Chapter 33

"What? You want me to kiss you?" He asked breaking off her train of thought with a sneer and she frowned in return.

"Of course not, i was just wonder"-

"And yet your cheeks are so red", he scoffed at her and her temper ticked.

"No- that's because I was surprised. I'd never want to kiss you!" She felt a strange offensiveness at the tone of his voice.

'It hurt'.

"Oh is that so? I thought all human women tended to get easily mislead and went ahead making scenarios of romance and such", he taunted, leaning in closer to, while she stepped back, however, he grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him.

"No- not all- let go!" Alexis, who felt a sudden fear at the emperor change of emotions, started to thrash back a bit.

"No. I own you Alexis. Until this year is over."

"I-" she faltered at his expectant gaze.

"Do you understand?" He pressed forward.

"Y-yes, I understand".

"Good", he released her just like that and she fell down, her legs losing their strength.

"Then know this, you can't leave until this year is over. And you won't want to".

Alexis felt her throat dry at the cold voice that Alastair spoke in. She gulped as she stared up at his intimidating figure which glared down at her condescendingly.

She was a fool to think he'd forgive her...

"Now get up". She staggered up and followed him as he started to walk through an aisle, she continued as he ventured deeper and deeper.

Her breath started to drag as she felt her body almost give up. Thankfully, he stopped as he came to an alcove. It was large, big enough to step through. And that's exactly what Alastair did.

He stepped into the clean fire place and with a bit of hesitation, Alexis followed into the dark hole. She walked blindly forward as all light was lost and reached forward for any sign of Alastair.

Panic seized her as she thought this was some sort of punishment he had come up with, but she was wrong. Her hands soon felt a soft fur and she realised it was his cape.

"Ah... Alastair" she sighed of relief, "thank goodness I found you".

"Don't let go of me", he said and before she could question his choice of words a spray of light blinded her and what looked to be a set of narrows doors opened.

"What is this?"-

She felt Alastair grab her hand and pull her through the open doors into the most fantastical place she'd ever seen. It was an indoor garden, not really indoors, but in an open castle room that had a large balcony opening.

Vines of roses twisted with flowers of all kinds of species, connected to shrubs of freesias and lilies dancing around each other. Surrounded by a curtain of chrysanthemums. She noticed that there were much more peonies decorated the place than the garden, and along the balcony, right on railing were hydrangeas.

A centre shrub of snapdragons of so many different colours, huddled together and Alexis drew close to them.

With the sun shining through strips of chrysanthemum, the place looked beautiful and Alexis gasped.

"This is wonderful!" She forgot her earlier feelings and walked around the place, admiring every nook and cranny.

"You can come whenever you want to, but it's a secret" Alastair spoke as he stared at her with an expression that looked... somewhat sad, but.. happy.

"A secret?" Alexis giggled, "you mean, a secret garden?" She chuckled at the movie reference and despite Alastair not understanding he smiled back.

Alexis had been so struck by the beauty of the palace she realised she forgot Alastair was mad at her and felt nervous at her mistake.

"Alastair?" She turned to where the beautiful man was and saw not a sight of him. She looked around and realised that he was gone.

'Why did he show me this?' She frowned, there was a happy feeling in her heart, and she wanted to shout out loud because of it. But, that unsettled her, she shook her head.

'It was nothing, nothing at all'

She got back to her room late, very late. Alastair should've at least left someone to show her the way back. She spent hours wandering around, trying to find where she came from.

She was exhausted when she got back and immediately fell asleep.

————————

Alastair sat in his desk glaring out the window. The sunshine illuminated the room with an annoying consistency.

"What's wrong with me?" He held his head while despairingly looking down at the sheets of papers before him.

He didn't know if he wanted to make Alexis cry or smile. Force her to stay or let her be free. But one thing was for certain, if she didn't abide by the rules of the contract, then like the many fools who tried to find loopholes she wouldn't live long at all.

He could only hope he got that through her thick skull when he almost-.

He bit his lip with another groan.

'I'd never want to kiss you!' The words echoed in his head, annoyance flickered across his face.

'How dare she, say such a thing to me Alastair Kaedman!' Was what he thought as he turned to the window and glared at her care-free figure which lazed about on the grass speaking to Hector, whom he considered a sort... of ally?.

"Your highness?" a voice interrupted his studying and he almost groaned when he heard it.

"Yes, Mr Enflada..." Alastair drawled, hoping the reply never came.

"The Arkalian ambassadors are supposed to arrive in a week, I think preparations should be made", Joshua Enflada was a happy-go-lucky man and pinning him down for anyone was a hard job. Alastair had gotten lucky, but after the amount of research the man required him to do or ask of him, he really wanted to dispose of him.

"Right, I'll send word to Agathus and we'll start preparing. Please tell me you came just for that" Alastair felt a very long sigh at the back of his throat and held it in.

"Of course not, your majesty." The pink haired man grinned and took a seat leisurely before the emperor, Alastair felt a frown at his behaviour, knowing that whatever was to come he wouldn't like it.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"Well, your majesty... remember that topic I bought up when I first made the contract with you? Well I'd like to bring it up once again",

Alastair knew full well what he spoke about, but would he answer?

'Ha, of course not'.