Chapter 16

Alexis couldn't sleep.

It was like university all over again, except if she actually studied and didn't waste her time away attending frat parties she didn't even partake in much. But, somehow, she became a centre personality for the parties and everyone went to her when they wanted to attend. She scoffed amidst her thoughts, cutting the train of thoughts.

'And where did that leave me...'

She held her temples, "Agathus you worked through this in half an hour?, was it easy?" She didn't want to know, but the checklist she made to check these things bothered her.

"I've been givens high level of education by high highness, so I'm quite fluent in all these. But the only one I'd call easy would be the language exam." He placed a quill in an ink bottle, raising it only to write on the important documents in front of him.

'Scumbag? I haven't seen him ages.' Two days to be specific.

"Fine give Mister Wallace Silver a call, email, letter or whatever you guys do around here."

The perfect amount of time would be an hour and a half. It should be enough time. Writing it off as such, she only needed to sort of the language section now.

"A letter." Interrupted Agathus, "we send letters." He seemed to be highlighting the fact that Alexis should remember this, so Alexis, who would soon forget, just smiled and nodded and then went back to clutching her head and reading through her third enormous book.

'No sleep for Alexis' she gave an internal dry laugh through tears.

———————

"The weather is so good!" Alexis who had been hounded with books and very preoccupied shouted as she walked in the gardens.

Angela, Rosy and Andrea, her dwarfs whom she now knew the names of, followed her, equally relived. They had barely been given any tasks since Alexis had started her reading marathon and were so happily startled when she wanted to go out.

She sat on the grass in the hydrangea garden despite the benches and gently lay down. The sun beat down on her face, the grass soft beneath her and the silence, except for the wind and rustling of grass which passed her ears.

"Um Excuse me Miss, but that looks very improper for a lady to be doing", ruined by Rosy's need for being a party pooper.

"Rosy, Angel, Andrea," If she said "you all", any dwarfs listening would get involved. "I have an important task for you, go and enjoy yourselves in the garden for an hour." She said and soon enough, little footsteps were heard retreating.

Alexis smiled, 'peace and quiet.'

"Oh, dirt. If you stay like people will think you're actually dirt." Her silence was broken by a charming voice she wished she could extinguish.

"Alastair." She said, eyes still shut.

"Dirt." He replied.

"Go somewhere else."

"No."

She heard rustling near her and then she heard the voice near her ear. He sounded to have lay next to her and she did everything in her power to shut him away.

"This is nice." She heard him say, his voice was soft and low. He seemed relaxed.

"Hmm." She replied finally agreeing with him about something.

"You haven't left your room in a while."

"Studying."

"Must've stressed you out" the voice was so soothing now, as if an old friend spoke to her, ready to agree with her and share her worries.

"So much... I've never read such large books" she groaned as she recalled. "I'll do my best though, in this world at least."

"Did you not do that in your own world?"

"No..." a frown on her face, "my parents coddled me so much and then sent me off to study, I was spoiled rotten. Maybe, if I'd been smarter then I could've known taking things for granted would lead to my failure." She didn't know why she said this to him, but strangely he filled a gap in her she didn't realise that had opened in this strange world.

Loneliness.

Fear.

And... Desire. To do things differently.

"Then you're lucky. You realised the truth much sooner than most people and you regret your past mistakes. That shows growth." She wondered if he was still the tyrant Emperor and not an imposter. "You have parents who love you and just for that you're blessed."

Alexis squinted through the rays of sunlight, turning to the soothing voice. She found, in his place, a downcast man who stared at the sky as if seeing much more than the clear blue skies.

"And what about you? Why are you blessed?" She asked, her eyes relaxed and soon Alastair turned to stare back.

His red eyes gleamed in the sun and his face was so close, a blush skittered over Alexis' face. He was, after all, the most beautiful person she had ever seen.

His peaceful face destroyed by a smirk, it seemed to cover something, like a band-aid on an amputated arm. Something much bigger than Alexis could imagine. A wound that couldn't be stitched up.

"A curse." He corrected, "A curse of enthronement, family and wealth. All that wish to kill me. And what about you, Dirt? Do you wish to kill me too? For bringing you to this unfamiliar world?" His smirk deepened covering something that got larger the more he spoke.

Alexis couldn't help but trace her fingers around edges of his lip, the lifted part.

She heard his breath hitch and she pulled her fingers away.

"I don't." She shook her head, that strange feeling once again bothering her, "I'll make sure your known as a good king and that all that oppose you will be in for an unpleasant surprise. But, I think you should count your blessings, once more." She turned back to the sun and they both basked in the light.

She didn't realise that Alastair continued to stare at her through muddled emotions. Confliction spreading across his fine face as he stared at the girl who seemed to be his straying thought.

'What are you doing to me?' He thought as he continued to stare.