Tie It With a Ribbon
Monica
The motion passed the next day. Alexandros was immediately discharged and interrogated, and it was discovered that he was a Leonian agent. He was handed over to Cadence and Grayson then, and my mother told me that he was being held as a prisoner until his execution by my fiancé.
As the next Queen, my mother actually suggested that I go see him. He had been one of my people at one point, after all. She did not accompany me, and I was actually allowed to go alone. Zanzibar joined me the second I stepped on his land, taking my arm with his and kissing me gently.
“Notice how no one gawks at me here,” he muttered, smiling playfully.
“Yeah-yeah, I get it; your kingdom is amazing,” I teased, leaning against him for support. “My mother told me that I should see him before you… Well, you know.”
He smiled apologetically. “I won’t tell you how much I’m going to enjoy it, if it makes you feel any better.”
We didn’t speak any more as he led me to where Alexandros was being held. I tried not to notice the anger and utter happiness that showed on Zanzibar’s face as he stared at the captive. Alexandros was sitting in the back corner of his small, concrete cell. His hands were tied behind his back, and he glared up at me through ruby eyes. His golden skin reflected the dim light, and I almost couldn’t recognize the Siberian who had once been entrusted with my life.
“Alexandros,” I started, not sure what to say to him, “I came here hoping to be merciful, but I don’t know that I can after all the lies you deliberately fed to me.”
“Like I care,” he spat, his face scrunching up in disgust. “You and your damn lion can burn in Hell!”
“Shut up!” Zanzibar snapped, kicking the prison bars and glaring as they shook in outrage. “Be respectful, ingrate.”
“It’s okay,” I told him, shaking my head gently. “I would rather remember him as a monster than as my best friend. I want this funeral to be one at which I don’t even consider crying.”
“There won’t be a funeral, Alena. Those are reserved for respected individuals. Traitors and treason are not respectable in the least.”
“Talk like I’m not here,” Alexandros spat, managing to get onto his feet without the use of his hands. “All of the guards know about you two, and there is no possibility of them allowing you to go through with this! Even if they did, this marriage wouldn’t work. Aquilan women need gentlemen, not sexual predators. Besides, like you could bring the disgusting lions and naïve birds to mutual agreement!”
“That’s great, it really is,” Zanzibar taunted. “I’ll make sure you stay alive long enough to see the coronations. I’ll snap your neck afterwards, I promise.”
Zanzibar turned to me, wrapping his arms around me gently. “I wanted to speak to you about something, if you’re done here. I’m being sworn in tomorrow, and Camille is going to tell you about it. You’re here now, so I figured now would be as good a time as any.”
I glanced over to the disgusted Siberian and nodded, embracing him tightly. “I suppose not everyone is ready for peace, but I will not waste my time on someone who shows no respect for anyone but himself.”
My fiancé led me by the hand up the stairs, and I was forced to ignore the ranting of my ex-best friend as we left the prison area.
“Peace is a dream, Alena!” he shouted after me, his body slamming into the metal bars that held him. “There will always be more and more people who see that, and you can’t kill them all before they kill both of you!”
Zanzibar did not even acknowledge the outburst as he led me down the hallway, knocking on a bedroom door. His sister opened it, and she looked absolutely delighted as she clasped her hands together loudly.
“Alena! How wonderful it is to see you!” she exclaimed happily. “Please, you two, do come in!”
She pulled us inside, closing the door behind us. We were led to the couch pushed into the corner, and Zanzibar wrapped his arm loosely around my shoulders, allowing me to rest against him.
“Camille, I must warn you that Alena has had a trying day,” he told her gently, and I could feel his soft gaze on me as I watched his sister. “Try not to overwhelm her too much. I’m sure our customs are entirely different from any bird rituals she may know.”
“Of course, of course. Now shoo, would you?” she asked, waving him away with her slender fingers.
“I’ll walk you home afterwards.” I nodded, and he kissed me quickly before leaving.
Camille wasted no time before she pulled me to my feet, grinning ear-to-ear. “You know, I’ve never seen him so utterly infatuated before…not even with Monica.” She sighed reminiscently, and I could not help but let my next sentence slip.
“Who’s Monica?”
She glanced over to me, smiling apologetically. “Ask my brother. It is not my business to tell, though I’m sure he’ll spill it if you only ask using that eagle charm of yours. But we need to discuss the coronation ceremony, as I’m sure it is much different than yours. Would you care to tell me what yours is like?”
I thought for a moment. “Well, we’ll walk out together, but I am expected to focus on the crowd, not him. I’m going to speak about peace, and then I’ll tell them who their new King is—though I am not sure how they will take it. After that, my guards will swear their loyalty to both of us, and Zanzibar will be assigned a personal guard.”
“So the tone is serious?”
“Yes.”
She smiled gently. “I suppose the atmosphere will be most different. And we do not have loyalty swearing, because our guards were appointed for their loyalty to the Giovanni line. We also do not have personal guards... Zanzibar is very charismatic, as I’m sure you know. I am certain he will be able to sell you to the crowd, but he will not ignore you. He’ll probably focus more on you, which will cause the crowd to focus on you. Hopefully they’ll see what you mean to him and follow his example without question. One cannot know for sure, though.” She thought for a moment. “Zanzibar likes to crack jokes, a lot, even if they are simply terrible and cheesy. Don’t expect the ceremony to be perfectly silent, because that will probably end up startling you the most. Would you mind telling me something?”
“Anything at all.”
“Just how much do you like my brother? Do you think love is possible?” I nodded without hesitation. “I ask this because there are duties of a royal pair here, as I’m sure there are duties of the Nest. You will be expected to have children, and I hope you want them, because Zanzibar is quite the family-oriented man. He knows every Leonian child, and he makes it his business to know the second a cub is born. If it was his choice, I think he’d want about sixty-two kids.” My jaw must have dropped, because she laughed. “But I’m sure he’ll be lenient. Don’t blush so much, Alena, it’s not like I’m going into detail about your sex life or anything.”
“Oh, goodness,” I mumbled, looking away as my face turned bright red.
“You birds are so innocent,” she teased. “I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’ll change the subject. What do you plan on wearing?”
I cleared my throat, smiling nervously. “Chastity made a gorgeous dress for my coronation, and I’m sure it would be suitable for this coronation as well.”
She smiled, taking my hand and leading me out of her bedroom. “I’m sure that man is going crazy without you by his side. Let’s go turn you over, shall we?”
As the next Queen, my mother actually suggested that I go see him. He had been one of my people at one point, after all. She did not accompany me, and I was actually allowed to go alone. Zanzibar joined me the second I stepped on his land, taking my arm with his and kissing me gently.
“Notice how no one gawks at me here,” he muttered, smiling playfully.
“Yeah-yeah, I get it; your kingdom is amazing,” I teased, leaning against him for support. “My mother told me that I should see him before you… Well, you know.”
He smiled apologetically. “I won’t tell you how much I’m going to enjoy it, if it makes you feel any better.”
We didn’t speak any more as he led me to where Alexandros was being held. I tried not to notice the anger and utter happiness that showed on Zanzibar’s face as he stared at the captive. Alexandros was sitting in the back corner of his small, concrete cell. His hands were tied behind his back, and he glared up at me through ruby eyes. His golden skin reflected the dim light, and I almost couldn’t recognize the Siberian who had once been entrusted with my life.
“Alexandros,” I started, not sure what to say to him, “I came here hoping to be merciful, but I don’t know that I can after all the lies you deliberately fed to me.”
“Like I care,” he spat, his face scrunching up in disgust. “You and your damn lion can burn in Hell!”
“Shut up!” Zanzibar snapped, kicking the prison bars and glaring as they shook in outrage. “Be respectful, ingrate.”
“It’s okay,” I told him, shaking my head gently. “I would rather remember him as a monster than as my best friend. I want this funeral to be one at which I don’t even consider crying.”
“There won’t be a funeral, Alena. Those are reserved for respected individuals. Traitors and treason are not respectable in the least.”
“Talk like I’m not here,” Alexandros spat, managing to get onto his feet without the use of his hands. “All of the guards know about you two, and there is no possibility of them allowing you to go through with this! Even if they did, this marriage wouldn’t work. Aquilan women need gentlemen, not sexual predators. Besides, like you could bring the disgusting lions and naïve birds to mutual agreement!”
“That’s great, it really is,” Zanzibar taunted. “I’ll make sure you stay alive long enough to see the coronations. I’ll snap your neck afterwards, I promise.”
Zanzibar turned to me, wrapping his arms around me gently. “I wanted to speak to you about something, if you’re done here. I’m being sworn in tomorrow, and Camille is going to tell you about it. You’re here now, so I figured now would be as good a time as any.”
I glanced over to the disgusted Siberian and nodded, embracing him tightly. “I suppose not everyone is ready for peace, but I will not waste my time on someone who shows no respect for anyone but himself.”
My fiancé led me by the hand up the stairs, and I was forced to ignore the ranting of my ex-best friend as we left the prison area.
“Peace is a dream, Alena!” he shouted after me, his body slamming into the metal bars that held him. “There will always be more and more people who see that, and you can’t kill them all before they kill both of you!”
Zanzibar did not even acknowledge the outburst as he led me down the hallway, knocking on a bedroom door. His sister opened it, and she looked absolutely delighted as she clasped her hands together loudly.
“Alena! How wonderful it is to see you!” she exclaimed happily. “Please, you two, do come in!”
She pulled us inside, closing the door behind us. We were led to the couch pushed into the corner, and Zanzibar wrapped his arm loosely around my shoulders, allowing me to rest against him.
“Camille, I must warn you that Alena has had a trying day,” he told her gently, and I could feel his soft gaze on me as I watched his sister. “Try not to overwhelm her too much. I’m sure our customs are entirely different from any bird rituals she may know.”
“Of course, of course. Now shoo, would you?” she asked, waving him away with her slender fingers.
“I’ll walk you home afterwards.” I nodded, and he kissed me quickly before leaving.
Camille wasted no time before she pulled me to my feet, grinning ear-to-ear. “You know, I’ve never seen him so utterly infatuated before…not even with Monica.” She sighed reminiscently, and I could not help but let my next sentence slip.
“Who’s Monica?”
She glanced over to me, smiling apologetically. “Ask my brother. It is not my business to tell, though I’m sure he’ll spill it if you only ask using that eagle charm of yours. But we need to discuss the coronation ceremony, as I’m sure it is much different than yours. Would you care to tell me what yours is like?”
I thought for a moment. “Well, we’ll walk out together, but I am expected to focus on the crowd, not him. I’m going to speak about peace, and then I’ll tell them who their new King is—though I am not sure how they will take it. After that, my guards will swear their loyalty to both of us, and Zanzibar will be assigned a personal guard.”
“So the tone is serious?”
“Yes.”
She smiled gently. “I suppose the atmosphere will be most different. And we do not have loyalty swearing, because our guards were appointed for their loyalty to the Giovanni line. We also do not have personal guards... Zanzibar is very charismatic, as I’m sure you know. I am certain he will be able to sell you to the crowd, but he will not ignore you. He’ll probably focus more on you, which will cause the crowd to focus on you. Hopefully they’ll see what you mean to him and follow his example without question. One cannot know for sure, though.” She thought for a moment. “Zanzibar likes to crack jokes, a lot, even if they are simply terrible and cheesy. Don’t expect the ceremony to be perfectly silent, because that will probably end up startling you the most. Would you mind telling me something?”
“Anything at all.”
“Just how much do you like my brother? Do you think love is possible?” I nodded without hesitation. “I ask this because there are duties of a royal pair here, as I’m sure there are duties of the Nest. You will be expected to have children, and I hope you want them, because Zanzibar is quite the family-oriented man. He knows every Leonian child, and he makes it his business to know the second a cub is born. If it was his choice, I think he’d want about sixty-two kids.” My jaw must have dropped, because she laughed. “But I’m sure he’ll be lenient. Don’t blush so much, Alena, it’s not like I’m going into detail about your sex life or anything.”
“Oh, goodness,” I mumbled, looking away as my face turned bright red.
“You birds are so innocent,” she teased. “I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’ll change the subject. What do you plan on wearing?”
I cleared my throat, smiling nervously. “Chastity made a gorgeous dress for my coronation, and I’m sure it would be suitable for this coronation as well.”
She smiled, taking my hand and leading me out of her bedroom. “I’m sure that man is going crazy without you by his side. Let’s go turn you over, shall we?”