(10) News that brings You to Your Knees

As Alex awakens and heads to the dining hall in the west wing, a messenger makes his way through the walls of the capital to deliver a specific message to the Queen and the Crown Princess.

Alex sat there in the dining hall, completely hollow. She had been staring at her bowl of tomato soup for half an hour, trying to force herself to eat something. As much as she lifted up the fork she couldn't bring it to her lips, her hands trembled and her lips quacked from the thought of eating.

"Your highness, you're not going to eat?" A voice called out behind her. She turned and realized it was Wigmentl, the son of the chief of the royal guard, The son of the man who raised her in the west wing and helped train her.

"Wigget," she called out. She patted a seat next to her and looked back at the soup. "I'm not hungry," she responded, but the truth was she hadn't been able to eat since yesterday when her father passed. she looked sorrowfully down missing Cathrine and her father, despite not having much time spent with him. Wigget raised a hand to her back and rubbed it for he knew the agonizing pain she felt, his father Rukoi had died years ago. It was then that his other father Hakami retired from the guard and Wigget stepped in.

"I'm sorry for your lo-"

"How's Anton?" Alex interrupted not wanting to speak about her emotions. She felt as if she spoke about it it would make it real, she wasn't ready for it to be real. Wigget furrowed his eyebrows and huffed at the fact Alex had changed the topic but still enjoyed the fact he got to speak about his partner.

"They're them as usual, always doing weird overly the top things," he responds smiling. Alex nods remembering when Wigget introduced Anton, they were the complete opposite of him. They were fun, joyful, bubbly and overflowing with emotion, it had striked Cathrine and her strange to see how completely different they were yet there was so much chemistry it was unquestionable. "Soooo How's Cathy?" Alex looked to the side, away from him. Cathrine was fine. I hope. She's strong and powerful, it's not like she needs me like I need her.

"She's fine," Alex said quietly not wanting to talk about her. It pained her knowing there was no communication between them. But it was her fault. Cathrine's probably just giving her some space.

Wigget fidgeted in his seat, Alex was always more closed and cold than Cathy but they had grown close, so he knew that something was wrong with Alex. He just didn't know whether it be her father's death or something that has to do with her lover.

"Did you know? They're keeping my father's death a secret so that the demons don't find out." Alex began as she stood up. Grabbing her dish and walking to the kitchen. Wigget followed her as she mumbled "or so they say," he only stood there watching the girl, noticing that she must've not slept. "But anyways my mothers calling me to attend matters of war, and I'm actually considering not going. I just want to stay here,"

where I belong

...

Alex laid in the bed of her room. She had chosen not to go to the meeting, claiming sickness from travel. I'm sure wigget will cover up for me. Alex opened her eyes and noticed a little piece of paper with a heart on her bedpost

"Cathrine. "

It had been a while since Cathrine and Alex hung out in her room. Alex began to think of when she met Cathrine. She was just a teenager back then. Sheltered away in the west wing. Cathrine had accompanied her father and wandered into the secret garden. The one only Alex went to, to find peace and seek rest from her training. That's where they met. A secret garden in the forbidden West Wing. She always remembered what Cathrine had said when Alex told her she was forbidden to go outside the west wing perimeters.

"You're just like the princess from the fairytale! The one stuck in a tower!"

Alex sighed and reached for a pillow to cuddle. I miss her.

Suddenly she heard a knock at her door and a scrawny boy with two guards trailing him entered.

"Your highness," the guards called out. Alex got off her bed and stood before them and frowned because she didn't want to be bothered today. One of the guards nudged the boy "tell her what you told us," Alex looked at the boy closely and noticed he was covered in blood.

"I- I saw lady Cathrine get taken at the southern border your highness," he said frightened. Alex's whole position shifted. She abruptly grabbed the boy's shoulders

"WHAT?" She yelled. The guards looked at each other as they noticed the drop in temperature in the room.

"I work in the Belmi manor but I was visiting my family down south when I saw the invasion of the demons begin. I went with the guards to help stop them and in a scouting group, we encountered demons attacking a group of cars trying to enter the kingdom. We tried to hold them off but-" the boy looked down to his hands. Bloodstained and calloused. He griped them tightly "we failed. but I recognized one of their hostages. It was lady Cathrine,"

Alex's grip on the child loosened as she looks down.

"Have you alerted the Queen?" She asks coldly. She guards shake their heads,

"We thought to bring this to you since lady Catharine is your fiancé," one of them responded.

"Good," Alex said quietly as she reached her bed and grabbed her phone. "Now if you'll excuse me," she said as she began to run out the door and to the war room which was on the opposite side of the castle.

Alex didn't know where her mother laid. But she knew that she wouldn't stop until she found her.

Alex barged into her mother's resting room. Queen Salli jumped and yelped from the sudden burst. Before Queen Salli had the chance to scold Alex for entering her private quarters without so much as a beckoning, Alex began to speak.

"Cathrine was captured by the demons," Alex said breathlessly. The Queen was baffled. "I'm going to go bring her back," Alex said assertively. She had made up her mind that she wasn't going to lose Cathrine. She had already lost her father and she refused to allow the demons to take the one she loved the most. Queen Salli felt the earth quaking; she knew Alex wasn't in an emotionally stable place.

"No," was all she said as she ignored the quaking and the dangerous aura she felt from her daughter. The temperature rose but Queen Salli played it off as if it was nothing. She was not to be intimidated by the small child. I am the bigger person. I am the Queen. She will submit. Besides that thing doesn't need to be rescued. "A crown royal cannot risk their lives for someone of lesser rank, you have a kingdom to protect, to lead, a responsibility you cannot risk," she said turning to open her drawer. Alex didn't know, but when they heard the prophecy that Alex was to be one of the most powerful elementalists in all of history, they sent to make a poisoned dagger. and If Alex was ever too much for them to control, one touch and Alex would be no more. The Queen quietly picked up the dagger and hid it in the folds of her dress. Alex looked up. Her eyes no longer a gentle green that sowed a feeling of kindness and softness into those who looked into them. Instead, they were a hard yellow. The Queen fought to keep herself contained. She had never seen Alex in such a state.

"What a load of bull," Alex quietly said stepping closer. "I'm going and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" She said as the castle quaked. Queen Salli was taken back. They had shaped Alex as the perfect mold. She had never even raised her voice at her before all of this, before her. The Queen snarled and gripped the dagger. I can't risk not having an heir, if she dies she'll ruin my plan. The Queen began a walk toward her. Her will stronger than her shaking legs. Alex stood there on the edge of losing control of herself.

"I. Said. No," the Queen repeated as she walked toward Alex. The temperature rose as she neared Alex, who kept glaring at her. Alex suddenly looked down. The Queen stopped.

"Fine," Alex said quietly as she turned and left the quarters. The carpet where she stood, left scorched. The Queen loosened her grip on the dagger and collapsed.

—-

Yours, Aegean✨