Memory of You

Chapter Four: This Means War!

Covering her face as she followed Mark to kitchen, Alexandra couldn't believe her luck. Of all days, today, she had a meeting with the Upper House of Dukes...and to top it all off...

"So tell me again what happened? Did you accidentally rub blue dye on your lips and neck while sleeping or something?" Her guard asked, as they headed to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Never mind!" She replied contritely. She had given up trying to explain the predicament she was in.

Stupid Nicholas! She wanted to shout. He had mesmerized her with his eyes and touch...and when she'd looked in the mirror, blue fingerprints ran up along her neck, while her lips which he had traced...were all blue. It unnerved her that she could still feel his touch on her lips.

There were several words she had wanted to call him, but they were all unfit for a queen.

As they entered the kitchen, the smell of freshly baked bread rolls filled her nose, and Alexandra momentarily forgot her grief towards the chef. That was until she saw his light blue finger. Spotting it from where she stood, Alexandra looked over at Mark, only to find an expression of realization come over him.

"Unbelievable..." She heard her head of security chuckle, as he smirked at her.

Alexandra had been lucky enough to find a gown with a high neck, to cover the blue fingerprints...it was her lips that were bothering her. Nothing was able to keep the blue from showing through, without making her look like one of the travelers that passed through her country bringing with them carnivals. Even Sophia hadn't been able to find a solution.

"I'm not going to the meeting like this." She told Mark.

"Yes, you are. They aren't going to care if you show up with blue lips, Alex, they just want to finalize some of the construction plans in their towns." Mark told her, the finality in his tone told her that if she had been wearing a paper bag she still would have had to attend the meeting.

"You're breakfast, Highness." Nicholas said, as he placed a plate of bread rolls and jars of fruit preserves in front of her.

This time she didn't bother to correct him. She was irritated that he had been able to pull one over on her, but to confuse her emotions...that was cruel. I don't like him! She told herself. I've just been working on this country alone...for too long...and he confused me! She tried comforting herself.

"This isn't fair!" She burst out. Upon hearing the two boys snicker, she realized her thoughts had been said aloud.

"Shut up!" Alexandra muttered viciously.

"So Nick, mind telling me the tale behind your blue finger?" Mark asked, as he bit into a bread roll while the chef sat across from her. Narrowing her eyes, Alexandra glared at him. Don't you dare! She wanted to yell at him.

"Unfortunately, it's not much of a tale. I was making blueberry jam, and it stained my finger." He said, shooting her an innocent look.

Liar! She wanted to shout at him.

"So it stained just one finger?"

"Okay Marcus, time for you to go inspect the room for today's meeting. Tell Sophia to bring me a scarf...I'm going to pretend I have a cough and cover my mouth." Alexandra interrupted, pulling Mark out of his chair and shoving him in to walking away.

"Fine, fine...save me some more of those rolls Nick!" Mark grinned as he walked away.

Turning to see Nicholas start to clear the table, Alexandra started to feel nervous again. Focus! She told herself, as he looked up at her. Unable to think of anything, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"This means war!" Alexandra announced, before heading out of the kitchen.

...

"So you managed to break the Queen's favorite cup, and paint her blue...and you've only been working here for over a week?"

Nicholas turned to face his younger sister. Sophia looked quite amused.

"Who told you?" He asked, realizing what a stupid question it was seconds after he said it.

"Not Alex, if that's what you mean." His sister replied.

"Then who?"

"Mark...he kept laughing at the look on Alex's face as she headed in to the meeting." Sophia informed him. "She looked scandalized. You do know she'll get you back for that, right?"

"She's the one who got me with flour in the first place." Nicholas told his sister. Although he had been thinking how Alexandra would take her revenge on him, he wasn't exactly worried. "Besides...there's not much she can do to me..."

Feeling a little bit bad over his actions, Nicholas returned to the task at hand. He was making lunch, and still hadn't decided if he was going to make chicken or pot roast. Pot roast with mashed potatoes it is, he made up his mind.

"So, how did you pull that one on her? I mean, Alex is pretty hard to get to." Sophia asked.

"I played dirty...she had no idea what I was up to...Anyway..." He said, thoughts of the previous night crept in to his mind. He had had to use every ounce of control to keep himself in check…she was beautiful and alluring…and he could have- Nope, it was just a really long night, and I was tired, Nicholas halted the thoughts in his mind.

"What have you been up to? Last I heard Mom and Dad were telling me that you were thinking of going to school or something." Shaking the thoughts away, he changed the subject, before his little sister could pry any further.

His sister was quiet, looking over at her, he saw that she was staring at the ground.

"What? Did Lex stop you or something?"

"You remember the nick name you gave her? Aww!" Sophia sounded surprised.

"Yes I do. Nice try changing the subject though. So did she tell you not to go?"

"No, it was her idea actually. She told me to do it and study something I like." Sophia's answer surprised him.

"So why didn't you go?" Nicholas asked.

"I don't know what I want to do...and besides, Alex has a lot going on and she needs me, even if she doesn't say it."

"What do you mean by a lot going on?" Nicholas asked, Mark and Valek still hadn't completely filled him in.

"Well...David is still around." Sophia told him, using the same words as Mark and Valek had.

Before he could ask any more questions, he heard Valek call for Sophia, before another guard came up to him.

"See you later, brother!" Sophia said leaving him. "Try not to get yourself in real trouble with the Queen."

"Mr. Devereux?" The guard asked him.

"Yes."

"Here is the Queen's schedule for tomorrow." The guard handed him a sheet of parchment.

"You may want to check for something strong in the distillery, perhaps a bottle of liquor or vodka." The guard said as he started to leave.

"Wait, why? The Queen doesn't drink." Nicholas asked confused. "What do you mean I should go and find something strong?"

"Her Majesty has dinner...with the Lord of Canterbury & Rosslyn."

...

I'm going to win against him! She thought, sneaking down the hall. Looking to see if anyone was tailing her Alexandra saw that the corridor was quite empty. There was no sign of Mark or Valek, and for now that was fine. She was hoping no one would notice her short absence.

Checking the hall again, she made her way into the room. He was always neat and tidy from what she remembered, so it didn't surprise her when she saw his things all in place. Books neatly stacked, clothes hung properly, bed nicely made; he made her look messy in comparison. It looked like he had never left for Airidia.

Opening the door to his bathroom, Alexandra stepped in quietly, hoping he wouldn't come in while she was here. Slipping the vial from under her sleeve, she put it on the counter before opening the jar of paste Nicholas used for brushing his teeth. It was already deep blue in color, so she hoped he wouldn't notice her little addition. Uncorking the vial, she tipped the contents into the jar before closing it and the vial. Making sure to leave no traces, she slipped the vial back up her sleeve after shaking the jar to mix the contents.

Take that, Nick! She thought triumphantly. The whole day she had gotten stuck wearing a scarf so that no one would take notice of her blue lips and skin.

All through the meeting with the Dukes, Alexandra could only think of how to get back at Nicholas. At first she had thought to color his clothes, but with the castle seamstress around...it seemed rather pointless. Instead she went for something more simple.

Walking out of his room, Alexandra looked around to see if anyone had seen her. No one was around. Walking down the hall towards her room, she heard Mark and Valek discussing something.

"What are you two talking about?" She asked upon reaching them.

"Nothing..." Mark said a little too quickly.

"Really?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

Both shifted uncomfortably where they stood.

"David...David is coming for dinner tomorrow. To have a private audience with you."