by MarieMedina
Alexander at least looked ashamed as he met Sebastian’s gaze. “I guess I was being selfish. Everyone said I should try to find you. To fight for you. But you’re right. My father destroyed your life.”
“Why should I believe any of this?” Enough pieces fit, but he felt defiant. Being contrary was as good of a defense as anything else. To test the waters a bit, he focused his next thought as best he could. Why should I make this easy on you?
Again, Alexander looked at him as if he’d heard that thought, though he didn’t say as much. “Those visions you had. Where else would they have come from? It’s what started all of this. You certainly didn’t think I’d done anything to you last night. You said something about my touch feeling strange. Doesn’t what I’ve told you fit in with that? Fit in with your memory loss? The way you were found?”
It did, but Sebastian didn’t feel like focusing on that last part yet. “So you admit you did something?”
“Maybe by accident. I don’t know!” He shrugged, looking genuinely helpless, though Sebastian didn’t really feel sorry for him. “Do you still feel strange? Are you still in pain?”
“It’s gone away, mostly, but that’s hardly the point now.”
“I know. It’s possible I did do something. I’m very powerful. Touching you and wanting you to accept all of this so much might’ve drawn the long forgotten part of yourself out. The part suppressed by whatever spell my father used.”
Sebastian couldn’t help sounding bitter as he said, “Maybe I should’ve thought twice before swallowing your cum.”
Alexander flinched as if he’d been slapped. His gaze hit the floor as he very quietly said, “I know I’ve deceived you, but please don’t belittle what happened between us.”
Sebastian stood and walked away, looking back at Alexander kneeling there. “I’d like for you to leave.”
Alexander scrambled to his feet. “But what if you need help? As I said, whatever I did wasn’t on purpose.”
“Am I in danger?”
“Danger? I don’t think so.”
“Then you need to go.”
“I’d rather stay here and endure your wrath than leave you and be driven mad by worry.”
“Would you please talk like a normal person already? Fuck!”
Despite his height, Alexander looked very small as he lowered his gaze to the floor. “I’m not a normal person. I’m fey. And so are you. Please call out my name if you need me. I won’t forsake you, even if you hate me the rest of your life.”
“Get out.”
Alexander took a few steps before turning back. “If I find out what I did, may I come and try to fix it?”
Sebastian grabbed Alexander by the arm and pulled him to the door, throwing him out into the hall. “If I want anything from you, I’ll come to you.” He glanced across the hall. “That where you’ll be?”
“Yes. Just come in. The door will open at your touch.” Alexander waved his hand toward the door in a circular motion, and Sebastian stepped back, wary. “You’ll see an ornate door that wasn’t there before. Come right through it. Any time, day or night.”
“This is fucking crazy,” Sebastian said under his breath as he turned away and slammed his door, locking and bolting it right away. He leaned his head against the door and waited. The door across the hall opened and closed. After a brief silence, Sebastian heard things being smashed and muffled sounds of yelling. It sounded like Alexander, but the words weren’t intelligible. Then the entire house shook.
Silence and stillness followed.
Sebastian turned and sank down to the floor, his back against the door. When he heard someone in the hallway, he went still. A knock came at his door, and he jumped.
“Sebastian? Are you okay?” a soft voice asked.
“Elizabeth?”
“Yeah. What’s going on?”
Sebastian stood and opened the door. “I don’t know. You heard all of that, too?”
She nodded, glancing over her shoulder. “I think it was the guy below me.”
Sebastian wiped his brow, not sure what to do. “Maybe. That shaking was weird. You feel that?”
“Yes.” She looked back to the door. “Should we knock? I’d hate it if some furniture had fallen on him or something.”
Not sure I would. He cleared his throat. “I’ll knock. You wait here. We don’t know much about this guy.” He took a deep breath and marched across the hall before knocking loudly.
When there was no answer, he decided to see if Alexander had been telling the truth. He glanced back at Elizabeth and then tried the knob. It twisted, and he wanted to barge in but knew he couldn’t do that with Elizabeth there. “Hello?” he said, peeking inside.
The apartment was empty. Completely empty.
He threw open the door and walked in. “No one’s here,” he said to Elizabeth.
“You sure?” She came over and looked. “Where’s his stuff? I brought him cookies the other day, and there were boxes everywhere.”
“I don’t know.” He stepped inside and checked the other parts of the apartment. “He’s not here. Nothing’s here.”
Elizabeth stepped back into the hall, looking worried. “That’s weird,” she said.
Sebastian grabbed the knob, throwing a glance at the ornate door Alexander had told him would be there. He shut the apartment door before saying, “Yeah. Really weird.”
* * * *
The Veiled Court
One Week Later
Alexander paced in the garden. He hadn’t slept more than an hour or two at a time all week. When he’d returned from his disastrous argument with Sebastian, he’d been inconsolable, much to his family’s frustration. After nearly a day of going back and forth between trying to avoid his family and ranting at them about how angry he was with Grayden, he’d jumped on his horse and ridden back to the palace, only to be denied entry. He’d retreated without argument and returned an hour later with a formal accusation for the king, which he’d been forced to nail to a post on the bridge at the front gate because the guards stationed there had been ordered not to take anything from him. It had been hard to tell how they felt about that order, though several had seemed nervous and many had avoided making eye contact.
Over the past week, news had spread. Two-thirds of the army had come to stand with him, and more than half the servants in the palace had fled and come as well. The village nearest the palace had emptied out, and now Grayden’s remaining troops had occupied it. Yet no reply had been sent to Alexander’s accusations and demands. Unfortunately, being king gave Grayden thirteen days to answer the charges brought against him. Any action by Alexander before that deadline would be seen as an act of war.
In a way, Alexander welcomed the idea.
Every moment not spent thinking about his next move had been spent worrying about Sebastian. How could his cariad not be more curious about his past, even if he wanted nothing to do with Alexander? According to Edmund, Sebastian had been attending classes and spending the rest of his time at home or in the library. He didn’t frequent his favorite cafe anymore, probably because he’d first met Alexander there.
“You need to sleep.”
Alexander turned and saw his twin coming toward him. “How can I sleep? I may soon be fighting Grayden for his throne. The man I’m meant to love hates me. How can he not? Grayden murdered his only family member and cast him out of our world. I don’t blame him for wanting to forget me.”
“It’s only been a week,” Henri said. “I don’t think you realize how much that news disrupted everything he knew before then. How long it might take for him to process it. He can’t appreciate you solving the mystery of his memory loss because everything else is in the way. You told him right after your first date that you two are fated to be together and that he isn’t even human. That our father did something horrific to him and his family. I’m sure he might hate you right now. Might want to forget you. But give him time.”
Don’t call him our father. He doesn’t
deserve the title. “I have no other choice. Sebastian made it clear I’m not to come near him.”
“Edmund will keep good watch over him.”
“Did you need something?” Alexander said, wanting to change the subject. “It’s very late.”
“Lorelei’s restless because of her pregnancy. She was pacing our room, and it made me think of you.”
Alexander sighed. “Go be with her. I don’t need anything. Nothing can quiet my mind right now, or calm me enough to let me sleep.”
“She’s the one who insisted I come out to you when I expressed my concern. She saw you from our window.” Henri looked to the west, toward their former home. “Whatever you decide, I’ll stand with you. You aren’t alone in this. I’ll be proud to fight to make you my king.”
“Grayden has seven more days. Is he only delaying to torture us? In private, I’m sure he’d admit what he did. But before the entire kingdom? He may be plotting something.”
“More than half the kingdom is standing with you. Far more than half. They’re outraged. Now that more details are known about Sebastian, many remember him and his family.”
“How are the troops doing in the valley?”
“Fine. People from all around are sending food and supplies, and so far no one has molested them on the road.”
“Good.”
“Is there nothing I can do?” Henri asked.
“I’d have all the strength I needed if Sebastian were by my side. But it’s all tangled up together. If Grayden hadn’t interfered, we wouldn’t be in this position.”
“Have you consulted any of the seers? Perhaps things happened this way for a reason.”
“I don’t want to think that way, as if Sebastian and I are only pawns.”
“I didn’t mean it quite that way, but I see your point. Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Alexander paused. “Where are the seers? I haven’t encountered a single one. Are they camped together somewhere in the valley?”
Henri’s brows came together. “There must be some here. How many were there at the last census?”
“About twenty, I believe.” Alexander counted on his fingers as he silently named all of the seers. A chill moved over him. “Henri, I really haven’t seen any of them since I made my accusation. We have to search in the encampments and nearby villages.”
“You think … that father—”
“Don’t call him that! What kind of father has he been?” Alexander said, unable to stand hearing that word on Henri’s lips any longer.
“A poor one, but I didn’t know it bothered you so much.”
Alexander bowed his head. “I’m sorry. I’ve just been holding it in for so many years.”
“All right. I understand. Now, come and sit.” Henri dragged Alexander over to a bench. “Do you think we’ve underestimated Grayden all these years? Do you think he’s killed the seers? He’ll lose almost all of his followers if that’s true.”
“No. I’d bet he’s holding them captive.” Alexander tried to steady his breathing. “I believe Sebastian is a seer. I wish I’d told him I could restore all of his memories. Everything became so confused as we talked. As we fought. I was too focused on how much his words hurt me. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“That’s understandable.”
“But given the situation I should’ve tried harder instead of being selfish.”
“Selfish? I wouldn’t call you that.”
“I’ve upset the entire kingdom because I couldn’t be patient.”
“Maybe it was time to upset things a bit. Time for a new era. None of this is your fault. I don’t know why we have to keep telling you that.”
“I know in my head it’s Grayden’s fault for being a shitty king and father, but my heart remains heavy.”
“If Grayden’s imprisoned the seers, their days may be numbered.” Henri stood. “I’ll speak to the generals in the morning at first light. The people will panic if word gets out. Maybe we can mount a rescue mission before things escalate.”
“Before things escalate? We aren’t even allowed inside the palace anymore. If things escalate any further, we’ll be at war.”
“Poor choice of words. Sorry.”
“Not your fault. I’m being an asshole.”
“No. You’re hurting. I’d be mad with rage and grief if Grayden had done this to me, to my cariad.” He stepped closer. “I’ll do all I can to help you, if you get another chance.”
“I should have waited. Watched him longer.”
“You had no way of knowing what was to come. Better you learned the worst of the truth sooner. And look at it this way. Now, when you bring him home, none of us will have to play nice and pretend what Grayden did doesn’t matter.” He poked Alexander in the side. “Those would’ve been some awkward family dinners.”
Alexander looked up at his twin. “Don’t make light of this, Henri. I have never been less in the mood for your jokes than I am now.”
“That wasn’t my intent. I guess I was trying to shock you into laughing.” He sat again and gripped Alexander’s shoulder. “There’s never before been a time I couldn’t cheer you up. I feel helpless. I love no one else the way I love you.”
Alexander slowly turned to his brother, who had never told anyone except their mother and Lorelei that he loved them.
Henri shook his head, sighing heavily. “What? Warriors aren’t allowed to love people?”
“You’ve just never said it.”
“I know. Blame that on the man we’re about to dethrone.” He stood again. “I’ll leave you. Try to get some sleep at some point. It’ll be dawn in just a couple of hours.” He began to walk away.
“Henri?”
“Yes?” He turned slightly.
“I love you, too.”
Henri gave him a brief smile. “I know.”
Alexander watched Henri walk back into the fortress, and he sat there admiring the design for a while, his gaze following the lines of the high walls and the strategically placed windows. It even had false windows and doors, which constantly annoyed Lorelei. This place had been built at the base of a mountain many generations ago, and there was room in its depths for thousands of people.
He hoped they wouldn’t need to use it, but if it came to that, he’d stand at the gates himself to fight off Grayden’s men.
* * * *
Mountain Brook
Sebastian closed his own door and stared across the hallway. After nearly a minute, he walked over and turned the knob. Once inside, he gently closed the door and looked around again. Nothing had changed, though the air felt surprisingly cool considering the air conditioning unit wasn’t being used. He’d felt fine, at least physically, since Alexander had left, but he hadn’t been sleeping well. One sensation had stayed with him the entire time—the feeling that he was forgetting something important. The feeling that there was something he was supposed to be doing. Whatever it was hovered at the edge of his mind and fled the moment he tried to pin it down. He hadn’t had any more visions, but he’d been having some strange dreams, which were the reason he now stood before the door that would supposedly lead him to Alexander.
In a dream that had woken him that morning, he’d seen Alexander die. He’d been dreaming of battles all week, but this morning, he’d woken up in a cold sweat after watching Alexander fall off a horse with an arrow through his heart. All Sebastian could think about was preventing that. If Alexander died, then the king would win. The man who had murdered his grandmother, supposedly, and cast him out of his homeland with no concern for what happened to him would win.
And Alexander would be dead.
Sebastian was still so angry, yet the thought of Alexander dying made his chest ache and caused tears to prick the back of his eyes. He took a deep breath and grabbed the knob, half expecting to feel some sort of magical tingle. But it felt like an ordinary doorknob. He opened the door and looked into the next room.
He stared into a large bedroom. It had stone wa
lls and a high ceiling, and it was sparsely furnished. Looking to the bed, he saw a man lying there. He took one step into the room and felt an odd sensation wash over him. The air in the other room was warmer. As Sebastian slowly moved forward, the man in the bed stirred, and Sebastian recognized the dark waves of hair. Alexander sat up and looked at him, blinking repeatedly before leaping out of bed.
Naked.
“Sebastian? Are you all right?” Alexander asked.
Sebastian looked away, though he had given Alexander a quick once over. “I’m fine, but you’re naked.”
“Who cares? Are you all right?”
Sebastian cut his gaze over, allowing himself a slightly longer look this time. “Clothes, please. It’s not that urgent.” At least, I hope it isn’t.
“Fine. As long as you’re not hurt.” Alexander returned to the bed and threw some kind of robe on. It was purple and shimmered in the low light coming in through a few windows. Funnily enough, Alexander seemed more uncomfortable with the robe on. He approached Sebastian timidly and asked, “What brought you here?”
“My dreams. You said I might be a seer. I want to know what that is.”
“A seer has visions. You have to be born with the gift. They can see the future. Or perhaps it’s better to say possible futures. And they help us find our cariads.”
“Everyone is told who to marry?”
“It’s more like a suggestion. But typically, the two people are crazy about each other right away. According to ancient texts, your cariad will complete you. Make you whole. It’s like you’re two parts of the same person. Or some scrolls say that person holds the other half of your heart. Depends on which ones you’re reading.”
“And I’m yours?”
“Yes.” He came closer. “All of your memories can be restored. Then you won’t have to ask many questions at all. Children are taught all of these things from a young age.”
Sebastian held up his hand. “I’m not sure I want that. I’m more concerned with visions. Or dreams. If I saw someone die, is it set in stone? Can it be changed?”
“Yes, it can be changed.”