"Alexis says Stefan is a good man."
"He's a Cassadine! They are royalty. They expect to rule Russia again some day. They hide away on that dark island of theirs and plot the overthrow of governments! They kill people and get away with it, Christian! I don't want you to be one of those people!" Gregour was becoming agitated. He didn't seem to be getting through to his brother.
"I don't believe Stefan Cassadine poses any threat to me. Alexis trusts him and that's good enough for me. The rest of the family is a horror. I will give you that. But I don't expect to come into contact with them. Alexis wants nothing to do with them. They won't be a part of our lives in America." He nudged his brother and smiled. "You worry too much Gregour. My life is perfect now. Alexis and I are going to live together in America, far away from her insane family." He leaned in close to Gregour and whispered "I'm going to ask her to marry me!"
"Christian, have you thought this through? Do you think the Cassadines will allow this? They are royalty. Alexis is probably a princess and you are a cook! Do you really think you can marry her?"
"Alexis is going to a lawyer and I am a chef! She is barely a Cassadine, a distant cousin only. Really Gregour I think you are over reacting." Christian could see his brother still wanted to argue. "It doesn't matter anyway, what the Cassadines do. I will make a life with Alexis. I love her and she loves me. I don't want to be without her. I can't be without her! The truth is, I don't think I can survive without her!"
"Oh God!" Gregour's head dropped and he sighed. "You are just like papa. I just hope it turns out as well."
"It will. You'll see. Now, you know why I'm here don't you?"
Gregour looked up at his brother. There would be no stopping him. He would follow his heart no matter what dangers lay ahead. He would gladly die for Alexis. It was this way with their father. When the ferry boat started to sink, their mother became trapped. He would not leave her. Had he been forced to leave her, he would have died of a broken heart. Gregour knew it was the same with Christian. There would be no going back now. Christian would live with Alexis or he would not live at all.
"You want the rings don't you? Momma's engagement and wedding rings."
"Yes! I cannot marry my Alexis without them. Will you get them Gregour and tell me you're happy for me?"
Gregour stood up. "I will get them for you little brother." He walked around the table. As he passed Christian he put a hand on his shoulder. "I wish you all the best." He headed into the taverna.
Alexis sat at the counter talking on the phone. Gregour passed her on his way to his private quarters. He heard a small bit of her conversation. " . . . I think you will like him Stefan. I'm anxious for the two of you to meet . . . " He wondered how this Cassadine would react the possibility of a marriage, a joining of their two families. He knew Alexis would accept Christian's proposal. It was obvious that she was as much in love as his brother. He approached a small strong box in the closet of his bedroom. He withdrew two diamond rings set in gold. If the two of them could shut out the rest of the world, they could be happy forever. Unfortunately you couldn't shut out the world forever. He headed back to his brother. When he passed Alexis again, she seemed to be talking to a child. Her voice was light and had a sing song quality to it. "...I miss you too, Nikolas. I will see you very soon I promise . . . "
"Did you find them?" Christian was nervous. He didn't want Alexis to see the rings before he had a chance to propose.
"Yes I have them right here." Gregour held them out.
Christian glanced over at Alexis and saw she was finishing up her conversation. "Quick give them to me. She's coming!" He grabbed the rings and stuffed them into his pocket.
"Stefan will be coming the end of next week!" Alexis sat down next to Christian. Immediately their hands reached out and their fingers interlaced.
Gregour decided to try one more time. "Alexis, Stefan Cassadine is your cousin? Are you a Cassadine princess?"
"Oh goodness no! I'm a Davidovich, a very distant cousin. No royalty here, thank God. I want no part of the Cassadine legacy. Part of the reason I changed my name to Davis was to separate myself as much as possible from the Cassadines. Except for Stefan and his nephew Nikolas I want nothing to do with that family and that awful Helena."
"Helena?" Gregour had not heard of her
"Mikkos' wife" Christian told him.
"The power behind the throne." Alexis continued. "She is truly a cruel and horrible human being. If there is one person in the world you don't want to meet, it is Helena Cassadine."
Little Nikolas Cassadine ran through the dark halls of his grandmother's home. Helena Cassadine caught him as he ran past her. "To whom were you talking on the phone earlier?" Her voice was sweet, as it always was when she spoke to her precious Nikolas. Her intent was to gather information. She believed he was talking with Alexis, the illegitimate daughter of that whore who almost stole her husband from her. "Alexis called. She's in Greece. Stefan said I might be able to visit with her next week!"
"Oh won't that be exciting!" she purred. She didn't like this at all. The less contact Nikolas had with Alexis the better. "Why is Alexis in Greece?"
"She is on vacation from school. How come I don't get a vacation from my tutors, grandmother? Alexis got a vacation and it made her very happy. I want to be as happy as Alexis. I want to go on a vacation." He was pouting just a little.
"Alexis' vacation has made her happy?" Helena was intrigued. What could possibly make that sad pathetic girl happy, surely not the scenery in Greece? "How do you know this Nikolas?"
"I could hear it in her voice. Alexis is very happy! Santorini must be the happiest place on earth." Nikolas pulled away from Helena. "I'm hungry. Can Mrs. Landsbury make me something for lunch grandmother?"
"Yes my dear Nikolas. Mrs. Landsbury will make you whatever you wish. Run along."
Alexis was in Santorini and she had found happiness there. This is a mystery that must be investigated. Helena picked up the telephone and started dialing.
Gregour looked up from wiping down the tables at the taverna, to see Christian and Alexis approach, walking hand in hand, shoulders touching. They were laughing at some private joke. They looked very happy. They'd been together for much of the past week. Every time he saw them they appeared closer. Always touching as if it were painful for them to lose physical contact. He had called it right when he saw their first encounter. These two where love struck! He thought it was very funny at the time but now he had concerns. Stefan Cassadine had called looking for Alexis. Somehow she was related to the Cassadines. No good could come from that. The Cassadines were rich, very powerful and more than a little criminally insane. Mikkos, the patriarch had tried to freeze the world! And the Dark Prince Stavros, he was just plain frightening. No, nothing good could come from associating with Cassadines. He needed to talk with Christian and soon.
"Good morning brother!" Christian called in out in Greek as they entered the taverna.
"Good afternoon you mean. It's well past one. What have you to been up to all morning?" Both Alexis and Christian began to blush. Huge smiles crossed their faces. "Stop! I don't want to know! Alexis your cousin called here. He is looking for you. You can use the phone inside if you want."
"Thanks I really need to talk to Stefan and fill him in on what's going on." She moved toward the phone, away from Christian, their hands remained clasped until the distance between them grew too large and contact had to be broken. Only then did either of them let go.
The two of them are totally in love thought Gregour. He just hoped that his brother would have sense enough to tread cautiously where Cassadines were concerned. "Christian we need to talk."
"Sure Gregour, about what?" Christian sat across from his brother at one of the outdoor tables.
"About Alexis' cousin, he's a Cassadine!"
"I know."
"You know and you're not concerned?" Christian didn't seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation. Gregour was becoming worried.
"Alexis says Stefan is a good man."
"He's a Cassadine! They are royalty. They expect to rule Russia again some day. They hide away on that dark island of theirs and plot the overthrow of governments! They kill people and get away with it, Christian! I don't want you to be one of those people!" Gregour was becoming agitated. He didn't seem to be getting through to his brother.
"I don't believe Stefan Cassadine poses any threat to me. Alexis trusts him and that's good enough for me. The rest of the family is a horror. I will give you that. But I don't expect to come into contact with them. Alexis wants nothing to do with them. They won't be a part of our lives in America." He nudged his brother and smiled. "You worry too much Gregour. My life is perfect now. Alexis and I are going to live together in America, far away from her insane family." He leaned in close to Gregour and whispered "I'm going to ask her to marry me!"
"Christian, have you thought this through? Do you think the Cassadines will allow this? They are royalty. Alexis is probably a princess and you are a cook! Do you really think you can marry her?"
"Alexis is going to a lawyer and I am a chef! She is barely a Cassadine, a distant cousin only. Really Gregour I think you are over reacting." Christian could see his brother still wanted to argue. "It doesn't matter anyway, what the Cassadines do. I will make a life with Alexis. I love her and she loves me. I don't want to be without her. I can't be without her! The truth is, I don't think I can survive without her!"
"Oh God!" Gregour's head dropped and he sighed. "You are just like papa. I just hope it turns out as well."
"It will. You'll see. Now, you know why I'm here don't you?"
Gregour looked up at his brother. There would be no stopping him. He would follow his heart no matter what dangers lay ahead. He would gladly die for Alexis. It was this way with their father. When the ferry boat started to sink, their mother became trapped. He would not leave her. Had he been forced to leave her, he would have died of a broken heart. Gregour knew it was the same with Christian. There would be no going back now. Christian would live with Alexis or he would not live at all.
"You want the rings don't you? Momma's engagement and wedding rings."
"Yes! I cannot marry my Alexis without them. Will you get them Gregour and tell me you're happy for me?"
Gregour stood up. "I will get them for you little brother." He walked around the table. As he passed Christian he put a hand on his shoulder. "I wish you all the best." He headed into the taverna.
Alexis sat at the counter talking on the phone. Gregour passed her on his way to his private quarters. He heard a small bit of her conversation. " . . . I think you will like him Stefan. I'm anxious for the two of you to meet . . . " He wondered how this Cassadine would react the possibility of a marriage, a joining of their two families. He knew Alexis would accept Christian's proposal. It was obvious that she was as much in love as his brother. He approached a small strong box in the closet of his bedroom. He withdrew two diamond rings set in gold. If the two of them could shut out the rest of the world, they could be happy forever. Unfortunately you couldn't shut out the world forever. He headed back to his brother. When he passed Alexis again, she seemed to be talking to a child. Her voice was light and had a sing song quality to it. "...I miss you too, Nikolas. I will see you very soon I promise . . . "
"Did you find them?" Christian was nervous. He didn't want Alexis to see the rings before he had a chance to propose.
"Yes I have them right here." Gregour held them out.
Christian glanced over at Alexis and saw she was finishing up her conversation. "Quick give them to me. She's coming!" He grabbed the rings and stuffed them into his pocket.
"Stefan will be coming the end of next week!" Alexis sat down next to Christian. Immediately their hands reached out and their fingers interlaced.
Gregour decided to try one more time. "Alexis, Stefan Cassadine is your cousin? Are you a Cassadine princess?"
"Oh goodness no! I'm a Davidovich, a very distant cousin. No royalty here, thank God. I want no part of the Cassadine legacy. Part of the reason I changed my name to Davis was to separate myself as much as possible from the Cassadines. Except for Stefan and his nephew Nikolas I want nothing to do with that family and that awful Helena."
"Helena?" Gregour had not heard of her
"Mikkos' wife" Christian told him.
"The power behind the throne." Alexis continued. "She is truly a cruel and horrible human being. If there is one person in the world you don't want to meet, it is Helena Cassadine."
Little Nikolas Cassadine ran through the dark halls of his grandmother's home. Helena Cassadine caught him as he ran past her. "To whom were you talking on the phone earlier?" Her voice was sweet, as it always was when she spoke to her precious Nikolas. Her intent was to gather information. She believed he was talking with Alexis, the illegitimate daughter of that whore who almost stole her husband from her. "Alexis called. She's in Greece. Stefan said I might be able to visit with her next week!"
"Oh won't that be exciting!" she purred. She didn't like this at all. The less contact Nikolas had with Alexis the better. "Why is Alexis in Greece?"
"She is on vacation from school. How come I don't get a vacation from my tutors, grandmother? Alexis got a vacation and it made her very happy. I want to be as happy as Alexis. I want to go on a vacation." He was pouting just a little.
"Alexis' vacation has made her happy?" Helena was intrigued. What could possibly make that sad pathetic girl happy, surely not the scenery in Greece? "How do you know this Nikolas?"
"I could hear it in her voice. Alexis is very happy! Santorini must be the happiest place on earth." Nikolas pulled away from Helena. "I'm hungry. Can Mrs. Landsbury make me something for lunch grandmother?"
"Yes my dear Nikolas. Mrs. Landsbury will make you whatever you wish. Run along."
Alexis was in Santorini and she had found happiness there. This is a mystery that must be investigated. Helena picked up the telephone and started dialing.