Chapter 57

The Duke and Duchess has been so grateful when they came out that of the cured mine, that they ended up offering their family heirloom to Alexis who repeatedly refused. When they finally backed away, they had then bought out bags upon bags of jewels and money and again, she refuted, more flustered this time as her eyes lusted after the sparkly jewels.

"I don't need anything since it was my job as a command of the emperor. So I'm not the one you should be thanking", she gave an awkward smile noticing the conflicted faces of the Jewel Duke and Duchess. The hands that readily held bags of gold towards her slumped.

"I see", the Duke replied glumly, "but you have saved our family and our people from poverty and death. There must be something we could do".

The Dukes stubbornness paired with Duchess', was an awkward thing to be on the receiving end of. So Alexis ended up saying the one thing she wanted more than anything.

"Please support his highness", silence followed soon after, she thought she may be getting laughed at, but contrary to her thoughts the couple had very different views.

'What a selfless girl... Even in the face of jewels and diamonds she still doesn't sway from her objective'.

After that she received a pat on the shoulder from them and they promised that their people would be supporting the emperor regardless of whether she asked or not. After all, he was their saviour.

They returned with the confused elf, ready to face the furious Alastair who hadn't realised their absence. Hector and Adam seemed to nap, drained from the tiresome day. Their heads cradled on the others shoulder. Meanwhile, Alexis stared out the carriage, oozing an air of melancholy.

Homesickness weighed on her. It wasn't her parents back home that she missed though, it was Alastair.

She missed him.

Not to confuse the fact that she was still terrified of his reaction, but regardless, she missed him. She wanted to see him. His stupid arrogant smile that could turn sweet suddenly. His cruel eyes that could look so warm. And his arms that were always her safe spot.

She wished the carriage would go faster. The sun set and the sparkly ocean gleamed, ready to captivate all, but she only wished he could see it with her.

——————

Alastair had stared at the same sunset, when his brother, Dwayne, had walked into his office. He looked irritated and wasn't going to hold back from lashing out at his elder brother.

Emperor or not.

"What brings you here, brother?" Alastair asked, tilting his head while his lip frowned in displeasure.

"What brings me here? A rumour that you've gone and stuck Alexis in those horrid dungeons" he slammed his hand against Alastair desk. At his words, Alastair's face darkened, his eyes glared at Dwayne who had no place being mad for his Mage.

"And what of it? She's my Mage. She's my property" he replied, enjoying the irritation on his spoiled brothers face.

"How could you stick that small girl in a place like that!"-

"Like I said, she my property. She's of no concern to you, "brother"" he spat out.

"She'll die of hypothermia!" He argued.

"She won't".

"What makes you so sure?" Dwayne shot back.

"She's not that weak".

"She's a girl! I'm going to save her before you end up getting her killed!" Dwayne turned to leave but before he could so much as walk towards the door, Alastair transported to the it first and shut it. He gave his brother a murderous glare.

"Brother. I allow you to speak too much don't I? You make me want to do to you what I supposedly did to my half-brothers", he warned.

Dwayne gulped. His taller, stronger brother was someone he never feared due to his lack of power, but at that moment he didn't think so. At that moment his brother looked powerful and with much more authority than the hunched boy he knew from his childhood.

"I-I- I'm sorry brother. Forgive my rude behaviour" the words slipped past his lips as his pride seemed to diminish. His body trembled as his brother approached him with a glare.

"I'll forgive you if you stay away from my Mage".

"I-I will".

Alastair nodded and jutted his thumb to the door.

At his gesture Dwayne stumbled for the door, rushing through the halls until he was gasping outside, hands on his knees which he clenched in a tight grip.

His teeth clenched in anger at his shameless behaviour.

'It doesn't matter anyway. He won't be here much longer'.

The carriage arrived directly in front of the palace much to Alexis' confusion. Her eyes landed on an apologetic Emilia who looked glad to see them alive.

"Emilia, why are we by the palace? I thought we were heading back through the tunnels- or another secret passage that conveniently leads back to the dungeon?".

"I think we should explain the situation to Alastair", Alexis was ready to refute but Emilia's expression held her back. It was an extremely guilty one. "I will take full responsibility, but the news will reach him soon so if we don't explain now he'll be even more furious".

Alexis found her conclusion reasonable. Except, she couldn't hold back her body's reluctance in advancing to the castle. She did anyway, being greeted by startled dwarves.

She smiled at them. She had missed the sight of them, if she had to be honest. The nasty goblins seemed to fade away in her mind as she stared at them and ascended the stairs.

With every step her resolve faltered, only to be strengthened again by the thought of seeing Alastair. So she went on, trying her best not to run away.

Alastair had enough.

The meeting with Dwayne set him off and he realised he should free Alexis now. The thought that his brother cared for her so much angered him, but it also made him feel a bit… scared.

'What if she chooses him?' A question that seemed to bother him. His brother was, after all, fully human. He was better for her than Alastair could ever be, but what if Alexis could see that?

He found himself rushing down the stairs, every second suddenly much more precious to him.

He didn't expect to come across her in his fury of thoughts. His mind so flustered he thought she might be an illusion, but her shock was real. Just like her tattered clothes and strangely stiff hair.

It was the nervous smile on her face that convinced him, and Emilia who stood behind her with an apologetic gaze. His gaze went to the tattered clothes.

"What exactly have you been up to?" He would've thought he'd be more mad. Angry that she wasn't behind those bars as he had left her, but the sight of her face diminished his anger. The fire that raged was no more than a flickering candle light.

"Well… remember that cave- the infested one", the candle light became hell all too suddenly and Alexis who sat with a frightened expression in Alastair's office shortly after their exchange explained in full detail.

"Emilia" Alastair spoke, the tall elegant lady flinched at the call of her name, "you could've at least had a word with me before you sent my Mage to her death".

"I-I'm sorry Alastair. I regretted my actions the moment you disclosed that information, but it was too late by then", her stuttering made Alexis feel bad for her.

'It wasn't her fault'.

"Alastair, look- we came out fine. The real reason for the infestation was discovered too" this calmed the brewing storm between Alastair and Emilia.

"What do you mean?" Alastair turned to her with a scowl, although he knew Emilia was mostly responsible, that didn't mean he didn't feel angry at Alexis for partaking.

"Agathus, can you let David in", she asked the stern looking hybrid who nodded. Soon David walked in with the elf trailing behind him.

Alastair stood up at his appearance along with Emilia. When the elf noticed them his agitatation at the strange situation after he woke up softened a bit.

"It's nice to see my own kind in such a hostile Empire", he spoke in a similarly seductive voice to Emilia, except his was more innocent. He seemed younger than the her. And from his height he was barely a teen.

To Alexis however, he looked to be a grown man. She didn't realise how an Elves height and a humans differed according to age.

"Alexis, what is the meaning of this?" Alastair asked, eyes trained on the elf.

"Well, we realised the goblin infestations aren't really goblin infestations. Someone's been controlling elves, using shadow magic to transform them into strays and have them manifest goblins. David has more information on it", she turned to the beefy boy who nodded to the Emperor respectfully.

"Your highness, this matter is much more complicated than it looks. It seems you have a powerful enemy".

"Not that I don't have enough of those", Alastair grumbled, allowing for David to continue.

"I came across the same situation when I was clearing a mine on a military mission. The stray also had a strange mark on his neck, exactly the same as the one this stray had before Alexis broke the curse".

Alexis flinched, she noticed the glare Alastair sent her and knew what it meant. She had done what she promised not to. All the while, doing something he had been entirely against.

Yep… she was screwed.

"That one was killed. But thanks to that I realised we should heal the stray I attacked and bring him to you. The only problem is that he seems to not recall anything after being kidnapped", he concluded.

Alastair gave it a thoughtful run through. He assumed something like this, but to kidnap elves and have them brainwashed to become strays and make a mess. The person behind this was powerful.

He could only pinpoint it to one person.

He didn't like the words that left his mouth next, but he had little to no choice in speaking them.

"If it's like that then, I will deploy you again with my Mage to crack down all the mine infestations. If the situation is planned then by doing so we should find out. Get it done before my birthday comes around".

David nodded so sublimely that Alexis frowned. It seemed like him and Alastair had a closer relationship that she had thought.

He left the office, before Alexis could follow Alastair called for her to stay.

"Not you Alexis", she halted. Her heart beating against her rib cage.

Agathus also left, leaving Alexis and Alastair in a dreaded silence once again.