I thought that I was done crying. But ever since I arrived in this kingdom this morning, all I did was cry. Alexandros had been unconscious for more than an hour. I fell asleep while I was waiting for him to wake up.
But when I opened my eyes, he was gone. Even Nathan had no idea where his cousin went. According to him, if Alexandros was not by the beach, he would be in Olunia river. We tried going to those places but we didn’t find him there.
After waking up, I heard that he commanded his staff to give me the best accommodation and then he left. He also told them to let me leave whenever I wanted to. And then he left the castle without even leaving a single note. Just like before.
I didn’t know where else to go. The officials had offered to give me a tour around the kingdom but I refused because I knew I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the scenery no matter how beautiful it was. My head was a mess, after all.
That was the reason why I ended up visiting Clavia instead. I remembered just now that Alexandros once told me about her. Since she was his ex-fiancée, I was hoping she could throw in some ideas on where I could possibly find the king.
Nathan only brought me to the royal dungeon. He left right away to continue searching for his cousin. According to him, Alexandros’ body was still weak. He was not supposed to roam around in his condition.
But it seemed like Alexandros couldn’t take to see me again after all that I said and did.
After a while, I sat on the cold floor and stared at Clavia. Her role as a princess suited her perfectly. When I first thought about Alexandros’ ex-fiancée, I already knew that the woman was lovely. After all, Alexandros was not just anyone, he was a king, a mighty king. It was only natural for him to have the most beautiful woman in the kingdom as his wife.
However, I didn’t imagine that his former lover would be this lovely.
The woman was so regal. In fact, Clavia looked way too beautiful that she didn’t seem real. She looked like a doll. She was wearing an equally beautiful emerald long gown paired with a fur coat. Her hair was long, blonde, and wavy. It reached her waist. She was in a cell, but she made it appear like she was in the middle of a photoshoot there. That was how marvelous she was.
The likes of her were perfect for the king.
This princess had everything any woman in the mortal world would hope for. But there was something missing. Her eyes lacked sparkle. Truth be told, she was really looking at me as if she envied me despite her beauty, her magic, and her possession.
“If I targeted Alex, I was sure he wouldn’t send me to prison. He would still hear me out. That’s just who he is. Sometimes, it’s frustrating, but then we were partly to be blamed. He would always give everyone a chance to be heard, because he said he knew how much it sucked to not be heard when you have so much to say.
“He was traumatized because of what the kingdom did to him. That’s why as much as possible, he wanted to give everyone a fair chance,” Clavia pressed on. She smiled but it did not reach her eyes. Like me, she also opted to sit on the floor. “Besides, he didn’t care whether he gets hurt or not. But because it’s you, he would rather lock me in this cell to make sure that I wouldn’t be able to mess with you while you’re here.”
“If only I could talk to Alexandros, in case he is still willing to hear me out, I will ask him to release you,” I told her. And I meant it. “I now believe that you only meant well.”
“There is no need. Instead, I want you to do something else for me. I’m sure you had already heard about our story from everyone. You are aware that all of our lives here depend solely on you especially now that Alexandros no longer has the ability to stop the incense. Did you know that Alex used his own magic to keep the incense burning seventeen hours a day?”
My stomach plummeted.
“He spends only an hour or two sleeping. As for his remaining time, he would always use to reopen the portal so he could reach out to his knights who are in your realm. It’s all for you, Alison, just so he could finally see you and your daughter.”
My eyes welled up. “I know that now.”
Nathan didn’t elaborate much about the true situation when we talked a while ago but I still found out the truth through the officials I talked to. Right now, there were only two things left that I needed to know. And only Alexandros could provide me with those.
I closed my eyes; they had gotten swollen. I tried to picture Alexandros in my head while Clavia continued talking about him. I couldn’t get enough hearing more about the Arameth’s king that’s why I was still relieved that I got to talk to her.
I had been pricking myself for so many times now. I still could not believe that I’m inside a kingdom, a real one. Arameth was as beautiful as Alexandros described when we were still together.
But I find it difficult to appreciate its beauty especially now that my heart was more restless than before. I thought that once I found the answers to my questions, I would finally find peace. But it was the opposite.
“Alison?” Clavia asked when I remained quiet.
“Go on,” I replied in a hoarse voice. “I’m listening.”
“I really hate you, but it’s actually a good thing that you are here. I’ve never had someone to talk about this because my best friend died from the war several years ago. And I wanted so badly to brag about the man I love. But I couldn’t do that."