“But, if we don't speak up then nothing will ever change.”
“I know, which is why I wish to hear your thoughts on this more. Alexandra, you absolutely must visit me in Mayweather. There we can discuss your ideas privately, away from people like Quinton. Would you grant me the pleasure?”
“Absolutely. I'm sure father can arrange it for you if you ask.”
“Excellent, I will do just that. I look forward to hearing more of your input. Maybe together we can see Vega out of the dark ages and back into the light.”
Relieved to no longer be the crazy one, Alex nodded her head in agreement as the tower clock behind them struck noon. It was almost time for the celebration to start, and she still had to change. Taking the hand Philip offered her, Alex walked out of the ocean and followed his lead back to the palace.
Strolling through the garden, Alex could see three figures gathering at the entrance to the castle pallor. Straining her eyes to see who it was, she could make out the three men huddled in a tight group. Recognizing who they were, Alex felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach. It was none other than the Howel brothers and Dalton’s manservant, Mathis.
Both the Howel boys were tall, lean, with bright blue eyes, and light blond hair. But at the same time, the men could not have been more different from one another. Dalton was the oldest, a year older than Quin to be exact. He kept his hair short and was always trying out new facial hairstyles, today it happened to be a mustache and a goatee. He probably got the idea from one of the books on fashion through the ages he seemed to keep on hand for reference.
Henry, on the other hand, was the same age as Tom. A remarkably handsome man who kept his face clean-shaven and his long locks pulled back in a neat ponytail. Alex had fond memories of Henry’s visits to the place. Not only did he entertain her by including her in the games he played with Tom, but he also brought her treats from foreign lands she could only dream of visiting. If it was not for Richard or Jay, Alex could have easily fallen for Henry’s charms, even if her father would never approve of such a union.
Then, there was Mathis, Dalton’s loyal companion, or his lapdog if one was to be honest. His long, dark, greasy hair came down past his shoulders to frame his round face. Unable to grow facial hair, he had patches of fuzz spread around his face. The two dark brown circles he had for eyes could make your blood freeze solid if you looked at them for too long, and Alexandra never liked the way he looked at her. Standing close to his master, Mathis leered at Alex as she approached them on Philip’s arm.
As they got closer to the men, Alexandra smiled at them politely and bowed. Dalton was stroking his new facial hair, signaling for her to pay attention to it. Giving him the nod of her head, Alex acknowledged she approved of his new look if only to keep him pacified. With a dramatic motion of his cape, Dalton bowed to her and lifted his head up to smile, acting like the gentleman he wished everyone to perceive him as.
“Why if it isn't the lovely Lady Alexandra. And I see you’re in the company of Lord Philip, the Small. Such a shame he taints your very beauty with his mere presence.”
“Dalton, how kind of you to show up for the festivities. What do I owe this pleasure to?”
“I wouldn’t miss seeing even a glimpse of you for the world, my dear.”
Taking hold of her hand, Dalton brought it up to his lips and gave it a wet, sloppy kiss. Containing her disgust, Alex took her hand back and smiled politely. Wiping it on the skirt of her dress, while Cosmo grumbled in disgust she continued to observe the three men. Having cleaned her hand of Dalton’s saliva, Alex offered it to Henry, who kissed it lightly and bowed, causing Alexandra to beam with delight at his kind nature.
“Henry, always a pleasure to see you. It's been so long since I had the joy of your company. How have you been?”
“I have been well my lady. More importantly, how have you been?”
“As well as one would expect.”
“Of course, I understand. But I must say, you sure have grown into a beautiful young lady. Lord Philip is a lucky man to secure your hand in marriage.”
“Enough of these pleasantries,” scoffed Mathis. “Tell me, Philip, how was your stroll with the lovely Lady of Manevia?”
“It was most enjoyable. Lady Alexandra is a remarkable woman.”
“Yes, remarkable, that's one word to describe her. Personally, I'd call her—”
“Mathis.” Alex interrupted him before he could say something vile. “You look different. Have you lost weight?”
“Why yes dear lady. I’m glad you noticed. I've been getting myself in shape.”
“Don't be ridiculous Mathis.” Dalton sneered. “You were always in shape. After all, round is a shape.”
“What a horrid thing to say.” Alex gasped at such a callous remark. “I think Sir Mathis looks good these days.”
“No, no. Lord Dalton is right. I was very round back then. Marvelous observation my lord, as always.”
“Of course, I’m right. I’m always right, aren’t I? Is that not why you follow me?”
“You are, and it is. That, and because you are devilishly handsome my lord. I strive to be as close to your perfection as I can, but look at me. I can't even grow a proper beard out, and I’m short and fat, unlike you. No Lord Dalton, no one can ever compare to your superiority.”
The exchange between Mathis and Dalton both sickened and saddened Alexandra at the same time. She had to agree with Cosmo’s assessment of why Dalton liked the sniveling weasel so much. It seems Mathis stroked his ego where no one else would. Alex bet Mathis would turn into a doormat if Dalton demanded it of him. Fortunately, she still needed to change, so she would use it as an excuse to get as far away from the two as possible.
“Gentleman, if you excuse me, I still need to make myself presentable for the party. I’m afraid that as much as I would love to enjoy your company, I must take my leave.” Alex curtsied to the three men before grabbing hold of Philip’s hand. “My lord, would you mind escorting me back to the palace? I don’t feel right walking there by myself with all these men around.”
“Certainly, my dear lady.” Philip smiled as he put Alexandra’s hand on his arm. “Enjoy the day lads. My fiancé, and I will see you at the festivities.”
“Just keep a close eye on your chickadee, Philip. You don’t want her flying away or anything.”
Something about the way Mathis said those last words made Alexandra’s blood grow cold. He couldn’t know about how she spends her nights, but his prediction of her wish to run away was alarming. Looking back at Mathis, Alex saw the smirk on his face. Maybe he did know something about her that he was not saying, but what could it be, and how could he possibly know?
“What a silly remark Mathis.” Alex tried to act unaffected by his words. “Where would I fly away to? Everyone knows jackalopes can’t fly.”
“Yes, where to indeed?” Mathis chuckled “Oh, and Philip, enjoy the party, I hear the celebration is to die for.”
With that, a chill ran down Alexandra's spine. While to Philip the remark might have seemed harmless, she knew what it meant. She glared at Dalton and Mathis who were chuckling behind them as she ushered Philip along. The welcome sight of the palace doors appeared within view, and their presence never felt more comforting. Standing at the entrance to greet them were Rupert and Phyllis, giving Alex some sense of relief all day.
“There is my birthday girl.” beamed Phyllis and stretched out her arms to greet them. “Are you ready to change my dear?”
“Yes, grandmother.” Alex smiled at Phyllis, happy to get away from Dalton and his servant. “Rupert, would you kindly keep Lord Philip company? I wouldn’t want him running away on me.”
“Yes, Miss. I shall make sure our young lord stays put.”
“I want you to not let him out of your site. I look forward to spending more time with my future husband.”
“Say no more Lady Alexandra.” Rupert winked at her “I will watch hi
m like a wolf watches a sheep.”
With a bow from Rupert, Alexandra released Lord Philip into her butler's expert care as she followed her grandmother up the stairs to change.
Chapter 19
The Subterfuge
Standing in front of the full-length mirror, Alex frowned at the reflection staring back at her. Something about the girl in the empire gown with the ruby headdress looked so foreign and sad. Reaching out, she touched the girl in the glass, hoping she would not reach back, but she did. Behind her, Phyllis placed her hands on Alexandra's shoulders and smiled at how refined and grown her granddaughter was.
“You look beautiful my dear, like a real princess.”
“More like a butterfly who lost its wings,” Alex said with a quivering lip.
“Why do you say that dear?”
“That girl in the mirror, she’s not me, she’s not who I want to be.”
“Ah, I see. So, it's not that you lost your wings, you just have not spread them out yet.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Don't worry about it now dear. You'll spread them when you are ready to fly.” Phyllis laughed and hugged Alex. “Now, I think it's time we head back downstairs, we wouldn't want to keep Lord Philip waiting.”
“No, I suppose it’s not a ladylike thing to do.”
With a melancholy sigh, Alex shuffled down the hall. Making her way down the stairs, she took hold of Lord Philip’s arm and allowed him to escort her to the ballroom. Philip was beaming from ear to ear, unable to contain himself at how lovely the lady by his side was.
Walking through grand white doors, the couple entered a spacious blue room to the applause of guests from lands near and far. As Philip lead her to the front of the room, Alex darted her eyes around, spotting the two men from the tavern. The thugs were set up by the servant's entrance, waiting for their opportunity to strike. Standing at the front to greet his daughter and future son-in-law, Arthur was blissfully unaware of the plot brewing behind his back.
“Everyone, please welcome my daughter, Lady Alexandra of Manevia, and her fiancé, Lord Philip of Rexham.”
The room erupted in cheers and applause as Alex and Philip turned around to take their bows. Glancing at the servant's door, Alexandra was relieved to see the two Crowning guards still standing there. Philip was safe as long as she was nearby, but Alex still wanted to keep a close eye on the two men just in case. Slowly, the crowd quieted down as Lord Hamilton raise both arms in the air behind them.
“Enough mingling. It's time to dance.” Arthur turned his attention to the orchestra in the room's corner. “A waltz if you will.”
The conductor nodded his head, and the orchestra began to play an upbeat, silky tune. Turning to Alexandra, Philip bowed down and offered his hand.
“Lady Alexandra, would you do me the honor of having this dance with me?”
“I would be delighted to, Lord Philip.”
With a curtsy, Alex placed one hand in Philip’s and another hand on his shoulder. Whisking her off to the dance floor, Philip wrapped his arm around Alexandra’s waist, making her cringe. They twirled to the music, getting lost in the sea of people. As Philip spun her around the room, Alex struggled to keep her eye out on the intruders. When the music stopped the space by the door stood empty, and there were glasses of wine on the table.
Panicked, Alex looked around the room to see if she could find the men again, but they were nowhere to be seen. A line of servants was streaming through the doors, each carrying a different dish and setting it on the table. Quinton was already standing at his chair, clinking a knife on his glass in an attempt to get the crowds' attention.
“Father,” Quinton spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, “how about a toast to my dearest sister on her birthday?”
“Excellent proposition my boy. Everyone, to the table!”
The promise of a drink was too much to resist, and the crowd flowed from the dance floor to be seated. Taking hold of Alex’s hand, Philip led her to the head of the table where their chairs awaited them. Filled with a crushing sense of fear, Alex sat in her chair even as Cosmo squealed in panic. The pig was right, and as she picked up her glass for the toast, Alexandra desperately tried to think of a way to stop Philip from drinking his.
“I would like to propose a toast to my daughter, who is not only celebrating her nineteenth birthday today but also her engagement to Lord Philip.” Arthur raised his glass in the air. “Alexandra, I wish you many more years and a prosperous future with your new husband. To Alexandra!”
“To Lady Alexandra!” unanimously the crowd raised their glasses in the air.
In sheer panic, Alex pressed a hand on her chest as her breathing quickened. She had to think of some way to stop Philip from taking a sip or the life she had grown fond of would be over. Philip brought the glass to his lips and with no option left, Alex did the only thing she could think of, she pretended to feel faint. Falling towards Philip, she knocked his glass out of his hand, spilling the contents all over the table.
“Lady Alexandra!” Philip supported Alex in his arms, “is everything all right?”
“I'm... I’m so sorry Lord Philip... I just felt faint all of a sudden.”
“Not to worry my lady. No harm done, and I’m just glad you are fine.”
Philip raised Alexandra back up to gasps and hushed whispers ringing out throughout the room. Instinctively, her eyes drifted to the spot where the poison spilled. Instantly, she could see what the commotion was all about and had to stifle a gasp of her own. The contents of the glass intended for Philip had liquefied the jackalope meat they landed on when they fell.
“Poison!” shrieked a woman across the table with an outstretched finger. “Someone is trying to murder Lord Philip.”
The crowd broke out in hushed chatter. As the people continued to speculate, Alex heard a familiar voice through the whispers. She knew Dalton’s men were behind them, not willing to give up.
“I knew we should have done this my way.”
Turning around, Alexandra saw Emrick summoning his sword. With all the attention turned to the poison, he would try to sneak up on Philip from behind. Alex sensed there was no time to lose as she raised her hand into the air towards the man coming closer to the table.
Iglacias! she mumbled under her breath.
A dim beam of blue light shot from her finger, and almost instantly Emrick stopped in his tracks, turned into a human-sized ice cube. Realizing what was happening, the ballroom erupted in screams of terror as the guests rushed to vacate the room. Fighting the flow of the crowd, Conway was running straight at Philip, his sword raised above his head.
“The resistance will prevail.” Conway shouted like a mad man “Long live the revolution!”
“Tempest harare!”
Philip raised his arm up and shouted the spell which released a whirlwind of sand, engulfing Conway deep within its clutches. As the dust settled around them, the room was nearly empty except for the three households of Vega. In the far corner, Phyllis and some servants were assisting Rosemary, who had fainted from all the excitement, off the floor and out of the room. Furrowing his brow with his arms crossed, Philip appeared to assess the aftermath of what transpired as he glanced around the mess in the ballroom.
“What is going on here Lord Hamilton?” Philip demanded.
“I would guess these thugs were members of the resistance.” Dalton strolled forward with his arms behind his back “Seems like there were trying to kill you, Philip. How unfortunate that would have been if they succeeded.”
“Yes, fortunate Lady Alexandra fell ill when she did.” Mathis shot a menacing glare Alex’s way “But unfortunate for you Arthur. Seems you have resistance members amongst your own staff. Your leadership must be slacking a lot these days.”
“I beg your pardon!” Arthur puffed out his chest.
“I'm afraid my man is right Arthur, you're far too soft. You have allowed a massive resis
tance cell to grow in Manevia due to your weakness, and now they threaten us all.”
“Now just a second Dalton. I know each of our servants, and I have never seen these two men until today.” Alex snapped, as she broke free of Philip's arms.
“I think Rupert can confirm this, but my sister is correct. I too have never seen these thugs until today.” stepping forward, Tom placed a hand on his sister's shoulders and pulled her back from Dalton’s wrath.
“Indeed. Neither of the men has ever been in our employment. This is the first time I am seeing them myself.”
“Well, they had to have come from somewhere. Perhaps a sympathetic servant let them in.” sneered Dalton
“Nonsense, all my men are loyal.” Lord Hamilton protested angrily.
“Perhaps a former servant snuck them in father, say one who was thrown out a few years back, for trying to rape my sister.”
“Nonsense Quinton, R—” Alex caught herself mid-sentence, realizing she was about to say Richard's name “Rupert would know if that boy was trying to sneak back into the castle. Not to mention any poison which can melt meat is far too rich for the pockets of a small resistance cell.”
“Oh,” smirked Mathis, “and what would a princess know about poison. I did not realize medicine was part of a Lady’s standard education.”
“I have a lot of free time to read, and medicine interests me. Point is, no gray could afford anything this lethal. It would have to be brought in by a pure-blood, perhaps even one of you.”
“What are you trying to insinuate Lady Alexandra? Are you callous enough to imply that one of us was attempting to start a war? We have nothing to gain from such preposterous actions.”
“Take it easy Mathis,” Henry interrupted “Lady Alexandra is right, these men could have come from anywhere, and they were of pure-blood given their level of magical ability. Perhaps everyone in this room isn’t as clean as we think.”
“Well, why don't we ask them who they work for?” Mathis seethed with anger “Oh wait, we can't, now can we? No, because someone here has killed them both, maybe the one who hired them even.”
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