Chapter 29

"What's this I hear about Alexis being in the dungeons?" Hector spoke as he burst into Alastair's office with an angry expression.

Alastair who had been grimly looking through documents lifted his head with a glare, it wasn't as bad as his one before, in fact, this one was slightly guilty.

"She broke our contract". He icily replied.

"And she got blisters for that. Why did you lock her up?" Hector clenched his teeth as he spoke, holding his tongue from barking out obscenities.

"Because..."

"Because what?"

"Because I felt it necessary, now leave my office".

Hector felt his body tremble. If Alastair had not surprised him so much earlier and had he known he would stick Alexis with the most notorious criminals the Empire has dealt with, he would've stopped him.

He clenched his fists in regret.

'I'm so sorry Alexis'.

"It wasn't necessary, was it? Your highness, why are you acting like this? I believed you were different from those rumours because of Alexis, but now I know"-

"What do you know!" Alastair's voice roared at Hector who stood his ground firmly, "She wanted to leave! So I punished her!"

Silence passed right after that and Hector scoffed.

"So your elf blood finally shows it face".

That was all he said before Alastair appeared before him in a flash and grasped him by the collar. His back was thrown against the wall and his feet inches off the ground.

"Say that again". A threatening voice escaped the Emperor and Hector just smirked back.

"You don't want her to leave, do you? You thought she'd stay with you, but until when? She'll have to leave eventually and when the time comes, will you hold her back, your majesty? Even if she hates you for it?"

Alastair grit his teeth.

"You speak a lot for someone whose at a clear disadvantage!" He banged Hector once again against the wall and received a grunt, but Hector continued to smirk at him, further infuriating him. "So what! So what if I want her to stay! Just one person! Just one person..." his grip loosened and Hector soon found himself standing on solid ground to his relief.

"Then bring her back. She already been in there for almost a day and any longer she won't be a normal person, not that she ever was", he joked solemnly.

"She'll hate me", Alastair spoke in despair.

"Then hurry, you can still reach her. Apologise".

Alastair stared at the smaller, feminine man with a look of scepticism. He couldn't help but wonder why the man had helped him? despite Alastair's obvious dislike for him.

"Why are you helping me?" He asked as he straightened himself up.

"Because you need it".

And with that unsatisfying answer Alastair left for the dungeons. He was uncertain throughout his whole journey, and with each passing second he became more and more scared of the reaction he'd meet.

And what kept him walking was the thought of that small, frail girl locked in a dusty cell with the voices of notorious villains taunting her.

But what he saw in the cell scared him. He was more scared than he had been on the battlefield. More scared than when his helmet had been hacked off by a feral ogre and even more so than, when he learned his family planned to kill him. No, this fear was different. It was much more scarier and so much more painful.

His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the barely conscious girl who lay in a puddle of her own blood.

——————-

"Why did you just stick her in there?" Alexis heard a familiar voice break her out of her restless sleep.

"I didn't know he would hurt her", another voice spoke. It was Alastair, except his voice was so different Alexis almost didn't catch the familiarity. It was quiet and hushed and something else that surprised her, it was pained, with guilt.

"And where is he now?" Agathus, who she could hear clearer now, demanded.

"In the dungeon".

"Your highness", another voice interrupted, she recognised it as Hector. His voice was also rather doleful, "the critical stage has passed as well as the resting hour, she might open her eyes soon".

'Hm? Are they talking about me? Should I open my eyes?'

Her head no longer hurt and she definitely wasn't on a stone floor. She was on a bed, a comfy one, definitely not her own. She felt silk sheets on her cheeks, filled with a floral scent.

'Lavender...' she breathed in heavily.

A figure sat on the bed with her, tracing his large finger down her face. It was soft and comforting, she almost complained when it was lifted away.

"Let her rest some more".

It was Alastair.

'You can be so nice and yet.., so cold' she decided to speak.

"A-Alastair", she fluttered her lashes and looked at his surprised face. He looked away, hiding his face from her. She noticed how his fingers beside her trembled as they attempted to shut her eyelids in a swipe.

"Go back to sleep".

"Miss Alexis!" She heard her dwarfs shout in joy. She turned to see Angela, Rosy and Andrea at the far end of the room.

"You guys.." her voice was cracking a bit so she cleared her throat.

"Thank goodness you've woken up", Agathus also spoke, his black eyes filled tears.

Alexis felt a bit guilty at their tearful faces and turning to Alastair who didn't make eye contact with her she also felt a bit similar to them.

"I'm sorry". The words unconsciously left her mouth as she stared hesitantly at him, hoping he'd look back and call her dirt or something.

He turned his head away at her words so she didn't couldn't tell if he was mad or as usual.

"I shouldn't have just escaped like that. I'm sorry. Next time"-

"There won't be a next time Alexis". His voice cut of her words.

"There-there won't be! I swear!" She agreed hastily. Her voice still croaking.

"Just lay down and rest, i shouldn't have locked you up there. We're both at fault here so let's just leave it at a truce", despite his words he still sounded annoyed and Alexis smiled gladly.

"Thank you", she noticed the red on his ears with interest but he quickly stood and walked to her dwarfs.

"Take care of her".

They nodded, gleefully.

He left shortly after that.