SPELLBOUND
CHAPTER XII: LOST IN LOVE
Alec
With both Dionne and Erik gone, I found myself at odd ends. In the time I had been "away" under Dionne's magic, things had changed. Callie was training to further pursue her military career. Gerry was busy trailing after Cherith half of the time and Cherith herself wasn't looking like she was upset about it. My parents went about their business as always and I was left feeling quite alone.
Amy became the only bright thing on my days, but Amy was never one to just sit and laze about and soon she was helping my mother with her many responsibilities such as overlooking the schools and orphanages and hospitals in the city and other pursuits of the sort. So, since Amy wasn't available for a good part of the day, I decided to finally go and ask my father for some job to do.
Dad was more than happy to comply, he readily gave me full control of the merchants' association – who traded goods from Seaside into Fireland, crossing straight through our territory – and gave me the never ending task of walking the marked each Monday – as the Windam had done for generations – to hear the complaints, trials and tribulations of our people.
It was on a Monday when it happened. I had been thinking about it for a while, for even with my new job –which did give me some satisfaction – I still felt I was missing on something.
I had just finished talking to Mr. Thompson – a baker – about how the tax they had put on flour wasn't good for the business (I had promised to see if it was possible to lower said tax) when I felt the urge to turn around. I knew Amy was out there. I always knew, somehow, when she was near… and when I knew that, I always had to find her in the crowd.
She was standing by the door of the orphanage, talking with the headmistress about something or other. I excused myself from Mr. Thompson and quickly made my way to her side just as she said goodbye to the headmistress.
"Hello." I whispered on her ear and she jumped startled.
When she realized it was me, Amy just hit me on the arm and squeaked "Don't do that!"
I laughed at her squeaky voice and offered her my arm, which she took graciously. "Come, walk with me." I said guiding her though the thong of people milling about. "What were you doing there?"
"Your mother sent me to supervise the delivery of the new clothes for the orphans." Amy said with a smile, always happy to be useful. "And you?"
"Monday walk." I shrugged.
"Are you almost done?"
"Quite." I said since it was true that I had conversed with just about everyone there. "Shall we head home?"
"Yes, I am quite tired. Been on my feet most of the day." Amy said with a sigh. Without thinking I encircled her waist with my arm, making her lean on me. "Thank you."
I selected the most direct path to the Palace but at the same time I began to walk slowly, basking on Amy's presence as a cat would in the sun. It always felt so warm and happy when I was with her. Amy didn't seem to mind our slow pace and we soon settled into a comfortable silence.
That moment was when it hit me. What I needed, what I had been missing: A woman to love, a wife. Someone who would fill the empty spaces, someone whose scent would haunt me when we were apart, whose smile would make my heart beat when we were together, whose small presence would grace my life.
Amy said something and when I looked down at her she was looking up to me, smiling expectantly waiting for whatever I was going to say.
When all I could manage was a "Yes, of course," Amy shook her head and laughed, clearly I had given the wrong answer.
"You're impossible." She said and snuggled closer to me.
It was a small gesture, insignificant by most standards but it made my heart beat wildly. And then I realized I didn't just need a woman, I needed this woman.
I would always need her
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Kaze
I was re-organizing my walking closet - after finally letting go of all the nervous energy of the past weeks I found out I couldn't find anything in there – when Alec came.
"Hi, mom." He said, kissing my cheek, he had grown so tall, just like Chris.
"Sweetie," I said accepting his kiss and then going back to work. "Did you need something?"
"Not really…" he said evasively. It was clear he had come here for some reason but he wasn't ready to say just yet, so I went on talking as if nothing as amiss.
I pushed aside some dresses. "You know, I still remember the first time your father showed me this closet. It was just after we got married and I was going to be presented in court. I was sitting in bed thinking that I would probably go and ask Carla something to wear since all I owned were my guard-uniform clothes and the dress in which I had been married. I told Chris about it and asked him to go ask Carla for something I could wear and he, I remember this very well, he crooked his head to the side and said 'That's unnecessary' in this cryptic way,
I asked what he meant and he just kept smiling, dug me out of bed and made me stand in front of the door with my eyes closed as he opened it. I gasped when I opened my eyes. I had never seen so many clothes at the same place. So all I could do was say 'This was unnecessary' I never even got to wear have of those dresses because I got pregnant with you and then I had to wear maternity dresses."
Okay, I had run out of breath and I stopped, waiting for Alec to say something but he didn't. "Alright, you just endured my babble, what gives?"
"Oh, nothing…" He said and surprised me by blushing.
"Come on, sweetie, you know you can tell me anything." I said as I sat down and motioned for him to seat next to me. He did and surprised me by resting his head on my shoulder, like he used to do when he was small. I stroked his hair. "You know, in a way you will always be my baby." I said trying to get him to be comfortable enough to tell me what troubled him. "I love you so much, and nothing you could ever say or do will change that."
"Oh, mom." He said giving me a hug.
"I love your father with all my heart – and his love surprised me and made me feel real joy for the first time in my life – but when you were born, oh my, it was that what really healed the deepest bruises in my heart, Oh, dear, I've said too much, I'm turning more and more emotional in my old age." I said, surprised to find that I was on the verge of tears. "Anyway, what did you come to say?"
"Mom… I've been thinking that I want to be married." Alec said evenly. "And no, it's not an after effect of Dionne's spell… it's just that, I've the sneaky suspicion that I'm in love and I want to be happy… and I want to ask Amy to marry me."
"Amy?" I asked though I had seen it coming from a mile away. "Are you sure, Alec?"
"I think I am. See, that's the problem, I think I'm in love but I've never been in love so I don't know how it feels… and then it's no like… like…"
"Like a thunderbolt? Alec, love sneaks on people in different ways… like, the first time I saw you father I swore to hate him forever! I even threw a rock to his head… see the scar he has on his eyebrow?" I asked with a smile, feeling 16 again. "I did that."
"Dad said it was a dog bite from childhood."
"He lied." I said triumphal.
Alec seemed to mull over this for a moment but then he just shook his head. "So… anyway, if I ask Amy…"
"Well, love, it's clear to everyone that she would accept you if you ask her. She's in love with you, I'm pretty sure. And, she's young yet, but I'm sure she'll make a fine queen someday and I know she'll make you very happy. I have no doubt Amy is a good girl, just be sure she's the one you want."
"Well, I know that." I said.
"In that case, I'm sure you two will be very happy together. But be sure, Alec, it has to be love, not affection, not compassion, no guilt. Each girl deserves to be loved and I would be very sad to see you settle for less."
"You know, mother, sometimes you confuse me immensely."
"Well, I'm your mother, it's my prerogative – and my job – to confuse you, otherwise you would never figure things out"
"You're aware that doesn't make sense?"
"Just get going, darling, I thought you had a question to ask."
Alec smiled slowly and nodded, and left.
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Amy
I was minding my own business in my room, doing a bit of sewing, when I heard a decisive knock on my door. Frog shot up and began to scratch on the door making whinny sounds.
I wrapped a shawl about my nightgown and went to answer the door. Alec was standing in my doorway, his broad shoulders blocking the light that should have spilled in from the hallway.
"Yes?" I prompted when he just stood there for two minutes without talking. Alec just kept looking at me. "Alec?"
"We need to talk," He said softly. "Come with me."
"I'm not dressed to go out." I protested weakly as he caught my wrist and tugged me out of my room.
"We won't go far." Alec said cryptically and removed his coat, placing it around my shoulders. The hour was late and we managed to get into the inner garden without running into anyone. We headed into the maze until we reached the fountain at the middle of it. Then Alec made me sit on the edge of the fountain and just stood there, staring at me in the moonlight.
"I want to ask something of you." He said finally coming to sit next to me and taking my hand.
"Whatever it is, if I can, you have it." I said, knowing that I loved him too much to deny him anything he asked me.
He cradled my right hand on his and turned my palm up, then he placed something small and warm there and closed my fingers around it. I brought my hand to my face, in the moonlight it wasn't hard to identify what I had on my hand, still I sat there staring at it – much in the way Alec had been staring at me all this while – and wondering how this had ended in my hand.
It was the ring Jadzia had given him so long ago.
"Try it on." Alec said softly.
"But…" I tried to protest, why I don't know since this was what I had been dreaming about for months. Wordlessly, Alec took the ring and slid it past the knuckle of my fourth finger where the little circled gently encircled my finger as if it had been made for it. I gasped in awe.
Alec's warm hand covered mine as he leaned into me and brushed his mouth against mine, kissing me ever so softly for a moment before pulling me closer to him and turning up the heat on that innocent kiss. Not long after I had my arms around his neck and was kissing him with abandon, just as I had that other day by the river.
Alec's hands wandered freely over my back and sides, keeping me pressed against him in a way that should have made me blush but it didn't really. I just kept kissing him, taking a leave from my sanity without wondering what would happen next.
"Marry me." Alec whispered a while later, why I tried to catch my breath and he busied himself by nuzzling the side of my neck. "Say you'll marry me."
"Alec…"
"It's easy," He went on, nibbling at my ear. "Just say 'Yes, Alec' and that's it"
"But…"
He was doing some really wicked things to my neck; let me tell you, I was pretty much losing my mind. "Say it."
"Yes… Alec" I said all faintly just a moment before he began to kiss me again, not stopping until I was pretty senseless.
Oh… wait, is that his hand on my breast?
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Notes:
Okay, another chapter draws to an end.
There are two chapters left and I hope to post them before I go on holiday.
Please review and I shall feel compelled to type faster!
All the love in the world plus shipping and handling.
Clavie.
Ps. I've been answering all the signed reviews that I get with the PMs I hope you don't mind.
Thanks to EVERYONE for reading!