Memory of You

Chapter Seven: Secrets

Having checked over the inventory, he still couldn't find where the bottle of Goswein the Queen had been drinking, came from. Having hid the bottle in the fridge before finding Alexandra in the kitchen that night, Nicholas had gone through the list of wines and liquors in the distillery, but none of their identification numbers matched the bottle in his hand. Where did you come from? He wondered.

"Nicholas!" He heard his name being called. Quickly shoving the inventory papers in to a drawer, Nicholas turned to see Mark and Valek walking towards him.

"Alex was asking if you could serve lunch in the King's Quarters today? She has some last minute papers to read after her meeting and she won't be able to come down." Mark told him.

"Of course. Tell her, I'll bring it up as soon as I'm done." He agreed.

Before any of them could say anything more, a deep voice sounded from behind the two guards. Seeing him, Nicholas frowned.

"Valek, Mark...your men told me I'd find you here." He said, walking up to them. "Still making friends with the help, I see...oh...it's you Nicholas...didn't notice you there."

"David." Nicholas acknowledged him.

"What can we do for you, David?" Valek asked, feigning politeness.

"I wanted to ask where Alex was. I need to have a few words with her over some community projects in my district." He said, looking at them.

A year younger than himself, Nicholas had never liked David. He was too cunning and deceptive for his liking. His brown hair slicked back, David's cold blue eyes always seemed to be looking for a way to get to the Queen.

"Sorry, but you will have to wait until your dinner in order to meet her, she's in a meeting with engineers as we speak. Besides her schedule is full at the moment, and she doesn't have time for a few words." Mark told him, without hesitation, as Nicholas watched on.

"Do you realize who I am?" David's voice was laced with irritation. "When I ask you to see the Queen, it would be wise of you to do it."

"Lord Grimaldi, you may be titled...but in this country, on these grounds, and inside these castle walls, we are second in command. To get to the Queen, you have to go through us." Valek told him, taking a step closer to him, menacingly. "You already saw her, and you will again in a couple of days. So I suggest you wait until then."

Taking a step back, David had a look of disgust on his face.

"No wonder you two are still around. You must have meant every word of that oath you took." He sneered.

"Yes, we did. Good thing too, or people like you would try to destroy the Queen." Mark told him viciously, David glared at them before leaving.

"What was that about?" Nicholas asked as David disappeared from view. He watched as the two guards exchanged pointed looks. Knowing they were cousins, Nicholas felt that at times they had their own silent language.

"It's nothing. Just him talking nonsense as usual." Valek said.

"We'll see you later, Nick. We have rounds to make before going to see Alex." Mark told him as the two of them left.

...

"No, I don't think so." Alexandra said, as she walked down a corridor with some of the engineers. "I think it would be reckless to start introducing the same technology that sent the world in to ruin all those years ago."

"But Highness, the Isle of Canadia has said that what they've developed is safe." One of the young men told her.

"Having read some of the material scavenged from the Final War, I think for now we should just monitor how it goes in the Isle. They can't possibly guarantee it's safety." Alexandra responded firmly. "Even Polaris and Bastion are weary of the Isle and their developments. Besides, when Saarsgard, Drachma, Airidia, and Seraphine agree against something – which is usually rare – it means we're better off without it for now."

"Highness, don't you think we should test some of it out, before completely disregarding it." Another engineer persisted.

Sighing as she reached the door of the King's old quarter's, Alexandra straightened her shoulders and looked at them sternly.

"I will keep your suggestions in mind while I monitor the development. If I feel we could benefit from them, I will personally notify each of you and together we'll work on it." She said, diplomatically. "For now however, it is best if we do our own research on the matter. Is that fair?"

"Yes, Highness. Very fair." They murmured collectively.

"Well then, I will see you for our meeting next month." She said, as they turned to leave.

Leaning against the door, as she watched them walk away, Alexandra inhaled a deep breath. Sometimes the engineers seemed to get too ahead of themselves, she thought. Her country seemed happy away from some of the technology developed by the Isle of Canadia. She had no intentions of destroying the peace.

Unlocking the door to her father's room, Alexandra slowly opened it. At times, there was still a strong scent of him lingering in the room. Moving to the table, she started shifting through files. She had one more meeting before dinner, and there were a few projects the Upper house of Dukes had asked her to look at.

Sitting down at the large mahogany desk, with her back facing the window, Alexandra opened the first file. No sooner had she started reading it, a knock sounded on her door.

"Yes? Oh...it's you..." Alexandra muttered as she saw who stood in the doorway.

"Yes...it's me." Nicholas grinned as he walked in to the room. "Ready for lunch, Lex?"

"As long as it doesn't turn me any other color, I'm ready."

He chuckled as he moved papers and placed a tray on the file covered table. Getting up, Alexandra walked over to him.

"You remembered to bring something sweet, right?" She asked, as she looked over the food he had brought up.

"As a matter of fact, I made some chocolate chip brioche just for you." He told her, showing a smaller platter of sweet bread with chocolate embedded in it.

"Thanks, Nicholas." She said, as she picked up a piece. It suddenly dawned on her that something was missing.

"Have you seen Mark or Valek?" Alexandra asked. "Or Sophia?"

"Last I checked, they were making rounds in the castle." Nicholas told her. "I haven't seen my sister though..."

"Oh..." She muttered, taking a bite of the delicious bread. Alexandra always found it odd and rather lonely when neither of them were with her. Nicholas being present kept her from feeling too isolated.

"You can eat with me, if you like." She offered, feeling weird about eating alone. Although he still made her nervous, Alexandra had thought it best to ignore the feelings that bubbled up inside.

"Thank you." He said, before taking a piece of the brioche.

Taking a seat in front of the table, Alexandra thought of things to say in order to break the silence between them, but Nicholas beat her to it.

"Lex...I was wondering..."

"Yes?"

"What oath do the guards have to take in order to work for you?" He asked, not quite looking at her.

"Are you thinking about switching occupations?" She teased him.

"No, nothing of the sort." Nicholas smiled. "I was just curious."

"Oh..." Alexandra muttered, thinking nothing of it. "Well the gist of it is that they swear to protect the person they are assigned to, even if it costs them their lives. They promise to hold no one else above the person they protect...be it mother, father, sister, brother, or...wife and child..."

She thought back to when Mark and Valek had said their oath when they graduated, she had hated the moment. Alexandra had tried to convince them against it, but neither would hear of it. Standing in front of the other graduates, and in the presence of the faculty, her father, and herself; she had felt as though they were being humiliated. Knowing what a large sacrifice they were making, Alexandra was shocked they would do it for her.

"That must be hard for them." Nicholas' voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She said nothing, taking another bite of the brioche.

"Is that the same one Mark and Valek took?"

"Yes...it is...why do you ask?" Alexandra wondered, thinking it was an odd question.

"I just..." Nicholas hesitated. "I...wanted to know why David mentioned that, when he spoke to Mark and Valek."

The name registering, Alexandra couldn't help but glare.

"David said what?" She asked as her eyes narrowed, knowing it couldn't possibly be good.

...

"Sophia...I didn't think I would be seeing you anytime soon."

Sophia turned around to see David walking up the stairwell behind her.

"David...are you here to see Alex?" She asked wearily, the last she had spoken to him was three years ago. It had been a mistake, even then.

"No. Not today, love. Mark and Valek have seen to that. I'm just here to drop off my prospectus for the Duke of Middleton. How have you been?" He asked, his tone too familiar.

"David...don't act like you care...besides I need to go." Sophia said, turning around and heading down.

"Sophia, don't be like that. Not after everything..." David stopped her, putting out an arm and blocking her from passing.

"It was a mistake." Sophia told him, through gritted teeth. "I should never have let you near me."

"Me? It was your decision too. Or have you forgotten?" David, retorted.

"I haven't...but you never told me the truth." Sophia started to tell him, before quieting down, he didn't know that Alexandra knew everything about his family and background.

"What do you mean?" He asked, questioningly.

"Nothing...but Alex knows about what happened." Sophia decided to inform him. She had already told the Queen about what had happened between David and herself years ago.

"You told Alex? I'm surprised...I thought she would surely confront me if she knew. Does your brother also know?" He asked, an eyebrow raised.

"She's not petty like you." Sophia defended her friend, but he was right...Nicholas didn't know. "And no...Nicholas doesn't know, yet."

"That would explain why he hasn't tried to kill me yet, but I doubt you intend to tell him, Sophia." David taunted her, knowingly. "After all what would he think of his darling younger sister stealing away a Princess' suitor? I'm sure he would be appalled to learn of it."

"It was a mistake." She told him, forcefully moving his hand and starting down the stairs. Sophia had heard enough.

"Was it now?" David called after her. "It must have been worth it to knowingly seduce someone else's fiancé? A princess no less. I wonder how Alex reacted when you told her?"

Ignoring his comment, Sophia struggled to stay silent as she walked away. I should really tell Nicholas about what happened, she thought, walking down the corridor towards her room.