-1Dreams Found and Dreams Denied
It had been nearly a week since Alexandra and her family had arrived home from their week-long stay in Seles. Life, as usual, had resumed and Alexandra already missed her friends. In fact, she felt lonely. Her parents had been busy recently and she had been left to herself for reasons they wouldn't tell her. She was relieved however, when one afternoon while she was staring out the window, a familiar shape approached. It was Holly, her messenger Roc with a letter in her beak. In a graceful maneuver, Holly flew her eagle-like form through the open window and landed on Alex's bed. With a comfortable squawk, Holly laid down in Alexandra's comforters.
Alex grinned. "Oh no, don't mind at all. Make yourself comfortable," she joked as Holly dropped the letter into her hand when she came close. Alexandra unfolded the paper and read the contents:
Dear Alexandra,
It's good to hear from you. Martel, Kamuy, and I were very glad to know you're safe, we were worried. Furthermore, all of us would like to say thank you for the gifts. Kamuy loves his chew toys, Martel was very pleased with her new dress, and I would like to thank you for my new clothes too. All of us however, now consider you our savior, for real food never tasted so delicious. Please let us know if you need anything, and we miss you too.
Sincerely,
Tohan, Martel, and Kamuy
Alexandra smiled to herself then seated herself at her desk to write a reply.
Dear Tohan, Martel, and Kamuy,
I'm glad to hear that you like your gifts, and I hope all of you are doing well. As for myself, I just spent a week with my friends Tiydus and Remus who live in Seles. It was good to see them after a year apart. I really hope you guys are alright and I will write as often as I can now that I'm back. Before I go, however, I must inform you of something strange. My Aunt Lisa of Fletz was here when I came home from my stay with you. She, being the best astrologer in the world, told me things that I think might have some significance to your situation. Unfortunately, I don't know much about it, but I'm going to the library to do some research. I'll let you know what I find.
Take care,
Alexandra
Once finished, Alex sealed her letter and went back to Holly. "Okay, you know where to go. Same place. You can stay here and rest today. I trust Tohan and Martel pampered you? Because you've gotten quite a belly on you," she teased. The bird gave an offended squawk. "It's not a bad thing. I mean, it's good to know that somebody likes bramble berries!" Alex defended in good humor. The bird gave a short, crisp squawk that would have been the equivalent of a human sticking their tongue out.
"Suit yourself. I'm going to the library," Alex exclaimed.
As she left her room, it suddenly occurred to her that not only had she not given the matter any thought in Seles, but also that she couldn't just simply go to the library alone anymore. She had to be escorted. But, that would make things difficult. The soldiers would probably act like parents and read what she read over her shoulder. Normally, Alexandra wouldn't have minded. In fact, she'd usually discuss her readings with her bodyguards. However her aunt Lisa had said the events must be kept secret to avoid panic. What should she do?
Alex quickly remembered that Ms. Slambert had been present too. Alex thought maybe If she confessed to having overheard them, Ms. Slambert would just fill her in on the rest since she already knew. Then again, Alex didn't want to cause her old friend any discomfort. She resolved to go to the library and to visit Ms. Slambert, but not to ask anything on the matter.
The princess discretely left her tower bedroom and went to the palace gates. Two armored knights of Basil stood on either side of the grand entranceway.
"Good morning, Princess," the both said with a bow.
"And good morning to you also gentlemen. I wish to go into town, do you know where I can find an escort?" she answered politely.
The knights looked at each other. "Why certainly princess. I'll gladly go with you," said the one on the right.
The left soldier nodded. "I'll send for a relief for you. Go on through," he said and opened the gate.
Stepping outside, the knight bowed before the princess and removed his helmet. Alexandra found her companion to be an aged veteran with many pronounced stress lines on his face, grey hair, and brown eyes. "Allow me to introduce myself, majesty. I am Hank Franoda, Lieutenant of the eighth knighthood in the service of his majesty Albert."
Alex curtsied. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Franoda," Alex answered with a smile. She found him to be classy and sweet.
"Please ma'am, would you do me the honor of calling me Hank?" he asked.
Alex nodded. "Sir Hank," she corrected.
The old knight smiled. "So, where to, my lady?" he inquired.
"The library, I have a matter of interest to research," she answered.
"Oh, and what is that, if you don't mind me asking? History, Science, Mathematics? I used to be quite a knowledgeable young man back in the day," he informed.
Alexandra decided that maybe Hank could give her a clue on where to begin, although she'd have to be careful not to say too much. "Well, actually I'm looking for information on rulers. One in specific. A biography would be most helpful. I'd promised a friend that I would try to answer a few questions," she said truthfully. Alex had had enough of lies for a while, she hated telling them.
"Hmm. And the name of this ruler?" he asked.
Alexandra didn't know what his reaction would be, so she replied In a quieter voice, "Lord Nvernias."
Hank gave her a questioning expression. "And why would your friend want to know about him?" he said.
"I couldn't say," the princess admitted, "but then you know something about him, Sir Hank?"
The old knight nodded. "I do, your majesty. Old Lord Nvernias . . . He's one of those dark elves. A king, but not a very nice one. . . .in fact, that whole race is bad," he said darkly.
"Bad?" Alex rephrased, wishing for clarification. "I've heard Dark Elves keep to themselves," she answered.
"Aye, they do, and not because they're a shy race like the winglies. No, majesty, Dark Elves are just plain evil, so bad in fact, that they're isolated because everyone is too afraid of them to go anywhere near them. Of the bunch, Lord Nvernias is the worst of all. They say his own subjects live in constant fear of him, and that he killed his own father for the throne. You see, Elves are otherwise immortal, like winglies, unless someone kills them," he explained.
"I see . . Thank you, Sir Hank," she replied as the two turned onto mainstreet. Many people bowed, yelled out in greeting, or otherwise acknowledged Alexandra as she walked by, making her way down the narrow, crowded streets of Bale past the doctor's clinic on her way to the capital library. Upon arriving, the sight of a large, rustic building filled with the smell of both old and new paper greeted the princess. A chubby, short woman with her hair in a braid came out from behind her desk when she heard the door open.
"Ah! Your majesty Alexandra, welcome back! How was your trip?" the librarian asked pleasantly. Over the years, and her many trips to this particular place. Alex had gotten to know the librarian quite well. Her name was Connie Page.
"It was wonderful, Mrs. Page, and how have you been?" she answered.
Mrs. Page shrugged. "Oh, as usual, I suppose. Can I get something for you, Princess?" she offered.
"No thank you, Mrs. Page. I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for. By the way, allow me to introduce you to my escort, Sir Hank Franoda of the eighth knighthood," she said gesturing kindly to her bodyguard.
"Connie Page, pleased to meet you, sir," she curtsied.
"Page . . .where have I heard that name before? Oh yes! I remember now! Connie Page you organized a charity in the fortress of Hoax after the siege thirty years ago. I must thank you, your efforts were put to use for many of us, including Kaiser and myself," he said in gratitude.
"Oh? I'm glad. I would have thought no one would remember . . ." she sighed.
"My lady, how could we forget? Why I'll bet---" Hank stopped and turned back to Alexandra, whom stood there patiently. "Oh, I'm sorry your highness, I didn't mean to keep you waiting!" he exclaimed apologetically.
"It's alright. Why don't the two of you talk and I'll go get a book or two?" she answered.
"Okay, but please stay within my sight, majesty. King Albert would never forgive me if I let something happened to you," he remarked.
"I think the worst that could happen to me in here is that I might get a nasty paper cut, don't worry about me," Alex assured and left them to talk. Her first stop was the biography section. She searched thoroughly, however she found nothing on Lord Nvernias. Next she decided to look under the subcategory of dark elves. She sighed as she scanned the rows of titles and parchments. There was nothing that really stood out. After hours of searching nearly every book in the library about dark elves, magical races, and the histories of the continents, Alexandra was ready to give up. Surely someone, somewhere must have written something about this king. People had heard of him after all. She decided in frustration that she would read the last book in her pile, Stars, Kings, and the Astronomical By: Dr. Perfin Eryie . If she couldn't find anything there, then she would admit defeat.
Alex uninterestedly skimmed over a passage about stars and astralogical connections to kings. It was irrelevant. Alexandra briefly glanced over an extraneous star chart on the opposite page. She saw all those stars nightly except the blood star. Blood star . . . .Alexandra's mind played with what she had overheard from her Aunt Lisa. Suddenly she was fresh with ideas. The dark elven star? What had her aunt called it? That's right, it was called Selgare. Alex quickly looked up the dark elven star and lo and behold the text read:
"In previous sections the theory that kings of each race are connected to the stars has already been discussed. As such, naturally dark elves are no exception. Selgare shows the dark desires of Lord Nvernias, cruel sovereign over all the elvish lands of Karthera. Not much is known about this evil enigma save that he and his followers staged a violent uprising against his own father somewhere before the time of humans and winglies. As of this writing, no interactions have ever been successful and no envoys have ever returned. Who is this dark devil? What is he planning? The only thing that we know for certain is that the Elvish Star continues to glow with a more deadly brilliance than ever . . . ."
Alexandra sighed as she finished the book. It hadn't told her much, but at least she had some information. Alex glanced at the clock on the wall. She had been there nearly four hours and it was noon. She closed the book and set to putting them all away. Once finished, she met sir Hank by the doorway and both of them bid farewell to the librarian and departed.
"I'm going to go visit a friend, Sir Hank, if you'd like to come," Alexandra offered. "Or you may go if you'd like. My father trusts me when I am under my friend's care," she added.
"Well, whom are we to visit my lady? And would having me along impose?" he asked respectfully.
Alexandra shook her head. "Oh no, I'm going to visit Ms. Slambert up in her manor. She loves guests," Alex assured.
Sir Hank downcast his eyes. "That is an ill-fated house, my lady. There is no one I feel pity for more than Gracy Slambert. Such tragedies had awful taste in befalling such a kind-hearted woman. Out of respect for her, I feel like seeing a Knight in her house might bring up some unpleasant memories. I would feel uncomfortable in her house and the legacy the two men that lived there have left. They were far greater men than I. Therefore, I will escort you, but I will not go in. This sentimentality, and the respect for your privacy, your majesty. I want you to feel at home when you are in the presence of friends," he explained.
"I understand. Thank you," the princess replied and together they walked to the manor. When at last they arrived, Sir Hank bowed and took his leave, although not before assuring that he would send more nights for her to escort her home after a short time.
The princess stepped up to the large, old doors and knocked casually. A young boy, about age ten, answered the door. "Hello Andrew, is Ms. Slambert home?" she asked.
"Uh-Huh," he answered.
"Andrew, who is it?" she heard her old friend call from within the house.
"Great-grandma Gracy, it's Princess Alexandra," he answered.
"Well then, let her in, silly goose," she laughed. Andrew yielded to the side to let her in.
Alexandra smiled as her friend surfaced from the kitchen. "Oh hello, Alex. It's good to see you. You're just in time for lunch, would you care to join us?" she asked.
Alex nodded. "Why, certainly. If I'm not imposing," she answered respectfully.
Gracy smiled at her. "You're never imposing on me, my dear. In fact, this is a pleasant surprise," she answered.
Alex nodded and walked through the grand atrium over the beautiful red and gold rug and sat down on the green fabric couch. Alexandra smiled as Andrew waved and ran up the stairs.
Ms. Slambert once had a family that had lived with her thirty years ago. They were refugees of Sandora during the war that her son had invited. Besides Alex's family, after Lavitz's death, they had become her family. Naturally they had all moved out and now supported themselves as proud citizens of Basil, but sometimes they would come and stay for a while. It made Alex glad. Ms. Slambert lived in such a big house, when she had guests she didn't feel near as lonely. Ms. Slambert brought out a large tray of food and sat beside Alexandra.
"Now then," she said as her old, wrinkled hands ran over her apron to straiten it. "So what have you been up to, Alex dear? Tell me about your trip," Gracy asked.
Alex proceeded to tell her old friend all about her vacation, starting with her arrival and ending with her fireworks. "Funny thing is all I remember is the fireworks and falling asleep. I woke and was back in the house in bed. I'm told Tiydus carried me all the way back and tucked me in," Alex giggled.
Gracy smiled. "Tiydus is the blonde one, am I correct? I've only seen him a few times," Gracy asked.
"Yes," the princess affirmed simply.
"Well from what I do remember, he is really handsome, him and young Remus too. All the young women fawn over them when they're here. You're a very pretty young lady, I'm not surprised he likes you," Gracy said with a knowing smile.
Alex blushed. "Tiydus and me?! No way! You've got the wrong idea. He doesn't like me like that. Besides, he's like my big brother!" Alex insisted, shaking her head.
"Oh, I see," Gracy said with a smirk. "But you at least must admit that he is handsome like his father before him."
Alex smiled in embarrassment. "Quit it!"
"Come on, my dear, say it," the old woman teased.
Alex giggled. "Okay, fine. He's good looking, but I still see him as a brother," she insisted truthfully.
The clock struck two and Alex knew she should probably be returning to the castle before it got too much later. "Well, I should probably be going now. It was nice to see you, thank you for lunch Ms. Slambert," she said kindly.
Ms. Slambert nodded. "Come visit again soon," she said and gave Alexandra a big hug.
Alexandra exited the house and found two knights waiting outside, just as Sir Hank had promised. Both bowed to her.
"Good afternoon, my lady," said the one to the left. "We shall escort you back to the castle. I'm Sir Narvin of the 17th Knighthood," he introduced, "And this is Sir Steffan of the 17th Knighthood," he said, gesturing to the man on her right.
"Pleased to meet you," she said. There wasn't much talking between the three as they made their way through the streets of Bale back to the palace. There was a large gathering at the palace gate that took Alexandra by surprise.
Many people of all ages were in the courtyard, and by the looks of things, they were refugees. Alexandra caught a glimpse of the white coat of Dr. Samuel and a few of his assistants racing around many people on stretchers. What had happened?
"Sir Narvin, what's going on?" Alexandra asked in alarm.
Sir Narvin didn't reply, for he was at a loss for words. "I . . .I don't know . . .my lady," he choked out at last.
"Sir Narvin?" she asked, as she followed his gaze to a small girl barely three, in the arms of a hysterical woman. "Sir Narvin?" she asked again uncertainly.
"My lady, that's his wife and daughter," Sir Steffan announced in a whisper. Alex turned to him.
"Go to her. I dismiss you," she said quickly.
"Thank you, my lady," he said quietly, and bowed to her before running to his wife.
"WENDY? WENDY?!? OH WENDY, WHERE ARE YOU?!?" A blonde woman yelled as she ran right into Alexandra, whom caught her as she almost fell. The lady looked up and locked tear-filled eyes on her. "I'm so . . Rry *hic*. Oh, it was horrible!" she wailed.
Alexandra knelt down to her. "What happened?" she asked gently.
"A . . huge bird . . Then . . .fire! We were totally unaware! I've lost my daughter, Wendy! I must find her! Oh miss, have you seen her!?!" she cried.
"What does she look like?" Alex asked.
"She-- Oh my gosh! You are! I'm so sorry, princess!" the lady gasped suddenly. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she wailed miserably and buried her face into Alex's skirt. Alex felt so sorry for this woman that she wanted to cry herself. "Oh please! Princess . . . . . "
"MAKE WAY FOR THE KING!" a loud voice bellowed.
Alexandra looked to Sir Steffan. "Take her," she ordered and then ran to where she saw her father coming.
"Father! A firebird attacked these people!" she gasped.
"Alexandra, what are you doing out here? Never mind," Albert sighed. "I know. A firebird has been reborn from the flames in the volcano villude. These people came from a small fortress near the base of the mountain. They've been sending reports of a bird, but it hadn't shown hostile signs in the slightest until now . . . .this is troubling," the King admitted.
"Well, what are you going to do?" Alex asked, looking around in horror.
"I'm going to send fireproof materials so they can rebuild the ramparts and the city and I'm going to send the advance guard," he answered.
"Why not deal with the creature directly? If you drive it away from the village the people won't get hurt. If you just guard the place, the creature will return and attack again, realizing that it caused damage. It's a predator-prey theory," she insisted.
Albert sighed again. "I know more about firebirds than you think, Alexandra. Lavitz recounted his tale of fighting one. Firebirds are very intelligent creatures, but not innately hostile. We have no idea why this firebird has attacked and by chasing it down and confronting it, we could be making the problem worse. And, I'm not sure if you know this, but firebirds are VERY vengeful. They have a long memory and can recount things better than you or I could. They hold grudges for a lifetime. If we attack this creature, we are going to for sure provoke it into attacking again, and this time, it will start purposefully gunning for lives, not just buildings. I know what I'm doing, trust me. I'm going to find a way to protect everybody without putting lives at risk fighting a creature of which our understanding is at best, very little."
"But . . .If you send them back you'll send them to their death! The firebird will be waiting there unless you deal with it directly! What if the reason the firebird attacked is territory? If it's territory the beast is likely to still be there, act violently, and have the high ground," she reasoned further. She could see the plus side of her father's plan, but for some reason, Alexandra knew in her heart that she was right.
"Alexandra, please don't argue with me when this is not your decision to make. Go inside while I tend to matters out here," he said gently.
"But dad!" she protested.
"Alex, please?" he begged. She knew that she'd never win that argument.
"Fine," she breathed and walked towards the castle, but as she left many pairs of scared, despairing eyes fell upon her. All the way back into the castle they haunted her mind. In fact, she was so disturbed during dinner that night that she didn't speak hardly at all. Alexandra went in the direction of her bedroom, and saw her bedroom guards standing strait and tall. And then, she formed an audacious plan.
"Evening, your highness," one of the guards said politely.
"Good evening Sir Art, how are you?" she asked.
"I'm well, majesty, thank you for asking. However, I regretfully inform you that I must leave tomorrow to ride with the advance guard," he answered, "So Sir Maltan shall guard you in my stead," he added.
Alexandra nodded. "When does the advance guard ride?" she asked curiously, her plan brewing.
"Just before dawn breaks, or shortly thereafter. We have a new recruit arriving so getting him settled up and in might take a few minutes," the knight admitted.
Alexandra tried not to smile at the news. This was too perfect. "I wish you the best of luck and a safe return," she said kindly and then entered her chamber. Holly had gone, as was evident by the feathers that remained behind. Alex sighed and prepared for bed, though she didn't sleep a wink. Too much was on her mind and somewhere in the back of her head, a little voice was telling her how much trouble she would be in if she went ahead with her plan. There was that voice, but then there was another, one far louder and stronger. It was her duty to protect her people, knights included. Her father was wrong about the firebird, she knew that. She had to do something, and she was going to. She waited until at last she heard the noise she was waiting for. The snoring outside her door. Holding her breath and trying her hardest not to make a sound, she opened her door and crept past her sleeping guards. Still in her night gown she raced through the palace, clinging to the shadows as not to be seen, until at last, she arrived at the armory. Save for a few guards walking around outside, Alexandra had seen no one. This comforted her some, but she knew if she didn't hurry, she was going to get caught.
She quickly opened a crate full of armor of all shapes and sizes. She found a blue undershirt and pants and hastily threw off her pajamas and dressed quickly. The outfit felt too loose around the waist and tight around the chest, an aspect she was hoping the armor would hide. After grabbing all the appropriate padding and putting it on, she quickly grabbed her choice of a plain, steel breastplate from among the many others. She had a little trouble clasping it on, but eventually she managed to do so. She threw on steel greaves and slid her arms into gauntlets. The cold chill of the metal against her skin gave her an odd sense of power and of purpose. She heard someone coming down the hall, and quickly capped her head with the steel basinet. Alexandra saw her reflection in the shiny surface of the armor. Like she had hoped, the armor masked her face perfectly, however her bust still stuck out slightly. She wished they had invented a breastplate for women, for reasons of obvious discomfort.
Alexandra was satisfied with the way she looked for the most part, but she still needed a weapon. She wanted a spear, but looking around, there were only swords.
"I guess I'll put Remus' teachings to work," she muttered to herself and took a sword. It was plain, with a white handle, blue case, and metallic blade. She slung her weapon into her belt, threw her nightgown into the box under the armor and ran out the door to the stables.
A few knights were already there, mounting their horses or taking them out of their stalls. There was only one problem, all the horses had been assigned to specific knights. She'd never get away with feigning to be one of the other knights, because they'd all have to be present. They'd notice if someone else had taken their horse. Alex sighed. Maybe this really wasn't such a good idea. She looked around, taking in the sights. Her guard had said there was going to be a new recruit. They had to have a horse just for him, well, she thought with a smile, they had to have a horse for her.
There was a large, white stallion that stood grazing in a stall at the very back of the barn. She examined the tag, and she didn't find a name.
"Excuse me, who's horse is this?" she asked a soldier, making her best attempt at a male voice.
The man turned around to look at her. "Oh, that's Powder, he's a wild."
Alex was confused, she thought they only kept trained horses at the palace. "A wild horse?" she asked curiously.
"Yes, they caught him three days ago in the Serdian Prairie, he's not been tamed yet. They were going to fix him up and give him to our new recruit. Beautiful horse though," he said. "By the way, I'm Sir Irwin, who are you? I've never seen you before. You must be our new recruit," he said politely and extended an armored hand.
Alex hesitated as she quickly thought of a name. "Sir Servil," she said quickly and took his hand. "Glad to meet you," she added. She had combined the names of Servi and Lavitz together.
Sir Irwin nodded. "Well, I guess I'd better get going. See you outside. Good luck with that horse," he added with a nod towards Powder.
After he left, Alexandra walked over to the wall where many saddles, bridles, and other gear hung appropriately on their pegs. She took the right equipment and walked to the horse's stall. She opened the door, and Powder looked up from his meal. He stared at her and then resumed eating. Alex put the saddle on, and didn't have a problem, Powder didn't even move. However when the princess tried to put the reigns on and the bit in the mustang's mouth, he jerked stubbornly away and pushed Alex over with his head . She got up and tried again, but failed when Powder bent over to eat once more. Alexandra groaned in frustration and grabbed a handful of hay which she thrust under the horse's nose. She had hidden the bit under it. Powder ate the grain and Alex quickly shoved the metal in his mouth and secured it before he could spit it out. Alexandra procured a seat in the saddle while the horse was preoccupied and once situated, she gave her mount a kick to start him. Powder walked three feet and then stopped. Alexandra gave him a harder kick, to which he did not respond, he only began eating again, swallowing mouthful after mouthful of hay off the stone floor. If she didn't hurry, she was going to be late and the real recruit might actually show up.
"I don't have time for this," she mumbled and gave Powder's milky flank a slap. Powder, unaccustomed to this reared on his hind legs, making Alex grasp his neck before the stallion took off in a mad dash through the stables.
As Powder ran, Alex was scared at first that she was going to fall out of the saddle due to the rocking motion. However after the first few seconds she relaxed some as she began to pick up on the horse's gait. It was smooth and with a rhythm. She grinned a bit. This horse could run . . . . She cantered into the courtyard crowded with Knights and horses, realizing that she didn't know how to get the horse to stop. She tried desperately to stop her mount the way she had been taught, by pulling back on the reigns, but it didn't work. Alexandra was suddenly flying through the air and landed butt-first into a nearby cart of hay next to the stable door. Powder had randomly stopped mid-run to bend over a patch of hay.
Alex groaned. "Ouch!" she squeaked to herself. She suddenly became aware that many of the knights and even a few of the horses had fallen silent to look at her. There was a tapping of hooves on the courtyard floor and a man in an imperial, feathered basinet and decorated armor rode smoothly over on a black horse.
"Is this your first time on a horse, soldier?" he asked with a good-natured chuckle.
Alex blushed hidden beneath her helmet. "It is on a horse like that," she admitted and picked herself up and out of the hay.
The man laughed. "You must be talking about the mustang, Powder. That's the only horse deprived of a rider. You must be the new recruit, eh?" he asked
"Yes sir," she affirmed. It then occurred to her that she knew the man. He was Sir Thomas, Commander of the 6th Knighthood.
"That would explain it. What is your name soldier?" he asked.
"Sir Servil," she said quickly, hoping that he would buy it. "Sir," she added quickly and apologetically.
Sir Thomas nodded. "Well, then come with me, Sir Servil, I'll show you how to tame that horse," he said with authority.
Alexandra walked back over to Powder and climbed back in the saddle mistrusting.
"Now then," Sir Thomas began once she had gotten situated, "The secret is to make your mount realize you're in charge. And to do that, you're going to have to make him as uncomfortable as you can until he listens to you. Horses are intelligent, he'll learn quickly enough," he explained and showed Alexandra how to hold the reigns mixed with part of Powder's mane. "Do you understand, Sir Servil?" he asked when finished.
The princess nodded. "Yes sir, thank you."
The head of the knighthood nodded and rode to the head of the column. "TO THE READY! WE RIDE FOR WYST!" he yelled and gave his horse a spur. Within moments the horses began walking in an orderly fashion out of the palace gates and into the streets beyond. Alexandra didn't look back at Indels, she knew she would be back all too soon. She was actually smiling as she rode with the knighthood beyond the gates of Bale, much to her surprise. Finally, she was going to have a taste of her deepest desire. To her dismay, her smile faded as she caught a glimpse of her emerald bracelet hidden beneath the rim of her gauntlet. It reminded her of her parents and she felt a strong pang of guilt. They didn't understand and she didn't know how to make them, this was her dream and she couldn't put her passion in words. She loved her parents, but sometimes she wondered if they ever saw her as Alexandra, their daughter, with her own hopes and dreams, or just as their charge and the crown heir of Serdio.
The knighthood rode for the better part of the day, stopping on occasion to rest the horses and have lunch. Alexandra was surprised to find that the Knighthood actually brought their own lunches. Alex sighed. She hadn't eaten breakfast and now she would be without lunch too. She heard her stomach give a loud growl and she sat down under a nearby tree, watching Powder graze. A shadow fell across Alexandra's face and she recognized Sir Irwin with his knobby joints coming towards her.
"What's wrong, Sir Servil?" he asked casually.
"Uh, I forgot my lunch," she said plainly.
"May I sit here?" he asked, gesturing to the spot beside her.
"Certainly," she answered. Sir Irwin unpacked his lunch and Alex sighed.
"Here, have some of mine," the knight said, offering her half of his meal. Alex was touched by his generosity.
"Oh really, please. I don't need that much," she said politely.
Sir Irwin waved it off. "Oh it's quite alright. My wife made more than enough," he assured.
Alex knew to refuse twice would be very rude and she took the offering without much protest. Sir Irwin sighed, and then removed his helmet, shaking his thin black hair out of his bony face. He rubbed the bridge of his large nose, before setting his helmet aside in preparation to eat. Alex blinked, he looked so much different than she thought he would. He looked so mild-mannered and meek. Sir Irwin looked her over and gave her an odd look.
"Why don't you take your helmet off, it's hotter than blazes out here and those things bake you alive?" he asked.
Alex stuttered a bit, she couldn't think of a good enough excuse so she settled for the first thing that came to mind. "Uh, I don't really think that's a good idea, I have very sensitive skin. I get terrible sunburns even in short periods of time," she bluffed.
Sir Irwin raised an eyebrow. "But we're sitting in the shade," he remarked.
"Still. Just because you aren't sitting in the sun doesn't mean you still aren't being touched by it's rays," she said defensively, but truthfully.
Sir Irwin blinked. "Wow. That bad eh? Sounds painful. Anyway, here you go," he said, handing her an apple.
"Thank you very much, you're very kind," she said in gratitude. She pulled up the bottom part of the grate of her helm, but just barely.
Sir Irwin smiled. "Oh, you're welcome. This is your first trip, isn't it? I remember my first assignment. It was just as bad a start. My mother really embarrassed me, she ran right out in the middle of the column and handed me a bag of underwear. My horse was stubborn, like yours, I was the only one who's lunch went bad in my pack--it smelled for weeks by the way-- and when I finally got to the post, I was knocked out by another soldier's spear when he turned around."
Alex didn't know what to say, because she was trying not to appear amused. "I'm sorry to hear that," she replied.
"Oh, and that was just my first assignment. Anyway, things have gotten far better since then by a long shot. At least there hasn't been an open war in Serdio for 30 years . . .I feel so awful for some of the men, they were just kids then, but they lost their families in the war with Imperial Sandora. I couldn't bear it if I lost mine. I have a portrait of all of us together, would you like to see it?" he asked.
Alex nodded and Sir Irwin pulled out a decent sized picture from his saddle bag and handed it to her. A man, about as tall as her father, with short black hair, a skinny body, and knobby joints stood next to an equally skinny woman with wavy red hair. Both stood behind three children, a red-headed girl, and two black-haired boys. One hugged his older sister and the other had his thumb in his mouth and was dragging a fluffy teddy bear.
"That's my wife, Morgan, and my daughter, Maggie," he said pointing to each of the women, "and those are my sons, Matthew and Jason," he introduced.
Alexandra smiled. "And you said this one was Jason?" she said pointing to the one with the teddy bear. "How old is he?" she asked.
"Oh, he's three. He's an adorable little thing, but very shy," Sir Irwin commented.
Alex handed the drawing back to him. "You're very blessed. I'll bet they are wonderful."
"They are," he said in gentle pride. "And how about you, Sir Servil? Do you have any family at home?" he asked.
Alexandra was hesitant. "Yes. I'm not married though. I still live with my parents too. Sad huh?" she replied. She was actually happy being single, and she really didn't have a choice about her parents or her home.
"Oh, I don't think so. You're obviously still young. You still have time. Anyway, have you heard about our assignment? You missed the briefing," he inquired.
"We're going to Wyst to serve as guards while the people rebuild," she answered.
Irwin nodded, but seemed disturbed. "There's a rumor that the phoenix is still around. Sir Thomas says it is a stupid thing to just assume anything, because we don't know for sure. He says our orders from his majesty are, if possible, not to engage the creature in combat. The King believes that the firebird's attack was not motivated by malice, but still, the rumor's got the men nervous. Princess Alexandra thinks the firebird will attack again. I overheard her and majesty Albert talking," he admitted.
Alex sighed. "Well, I personally am hoping she was wrong," she answered as Sir Thomas gave the command to pack up. Alex thanked Sir Irwin once more and got back onto Powder.
The rest of the ride was uneventful, and the knighthood entered the limits of Wyst shortly before sunset. The land, Alex noticed, had been literally charred black. Ash blacked once green grass and bricks had been reduced to cinders. To do that, the flame had to have been the same power and magnitude of a volcanic eruption . . . Alex watched as Sir Thomas met with the mayor of the town and began talking. After a few minutes the knights were ordered off their horses and the wagons of fireproof bricks were brought forward. The Knights were given their orders. They were to help the people rebuild as quickly as possible and tend to the injured. The commander divided them into groups, Alexandra was sent to the West quadrant to help with the restorations. She worked the rest of the day passing bricks from a cart through a relay line to the builders. She broke a sweat from the constant movement, and soon had a terrible backache, but through it all, she was content.
The work continued well into the night and there was no sign of a firebird. The night was just like any other, with owls hooting and crickets chirping. The mountains were still and the stars were glittering, and that's when she noticed a particularly tall mountain with a column of smoke rising from it. It was the volcano villude and the home of the firebird. They were so close. Alex was sure now that the attack must have been motivated by territory, but that still begged the question, why? The people of Wyst had been seeing the bird for many months now, and yet it had shown no aggression until recently. Why would a creature just suddenly become savage without provocation? Alex found herself drifting away in possible theories and out of the corner of her eye, she saw it. The blood star twinkled and suddenly a red ball of fire fell out of the sky towards them. A fierce cry echoed through the air. It sent a chill down to Alexandra's core even though the surroundings couldn't have been hotter.
"FIREBIRD! FIREBIRD!" the town warning bell rang out loud and clear, but not before a jet of blazing flame had issued forth and destroyed the tower. There was a sickening scream and Alexandra realized with horror that the watchmen had fallen out of the tower. People everywhere began surfacing from buildings screaming as balls of fire issued forth from above. An enormous bird, wreathed in red flame, the size of a cloud flew overhead blocking out all light for a second and creating its own from the dancing flame.
Alexandra could feel the heat from the ground . . . The people were putting themselves in more and more danger by running into the streets, however she guessed that was better than staying in a burning building. Luckily, amidst the chaos, Sir Thomas had maintained a cool head. He, like Alexandra, knew the fireproof structures, although not completed, where the safest places for the people. He began yelling loudly and directing panicked civilians to those buildings that were closest. Alexandra and the rest of the knighthood were consequently summoned quickly together by lieutenants. There meeting was brief, a spiraling, column of fire blasted them apart into two groups.
"STAY IN FORMATION!" Sir Thomas yelled above the din. He assessed the situation quickly, and, like Alexandra herself had come to realize, they really didn't have much choice. They could either retreat, or try and fight back. Alex cursed inwardly. Her father's orders were not to fight the creature and Sir Thomas was her father's man through and through so his decision was already made.
"TRY AND STALL THE CREATURE! ARCHERS!" he commanded to a section of archers that readied their bows and dispatched arrows towards the airborne menace. Most of the arrows missed, but the few on target were burned by the intense heat before they even got close. Sir Thomas opened his mouth to issue another command, but the phoenix thought differently. It spit a volley of fireballs the size of boulders at the group with unparalleled vengeance. The knights dove frantically around, but not before the flaming missiles made impact. When the smoke cleared, several of the archers had been severely injured, and the remainder of the column was trying to pick them up and make for safety. They had lost their archers, and swords were of no use . . .
Sir Thomas made a very wise decision and didn't delay any further in ordering the knighthood to retreat. They simply were not equip to fight a firebird. It was as Alex had feared. This creature was already malicious, for whatever reason. The first attack hadn't been just a fluke occurrence like her father had thought. It was just one in a series of many. And if they didn't fight back, make a stand. the creature would just continue attack. The only way to end this was to kill the creature. Though she knew that to be the answer, Alex was clueless as to how to accomplish it. She felt so helpless as she ran towards shelter with the other knights. She had been right for once, and she wasn't glad about it.
Looking around, Alexandra watched with horror as the firebird targeted single knights that had run astray from the main line and spat deadly burning malice at them. A stray fireball hit the straw top of the stable nearby and started to rapidly burn the building. Horses began pouring into the panicked streets, running like mad. Alexandra heard the clanking of metal. As she turned around, Sir Thomas had tackled a nearby knight just in the nick of time, the firebird dove out of the sky with talons poised. The huge phoenix circled again and dove once more for Sir Thomas and the lone knight. Sir Thomas drew his sword and stabbed the creature in the center of the massive foot, however the whipping, red tail feathers of the bird snapped around and hit him in the chest. Sir Thomas's breastplate was instantly melted away by the flame and he fell backwards, unmoving.
"SIR THOMAS!" she heard the knight yell as he tried to shake him. He didn't budge and Alexandra feared that he was dead. To make matters worse, the phoenix was refolding to attack again. Alexandra unsheathed her sword and turned around, running back to them.
"Is he?" she couldn't find the word "dead".
The knight glanced hopelessly up at her through his grated helm. "I don't know," he said. Alexandra placed her face close to Sir Thomas' head. "No! He's alive! He's still breathing!" Alex moved a gauntlet over the bare patch of flesh on his stomach. He had a severe burn, but he was still alive.
"Oh! It's you, Sir Servil! What should we do?!" the knight asked. It was Sir Irwin. Alexandra suddenly became very aware that they were the only ones still out in the open and she could see the panic in Irwin's eyes.
"It's coming back!" he cried in alarm. "I'll never make it out of this alive! I'll never see my family again . . ." she heard him whisper.
Think! Think! She told herself. She had to formulate a plan, she couldn't just give up. She looked around, and then she saw it . . . The barren, burned mountainside and it's dusty surface, illuminated by firelight. There was a loose-looking bolder about halfway up. If someone could get that boulder rolling, it would trigger a landslide of sediment. The only trick would be luring the phoenix under it . . . How would she? The phoenix chased single targets. It could easily be lured away with live bait. However that presented another problem. That would mean finding a way to shield that person from the landslide. She saw a small ridge about 300 feet down from the boulder. If everything played out right, the dirt should just slid right off, like an umbrella. She would have to hope that she didn't get buried alive.
The phoenix closed in and in reflex, Alex threw her sword at it. Like she expected, the sword melted, but kept the firebird away. She turned when she saw a stream of white out of the corner of her eye. It was Powder and the fire glow made his white frame sparkle. It must have been fate. Alex faced Sir Irwin.
"You will see your family again! I swear it! I have a plan and I need your help," she said with authority.
Sir Irwin seemed calmed by her voice and the power within it. "What do you need?" he asked.
"Do you see that boulder?" she asked and pointed. He nodded. "I need you to go with me. I'm going to distract the phoenix. When it gets under the boulder, I want you to dislodge it. If I am correct it should topple a good layer of dirt onto it," she explained quickly.
"Oh! And therefore putting out it's fire!" Irwin exclaimed in realization.
Alexandra nodded. Irwin surveyed the situation for a moment, then frowned. "But, how would you avoid being buried---"
"LOOK OUT!" Alex yelled and both went into diving rolls as the firebird swooped down again leaving a trail of fire in its wake. "There's no time! We have to act now!" Alexandra yelled in urgency. She got an odd feeling, and without really knowing why, she whistled for Powder, whom despite the fire, came immediately. Alexandra was surprised, she expected the horse to run away from them. Alexandra moved to Sir Thomas and after struggling greatly under his heavy weight, managed to pull him up onto Powder's back. She mounted and then grabbed Irwin's hand to help him up as well.
Once all three were situated, she gave Powder an urgent tap. He began to trot, and then canter, as Alex pulled him beside on of the buildings where a frightened, edgy soldier ran out to them. Alex jumped off the horse and pulled Sir Thomas into her arms. He was very heavy, she grunted as she handed him over to the soldier.
"Take him," she ordered simply and jumped back onto the horse.
"Where are you going?!?" the knight shouted, but Alex and Irwin had already run off.
Taking Powder towards the mountainside, Alex began to think. What would happen if they didn't succeed? She shook her head involuntarily. She knew she had to have confidence. Her chance had finally come. She sighed. Actually, it was her second chance, and she wasn't going to blow this one. Aside from that, the young princess knew this was about much more than her. She was protecting many lives, not just her own and she was honored to do so. She realized the importance of the lives and dreams of her subjects and therefore, she was willing to risk her own. Her people had placed their trust in the royal family for many generations to keep them safe, and Alexandra would not be called an exception.
Powder's grey hooves and silver shoes thundered their impact across the ground as the phoenix pursued the stallion and his riders across the field. Alex realized that she was sweating profusely as she felt the wind across her body, catching the sweat. Alex heard, rather than saw the cyclone of fire, until it sprayed the ground strait in front of them. She swiftly shielded her face with her arm, and she felt her body lean backwards as Powder reared up on his hind legs. She groped blindly for Powder's milky mane and Sir Irwin grabbed her around the waist. Powder stabilized and resumed galloping, although it was becoming increasingly difficult for Alexandra to keep him from panic. He swayed several times from the path Alex was trying to hold steady, dodging the streams of flame. They were about fifty feet from the foot of the mountain when Powder reared again, this time throwing Alexandra from the saddle. She landed hard on the ground and felt searing heat from the nearby patch of fire. Alex sprang up and went towards Powder, but not before another blast of fire separated them.
"Sir Servil?!" she heard Sir Irwin yell as he coughed from the smoke.
"Sir Irwin! Take Powder and ride on! Hurry!" she yelled.
"Sir Servil, I won't leave you!" he shouted back.
"Hurry! You have to! Go while the smoke shields you from view! I'll be fine!" she insisted. There was a pause and then she heard hooves again. They were on the move. "That's good," she mumbled in relief and swallowed a mouthful of hot, sulfuric smoke. She began coughing as the smoke cleared. The ridge was just ahead. She quickly got to her feet, hot and tired, and began running. Her armor was clunky and heavy, and not to mention she'd bake like an oven if she got hit by the fire, so as she ran she unclasped her breastplate and gauntlets, letting them hit the ground with a loud clang. She kept her helmet, however, to mask her identity. When the smoke had completely dissipated, Alex heard the phoenix roar from above. It had seen her. Fireballs rained out of the sky in every direction, exploding upon impact. Alexandra was thanking her lucky stars she hadn't been hit. She was running up the hill, but not fast enough. The firebird wasn't very far behind, or very happy . . . .
Three feet, two feet---- she dove quickly through the rocks and rubble into the ridge. As she lie face down in the dirt, with only enough room to sit up, she breathed a sigh of relief, and all too soon. Alexandra felt like she was burning alive it had become so hot. The temperature seemed as if it could melt rock. A triangular shape of flame entered through the side of the ridge, melting everything it touched. The creature rammed the Cliffside and shrieked with a cry so deafening Alexandra had to clasp her hands over her ears. The phoenix was responding to her plan all too well, it was coming after her! With another thrust of its beak, it crumbled the side of the ridge. Alex didn't need to think twice before jumping backwards. However, it wasn't far enough. The firebird could clearly see her and she locked her eyes onto its flaming irises. She was startled, but not afraid. And that lack of fear must have shown in her steady gaze. The bird seemed enraged by her stare. . .
There came a sudden rumble and the princess felt the mountain shake. She threw her back to the rearmost wall of the ridge and covered her head with her hands. Sure enough, the dirt and debris fell from the top of the ridge. There was another deafening screech as the landslide hit the phoenix broadside and thundered down the hill. For loud moments, Alexandra sat silently, praying that the ridge would hold. Until at last, when silence fell, she gathered up the nerve to leave the shelter of the ridge. She was relieved, upon opening her eyes, to see that the ridge had held and that the weight of the dirt had not been enough to collapse or bury her alive. She thanked her luck stars as she crawled out and brushed her herself off.
She looked down, and cringed. She didn't see the phoenix's body. Had it escaped? There was a hysterical yell from above as Alex looked up. A blur of silver and blue was rolling down the mountainside. Alex had time to blink before it collided with her and both of them slid down the barren path hitting numerous rocks and roots in very place imaginable. Alex came to a halt and landed hard on something soft. There was a groan.
"Oww . . ." it was Sir Irwin.
"Oh! Sorry!" she apologized and quickly jumped off him, rubbing her sore legs. Alex turned towards the knight as he got up. She was relieved that he was okay. Irwin removed his helmet, and his geeky black hair was watered down with sweat, but he had a pure, irreplaceable smile.
"Sir Servil! Sir Servil did you see?! The phoenix! It hit the bottom and flew away! We're saved!" he exclaimed, jumping for joy.
Alex sighed in relief and then in joy she ran to Sir Irwin and hugged him with a laugh. "You did it Sir Irwin! You did it!"
"It was your plan," he said modestly and a little awkwardly. Alex realized that maybe it wasn't proper for guys to hug and she pulled back. "Besides, you saved my life. That firebird would have killed me when I was with Sir Thomas. I am alive because of your courage, and I don't know how to thank you," he said with deep gratitude.
"It is the same for us all," came the voice of Sir Thomas. "I also owe you MY life," he said as Alex and Irwin faced him.
"Sir Thomas are you alright, Sir?" Irwin asked as he eyed the two knights that were supporting him toward them.
"I hurt like hell, but this is nothing compared to what I could be feeling, or as the case may be, not feeling," he said with a grin.
"But I don't hurt enough to not do this," he said nobly and bowed as best he was able to Alex. As he did so, so did the rest of the knights behind him. "I will most certainly be speaking of your great deed to King Albert," he added.
"Please, I wish you would," she said with a smile behind her helmet. She was grateful it was nighttime, which was probably why they hadn't figured her out yet without her armor.
Sir Thomas nodded. "Rest assured. I would request that we return immediately with our report to the King, we need to hear his decision on the matter of the firebird and this city in regards to recent events. However, we need to stay and rebuild this city," he said as he looked around to everyone.
Alexandra looked around. Many timid villagers were resurfacing onto the torched ground.
"Why wait? Get the wounded tended, then every civilian is to evacuate. The Phoenix will not rest until it has killed everyone here and burned every building. Until it is destroyed I am deeming this village to dangerous to be inhabited," she declared.
Sir Thomas gave her an odd look just as she removed her helmet. Her sandy-blonde hair tumbled down in a golden cascade, causing Sir Thomas to nearly fall over in shock and the knights holding him almost dropped him.
"My lady Alexandra! You, you have!" he began.
"Been with you all along," she replied.
Sir Irwin especially seemed surprised. His new friend had been his princess. He could only say the word "wow" softly to himself. The whole knighthood held a state of astounded, respectful silence until at last Sir Thomas took command.
"You heard her majesty! Get to it!" he ordered.
*******
Within the day that followed Alexandra rode back to Bale in the company of the 6th knighthood. She was happy, truly happy, for the first time since she left Seles. All the knights treated her like the hero she had always wanted to be to them. What was more, she had finally done something right. However, as they entered the courtyard on Indels, her smile faded. Her father stood on the balcony staring down at her. One of the knights had caught Powder and was leading him back to the stables as she was ushered by palace guards to where her father was waiting.
"Wait, please quarter that horse in the royal stable," she called. The knight nodded and turned to do so.
After that, everything flew by like wind. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of her father's throne, where he and queen and king Emille stood waiting. King Albert dismissed the knights and for moments all three of them stood in silence. Albert sighed at last.
"Alexandra Diane Starwind! What in the universe were you thinking?! Did I not make it clear to you that everything was under control?" he asked in frustration.
Alexandra faced him. "Daddy, they would have died. The phoenix nearly overpowered us. I, I had to go to protect them," she explained.
King Albert slapped his forehead. "Pro . . Protect them?!? Alexandra they're KNIGHTS! They are trained to fight, you're not!" he said, raising his voice.
"I saved their lives," she said in pride.
"Do you have any idea of the lives you put in danger?! The firebird got away, I'm told and now it will seek vengeance. It might even track you here and attack Bale! If you have no regard for your own life, I would have thought I raised you to have a regard for the lives of others!" he said in an increasingly angry tone. His words were stinging her to the core.
"You should be thanking me, not upset with me! If I hadn't have stepped in the firebird would have killed them all! I went because you were wrong about the firebird dad! And I knew it! I was true to my heart in going! You always told me to trust in my heart! It is my honor to give something back to my people! To defend them, when they rely on their rulers to do so! It is my dream!" she said with an edge in her voice.
Emille gave Albert's arm a gentle squeeze to calm him.
"My judgment was based on FACT Alexandra, not intuition! What you've done is bound to have ramifications that you're not aware of. Thanks to you, no matter what we rebuild the city with, people can't live there anymore because as I said before, now the creature will be out for blood. And now that you've evacuated all the people, where are you going to put them? Did you even think about that? Did you even think about how difficult it is going to be to house them and how heart wrenching it's going to be on them knowing now that they can't go home ever again, or at least not for a long while? I can't even begin to list all the problems you've caused today. I'm trying not to lose my temper. Bottom line is you had no right to do what you did, Alexandra. First of all you are my daughter, and as such you should obey your parents. And second, whether you believe it or not, we know what's best for you. We have reasons for not letting you join the knighthoods," he said and took a deep breath, trying to remain calm.
"Alexandra, you're our daughter. It's dangerous in the knighthoods and we don't want anything to happen to you," Emille said gently.
Albert nodded. "Exactly."
"But knights are out there every day to defend us! It should be the other way around! We serve the people!" she insisted.
"There are other ways to serve, Alexandra," Emille reminded. Alex knew she was losing the argument.
"But I fight, and I'm good at it! I can only help in the ways I know how! Please understand. I would die for those who are precious to me. I will defend the kingdom because I know the importance of my subject's lives, especially the knights! I find my joy in defending!" she protested.
"Alexandra, you do far more good by ruling. Being royal demands just as much courage as being a knight and just as much sacrifice. You can't just do what you want all the time! And as princess you must give up who you want to be, for who you must be!" Albert argued.
Alexandra was being denied and she had done everything she could. "Then why will you let me tumble with Tiydus and Remus, but not fight?" she asked.
"Playing around with friends who aren't going to hurt you is much different than fighting an enemy who would just as soon see you die as look at you," he said knowingly.
"I'm not afraid to die doing what's right," she said powerfully.
"That's just it! What your doing is reckless and wrong! Alexandra I won't have it! Don't ever pull a silly stunt like this again," Albert said with a furious look on his face.
Alexandra lost her cool and let all her repressed emotions slip. "Fine! Will will destroy my soul and give up all my dreams just to please you! But Don't ever call what I do reckless or silly! I saved something today! I saved my people and myself! I'm betting Lavitz would agree with me! But then again maybe Lavitz was the only one you'd ever listen to! He died for you! For you father! Do you call what he did reckless or silly? He died chasing his dream of defending those he loved! I want to be just like Lavitz!"
Albert sprang from his chair in a fury that Alexandra had never been exposed to before. "ENOUGH ALEXANDRA! DON'T YOU DARE COMPARE YOURSELF TO LAVITZ WHEN YOU NEVER EVEN MET HIM! LAVITZ WAS A KNIGHT! NOT A KING! DON'T YOU EVER RUB HIS DEATH IN MY FACE AGAIN! LAVITZ WAS MY CLOSEST FRIEND AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FORGIVE MYSELF FOR HIS DEATH! I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED BY YOUR SELFISH, IRRESPONISBLE BEHAVIOR AND I'M PUTTING AN END TO THIS MADNESS NOW! I AM A VERY CALM, UNDERSTANDING PERSON, ALEXANDRA, I PRIDE MYSELF ON IT, BUT YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE! TO ENSURE THAT YOU WILL BEHAVE RESPONISBLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE WE HAVE ARRANGED FOR YOU TO MARRY DART'S SON TIYDUS!" he bellowed in rage.
Alexandra stood in horror. Had he just said that he arranged a marriage for her? And to Tiydus?!! She couldn't possibly!
"I can't marry Tiydus! What are you saying!?! How could you do this to me!? To him?! He's my brother practically!" she yelled, mortified.
"He actually had quite a crush on you," Emille said placatingly.
This scared Alex even more. "He . .he what?!?! There is no way I can MARRY him!" she shouted again. "NO POSSIBLE WAY!"
Albert shook his head. "You will marry him and that's final! In fact, you have no chance to argue, because Tiydus and his family arrive tomorrow!"
Alexandra felt her eyes begin to water and knew she was seconds away from a waterfall of tears, "How could you?" she whimpered and ran out of the room.
Albert put his head in his hands and groaned. "That went explicitly well. Do you think I was too hard on her?" he asked Emille.
"Maybe just a bit, but up until that last part you were very reasonable," she soothed.
"Now my daughter hates me, and what's worse, she was right. Lavitz would have agreed with her . . She's almost exactly like him it's scary. What am I going to do?" he asked with a sigh.
*****
Meanwhile, Alexandra has run all the way to her tower, not stopping once and slammed the door in the face of her two confused guards. She locked herself in and then threw herself onto her bed in distress. However, she didn't notice that Holly had been lying there waiting for her, and she landed on the roc's tail feathers.
"SWAWK!" the bird protested.
Alexandra looked up. "Oh, sorry Holly," she sniffled and undid the tie holding a letter to her leg. The scroll read:
Dear Alexandra,
I am glad to hear that you have finally had a vacation. Kamuy, Martel, and myself are doing quite well. We all went swimming yesterday where we found you. Martel wants me to mention that she REALLY misses you. I also miss you, and especially Kamuy. As for my situation, I am glad to report that it is becoming more homely. I am eagerly awaiting a response from you and am glad you are thinking of us.
Best wishes, 0 0
Tohan, Martel, and Kamuy 0 O 0
Alex sniffled. At least somewhere someone understood her. She set to writing back. Her response was far less happy.
Dear Tohan, Martel and Kamuy,
My research yielded only a little information that had almost no relevance. I have found that the chosen stars of each race glow with the actions of the ruler. I have learned that the name to fear is Lord Nvernias, if that makes any sense for you. Please give Martel my friendships and Kamuy too.
Tohan, there is a dire matter that I must speak with you on . . .
Alex went on and lamented her troubles to Tohan in writing. She sealed and signed the letter and gave it to Holly. Once Holly had gone, Alexandra lay on her bed, praying that somehow everything had just been a bad dream.