Kingdom Alliance: Part II
Hello again, GX fans and welcome back to "Love Through Lifetimes." This is part II of the story of Prince Jaden, later the Supreme King and Princess Alexis. We're glad if you enjoy this tale and its version of the past. Thanks for the reviews and we welcome all of you who are tuning in. We welcome you newcomers and welcome back our old friends. So on with the story.
So last time, Prince Jaden lost his best friend in human form and gained a duel monster protector in the form of Yubel. And then Jaden found out he had to get married to the princess of the Cyber Kingdom. He met her and much to Yubel's dismay, fell in love with Princess Alexis. Predictably, Yubel got jealous. But Jaden didn't catch it and made special Christmas gifts, including one for Yubel. So what will happen when the princess returns to be married to the prince? Read on!
Usual boring disclaimer: Uh, no…we don't own GX. Trust us… We really don't.
Authors' notes: There is a heavily implied lemon in this chapter, as well as mention of the consequences of heterosexual lemons. Further, everyone is speaking in a slightly old-fashioned way, but with modifications. We also made an interpretation of why Yubel was so obsessed after the change. We hope you like the interpretation. Thank you for your attention.
Further authors' notes: In the original edition of this chapter, we had what we meant as an homage to Spaceballs,a fabulous sci-fi/comedy spoof, and we hoped our fans would have noticed it. We forgot to put this mention in our disclaimer and we apologize. We have made some changes to the wedding scene and hope you forgive us for our unintentional plagiarism. We hope you enjoy the edited version. Thank you.
The preparations for Prince Jaden's wedding to Princess Alexis began on December 27th. The Monster Heroes Kingdom was abuzz with excitement that their young prince was about to be married and all wanted to celebrate. Finally on a cold day in January, three days before the prince's birthday, Princess Alexis arrived with her parents and her brother, Prince Atticus. "Alex—UFF!" Jaden yelped in the throne room as he was bear hugged by a large boy with brown hair and eyes, as well as a slight tan.
"So you're the man who's gonna be marrying my sister, huh?" The voice obviously came from the person who was bear hugging him, and afterward Jaden was released.
Jaden took a deep breath, regaining himself. "Uh, yeah... Are you Prince Atticus?" he asked the large prince of the Cyber Kingdom.
"Yeah, that's me! Princess Alexis's handsome and talented brother! You might call me her better half-"
Before Atticus could finish, a punch to the head sent him straight into the ground. "I swear I can't leave you alone for five minutes," Princess Alexis growled, having been the one to deliver the blow.
"Alexis! I've been waiting for you!" Jaden grinned, picking her up and spinning her around in her fur cloak.
Alexis wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling. "Jaden! I was so excited to see you!"
"I am, too! We're going to be married in three days' time!"
The royal parents were smiling happily. "This will be a wonderful union," Queen Jean smiled.
"Yes, they both have come to love each other very much. They will make a good couple, and the wedding night will be easy for them," Hisoka replied with a smile of his own.
"The union will be a fruitful one," Queen Jayda added with a grin. "Our kingdoms will rejoice with them as they have young ones."
"And we shall have grandchildren to look forward to," King John added with an identical grin.
"My love, we will see our children happy, and with a wonderful guardian," Queen Jayda murmured to King Hisoka.
"Yes, Yubel will forever look after Jaden, and in turn his family," Hisoka whispered back.
"Shall we go inside and warm up by the fire, my princess?" Prince Jaden asked happily.
"Yes, that sounds delightful, my prince," Alexis answered, smiling.
And so, everyone headed in out of the very cool throne room and to the fireplace in the drawing room. Jaden grabbed a blanket and he and his love cuddled together beneath it, but not before he'd handed a blanket to his future brother-in-law. Atticus grinned from his seat, even if his sister was sending him a threatening look. "So, Jaden, you excited for the wedding?" he asked.
"You bet, Atticus...I am honored to marry your wonderful sister," the crown prince of the Monster Heroes Kingdom replied eagerly.
"Hey, I'm just glad she found someone. I mean really, I thought she was never going to find a guy until she was betrothed to you," the crown prince of the Cyber Kingdom responded with a goofy grin.
Alexis growled. "Atty...."
"Well...I'm glad I was the right one...And I promise I'll be good to her," Jaden said earnestly.
"You'd better be." For a moment, Atticus seemed to get serious. Then, his grin returned. "Nah, I know you'll be good to her. I can tell you're just the kind of guy Lexi needs."
Jaden blushed. "Oh...I have your Christmas gifts!" he remembered.
Alexis smiled. "I have yours too." Jaden grinned. He gave her the package that held the jewelry box and then handed Atticus another box containing a musical instrument called an ocarina made from the Red Eyes Black Dragon scale that he'd made Yubel's bracelet from. Then he gave Queen Jean a scarf made from Watapon fur and King John a pair of gloves made from Scapegoat fur. Alexis gave King Hisoka a pair of gloves as well, made out of Kuribabylon fur. She also gave Queen Jayda a scarf made from Kuribandit fur. And for Jaden, Alexis handed him a box with a pair of Kuriboh fur boots in them.
The families opened their packages, smiling. "Alexis...this is so wonderfully warm," Queen Jayda smiled.
"Well, we have many varieties of Kuriboh in the surrounding forests of our kingdom. Each has a different type of fur," Alexis explained.
Jaden pulled on his new boots. "My feet are so warm...And this is brown Kuriboh fur...They're friendly monsters!"
Alexis smiled. "Actually...I managed to find a Winged Kuriboh, and I used its fur. I wanted them to be special..." It was hard to tell the difference between the two types.
"A Winged Kuriboh? Really?" Jaden's eyes lit up. "I've met one before."
"You've met one?"
"Yeah, when I was little. Yubel and I were exploring in the woods and we met a Winged Kuriboh. He liked us," Jaden blushed.
"I'm pretty sure any Duel Monster would like you, Jaden. You seem to have a connection with them," the princess said, flushing.
"You have a connection with your monsters too, don't you, Alexis?" he asked curiously.
"Not really...I mean, I just don't connect with them like you do with yours," she answered.
"I'll bet you have a special one," he persisted.
"Well, I am pretty close with Cyber Tutu," she admitted.
"I'd like to meet her, and Yubel should meet her too!" Jaden grinned excitedly. "Atticus, do you have a special monster?"
The older boy grinned. "You bet I do! My Red-Eyes..."
"A Red Eyes Black Dragon? Great! Then I know I gave you the right gift!"
Atticus blinked, and opened his present to discover the instrument. "Oh, wow...I've always wanted one of these! And they're supposed to make the best music when made out of a dragon scale..."
Jaden grinned. "I didn't know that. I had to have help to make it from the royal instrument makers, but they said I did a good job..."
"It looks great, Jaden. Thanks!" the older boy replied happily.
Alexis opened her gift to find the jewelry box made from the Diamond Dragon scale. It sparkled even in the dim light cast by the fire. "Jaden...this...it's beautiful..."
"You like it?" he asked, almost disbelieving.
"Like it? Jaden, I love it! Did you make this?" she asked.
"Yeah...I did. I wanted to make something for you."
"Jaden...oh, I love you!" Alexis said, embracing him and pressing her lips against his. Jaden kissed back, mindful of their parents and his future brother-in-law. The kiss was like sweet wine or a drink of water on a summer's day. He let his kiss speak for him. And the couple didn't think of who else was watching them.
One other was watching the tender moment from the shadows, and didn't like it at all. Yubel's fists were clenched as she gritted her teeth, glaring at the girl who had taken her place as Jaden's soul mate. 'That should be me... In three days, I should be marrying him. I...should be the one to bear his children,' she thought, anger boiling within her heart.
The couple broke apart. "I love you so much," Jaden murmured finally. This lovely young woman would soon be his and his alone for all of their days.
"And I love you even more," Alexis whispered. She wouldn't want to be with anyone else at that moment.
And so, oblivious to Yubel's inner rage, the couple prepared for the wedding. And the night before it took place, Prince Jaden came to Princess Alexis's chambers, holding a box with the treasured necklace. "I want her to wear this," he murmured to himself as he paced down the stone path. He made it to her chamber and knocked on the oak door.
Princess Alexis, dressed in a royal blue nightgown, looked up from her vanity in surprise. She stood and went to the door, opening it. "Jaden??"
"Hi, Alexis...I have something for you...I know the hour is late, but I couldn't wait until morning," he said as she let him in the room. He held out the package to her. "This is my wedding gift to you..."
"Well, this is certainly a surprise," the princess said, taking it. She carefully opened it, and her eyes went wide upon sight of the gift. "Jaden...is this made from a Blue-Eyes scale?"
He nodded shyly, clad in his red nightshirt. "Yes it is. It's such a beautiful dragon..."
"And you've made an equally beautiful necklace...too stunning for words," she replied as she gently lifted it from the box.
"Almost...as beautiful as my bride," he whispered reverently.
She blushed, turning her gaze to him. "Oh, Jaden..."
"Would you...wear it tomorrow?" he asked.
She smiled at him. "Of course I will. Jaden, I'll wear it every day for the rest of my life..." On impulse, he drew her into a deep, passionate kiss. She returned it, adding her own passion and sinking into his embrace.
They were close to the bed and fell back onto it, still kissing. Jaden broke off first, feeling things he'd never felt before and knowing the temptation was very strong. "Alexis..."
"Jaden," Alexis looked into his eyes, hazel meeting brown. She too was feeling strongly and fighting the temptation, but she was clear-headed enough to do it.
"It's hard to wait now," he murmured. "I didn't think I'd feel this way in the summer..."
"Neither did I, but...we should wait until tomorrow night," she said calmly.
Jaden shivered. "I know it's tradition and it's right..."
Alexis reached up and placed a soft hand against his cheek. "We can wait...one more day, my love..."
"One more day," he murmured, forcing himself to get up and onto the stone floor. He really didn't want to leave the room. But he knew he'd better, lest something happen.
"After tomorrow, we won't have to stop ourselves. Just be patient," she said, smiling at him.
"I know...It is hard for me to be patient, Alexis...But I will be for you," he said.
"I know that you will. Now...you should get back to your chambers and rest. Tomorrow is a big day," she replied.
"It is...Good night, Alexis...I will wake you in the morning so you may dress," he said with a smile.
She smiled back. "I'm looking forward to it, Jaden. Good night..."
And so Jaden stepped out of the room and sighed. "One more night...Yubel, did you know it would be like this?" he asked his friend, figuring she'd appear next to him, like always.
However, for once, Yubel didn't appear. Not only was she still upset from the kiss by the fire, but she'd seen the kiss and close call that had just occurred. She was too busy sulking in her rage and jealousy to hear him call out to her.
"Yubel?" Jaden called out again, worried. "Where are you?"
Yubel faintly heard him, but ignored it. 'Tomorrow...it's over. My chance with him will be gone...no, I never had a chance. Not even before Alexis appeared,' she thought bitterly. Back when she was a he, such thoughts wouldn't have entered Yubel's head. But the curse of the Dragon's Heart was that a protector's heart and mind would change in how that person felt for the one he or she was sworn to protect.
"Yubel?" Jaden called out again, like a frightened child. Was she hurt? Had she met with a dragon in her protection duties? What had happened to her? His worry blazed out from him like a fire.
Yubel felt it, and her love for him rose above her jealousy and anger. She appeared in a few seconds. "I'm sorry, Jaden. I...didn't hear you..."
"Are you all right? I thought a dragon got you," he said, hugging her in his relief, as he had when Yubel had been a human boy and had gone missing for two days when they'd been separated in the woods.
Yubel wrapped her arms around him, returning the hug. 'He still cares about me...but not in the way that I wish he did,' she thought sadly. "Don't worry, I'm all right...I'm not leaving you, Jaden...ever," she murmured, holding him close.
"Good...I'd hate it if anything happened to you, Yubel," he said, unable to keep tears from his eyes. He didn't want to lose his friend.
She felt guilty now, about ignoring him. "Jaden...I'm sorry that I worried you. But I promise, nothing will ever take me away from you," she soothed.
Jaden smiled in the safety of her hug. He hadn't really lost his best friend and was sure she'd be rejoicing with the kingdom tomorrow as he wed his beloved. "You'll be here for me, Alexis...and our kids," he murmured.
'It'll be so hard to see him get married to someone else. But...I have to stay with him...I can't stand to see him upset,' she thought sadly. "Yes, Jaden. I will be..."
And so the next morning, Jaden got up, was bathed carefully and dressed before the sun was up, which was rather unusual for him as he was a prince who slept in. But today was no ordinary day, he reflected as he put on his red leggings, red and blue pantaloons, a blue tunic and a red cape. He completed the outfit with his new Kuriboh fur boots. "This is it, Father," he said to the King as servants made their final touches to the prince-bridegroom.
"Yes, son. Today you become a man," Hisoka replied happily, smiling proudly. His son, his only child, was getting married.
"Yes, Father, and...I'm a little nervous, but I'm not afraid of tonight as I was," Jaden admitted.
"That is good to hear, Jaden. It will make things go easier for both you and your bride."
"Yeah," Jaden answered. "She's wearing her necklace to the ceremony."
"You did a very good job on it, son. As well as the other gifts you made," Hisoka replied.
"Thanks, Father. Alexis's gifts are incredible. These Kuriboh fur boots...and Winged Kuriboh fur at that...They're light but so warm..."
"They will be a gift that you can treasure for many years, Jaden."
The young man grinned at his father. "They will be. Not even Great Moth poison can affect them."
Hisoka smiled. "And I'm certain the gifts that you gave to Princess Alexis shall never wear out, either. Dragon scales are the hardest thing in this world."
"I have to see if she's awake now," Jaden said, now that he was ready. He stepped to the door and headed down the hall.
Alexis was, in fact, awake. She had been nervous about the wedding and the night after, and so she hadn't slept much. Now, she sat at her vanity, running the brush through her long hair. She was, however, still in her nightgown.
When Jaden got to her door, he knocked on it, "Alexis, are you awake?" he asked.
The princess looked over at the door in slight surprise, then remembered that Jaden had said he'd come to wake her last night. "Yes, I'm awake. You can come in, Jaden," she answered.
He opened the door and came in, flush with nervousness. "Are you okay?" he asked her, seeing the nervousness on her face.
She sighed. "Yes, just...nervous, I suppose."
He sat down next to her on the ample vanity seat and put his arm around her. "It'll be okay...We're going to be okay..."
She leaned into him, closing her eyes. "I know...it's just that it'll be such a big change..."
He rocked her gently in his arms now. "I know...I'm nervous, too, but we'll be all right."
She sighed again. "I'm sorry. I'm normally not like this..."
"It's okay...I'm usually confident, but...around you...I'm like a different person." Jaden blushed at this admission.
Alexis smiled a little. "That's funny...it's the same for me. When I'm with you, I'm different..."
"Then...let's be glad we're different," he said gently. "And I love you for who you are, no matter what."
She kissed his cheek. "And I'll always love you."
"So...shall we get married?" he asked gently, kissing her forehead.
She smiled. "As soon as I'm dressed. I can't get married in a nightgown."
He looked at her. "Oh...sorry! I thought you looked great!" he said with a sweat-drop and a laugh. He'd thought, for some bizarre reason that she was already in her wedding dress.
"Well, I'm glad about that. You'll be seeing me in this tonight, after all," she answered, flushing at the compliment and thinking about the evening to come.
"Yeah..." And then his face went red, knowing what was coming.
"Jaden, you do know that the sooner you go, the sooner I can get changed, yes?" Alexis asked, blushing a little and sweat-dropping.
"Yeah...Okay...I'll see you in...how long?" he asked, trying to think.
"Four hours, Jaden," she answered. They were to be wed at noon.
"Okay...four hours, then," he said, trying to avoid shivering.
"I'll see you then," she replied with a small smile, also suppressing a shiver.
Jaden then headed out of her room and back to his chambers. He was now alone there and called, "Yubel?"
The bat-winged female monster appeared beside him. "Yes, Jaden?"
"I have four hours...and then...I'm married...Make sure I don't throw up or pass out or something," he requested.
Yubel chuckled. "All right, I'll make sure. Just relax, Jaden."
"Okay...you can't help with tonight, but you can help at the ceremony," he said, bright red at the thought of this evening.
Yubel felt some anger rise within her at the thought of the coming evening, but suppressed it. "I'll be right there for you during the ceremony, Jaden." Conflicted, she might be, but there was no way she would leave him when he needed her.
"Thanks, Yubel...I don't think I could get through today without you. If you'd been hurt last night..." His voice shook a little, thinking of Yubel hurt or worse.
"I can beat any monster I may have to fight against, Jaden. So you don't have to worry about me getting hurt," she soothed, unable to avoid a superior smirk.
"I know...but there's always the chance...You're not immortal, you know," he sighed. Sure, Yubel was the toughest monster he knew now, but still she could be injured.
"Perhaps not. But I changed myself so that I could become stronger and better protect you. Now it'll take a lot to harm me," she replied confidently.
"I know, Yubel...So...just keep me up, so I don't keel over or something," he said.
"All right," she promised.
The four hours passed quickly. By 10 minutes to noon, Queen Jean was draping the veil over her daughter's head. "You look beautiful, darling," she smiled.
Alexis was wearing a thick dress the color of the blue sky and matching-elbow length gloves. "Thank you, Mother."
"My girl is about to be a woman," Jean said, tears coming to her eyes.
Alexis blushed a little, smiling. "Mother, please don't cry."
"I just...am so happy," Jean murmured, hugging her daughter. And then, the men came into the room.
Then, King John and Prince Atticus walked into the room. "Oh, Jean, you're crying again?" John asked with a sigh as he went to her.
"Mother always gets sentimental in situations like this," Atticus said with a grin.
"I'm just so happy!" the queen said, smiling and crying at the same time.
Alexis sweat-dropped. "Mother, come on. The wedding is going to start soon..."
"I'll be all right, but I guarantee I won't be the only one crying," Jean said.
"Well, at least they're tears of joy," John stated with a sigh.
"Yes, my dear. I think my mother cried like this when we got married. But that was in summer," she sighed again.
"Yes, you might want to be careful, my love. It's awfully cold out," he replied. Queen Jean nodded and pulled on her thick Watapon fur cape.
"Oh! Mother, I almost forgot..." Alexis went to the jewelry box Jaden had made her and opened it, pulling out the necklace.
Jean helped her daughter place the necklace on her neck. "There...you're so beautiful...if your husband wasn't in love with you, he would be now."
"That's my sister, all right," Atticus added with a grin.
Alexis blushed a little at her family's words. "Well, I'm glad that I have such a handsome prince to marry."
"And he loves you for you, and that is the most important thing," the queen stated.
"I was lucky to have been betrothed to him."
A few minutes later, Jaden stood in the throne room, waiting for his beloved to come. "This is it," he muttered to Yubel. She was his best friend instead of his best man.
It took all of her willpower not to disappear, so that she wouldn't have to see her precious Jaden married off to someone else. "Yes, only a minute or so left until she'll be here," she whispered.
"I'm going to throw up," he muttered, feeling the nervous bile rise in his throat.
Yubel sweat-dropped, really not wanting to see the prince lose his breakfast. "Just take a few deep breaths, Jaden," she instructed. Jaden did so, and then, the trumpets sounded and the princess entered. Princess Alexis was led toward Jaden by her father, who then joined the other members of the two families off to the side. She looked into Jaden's eyes from behind her veil, heart fluttering in her chest.
Jaden's heart was pounding. 'This is it. This is it!' he thought.
The priest began the ceremony, and it went by faster than the couple had thought it would. Finally, it was time for the vows. The priest, rather than use the long version that would cause the prince to lose focus, used an extremely abbreviated version. Jaden, not one to question these events, grinned and dipped his wife, kissing her deeply. Alexis had been wondering about the ceremony's fast pace, but all thoughts turned to mush at the kiss. She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck as the crowd cheered for the newlyweds.
And then Jaden took her by the hand and raced her down the aisle. "We're married," he said excitedly when they were out of sight of the assembly.
"Yes, we're finally bound together for the rest of our life," she replied happily.
"So what's next for us?" he asked. "And what's up with the speed of the ceremony?"
"Well, if I remember correctly, your parents wanted us to go to the balcony so that the subjects could see us. And I'm not sure why the ceremony went by so quickly," she explained, really unsure as to the latter.
"We'll find out later...So let's go out and freeze for ten minutes!" he responded with a grin.
She laughed. "All right. And then we have our wedding feast!"
"YAY! FOOD!" he grinned, and then blushed. "Uh...did I mention I have a huge appetite?"
She smirked. "I notice during the times we've eaten together, Jaden."
"I wondered if you did… Mother says I eat like a dragon, and with worse manners," he said, blushing fire red.
"Well, just don't make too much of a mess, all right? This is a special dinner."
"You've got it," he promised, grinning sheepishly now.
"Well, our public awaits," she replied, smiling. And so the newly married royals stepped out onto a big balcony as the cold wind blew. The crowd cheered happily at them and then several Duel Monsters flew in formation in celebration.
"Oh, it really is cold out here," Alexis said, shivering. The Cyber Kingdom, she remembered, was also cold this time of year, but it didn't seem this cold.
Jaden took off his cloak and wrapped it around his bride. "Hang on for another minute, Lexi," he murmured.
Alexis smiled at him. "All right. We'll be nice and warm the rest of the day, anyway."
"Yeah..." A formation of Elemental Heroes flew by, including Burstinatrix and Avian who were holding hands as they flew.
Seeing this, Alexis thought of something. "Jaden..."
"What is it?" he asked.
She looked over at him. Now, Alexis wasn't blind; she'd known that for some reason Yubel had a slight problem with her. The Duel Monster had been polite to her, of course, but Alexis could sense the underlying hostility when they were with Jaden. "Do you think Yubel will find someone she can be happy with? Like how I found you...and how Burstinatrix found Avian?" she asked softly.
Jaden looked at his bride. "Of course she will, Alexis. There's someone for everybody, and Yubel's great. I know there's someone for her."
Alexis sighed and looked back up at the sky. "I hope you're right, Jaden..." She just couldn't shake the bad feeling she had.
Jaden didn't even think of Yubel being mad because he'd had to get married and had fallen in love with the girl. Yubel, after all, had previously been a guy and Jaden had just been good friends with him. Now Yubel was a she, and Jaden didn't stop to think that things had changed. "It'll be okay," he said, catching her worry. "She will find somebody. She's been acting funny lately, but I think it's because we haven't been dueling as much...Maybe after the honeymoon, I'll take her out for a challenge. Is that all right?"
Alexis smiled a little. "Yeah, I don't mind. Maybe it'll cheer her up..." She really hoped that her suspicions of why Yubel was acting funny were wrong.
"Okay...shall we head to the feast, then, my...wife?" he asked her shyly, addressing her formally in that way for the first time.
Her smile grew at this and she nodded. "That sounds like a splendid idea, my...husband."
And so they headed down to the feast. Yubel appeared beside them as they did. "You sit right next to us, Yubel, okay?" Jaden asked grinning and pointing to a place of honor at the royal table.
Yubel blinked in surprise; she'd been sulking while the couple had their moment on the balcony. "Are you sure, Jaden?" she asked curiously.
"Yeah. You're our best friend!" he pointed out. "And that means you sit with us."
"We're glad to have you sit next to us, Yubel," Alexis added, smiling.
Yubel did want to sit by Jaden, but not by Alexis. But she knew that she would just have to deal with it, and nodded. "All right. Thanks, Jaden...Alexis."
Jaden looked at his monster friend, smiling. "Great! Let's enjoy the feast!"
And for several hours, the newly married couple, the duel monster and the court watched a procession of performers and ate their fill of food. There were many toasts to the prince and princess and finally, the couple was escorted to the royal bedchamber. Jaden swallowed nervously. Alexis fidgeted a little when they were alone. "So...it's time, isn't it?"
"Y-yeah...Alexis...uh...I want to...it's just...I don't want to hurt you and I want you to feel good," Jaden mumbled, beet red and blushing.
She blushed. "I know you do, Jaden...our parents said that...there would only be a little pain..."
"Yeah...but it's entirely on your end...It doesn't seem fair," Jaden explained. He was all for fair play in duels and this… Well, it sort of seemed like a duel where they'd both win, but he needed to be sure she felt like she won.
She went to him and took his hands into hers. "Perhaps it isn't, but...after the pain we both shall feel pleasure. I can handle it, Jaden..."
"Well, if it hurts a lot...you can punch me," he offered seriously, hoping it wouldn't come to that, but recognizing it would be fair.
She blinked, then laughed. "Are you sure? You know how hard I punch."
"Yeah, I'm sure. I want our marriage to be fair. If I'm a jerk, I want you to call me on it."
"Well, I'm certain I won't have to worry about you ever being that, Jaden. But all right, if I feel too much pain, I'll punch you."
"Okay," he agreed. The room was lit by soft candlelight and a roaring fire in the fireplace, so the room was also warm. On the small table next to the bed were some nicely scented rubbing oils and fruit to eat if they needed it. Jaden was suddenly struck with inspiration. "Is your back sore?" he asked gently.
She blinked at the suddenness of the question. "Why...yes, it is, a little. Why do you ask?"
"Could I give you a backrub?" he asked. 'Maybe if she's really relaxed, it won't hurt her,' he thought.
She smiled. "All right. That sounds nice."
"Okay," he answered, and so they got off their wedding finery and were clad in their nightclothes. "I've never given a backrub before," he blurted out, looking very, very nervous.
She chuckled. "Well, just do your best, I suppose."
"Okay," he said, getting some oil warmed up over the fire. It smelled like lavender and must've been picked, the prince reflected, six months ago when he and his bride met. He coaxed her up onto the bed and got her to lie on her stomach with her nightgown lifted so her back was exposed.
Alexis sighed softly and rested her chin on her crossed arms, closing her eyes. 'My back is pretty sore. Let's see how he'll do,' she thought.
Jaden put some of the warm oil on his hands and began to rub his wife's alabaster skin with it. "Tell me if I need to press harder," he said as he rubbed, starting with her shoulders. He rubbed in long strokes, feeling the play of her muscles under her skin.
Alexis smiled at the feeling. "Try pressing a bit harder..." She'd always been really tense; her mother told her so.
And so he did. He pressed his thumbs gently against her backbone, but firmly, and then rubbed along her back in small circles. 'I hope I'm doing this right,' he thought. He was straddling her, so he could rub easily. She sighed, feeling her muscles relax and her nerves pull out of their bundles. She also blushed a little at the feeling of him straddling her waist. "Am I doing all right?" he asked.
"Yeah...it feels so good," she answered through another sigh. Part of it was the relaxation, while the rest was something else.
"Okay...Should I keep going?" he asked softly. Doing this was having an effect on him, but he needed to be sure she was all right first. He wasn't going to be selfish about this.
"Yeah...go on..." As she relaxed, Alexis felt a slight stirring in her, and Jaden's position was becoming more appealing.
"Okay," he said again. He rubbed, moving to her arms and legs as well. And then he bent down and gently kissed her neck.
She shivered in surprise, but leaned into the kiss. "Oh, Jaden...that feels wonderful..."
"Yeah," he murmured as he continued. He moved to kissing her all over, and shifted so she could change positions. And so, their kissing became more intense and thus began a ritual as old as time itself. Yubel, meanwhile, sensed Jaden's strong emotions and entered the room, a non-corporeal figure unseen by the royal couple. It was very obvious who Jaden loved, and obviously not as a friend.
Yubel's eyes widened at the scene in front of her, and for a moment, shock overcame her. Then, her fists clenched, and all of the anger she'd been feeling over the months boiled into a blind rage. She wanted to scream, she wanted to stop them, but most of all she just wanted to disappear. Beneath the intense anger Yubel felt sadness, anguish, and heartbreak. Her love was taken, and there was nothing she could do. It was obvious that he loved Alexis and not her, at least not in the way she loved him. And he never would. Yubel wasn't sure if the tears that brimmed her eyes were from the anger or the sadness, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. She disappeared, and her sobs tore through the other dimension she went to when she left Jaden's world. "Jaden!! Why can't you love me?!" And oblivious to their unseen observer's anguish, the lovers continued.
The next morning, Jaden awoke next to his sleeping bride. 'She's so beautiful,' he thought, seeing her flushed cheek against the snow white pillows. The fire had gone down during the night, but sometime early this morning, a servant must have come in and built it up again. He sat up in bed slowly, not wanting to disturb her. Alexis shifted slightly, then turned onto her side. But she remained in a peaceful slumber. 'Will I be a good husband and father?' he wondered, looking at her. 'Will I be a good king?' He moved slightly, intending just to move a slight way away from his bride, but slipped and crashed to the soft mattress.
The bed shook, jolting the princess from her sleep as her eyes fluttered open. She let out a long yawn, looking over at him. "Jaden...?"
"Sorry, Alexis," he apologized. "I didn't mean to wake you..."
She smiled. "It's all right. I don't like to sleep in too late, anyway..."
"You were so beautiful lying there. You didn't punch me last night. I didn't hurt you?" he asked.
"Well, you did for a moment, but then all I felt was pleasure," she answered, blushing slightly.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, kissing her gently on the lips.
She returned the kiss, still smiling. "You have nothing to be sorry for, my love." Their kisses got more intense again and they were not seen outside of the royal bedchamber until the afternoon.
"Good morrow, Father, Mother, Queen Jean, King John, Prince Atticus," Jaden greeted as they entered the private dining room.
Alexis gave a similar greeting. "Well, you two seem well-rested," King Hisoka stated, smiling knowingly.
"Yes...yes we are, Father," Jaden said with a soft smile. While part of him wanted to crow with pride and joy, the rest of him understood that this wouldn't be appropriate.
"Are you all right, Alexis?" Queen Jean asked softly when the women were separate from the men.
"A little sore, Mother, but I'll be okay," Alexis answered with a smile.
"Good...he was gentle, then," Queen Jayda whispered. "I was worried about that."
"He didn't hurt me too much. But even then he felt guilty about it. He's so sweet," Alexis explained in a whisper.
"Good, then I won't feel too worried about leaving my daughter here," Queen Jean sighed, smiling. "But I will return, darling..."
"That's good. I'll miss all of you," the young bride said in a louder voice.
"We'll be back fairly soon," Jean sighed, smiling, "all of us. We will be happy to see your first child."
Alexis blushed. "Hopefully I will have one by then..."
"I intend to be here for its birth...You will need help," the queen of the Cyber Kingdom said seriously.
"And I'll help as well," Jayda added.
Meanwhile, the men talked as well. "It wasn't scary," Jaden admitted to his father's query.
"I told you it would be all right. It was easier than it sounded, wasn't it?" Hisoka asked with the continuing knowing smile.
"Yeah...and it was...nice," Jaden admitted. 'More than nice,' he thought, but knew it wouldn't do to crow about it.
"Well, we shall see if your efforts have paid off in a month or so," King John replied with a smile.
Jaden paled. "A month?" Something had been missed in his lessons.
King John looked over at King Hisoka, who blushed a little. "Oh, dear...I seemed to have forgotten to mention something, my son..."
"Father...what is it?" Jaden asked.
"Well, son, remember how I said this would help you to produce an heir?"
"Yeah..." And Jaden thought, 'Will Alexis and I have an heir in a month?!'
"Jaden, you see, doing what you and Alexis have done may give her a child. But we won't know for sure for quite some time. And then, it will take many months before that child is finally born," his father explained.
"How many months?" the young man asked.
"Well, it normally takes around nine for the babe—or babes—to be born. But we should know if she is expecting in a little over a month."
"Okay," Jaden said. And then... "There can be more than one?!" he yelped, turning white.
Hisoka sweat-dropped. "Yes, son. Normally there is only one. But in some cases, there can be two or perhaps more."
Jaden's eyes widened, his jaw dropped and he fell to the floor. "Jaden!" Queen Jayda yelped, running over from where the women had been talking. "Hisoka, what did you tell him?"
Hisoka sighed and rubbed his head. "Just that there may be more than one babe at birth, Jayda..."
Queen Jayda knelt to check her son, sighing and smiling. "Oh, dear...he'll be prepared... But my goodness, if it has indeed happened already, we are in for an interesting 9 months..."
Alexis blushed. "I just hope he doesn't pass out when it happens..."
Jaden sat up a moment later. "Did I...Oh, great," he groaned, embarrassed.
"It's all right, son. You were just surprised..." Hisoka soothed. Jaden grinned sheepishly.
So the royal couple is married and happy, but there is one jealous duel spirit involved. How will Yubel react when the princess is expecting? Will Jaden realize how Yubel really feels? Find out next time in the exciting conclusion of "Kingdom Alliance!" Until then, please read, review and stay tuned! Thank you!