The Queen's Assassin Returns

[Alexandria Eveleigh- Demarais]

The hour was growing late, and Alexandria found herself still awake, unable to sleep, though that wasn't too surprising to her anymore. Rarely did she ever sleep a full night's sleep. But there were lots to do. Lots to think about, and even moreso now since there were bandits running around Elysium, stealing supplies from the cargo ships that arrived from Tresteria. Aric's cousin had been kidnapped. And who knew what else? For a long while, Alexandria stood by the window in her office, staring out at the dark night. The moon reflected along the ocean and she watched the waves in the distance crash upon the shore. There was still a lot of work to do before Avalendor would fully be restored into what they had decided on naming Elysium. And, although Aric had been away for quite a while, she wondered when and if he would ever be back. Would he talk to Kind Edward about the arranged marriage and whether or not it really was necessary? Maybe that had been why he hadn't returned yet. She didn't know. But she did know that the sooner Elysium was finished, the sooner the marriage would happen, if it was going to happen at all. There really was no point in worrying over it anymore--because it either was or wasn't going to happen, no matter what. All she cared about was that Elysium would be rebuilt and her people could carry on with their lives as it had been before the war hit. That was all she could hope for now. That, and that another war wouldn't hit anytime soon, or anytime at all, really.


Patience was a virtue and one that Corbin had never lacked, though as the years gone by he had only found more and more of it, it seemed. He could have sent a letter; perhaps he should have sent a letter, even, but when one returned to a place that was home after a prolonged absence to discover all that had transpired in their time away, ink on paper seemed a very poor choice. Of course at that time of night he was not going to be admitted in to see the queen but when had that ever stopped him? Would it be different now? Who was ever truly happy to see an assassin, even when they were the one that he was loyal to, after all? Or so went any shred of conventional wisdom at least. Ultimately it was no harder or easier than it had ever been to gain access to the private halls of the woman that he had come to know at least reasonably well, though he could not help but wonder what changes had been brought about in her during all that time he had been absent. Still, temerity was not in his nature and so it was that he had even caught sight of her slipping out of her bedchamber, which answered that question at least, and making her way down the hall to another room. As was natural for a man of his profession, he slid into the room with all the noise of a wisp of smoke and even approached the queen. Open windows did so make life easier; he didn't have to hide his reflection behind hers. "Dare I hope that you have learned to make a regular habit of doing your thinking here, or are you still given to sneaking out as often as not to wander the shore and ponder what concerns you there?" And for all the familiarity of the voice, as gravelly as ever and seemingly whisper quiet for it, the face would show a bit more weathering from the sun and the wind, and hair that had once been long and straight was now shorn off to the scalp, though there was a shadow of a beard on his face almost as if to make up for that. Eyes that were hazel in the light, but dark otherwise regarded her with utter calm, not at all worried about what may be thought on the chance that someone caught him calling on her at such an hour. They were calm, and they were very intently fixed upon her when she would turn to him, never one to waver or back down, even before a queen. -d-



She stood so close to the window, that her warm breath clouded the glass. She had been so deep into her thoughts that when she felt a presence close behind her, she nearly ignored it, thinking that she were imagining things. The reflection in the glass only clouded her vision as she stared past it while watching the waves. It wasn't until she heard his voice whisper behind her, that her thoughts were interrupted. She hadn't shown any sign to becoming startled by him. Though she typically would have in the past, Alexandria had grown weak and tired after the war had come and gone. Her appearance, too, had changed. She had lost quite a bit of weight, mostly. And although she looked tired and worn out, she also looked younger than she had before, perhaps from her loss in weight. That voice sent chills down her spine, and although it sounded horribly familiar to her, she just couldn't place a face to it. So, slowly, she turned and glanced upward towards the man behind her. Eyebrows lowered in confusion as she studied him, trying to remember. There were certain people that came and left in your life that you never imagined finding again. And Corbin was one of those. He had been in her kingdom years ago, back when they were on the other land before they moved to this island. And with the move, she was certain people of the past Avalendor would have a hard time finding them once again... It was mostly those people, and those who died, that Alexandria never imagined seeing again. Faces had almost been erased from her mind. But as she looked upon Corbin's, she couldn't help but feel that strange surge of familiarity. It bothered her to no end. Who was he? She knew that she knew him. But who was he? She hadn't answered his question, yet...And instead, she just stood there, staring at him blankly. Her sapphire colored eyes taking all of him in as she tried to remember. And yet, how had this man entered her office without her knowing? Had he waited there for her? Had he followed her in? Who had she known to be so sneaky? And then it dawned on her. But there was no way. How could he have found them? Corbin, as she remembered, was a bit thinner and not as strongly built as he appeared now. He had long black hair and a creepiness that sort of lingered with him. But this man before her had a handsome-strong and rough nature to him now. She lightly shook her head. "I-- I'm sorry?" Her question referring to his about whether or not she continued to escape out to the ocean's shore to do her thinking where it wasn't exactly safe for a queen--especially now.



Some might have been offended by her inability to recall them. Corbin, he just found it, somehow, to be good sport, a mark in his favor if he could, even to one who had known him, become just another face in the crowd. Oh it dawned on her and he could see that it did, but it had not been an instant recognition, and why should it have been? His time away had changed him just as it had changed her and while she was still an unquestionably striking woman, she did show the tension that she was carrying just the same. And her question furthered that overall response in him, though in all fairness to her that had been years prior and she had gone through much since then, only the slightest bit of which he was aware of. His laugh was every bit as quiet as his voice and short lived, and though it did carry a genuine hint of amusement it still had a roughened quality to it to match his speaking voice. Stepping nearer, he stood only inches from her now, never having been shy in the past, though always respectful and proper and it seemed that still held true as he even went so far as to keep his hands in plain sight. "Once upon a moonlit night, like this one, on another bit of land cast up from the sea, a man came upon a woman in a traveling cloak. Only the cloak was too fine for the commoner she was trying to pass herself off as and it caught the man's eye. He found his queen on the beach and he told her that sneaking out, because her guards were nowhere nearby, was a poor idea given that she was so vital to the great land to which they belonged. The pair talked, friendly enough, if not as friends, and a man walked a queen home, her guard for the night, and better company she was than death who was his usual companion. And how a man found it funny, some months later, when a woman in a commoners cloak slipped into a tavern only to be recognized and again caught, sneaking past her guards." Corbin even wore a hint of a grin as he spoke of two of their old, old encounters. He recalled them, and much else of his time in Avalendor. "For your own good, and the lands, I hope you have finally taken that lesson to heart, though I wonder would it still be you if you abided by so conventional a set of rules. Regardless, whatever else the years have brought I am pleased to see you again Alexandria." He had always called her by name in their private encounters, only resorting to honorifics when in the presence of others as was her due not just by birth but because she was worth being given such respect. "This was no easy place to find, I must confess, but I would be ill fit to my job if I wasn't up to the task." -d-


Alexandria continued to watch Corbin as he began his tale to try and help her remember. She leaned lightly against the wall beside her window, arms folding over her chest as she listened. His voice--the way he spoke gave it away the most. And as he told his story, she couldn't help but grin softly, her tired, worn features seemingly brightening a bit. Oh how she missed those days... Her sneaking out days. Though Corbin would not be the only one to know of her doing this. Zane knew this side to Alexandria quite well. He had even helped train her to fight in the war because he knew her well enough to know that he wouldn't be able to stop her from sneaking out to help fight in the war.
It had been quite a while since Alexandria escaped the walls of the castle unescorted. After the war, she remained in her quarters out of depression and having no real desire to venture out besides her meetings overseas with their allies. And now, things were too dangerous again, with the bandits roaming around... It wasn't as easy to sneak out. And really, Alexandria hadn't much of an urge to lately.
She smiled faintly. "I suppose you are right... It would not be me if I abided to the conventional rules you speak of. Though, time has changed many things, Corbin Vallo..." She slowly pushed herself from the wall and moved closer to him, removing any distance that had remained between them as she slowly wrapped her arms around him in a gentle embrace. She had no doubt that it would have been difficult finding this land. All of them had made sure that all documents, maps and any trace of their direction, they were heading to, were destroyed before they left...To prevent Saelis from following them. Little good that had done since the prisoners they had captured told what they knew of Alexandria's whereabouts.
She hugged him tightly, resting her head down on his shoulder. "I'm so glad to see you... I'm so glad you found us..." For a while, Alexandria didn't move to let go of him. That familiar feeling made her feel safe and warm. And it meant the world to her that he had gone through whatever hardships to find Avalendor. To find her. It made her feel as if she had mattered that much to someone. That she had been that kind of queen that her people would wish to find her and her kingdom no matter how difficult the task was. Corbin had just admitted that to her now. And that gave her a little more strength to live through another day...

[Alexandria Eveleigh- Demarais]

Of course the time that he spoke of had been far different, yet at the same time, not terribly so. There was still danger; the foremost difference now being that it was known, as well as all those experiences lived through in the interim and how they had moved and shaped people, though of course he cared only how it had affected his queen because he knew no other and he was loyal to no other. His oath was not to a realm, not to a council, but to her and that had been why he had always found it easy to come to her in such a manner that might have seemed inappropriate to some.

The embrace was a bit surprising though hardly unwelcome. She did know, she did remember, though he had sufficiently changed that it had taken a bit of time for her to place him properly, and when she had there she was to welcome him and he would, of course, return the gesture. Strong arms wound around her, strong enough to leave the distinct impression that they would have been inescapable if he chose but he held her kindly, as one would when greeting an old friend returned to them, one hand reaching up to pat lightly and then rest between her shoulder blades as she rested her head on him.

As for tracking them down, that had been a matter of quite some time, moving around port cities and listening to the tales of drunken sailors. They always spoke to impress their friends or some bar girl with their stories. Their friends were regaled with stories of the pretty girls to be seen in different lands and the bar girls, they wanted to hear about exotic places where life was more or less the same, save that it wasn’t there, where they were, and that made all the difference in the world. It had been only a matter of time before he had heard of a place where the people prospered under their leadership, where they were rebuilding, and where they seemed just a little wary when they saw ships on the horizon until they made out the flags of the trader vessels. It was not always through torture that one gleaned information and it was a sad, inescapable fact of existence.

Corbin gave her several long minutes there like that before he finally loosened his hold on her, though he did not draw fully away, leaving that to her. But just the same, it needed to be asked. “And how, precisely, are things in the kingdom now? I know dangers exist, but, as much as you would share with me, I would know more.”



That familiar feeling of his warm embrace flooded back to her and various memories spilled through her mind. She didn't want to let go of him. The old times, where things were a lot less difficult than they were now. Though she remembered it had been hard on her back then, too. When she knew Corbin, she was in her first year or so as a queen. It had been a huge transformation of her life and it was difficult in its own way. Though this; what she was in now; seemed a lot more complicated, and she felt now that she would trade her old days of worry for what everything was today.

When the embrace was released, she took a slow step back. Sapphire colored eyes looked him over and she listened to his questions. Following them came a small moment of silence before she let out a heavy sigh. "We have much to speak of, my lord... Please sit." She motioned to the chair at her desk, that was several feet away from where they stood. She however, moved back to the window and leaned her back against it.

"I feel as if I have failed my people..." She turned her glance back out the window and stared out for a moment as she waited to hear him take a seat in the chair. Alexandria looked back to him then and continued. "Things are not good, as you probably have already seen for yourself. We are just coming out of a war and rebuilding has been going on for a couple of months... " She paused, taking in a deep breath. Her eyes watched for his expressions on what she was already saying. And then she continued. "Do you know about the war? Two years ago, we moved here to this island, to get away from Saelis. They were trying to take over and gain control over things... Setting up arranged marriages for me, which would ultimately lead to taking over my kingdom and the people. It was a very bad situation and this had been something in the planning for many years. I came across my father's old journals where he wrote about this place...About leaving the old land and finding freedom from Saelis. Aramis had found out and that was the reason he and my mother were killed back then. So following my father's plans, I went through with that and we moved here. "

Alexandria paused, allowing her story to set in with him, so far. Of course, there were several empty holes that she couldn't really explain. There were much bigger reasons behind everything, but she couldn't explain them yet. Not now. Not yet.

"Anyway... We did everything we could to destroy any maps, any records of where we were going. But several, whom had stayed behind, or decided to go elsewhere, were captured by Lord Aramis' people. They were taken to Saelis and tortured until they told of our whereabouts...Months went by and we thought we were safe because nothing had happened. We established ourselves here, built homes, and everything was going very well. And then several raiders came and I was kidnapped and brought over to Saelis where they had plans to execute me for breaking agreements and stealing what was theirs. None of which was true, of course..."

She sighed, her arms folded over her chest and she turned her head to look back out the window again. "Do you remember William Donovan? He was the military commander back when you were in Avalendor... He had been one that had gotten captured. Though he hadn't breathed a word to them. They had tortured him horribly...He barely looked like himself when I saw him there. And because he wouldn't cooperate, they finally executed him...Right in front of me, forcing me to watch every second of it... " She could still see the look in his eyes just moments before it happened. And then the sight of his head by her feet after Lord Aramis threw it down at her. Her eyes closed at the thought and she fell silent for a moment.

"Luckily..." She opened her eyes again and turned to look back at Corbin. "A group of people from Avalendor traveled to Saelis and saved me, just as I was about to be burnt to death... We escaped. And months later, they showed up here and our war started..."

Finally, she pushed away from the wall and took several steps closer to him. "I really did not think we would come out of it. But something happened out there and we were able to outsmart them or something... We won the war, and Lord Aramis is dead... But it left our land in complete ruins... And there was nothing to fund its repair..."
Her arms wrapped around herself and she began pacing the floors slowly. "I went to our allies...The nearby Islands that helped us in the war. But most of them were unable to help because of the loss they dealt with in fighting our war. They lost a lot of ships and people, too... And all they could offer was to give us a place to live... So then what was the whole point of fighting a war and then losing our land? Me losing my kingdom? I didn't want for that to happen... To just let everything go after my men and woman had fought so hard... " She shook her head to stress the fact that the last thing she wanted to do was to give up on the land and her people.

"So when I went to our last ally, the king of the land agreed to help and fund our losses and help with the rebuilding, if I agreed to marry his kingdom and form a stronger alliance with them. I couldn't think of anything else to do...So I agreed." She quickly turned to face him, lifting a hand up to stop him from saying anything in protest if he would. "But. Aric seems to be a very fair man. He does not seem like he wishes to take over the land. He is kind, and he has spent a lot of time actually helping the people with the rebuilding... I see it in his eyes, and I have a feeling he wishes to only help out. I do not feel as afraid as I did before I met him. I just fear about his cousin, the King of Tresteria... I do not know what his intentions are... Or if he plans anything. I do not know. Maybe he just wants something in return for his favor...and that thing is to see his cousin be king of a land? I can only hope it is something as simple as that."

She sighed and then finally moved to her desk and picked up a folded up piece of parchment. "But now..." She unfolded the letter. "There are bandits roaming around our isle... Aric is back in Tresteria speaking with his brother about what is still needed to be done and whatnot... The bandits have kidnapped Aric's cousin...I received word from her husband of this..." She showed Corbin the letter. "I really need someone to go find her before Aric returns here. I really need for these bandits to go away. They are stealing our supplies and cargo from the ships... and it is setting us back..."

She looked at him, biting her lower lip. "I would be most appreciative for your help, my lord. I know you just got here...And I am so sorry for asking you . I just...do not know what to do. Our military is very weak... And I do not think the people have much strength left to fight anymore... The last thing we need are bandits roaming around making things unsafe..."

Alexandria moved to the other side of her desk and slowly sank down into the chair, glancing across at Corbin. She really hoped he would stick around for a while. She couldn't even begin to explain how great it was to see an old friend right there in front of her.