A Banquet for a King [log]

[Aric Demarais]

It was the evening of the Banquet. Everything was prepared and ready for the guests. The castle was filled with life as the servants were in the kitchen cooking and preparing the meal, and the guests arrived or prepared themselves for the evening.
The guest list was small, as this was purely a business status update between Tresteria and Aralore. The hour had come that the banquet hall was opened. Drinks and Hors d'oeuvres were ready for those who entered the room at their leisure. Dinner would be served at the end of the hour.


[ARIC]
Well, it was time. He was dreading this all day, and he gathered that he wasn't the only one. Some of the servants even seemed on edge because they understood what this meant...or could mean. The Tresterian Prince still believed that his brother didn't have the hall to break this alliance, nor did he have true reason to. This was simply a power play, and unfortunately, Alexandria would have to go along with it. Didn't mean any of them had to like it.
The banquet hall was still fairly empty when he arrived, and he had purposely tried to wait so that he could be the last. That was his luck. With a sigh, he adjusted the fitted jacket he wore of a dark blue, so dark that it was almost black, and stepped through the doorway. He was instantly greeted by a stampede of little feet as his nephews spotted him. They were busy trying to pilfer as much food as they could from the table. The sight of them made him smile, but he wondered if that meant his brother was nearby. A quick glance around, he didn't see him or his sister-in-law, so he breathed a small sigh of relief.
Aric bent down to a knee, narrowing his eyes upon the youngest. "What've you got there?" he asked. Thomas simply shook his head, wide eyed and trying not to laugh; his cheeks full of food. "Better be saving some for the rest of us, yes?"
Young Edward laughed before chomping down on a cracker, "Oh, of course, uncle. But everyone better hurry. Thomas here as nearly eaten a whole tray of fruit!" Always the tattle.
"I have not!" Thomas objected, his mouth full of the evidence. Aric shook his head and chuckled before rising back up to his feet. At least the boys were already enjoying themselves.


[ORIN]
He had been dreading this moment all day, and it made the day drag on. But at last, it was time. Orin had dressed himself, thinking of Cassandra as she insisted that he not look like a vagabond at this dinner. Or not to wear a loin cloth. He laughed as he walked down the halls, hoping the black dress attire he wore would suffice.
He entered the room, finding only Aric and the two boys were the only ones who had arrived so far. Eyes glanced around, taking everything in. They had done a great job with setting everything up. He instantly moved to the drink table and poured himself a drink, taking a sip from it quickly. A quick nod of a greeting was given to Aric. This would be an interesting night, indeed.


[CASSANDRA]
For once, the Duchess wasn't fretting over her own looks this evening, but the queen's. It was important for Alexandria to look her best, as chauvinistic as that would probably seem...but this was all a game, unfortunately. And Alexandria had to play her cards right. Cassandra made sure there wasn't a hair out of place, her makeup was done, and her dress wrinkle-free before she worried about herself. And now the two of them made their entrance into the banquet hall, arm in arm, with the Duchess chatting away about something or other.
Cassandra left her hair to fall in fiery ringlets over her shoulders with a simple, woven silver circlet resting upon her brow. At the queen's request, she wore that velvet green dress that hugged her form, only to cascade out and down to the ground, trailing lightly behind her. It would have been backless were it not for the thin piece of lace fabric vaguely shielding her.
To be honest, she was a little surprised to see barely anyone there. Were they early? She smiled, though, to see the two men whom clearly heeded her advice. They cleaned up nicely, didn't they?


[ALEXANDRIA]
She felt so sick to her stomach with her nervousness. Luckily, Cassandra had been keeping her hydrated with some wine here and there throughout the night, that it took some of the edge off. She was grateful for the help Cassandra gave her in getting ready. Alexandria looked stunningly beautiful. Her hair was braided at the crown of her head, though she did not wear a crown this evening. The rest of her raven locks draped over her bare shoulders. Her dress was a deep navy blue with black jacquard print design. Her back was exposed, but covered with an intricate jewelry piece that draped all along her back, wrapped around her neck as a choker, and down the front of her chest.
She held tightly onto Cassandra's arm as they entered the room. She half expected to be the last ones to arrive, but that was not the case. Her brother and Aric had arrived, and the two royal princes of Tresteria. Alexandria smiled and offered a gentle nod in greeting to Aric and Orin. Though her eyes lingered on Aric for a moment. He did clean up nicely.


[ARIC]
He wasn't sure who he was expecting to walk in first, but it certainly hadn't been Orin. He nodded in return greeting as the boys ran off to play beneath the elaborately decorated table- Cassandra's handiwork, no doubt. He knew she had been ecstatic to plan something, and it kept her busy and out of everyone's business. Mostly.
His breath was suddenly taken away by the beauty that graced the room just moments later. Of course, his cousin looked lovely as always, but this was only the second time he had seen Alexandria like this. Even crown-less, she was breathtaking; those sapphire eyes even more pronounced by the color of her gown. He may have looked dumbfounded, standing there in suspended awe for what felt like forever. There was no looking anywhere else, even if his damnable brother walked in demanding attention. The only thing the prince seemed capable of doing was to bow in respect for Her Majesty...but his dark eyes refused to remove themselves from her. Incapable of doing so just yet.


[NEMERIS]
Not many had seen Nemeris in quite some time. She had become a bit of a recluse ever since Brennus died and she lost the baby. There was not much else to come out for. She lived in her dark manor, alone, and tended to her own destruction of the war. She honestly wasn't sure why she stayed. There was nothing here for her anymore. But the queen insisted she stay. She needed her. So when she got the invite for the banquet, she hesitated on whether or not she wished to attend. But she supposed the queen would need the support behind her. So she dressed herself--in all black, per usual, but a gorgeous gown of black lacy fabrics. Her sandy colored hair pulled back into a braid. She made her way to the castle, quietly entering. It had been a while since she came to the castle. Perhaps the ball, maybe? She entered the banquet hall, and glanced around, her stoic expression never wavering. She offered a nod to the queen in greeting. "Your majesty." She headed to the table where the wine was and poured herself a glass before she stood off to the side, silently regarding the room, sipping at her wine.


[ELEESA]
She begged them to behave and wait for her to go to the banquet room, so now her handmaiden was rushing to finish her hair so that the Tresterian Queen could go run after her boys. Eleesa could have sent someone else to fetch them, but this was what she lived for- being a mother. There wasn't much else for her to take pride in, in all honesty. With her blonde hair pulled up and the golden crown upon her head, she wore a gown in a lovely shade of purple with intricate details of gold flowers. With her girl closely following, Eleesa entered the room, quickly adjusting that crown. Instead of finding her boys, who were no doubt hiding from her, she found Aralore's queen there with Cassandra. Aric was not far off. "You look absolutely lovely this evening, Majesty. Both of you." Of course she couldn't exclude her cousin by marriage!


[ALEXANDRIA]
Her glance was pulled away from Aric, never noticing him staring at her, as the queen of Tresteria entered the room. She let go of Cass' arm and turned to face the queen, a warm smile offered to her. "Thank you. As do you." She took the woman's hand and gave it a soft squeeze before letting go. "Please make yourself at home." She gestured to the table of food and drinks. The queen was lovely and Alexandria could tell she had a kind soul. She only hoped that the king treated her fairly. She spotted Nemeris nearby the table, with her drink, and she only smiled slightly, happy that she came, but feeling sorrow for the woman. She had undoubtedly been through so much, and she wouldn't have blamed her if she hadn't come.


[ORIN]
When Cassandra and the queen entered the room, he found himself grinning. His sister looked absolutely stunning, and he found himself glancing over to Aric to see if he took any interest in her, and it appeared he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Then he glanced to Cassandra and gave her a mischievous smile, motioning to his outfit as if asking if she approved. But then he spotted Nemeris walk in, and his eyes drifted to follow her. He hadn't seen her in such a long time, he didn't even think she still was around, which saddened him. He was in a strange tug-of-war now. He wanted to walk over to his sister and Cassandra to greet them, but he felt he needed to talk with Nemeris, if only briefly. He slowly walked over to her, placing his hand on her elbow in greeting. "It's good to see you." He had an odd friendship with the woman. He had seen her at her absolute worst and helped her through it. And for that, she at least tolerated him.


[ARIC]
He only managed to blink when Eleesa entered to greet the queen, and he finally stood up with a clearing of his throat. Aric would have to pay closer attention, lest he stare again like a fool.
When his sister-in-law stepped away and he greeted her in passing, he was catching Cassandra's eyes. She had a smirk on her face, so she had clearly caught him staring and decided to excuse herself from Alexandria's side to go to him.


[CASSANDRA]
Oh yes, she had indeed seen him staring, but her green eyes had briefly averted to Orin, stifling a laugh behind her hand as he gestured to his very appropriate attire. She nodded her approval before approaching her cousin.
Planting a kiss to his cheek, she lingered long enough to whisper, "Don't make a complete fool of yourself, dear cousin." Amused with herself, she wandered away just in time to see a couple of servants helping Henry into the banquet. She was immediately concerned because he looked so frail. "Henry," she said, going to his side. "You should rest. The king would understand." In a way, that is. She fretted that Edward was hoping her husband would die soon.
"No, no," the old Duke answered with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I should be here...even if for a short while."
She sighed, watching his helpers bring him to one of the seats to relax.


[ARIC]
He might have grumbled something along the lines of mind your own affairs before she drifted away. Now, Alexandria was alone, and he drew in a long, deep breath. Seriously, why was he suddenly so nervous? It wasn't like him.
Clearing his throat, he stepped up alongside her. "How are you fairing?" he asked, but it wasn't what he wanted to say, nor what he should have led with. He should have told her that she took his breath away, that she was the most beautiful thing in this room...but no, he asked the most obvious question in the world.


[NEMERIS]
She was a bit startled as Orin approached her. Just a corner of her lips tugged upward in the smallest, briefest of a smile. "Orin.." She didn't know what else to say, despising small talk, but resorting to it. "Surprised to see you here." Hinting at his little stunt from the ball. Though, he looked a little more sober tonight. She took another sip of her wine, glancing around the room as if Orin wasn't even there anymore. The king hadn't arrived yet, and she hoped they could just get on with this so she could go back home.


[ORIN]
He let out a small, annoyed laugh at Nemeris' greeting and shook his head. "Right.. You haven't changed much." He grinned and got a drink of his own, taking a small sip before he raised it towards her as a brief toast. "Enjoy the night Ms. Arundel." He stepped away, heading towards the dinner table, where he spotted Cassandra helping her husband to his seat. He frowned ever so slightly, as he remembered what she told him about Edward saying and it finally clicked why she was so upset. The king was already pawning her off, expecting her husband to die soon. How cold and cruel. Even he wasn't that bad.


[ALEXANDRIA]
Sapphire eyes danced around the room as the crowd of people began filtering in. But then she saw Aric heading towards her and her heart instantly began to thump wildly in her chest. He made her just as nervous, and now with him dressed so sharply, she felt worse so. He was a handsome man, she couldn't pretend not to notice. When he spoke, she flashed him a soft smile. "As well as I suppose I can be... How are you?" Honestly, Alexandria was a mess inwardly. She couldn't breathe. Between her nerves of having to deal with Edward, and with Aric standing so closely to her, she was sure he'd be able to see her heart pounding through her skin. She glanced around the room once again, before turning to Aric, leaning towards him and whispering quietly. "Where is your brother?"


[CASSANDRA]
This all made her fairly decent mood darken, because now she was just going to worry about Henry's already ailing demeanor and the assumptions and looks from Edward. Her cousin was like a rabid wolf stalking its prey, ready to finish it off and move on to the next one. She never wanted this marriage, but she wasn't willing to allow Henry to pass yet. It was both selfish and not, an idea that has constantly plagued her. Once her husband was seated, she went to fetch him some water and get herself a glass of wine, in which she poured with shaking hands. She eyed the lovely, quiet woman near the refreshments, nodding in greeting whether she saw her or not, before bringing the water back to Henry. He was lightly laughing at something. Bending, she spotted the two boys goofing around under the table as Eleesa ushered them out. Her smile at them was faint, and it completely disappeared when she saw Orin. Yes, perhaps he understood everything a little more now.


[ARIC]
Now that she was standing there, he was both nervous and calm. Perhaps her presence was comforting whereas this entire situation with the dinner was what frayed his nerves. He smiled lightly to her response, because his answer wasn't any different. "Same," he replied, his hands clasping each other behind his back. As she leaned in, he was hesitant to do the same, catching the scent of her hair...but fortunately, the topic of conversation kept him in check. Those dark eyes flickered around the room, noticing that Edward was the only one not here. "I haven't the slightest idea." He didn't sound happy about it. They were doing this for him, and he had the gall to be late.


[ORIN]
He sat across from Cassandra at the table, so that he could flash her those looks throughout the evening if Edward said or did anything that was out of line. They could keep each other in check through facial expressions and eye contact. He remained silent for the time being, just watching the interaction between Cassandra and her husband. It looked like Cassandra was his granddaughter, honestly, and it was a sad sort of sight, making him feel bad for her. What was Edward thinking when he made this match? He did not like the man, for what little he knew about him.


[ALEXANDRIA]
The king would probably be there at any moment, so she was glad everyone arrived and they were waiting on him, rather than him waiting on everyone else. She placed a hand on Aric's arm and leaned in a little closer, whispering to him. "Please don't let me drown in here..." She hesitated moving her hand away. Part of her wanted to grasp hold of him and never let go. She wanted to cling to him until all of this was over. Suddenly, there was a light tug on the bottom of her dress, causing her to stand straighter and back away from Aric. She glanced down to see the youngest of the princes and she smiled down at him.
"Hello," he said with a shy smile.
Alexandria couldn't help but smile at the young boy. "Hello there. Thomas, correct?" The boy nodded, seemingly amazed that she knew his name. He then turned to Aric and tugged on the bottom of his jacket. "Uncle... She is really pretty..." He giggled before running off again, embarrassed.
Alexandria laughed softly and looked back to Aric. He had not commented on how she looked. She wondered if Cassandra recommended the right shade of blue for her dress. Her cheeks flushed lightly and she smiled to him. "You look very handsome tonight..."


[EDWARD]
What could be keeping the king so long? It wasn't like he had business to attend. He was a guest here. Well, Edward had spent his day wandering around the kingdom, looking around at what had been done so far. Not that he knew what it looked like beforehand, as this was his first time in the kingdom. As the time grew closer to the hour of the banquet, Edward found himself back to the castle.. Had his little rendezvous with his mistress before he got himself ready and made his way to the banquet hall. When he arrived, there was the sound of mixed voices. And of course, he had to make his entrance known. Regardless of his personality, Edward was a good looking man, just slightly older than Aric, but he looked somewhat similar. He was dressed in a dark red jacket. When he arrived, he held his arms up and called out. "Good evening... I have arrived. Is dinner ready?" He moved to the table where his wife was, and barked at one of the servants, demanding they bring him a drink. How dare they assume that he would serve himself? He sat down at the head of the table and glanced around, as if he was annoyed he had to wait for everyone to take their seats.


[CASSANDRA]
Finally seating herself, she frowned to find that her glass of wine was nearly empty already. Fortunately, she didn't have to get up again as one of the servants was already there at her side to refill the cup, as though instinctively knowing she needed more. Well, by the look on her face, they probably did. Henry would get some wine as well, but he most likely wouldn't drink most of it. Immediately, her glass was brought to her lips where she would find Mr. Evans from over the rim, seated across from her. It made her smile for the briefest of seconds before the arrival of the king caused her to close her eyes; drawing in a deep breath. Let the fun begin…


[ARIC]
With that touch to his arm, his own hand was lifting as though to rest upon hers, only pausing when she drew it away before he could. "I'll not leave your side," he whispered back to her with all honesty and a small smile. Well, it couldn't get anymore awkward than this, right? He might have thought this too soon, for Thomas was running up to them and making his uncle look bad almost immediately. Aric hadn't complimented the queen because his mind was already a jumbled mess of thoughts, and he may have visibly cringed as his nephew made it so blatantly obvious. Still, he chuckled at the boy's antics and watched him run off. Dark eyes drifted back to her lovely face when she complimented him and he grinned with embarrassment. It was only another moment before his face sobered and there was a deeper sincerity in his gaze and a tone of admiration in his voice, "Alexandria, you look-"
Oh, look who decided to arrive. Aric gritted his teeth and shut his eyes for a brief second before they were looking at her this time in apology. Offering his hand out to her, he led the queen to her seat before sitting in his own. Maybe if they had a single moment together at some point tonight, if this horrible nightmare ever ended...


[ELEESA]
"Thomas, please come sit down!" she berated her son in a whisper. The boys only seemed to misbehave when their father wasn't around. She had no idea where her husband was, either, but unfortunately, she had a vague idea. As her youngest joined her at the table, Eleesa's expression saddened for the briefest of seconds before Edward decided to make his entrance. Chocolate-colored eyes watched him take his seat, a look of displeasure upon her face, but she said nothing about it. It wasn't her place.


[ORIN]
He was already starting to lose his battle of trying not to react. But god, this man was ridiculous. He covered his face the best he could, and just chuckled into them, stopping himself almost immediately. He lifted his glass to cover his smirk as he took a sip and he didn't dare look at Cassandra, because he'd probably laugh even harder then. Oh this was going to be a fantastic night.


[ALEXANDRIA]
Aric was about to say something about the way she looked, but was suddenly interrupted by the king and his grand entrance. Sapphire eyes shifted away from Aric as she watched the king enter and take his place at the table. She looked back at Aric with a nervous frown on her face before she took his hand and moved over to the table, taking her own seat. Thankfully, the seat next to her was open for Aric. She felt horrible for her servant staff, in that moment. They were never treated as such, and she hoped they all didn't quit after tonight.


[NEMERIS]
She remembered meeting this king when she went off to try and find allies for Aralore for the war and for aid in the destruction of the aftermath. He was an arrogant man who disregarded everyone as his subjects and inferiors. So when he entered, Nemeris couldn't help but roll her eyes. She slowly took her seat on the other side of Orin, with Alexandria on her left at the head of the table.


[EDWARD]
He watched as everyone sat down, and he remained silent for now, waiting for the noise to quiet down as everyone took their seats. He carefully watched Aric and Alexandria as they sat down together. They did not seem repulsed by one another, so that was at least a good sign. Maybe he would need to dig into that a little further. In front of everyone.


[CASSANDRA]
Dear God, perhaps Orin's presence there would make things worse and not easier. He was already struggling, which was going to make it harder for her. However, when no one said a word about Edward's arrival, only catching the tail end of Eleesa's glare at him, she couldn't stop the words from her mouth. "Wonderful for you to finally join us, cousin," she spoke up pleasantly, but her tone was about to be gently laced with sarcasm. Just a hint. "To this banquet...held for you." In other words, it was rude. Not that he would care one bit.


[ARIC]
The prince gladly took that seat besides Alexandria. He said he wouldn't leave her side, and he meant it. This wasn't going to easy, and he was hoping he could at least offer her an air of consolation should she need it. So far, it wasn't terrible. They just had to get through this dinner and it should be smooth sailing from there.
That is, until his fiery-haired cousin decided to open her mouth. His dark gaze averted to her immediately. "Cassandra," he said lowly in warning before Edward could. They didn't need this. Not now. Aric couldn't help but wonder what his brother told her last evening when she escorted them to their rooms. Whatever it was was going to determine how the woman acted tonight. Funny, because she was schooling him on how to act.


[ORIN]
Someone had to say it. What everyone else was thinking. But it was Cassandra, and he half didn't expect that. He couldn't help but grin, and he, once again, was quickly hiding behind his glass. This was harder than he expected, but for the opposite reason now. He quickly glanced over to Aric as he gave Cass the warning. Eyes glanced upon his sister then, noticing that her face remained unmoved. She was wearing her mask tightly on her face, as not to show the king her true emotions, he was sure. And that made him frown. He knew how much she hated being false and stuck in situations such like this.


[EDWARD]
His gaze shot over to his cousin, then and he let out a slight laugh, but before he could say anything, Aric was already shooting a warning over at her. He shook his head and smiled. "No no... Everyone can speak freely here." That, of course, was a trap, or a lie, because Edward would most likely tear them apart. "My apologies for being late." His apology was hardly sincere, as it was laced with sarcasm. He barely cared he was late. His time was all that mattered, and he gave them no explanation of why he was late, of course. "So... How was everyone's day?"


[CASSANDRA]
She openly rolled her eyes at Edward's response, though half surprised when he didn't scold her. That didn't mean she believed him one bit...and maybe no one else did, either, since no one was willing to speak right away. That is, until Henry.
"It was well, your majesty," the old Duke said, if just to break the awkward silence. He was old, but he wasn't stupid. "It was a pleasant day out, a little warmer than usual, so I took the opportunity to walk the courtyard." That's when his eyes shifted to Alexandria with a smile. "The grounds are lovely, even in such a cooler season," Henry complimented.


[ELEESA]
Finally, her children were quiet and sitting still with their father there, but that didn't mean there wasn't other tension in the room. Her eyes were downcast until the sweet Duke attempted to keep the conversation going. She smiled brightly at him. "Perhaps I could join you next time, my lord. I'd very much like to see more of the castle." She clearly hadn't been given the chance to yet.


[ALEXANDRIA]
She was so uncomfortable as she sat quietly, watching everyone at the table. It had already started as Cassandra reprimanded the king for being late. As Edward spoke, she too didn't believe his words. Perhaps it was his tone. But when Henry spoke, Alexandria smiled towards him. "Thank you..." And then Eleesa chimed in. Clearly everyone else seems afraid to say anything. "I could take you around, your majesty. Perhaps later this evening, or tomorrow morning?" She questioned her, hoping the two could get a moment together.


[EDWARD]
He could hardly care how anyone else's day had gone. But when the foolish old man spoke, Edward was nearly rolling his eyes. Then his wife chimed in, followed by Alexandria, he seemed displeased. He wasn't sure he really wanted his wife speaking with the queen alone. He cut in just as Alexandria finished. "She has to tend to the children tonight..." He glared at his wife before he quickly changed the subject. "I took my own walk around the kingdom grounds today... Was hoping to see a little more progress in the rebuilding end of things..."


[ALEXANDRIA]
As Edward cut her off, and basically spoke for Eleesa, she frowned slightly, waiting for the king to finish speaking. When he did, she looked back at Eleesa and smiled to her. "Tomorrow morning, then." She looked back to Edward and forced a smile. "We had some bad storms recently, and we are short a lot of men because of the war..." They also needed more funding, but she didn't feel comfortable bringing that up just now. She looked to Aric, as if asking if he had anything to add, as he had been doing most of the overseeing in that department.


[ELEESA]
The smile on her face broadened at the queen's desire to show her around. And just when she was to reply to her about how lovely that would be, her husband the king was answering for her. Instantly, that smile disappeared, and she looked down at the table before her. Lips pressed together, forcing herself to remain silent, but when Alexandria spoke once again, mentioning tomorrow morning, those honey eyes lifted to look up at her; the smallest smile returning. Even if Edward would shoot her down for it, Eleesa seemed pleased that the woman stood up to him, and for her no less. A woman she didn't even know.


[ARIC]
It was always difficult for him to watch how his brother treated his wife. Where had he gotten this from? Was their own father so cruel to his wife? Unable to remember, Aric always made sure to try and support his sister-in-law whenever he could...but Edward was still king. There was sometimes a fine line there. However, Aric was to be king of Aralore. Even if he wouldn't call it so, it would be his kingdom, thus he wouldn't allow the man to step all over the woman he was to marry. He was a man protecting his own.
Still, he held his tongue for a beat, letting Alexandria perfectly take a stand without raising her voice or becoming cruel, and it took everything for him not smile with praise at her. It was when she regarded him, requesting that silent help, did he speak up. "It takes time to rebuild an entire kingdom ransacked by war, brother." He kept his voice even, trying to force away his annoyance because that would get them nowhere. "You did not see the devastation that befell these people, but I have been out there with them whenever I am able. They are working day and night to bring Aralore back up to its feet."


[EDWARD]
He stared at Alexandria, almost in disbelief that she stood up to him that way and did not answer his question right away. When she did, he still did not seem pleased with the answer. But then Aric jumped in and stood up for Aralore and the queen. He couldn't help but laugh. He mumbled. "It does not look that way to me." He glanced around, almost in annoyance that they still haven't been served food. He sighed and looked back to where Alex and Aric sat. "I hope the lack of progress of the kingdom is not to delay your marriage... Should I place a deadline? Set a date?"


[ALEXANDRIA]
She blinked at Edward's mumbled response. Could he be any ruder, seriously? She pressed her fingers into her thighs under the table, in attempt to keep herself calm. But when the king spoke again regarding their wedding, Alexandria froze. She had no idea how to answer that. She just shook her head. "Of course not, your majesty.." Her voice grew a bit more stern. "As I said, we have had several storms run through the lands, and it does take time to rebuilt from the ground up after a war that left total destruction." She was clutching onto handfuls of fabric now.
Thankfully, a line of servants began filtering into the room with trays full of food that they began to place on the table in front of the group. With the king distracted, Alexandria couldn't help but look at Aric, to find his expressions.


[ARIC]
Oh, his brother could be a lot worse. He was just waiting for it, but silently prayed this would be the extent. In his peripheral, he noticed Alexandria clutching at the fabric of her gown, doing anything to keep herself from breaking down. Without hesitating, he reached over beneath the table to take one of her hands. He also didn't know how to answer that. "Placing a deadline will do nothing," he said sternly, looking his brother squarely in the eye. "We simply do not have the funds or the manpower to get this done by the snap of your fingers." Aric was starting to stand on the edge of anger. "I have not, and will not, break this alliance. You have no reason to blame Aralore's progression on that. I no longer have reservations." Aric had admitted this to Alexandria before, but it sounded so different and so much more concrete to tell his brother. It was strangely...wonderful.


[EDWARD]
He still watched the two, as they spoke to him, defending the land and the alliance he had created. But it was when Aric admitted that he no longer has reservations and would not break the alliance, he grinned. "Oh... Is that so? Weren't you just back in Tresteria some time ago, begging me to end this? To find some other way? What has changed your mind, brother?" He began reaching for food, placing it on his plate and started to eat before anyone else.


[ORIN]
He sat there, eyes slightly widened, but facing downward at the table, afraid to look up and see his sister's expressions, or even Aric's. He was biting his tongue so hard. It wasn't his battle or argument. And what could he really say? Aric was doing a fine job standing up for Alexandria and Aralore. But he felt so awkward. Eyes glanced up across the table at Cassandra, giving her a look as he promised. Thankfully, his face was hidden from the king, but he made a face, expressing that this was absolutely ridiculous.


[ALEXANDRIA]
Perhaps Edward was hoping to shock the queen by admitting Aric had gone to beg to end the engagement. But what he didn't know was that Aric had been open and honest with her about the whole thing. So she wore no expression that perhaps Edward hoped for. She felt Aric grab hold of her hand, and she weaved her fingers into his own. Her heart began racing again, for multiple reasons now. From his touch. From her anger. She didn't want to let go of his hand, and she squeezed his hand tightly.


[ARIC]
Yes, it was clear that Edward was hoping to pin them into a corner, but he had told Alexandria all about his trip. He wasn't a liar; he didn't have reason to hold things back from her. Well, most things. What he held back from her now was of an entirely different sort.
The squeeze to his hand gave him the courage to remain steadfast and not buckle beneath his fuming anger. Edward wouldn't have the satisfaction. Casually, he leaned forward, resting his free arm upon the table in front of him. "I grew to understand this land, to realize its potential. I was blinded before, I admit." I grew to even love her. "Isn't that exactly what you wanted? Or would you rather sit there and argue with me the very outcome you expected of me? Isn't this what you wanted?"


[CASSANDRA]
It was difficult not to sit there, staring at this whole conversation with wide, green eyes. She was already halfway done with her second glass of wine because it was the only thing she could think to do. And that would help keep her mouth shut. This was not her fight. Aric and the queen had to do this. That was when she made the mistake of looking across at Orin, and she almost choked trying to keep herself from laughing. She contorted her face into a look of cringing worry before hearing Aric's retort that made her smile with pride. Maybe she was even beaming.


[EDWARD]
He leaned back in his chair, watching Aric as he spoke, as he admitted to understand the land and that he was doing as he was asked. He shrugged his shoulders and laughed. "Alright, alright. Easy brother... I just want to know exactly what I am spending my money on... Am I wrong for that?" He shoved a roll of bread in his mouth and chewed quickly. "Why is no one eating?"


[ALEXANDRIA]
Her gaze shifted to Aric as he explained his feelings for Aralore now. But said nothing about her and if he felt anything towards her. Maybe he did not have feelings for her. Maybe it was just about her land and people. But he could have also been keeping his feelings from Edward, not wanting to admit any of their private conversations or emotions. They had almost kissed. Surely he felt something. But he had also become so distant from her since. She slowly pulled her hand from Aric and quietly began filling her plate with some food. Though she had no appetite right now, she would force down some food as to not look like Edward was getting to her.


[ORIN]
He caught Cassandra's reaction to his expression and grinned, beginning to make himself busy with grabbing food from the trays. Finally it gave him something to do to stay preoccupied and his mouth full so he couldn't say anything.


[ARIC]
He didn't want his brother to know anymore than that. Maybe it was foolish, but he was not about to confess whatever it he felt for this woman for the first time in front of a group of people. Some he loved dearly...and some he didn't completely trust. Aric wondered if she was hurt by that as she pulled her hand away, or if she was doing it so she could eat. Nevertheless, he leaned back in his seat, barely putting much food onto his plate. He was at a loss for words right now, and quietly flagged over a servant for some wine.


[CASSANDRA]
Oh, the tension in the air was really thick now, and that second glass of wine was completely gone. Cassandra wasn't sure she would have been able to keep quiet, but once again, she was proud of him for standing strong and staying silent. That didn't mean she was going to be. Maybe the quiet was worse than anything else. "So, my dear cousin. How long do you plan on staying in Aralore?" It was a question they were all wondering.


[EDWARD]
He looked at his cousin and smiled. "I'm not certain yet. Perhaps a day or two." He looked at his sons and urged them to eat their dinner before looking back at his wife to make sure she was eating. He would stay silent for now, just regarding everyone at the table as he ate. He had some more questions, but it was better to wait until after dinner.


[ALEXANDRIA]
Thank you, Cassandra, for asking the very question that everyone was hoping to hear. At Edward's answer, she found herself nearly sighing of relief, as she feared he would be staying for longer than a couple of days. She remained quiet for the time being, picking at the food on her plate. The silence got to her too. She wasn't sure if she preferred the silence or the pestering questions. She took her glass of wine and quickly downed it. Her eyes wandering around the table, hoping someone would just start up a conversation. Anything. But there was nothing but silence and the sounds of forks scraping the plates. She cleared her throat and spoke quietly to Aric, hoping the others would follow suit and have conversations with one another. "You must try this spread, Aric..." She placed some of the raspberry looking jam on a piece of bread and handed it over to him. "It came from the new gardens planted over the summer." She smiled to him, hoping he'd understand the pointless small talk.


[CASSANDRA]
She seemed pleased with herself and Edward's answer. Whether he would stick to that, who knew...but for now, to make herself feel better, she was hoping the next couple of days went by quickly. "Very good," she murmured casually before reaching for a bit of food. The Duchess seemed more interested in drinking wine than eating, though. It made things more tolerable. She reached for a couple of sweets and offered them to the boys who were sadly and unusually quiet. Cass didn't like what their father's presence did to them, or Eleesa for that matter.


[ARIC]
This was agonizing. He wished he could say it was simply dull because that would be a bit more easy to deal with. Dark eyes were beginning to unfocus, maybe he was even trying to tune everything out as he idly played with the food on his plate. Alexandria's gentle voice beside him caused him to blink, and he looked over to her and the offered food. He appeared confused at first, very briefly, before he suppressed a smile. Yes, Aric understood what she was trying to do, and he took the bread in hand for a bite. "Mm, it's very good."
Henry's feeble voice even chimed in, agreeing, "Yes, majesty. Can't remember the last time I had such lovely jam."
"That's because Tresteria doesn't have good jam, dear," Cassandra was quick to point out soon after.


[ALEXANDRIA]
She smiled as Aric caught her lead and joined in, which sparked the conversation as Henry and Cassandra jumped in. She glanced across the table at Cassandra and laughed slightly. "No? Hmm... Well perhaps Aralore will have to ship some over there. We've always been lucky with growing fruit and vegetables and several of the farmers have gotten quite good at making butters and jams." Oh, this was painful. Please, anyone... But Edward, bring something else up.


[ORIN]
He knew what his sister was doing, and he tried so hard not to laugh. Jam. Really, Alexandria, that was the best you could come up with? He finally spoke after keeping silent this whole time. "That can be debatable, Alexandria." He laughed and suddenly changed the subject, saving them all from the talk about jam. "Oh. Did you hear about the village the other day? They were able to reopen the tavern and held quite the gathering to celebrate. It was great seeing the people come together again and it really brought life back..."


[EDWARD]
He was hardly paying attention. HIs eyes were mostly staring at his brother, watching his every move. Wondering what he saw in this place and why he suddenly changed his mind. He wasn't sure if he fully believed him. Or maybe he was holding out on something. Hiding something from him, even. He had various questions running through his mind, and when Orin finished speaking, he spoke out. "So... What if I decide to break this arrangement? I'm not sure I feel comfortable with this anymore... With the progress...with offering anymore of my money.. This place still looks dead... What does Aralore really have... Or will have to offer Tresteria? Besides jam. I forget our initial arrangement and why I agreed to this...Nothing is secure or promising. So why? Surely I could find you a better match, Aric..." He glanced to Alexandria, his expression unimpressed with the woman before him. He did not like the way she spoke out, and Aric did nothing to correct her or put her in her place. "And should this queen happen to die, say tomorrow... for whatever reason..." He stuffed his mouth full of food and again, spoke with his mouth full. "Who would take over? Surely not her illegitimate brother...Would I get claim to the land since I've already seemingly donated my money. "


[ARIC]
This was painful, but not as painful as it was about to be. Aric was expected this from his brother, unfortunately; he just wasn't sure if it was Edward testing the very dangerous waters and toying with them...or if he was serious about breaking this arrangement. An arrangement that had been his entire idea from the start. He wouldn't have agreed to it if he didn't see any merit in it.
His jaws were clenched so tight that it was beginning to hurt; his nails digging into his palms as he balled hands into fists to keep from saying anything he would regret. But nothing stopped him when his brother said the wrong thing far too casually.
Aric stood up so quickly that his chair skittered and fell backwards behind him, his fork clamoring loudly onto the plate. The table even shook with the abrupt violence of it before he was leaning forward to steady his gaze dangerously on Edward. Despite his actions and how every muscle in his body tensed, he didn't scream. No, his voice dropped to a dark octave, steady and alarming...like he might snap again if Edward said the wrong thing, "Is that a threat?"


[ELEESA]
So taken aback by what her husband said, Eleesa actually gasped, her brown eyes growing wide. After all of this, he would retract his offer? He would let an entire kingdom suffer because he was too self absorbed to do what was right?
None of this was new to her. And as much as it pained her, she could do nothing. Still, she was rising up from her seat after he made what certainly sounded like a threat, and the last thing she wanted was for her sons to witness this. Whatever it was about to be. Their uncle looked as though he might reach over the table and murder their father right then and there. Shaking, she ushered the boys from their seats. "Let's go," she whispered to them, then she daringly looked to her husband in passing. "They do not need to see this!" Eleesa's voice was still low, but the room was so quiet that even servants on the other side of the room could hear.


[CASSANDRA]
She needed another glass of wine. A servant was graciously refilling her glass when Edward said the worse things imaginable. Her wine nearly spilled out as she trembled when trying to place the glass down; green eyes opened wide. What startled her even more was how swiftly Aric was rising up from his chair, breaking the silence with a deafening echo of heavy wood.
Something was about to happen...she just wasn't sure what yet. As much as she wanted to see Aric bloody Edward's face up right now, that wasn't the best of ideas. So when Eleesa was getting up to get the princes out, she was doing the same with her Henry. "Henry," she whispered to him, trying not to shake. "I need you to escort Eleesa and the boys to their room, alright?"
"Will you be-" he started before she gently interrupted in a rush.
"I'll be alright. Now go." Planting a quick kiss to the old man's temple, she waved over a helper, and the man would go with Henry, the queen and her sons from the banquet hall.
Now, Cassandra stood there, gripping the back of her chair because she was too afraid to sit down. She didn't like this. She knew she was throwing barbs earlier...but this was different. This was wrong, even for Edward.


[ALEXANDRIA]
There was a genuine smile on her face when Orin spoke of the tavern in the village. It was wonderful news, and she was happy to hear that life was slowly trickling back through the kingdom. But when Edward spoke, her smile was quick to falter as she just sat there staring at the man. She moved her hands under the table to hide her trembling fingers. The very thing she had admitted to Aric about being fearful of, was spilling from Edward's lips now. She had done nothing to this man, and yet, he looked at he with that expression as if she were a pebble that he had stuck in his shoe. She was threatening to take Aric away from her now, and it caused her heart to beat faster in her chest. But then he mentioned her death and questioned who would take over-- a question she often asked herself, honestly. As she had no other family aside from Orin. Before she could react, Aric was standing in an angered fury. She turned her body to face Aric, reaching out to him and taking his hand again. Her other hand wrapping around his forearm. "Aric, it's ok... I don't think it was a threat, he is just asking a question." How was she so calm right now? She wasn't It was taking every breath in her body not to lash out at the man, to scream at him.


[NEMERIS]
Alright, she had remained quiet for as long as she could. Being the ambassador of Aralore, meant this sort of thing called for her response. She had, after all, initiated this arrangement on her tour to find aid in the war and to find allies for Aralore. Aric, nor Alexandria spoke up to defend the arrangement, so she figured she would. Calmly, Nemeris spoke, but her tone was authoritative and strong. "Majesty. I seem to remember that we arranged this alliance because Tresteria has limited agriculture, since your land is mainly made up of sand and beach. Which would explain why you have no jam. But also, because Aralore brings peace and friendship, which Tresteria also lacks. So, if I am correct, Tresteria needs Aralore's support. And lastly, we have a very strong and intelligent army. May I just remind you that we won the war that has left our lands in such devastation? We may have suffered many casualties, but we have some of the strongest, most capable officers who will be able to train new men to build an even stronger army. Should Tresteria ever enter a war, we would be ready to aid in that as well." Despite Edward being a king, Nemeris' tone spoke down to him as if he were the insignificant one here.


[ORIN]
That did sound like a threat, and just as he was about to stand up and shout, Aric had beat him to it, so he remained in his seat, hands balling up into fists. He was fuming, though. It took every bone in his body to stay quiet, but his face would not. He glared at Edward and as nothing else came from Aric, he opened his mouth to speak, but Nemeris began talking. He shot a gaze over to Cassandra as if pleading with her to help him calm down, or he was going to explode and shove his fist into Edward's face.


[EDWARD]
He slid backwards in his chair, almost startled by Aric's outburst. When his wife got up and took the kids, he waved her off as she scolded him. He stared at Aric and raised a brow. "A threat? Which part? To pull the alliance.. Yes, that's a threat. This kingdom has no stability. I was wrong to make the arrangement based on hope..." Edward hadn't even realized that speaking of Alexandria's death may have come across as a threat, so he thought nothing of it. "Sit down brother." Eyes shifted to Nemeris as she spoke. Yes, he remembered this woman--such a beauty, but a cold one. He stared at her, thinking to himself as she spoke, hardly listening. 'I'd keep this alliance just to bed you for a night...' The thought made him smirk, and Nemeris was still speaking of all the things Aralore had to offer. He laughed and held his hands out open, questioningly. "And where are all these things now? As I said... This alliance is based on nothing but hope..."


[ARIC]
It was hard to concentrate on anything else right now. Even if Edward hadn't meant it, he wasn't explaining that it was a mistake on his part. It was never his fault, was it? Perhaps Aric had acted too rationally and too quickly, but he knew he wasn't the only one fuming.
Still, Edward had threatened her, intentionally or not, and it was sudden instinct for him to shield her...even from his own flesh and blood. Alexandria's hand found his, and he clung to her touch as though it were the only thing that would keep him grounded. And maybe it was.
"I will not sit," he began, struggling to maintain control but his tone was still bitter. "This is just like you, brother. You expect an entire kingdom, devastated by war, to be in working condition in just a few months? You have no concept of anything besides the amount of gold you possess. It can take years and even more resources. I didn't think you were this ignorant." Was he right to be so angry and so quickly at this man? Had it only been a short while ago that he had gone back to Tresteria to find another way to keep this alliance without the marriage? Only for him to stand there now, realizing that he did not want to part from Aralore or its queen.
Finally, Nemeris was speaking up, and he gladly kept silent for her to do so. Aric only met the woman briefly, but he didn't need to know anymore about her to know her dedication to her queen.


[CASSANDRA]
Aric wouldn't calm down, and she was afraid this might escalate even further if he didn't. She didn't blame him in the least, and his reaction only made it far more clear that he'd grown close to the queen. Perhaps even more than simply "close". That made her quickly remember that there was also another who would guard Alexandria with his life, and Cassandra found Orin looking at her, looking for something to keep him rooted in his seat before his own anger consumed him.
She was panicking, even while admiring the woman, Nemeris, for her little speech. The Duchess couldn't remember if they had ever met, but she already liked and respected her. Without seeming desperate, she slowly trailed around the end of the table to drift to Orin's side. From there, she could stop Aric from doing anything foolish (though it looked like Alexandria was already taking care of it), as well as put a hand on Orin's arm. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his jacket, warning and pleading for him to stay where he was as green eyes settled upon the king.
"Please, cousin," she spoke to Edward. All of a sudden, her tone was different, less sarcastic and sharp. "How would this look to your people, to history if you withdrew the alliance? Aralore is in need of your help, and she can be great again because of you." It sickened her to play it sweet, but bitterness would do not good now.


[ALEXANDRIA]
She was so appreciative of Nemeris' interference, then. If Alexandria had to speak these things, she probably would not have been as calm as the ambassador was. This only further reminded her why Nemeris was perfect for this position. But as Edward shot her down, Alexandria frowned. Aric was speaking again, not heading her attempt to calm him. She squeezed his hand tightly, coming to her feet then, her other hand moving now to his shoulder and she leaned into him, whispering. "Aric..." She said nothing else, because she honestly couldn't blame him. He was keeping his promise and was sticking up for her and her kingdom. She admired him, more than anything. But making Edward angry, wouldn't make things any better right now. She glanced from Aric and over to Cassandra and her brother, appreciative of the woman's plea with the king, and for what looked like she was trying to keep her brother calm, now. He hadn't spoken up, which she knew must have been very difficult for him. Finally, when Cassandra finished, it was Alexandria's turn to speak. She faced Edward, her hand never letting go of Aric, but she was trembling. "If there is no hope to rely on, then there would be nothing, majesty... I simply ask that you trust me... Trust your own brother... We are doing everything in our power to rebuild and can promise you that we will thrive once again..." She wasn't sure if any of them would get through to him.


[ORIN]
He couldn't look at the king any longer, so he set his eyes down on his plate of untouched food. He had pushed slightly away from the table, and now rested his elbows on his knees, his knees bouncing in irritation. Fingers clasped together and rested against his forehead. But when he felt a hand clasp the fabrics of his jacket, he looked up briefly, finding Cassandra at his side. Now it was her turn to stand up for Aralore and the queen, which almost took him by surprise. Cassandra hadn't seemed to care much for the kingdom since before her kidnapping, but maybe he had gotten through to her somehow.


[EDWARD]
"Ignorant?!" He raised his voice at his brother now. He was calling him ignorant. He let out an annoyed laugh before shaking his head. "No brother, not ignorant... Resourceful. Let me ask you this. In a few years... A kingdom comes to your land asking you to provide for them, but they have absolutely nothing to give in return, except say 'I promise we will eventually give you something in return...'" His voice changed to mock Alexandria's then, before shifting back to his normal gruff voice. "What would you say?" He followed Cassandra as she moved over to Orin, and he raised a brow at her. "How would I look? I would look like I care about my own kingdom and my own people, rather than spend our money and resources on a useless cause..."


[ORIN]
He couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his fist down on the table and spoke out. "It is not a useless cause!" He stood up, then, much like Aric had, though careful not to knock Cassandra over. He pointed his finger at the king and spoke with a harsh tone, gritting through his teeth, spit nearly spatting from his lips through his words. "You come here, like you know everything... Like you've seen everything and have been here all along. But you don't know everything and you haven't seen everything and you haven't been here to see how much work has been done, and how much your brother has worked for. If it was a useless cause, we would all be sitting on our asses hoping you would be doing the work for us. The lands would look like a damned bloody wasteland, as it had before your brother arrived here!" Orin had come to finally appreciate Aric and all he had done for Aralore, and his sister. He hadn't admitted it until now.


[ARIC]
He shouldn't have said anything. Shouldn't have argued like this, but he couldn't contain himself. It seemed everyone else around him had better control on their emotions than he had, after he thought he would do far better. But it all boiled down to Alexandria. It wasn't just the unintentional threat to her life (even Aric didn't want to believe his own brother would stoop that low), it was the idea that he might be forcefully parted from her...and he wasn't about to willingly let that happen. Not unless she wanted it to.
His heart was thundering in his chest, his jaws sore, and he finally withdrew his eyes from Edward when he felt the queen lean into him; his name falling from her lips in a calming plea. His head hung low while Edward argued back, and sought for the words to say but there were none. Cassandra tried her hand in the game, only to be shot down as well.
Then there was Orin. His head instantly lifted to look over at the man who lost all sense and composure, yet with every right. Aralore was promised salvation, and now the king was on the verge of taking it all back. Without Tresteria's resources, there would be little hope of getting the kingdom back on its feet. At least, not to the way it was. Still, there was a sudden sense of comradery from the queen's brother, which was even more reason for Aric not to back down.
Drawing in a breath, dark eyes regarded Alexandria for a moment. There was something apologetic in his eyes, and he prayed that she understood, that she could see the truth in what he was about to say in order to make his tyrant brother comply. "And that is all you want?" he asked Edward, looking at him. "A kingdom? What about a nation, an empire?" It sickened him to say, but he pressed on, trying to appeal to that greedy side he knew his brother had. The last thing he wanted to do was put an even bigger crown on the man's head, but one problem at a time. "You help rebuild Aralore, and they are forever in your debt, Edward." He swore he heard Cassandra gasp behind him, perhaps wondering if he truly meant this.


[CASSANDRA]
She wasn't sure what she expected, but it wasn't for Orin to flip his lid. Not that she could blame him, but it made her jump back in surprise, staring at him in fright and worry. Every word he said- every word any of them said- held merit...but how could they get Edward to listen? Almost subconsciously, she was reaching out to Orin again, gripping at his lapel to get him to focus. Please, she mouthed silently. Stop. But then Aric was speaking again, and she certainly did gasp.
What was he doing? Why was he feeding these ideas to a king who always wanted more, and more than he probably deserved? Aric couldn't be serious! Cassandra bit down hard on her bottom lip, making herself stay silent.


[ALEXANDRIA]
She was about to lose her calm and suddenly, Orin was yelling at the king, pretty much saying exactly what she was thinking in her head. Her eyes never wavered from the king, watching his every expression as her brother yelled at him. But when Aric's voice filled the room, Alexandria turned to look at him, catching that apologetic look he had. As he filled the king's head with the idea of becoming an emperor, Alexandria stood a bit straighter, nearly filling with panic. She squeezed Aric's hand a little tighter as if wondering what the hell he was doing. The last thing she wanted was to be forever in debt with Tresteria and this king. Not to mention, she just pulled from the counsel of Saelis, not wanting her kingdom to be under any other ruler. Now Aric was throwing them right back into that. She only hoped he was bluffing. But now that the idea was planted, how would they get out of that?


[EDWARD]
He held his hand up at Orin, motioning for him to silence himself. His eyes moved back to Aric as he dangled the idea of basically owning Aralore. Finally, something he wanted to hear. He grinned and leaned back in his chair, arms folding over his chest. "Hmmm... I think that's something I might be able to get behind... Finally, brother... Thinking like a true king... After all, that's what I wanted. You to become king so you could take control... There's no business for a woman to be running a kingdom." He sighed, pausing for a moment as he thought. "Very well. I will continue to fund these efforts for Aralore to rebuild. In return we will sign a new treaty agreeing that Aralore will be under Tresteria, and that at any beckon, Aralore will comply." He glanced over to the queen before speaking again. "And my question has still remained unanswered." He leaned forward again, placing his hands on the edge of the table. "Who will take over here if anything should happen to you?"


[ALEXANDRIA]
Her hand slowly released Aric's as Edward suddenly grasped the idea and decided to change the agreement, forcing Aralore to be under his reign. She was losing everything... Everything she had fought for, everything her kingdom had fought for in the war. How was this happening? She fought her tears back, not wanting the king to see her cry. She wasn't sure to think what Aric had planned or up his sleeve, but he was making it sound as if he were betraying her. She suddenly felt defeated. When the king, once again, questioned about her demise, she glanced back up at him, eyes narrowing, and she spoke through her anger. "Aric would." She said what the king wanted to hear. What was the point, her kingdom was being given up, anyway.


[ARIC]
It nearly killed him to say it, but he had to. After everything, after all the pleading, Aric realized what his brother wanted to hear. It was the very last thing he wanted to do, and he was sure that Alexandria, Orin, and every other Elysian in this room listening would think him as horrible as this king before them. He didn't know how he was going to fix it, he only knew that he had to. Somehow. And if he had to beg Alexandria for forgiveness, he'd stay on his knees for however long it took. The touch of her hand was the only thing keeping him stable still, and he silently hoped that she believed in him after all of this, and it was why she didn't viciously pull away from him. Aric had asked her to trust him, and perhaps she was.
His back stiffened when his brother questioned the queen again, and his name off her lips felt like poison. Had this been the idea all along, or did he somehow subconsciously bring it upon Aralore, not knowing what else to do in the heat of the moment? Closing his eyes, he wanted to crumble.


[CASSANDRA]
"Aric, no..." she whispered breathlessly, helplessly. How did this all happen? How did this escalate so quickly? Cassandra was studying Aric's profile as he made this foolish promise, and she wasn't even sure he knew how he was going to get out of it. Surely this wasn't the intent from the very start? No, not Aric. He was a broody bastard, but he wasn't like Edward. She had to remember this, cling to that idea. But poor Alexandria, this was far worse for her.


[ORIN]
Suddenly, things were spinning out of control, fast. One moment, they were fighting for help on rebuilding their land and keeping their alliance, to Aric seemingly betraying them all and offering the kingdom up to his brother. Had he been right about Aric all along? He watched his sister as she suddenly looked completely defeated in everything. He knew she had trusted Aric, and she watched that suddenly drain from her, once again having her heart broken. He glared at Aric, then. Just when he was starting to trust and appreciate the man and all he had done. Well what the hell? He still stood, his fists remaining balled up tightly. He didn't know what to do or say now.


[EDWARD]
He seemed pleased now, a grin on his face. He even began to continue eating his food on his plate, disregarding the huge elephant in the room now. He honestly didn't think his brother was capable of such things. He had first begged him to stop this, but now here he was, throwing the kingdom into his grasp, just as he hoped for. He glanced around the room at everyone's faces, which made him laugh. "Brother, it seems you have possibly tricked these people into thinking you were on their side? But you've successfully done your job. Clever plan... " He laughed, unsure if that really was Aric's intent. He just liked to pour salt into the open wound.


[ALEXANDRIA]
She felt so sick to her stomach, her hands even clutching her stomach, then. How could this be? How could this happen? She tried to think of how she could get out of all this. Did they really need Tresteria's aid? Maybe one of their other allies could assist them? No, she remembered Nemeris telling her none of the other kingdoms had the money or resources. She closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. She was wavering now, and the room spun around her. Suddenly, she felt like she was about to faint. She grabbed hold of the back of her chair and steadied herself. Finally, when she gained her posture she spoke, her voice shaking. "I... I will need to think on this new arrangement. Please excuse me, I am not feeling so well." Before anyone could say anything, she began heading towards the door of the banquet hall, still holding her stomach as if she were about to throw up. She couldn't bring herself to even look at Aric in that moment.


Meanwhile…
It was almost too easy, and pure luck that their ships arrived when the Tresterian ones did. They were able to go undetected as they made their way to Aralore's shore, and somehow managed to blend in. Spies were set up around the kingdom’s grounds, listening in to the people, the guards and the servants as they spoke about the upcoming banquet everyone was on edge over. So it almost seemed they arrived at the perfect time, with the perfect opportunity.
On the evening of the banquet, the men from Saelis began to take action. Several of the Tresterian guards were slaughtered, their uniforms taken and put on as a disguise, a ploy to get into the castle. And it worked. Lurking in the shadows and around the corners, they listened in, and watched.. waiting for the perfect opportunity. The queen needed to die. After their leader, Lord Aramis, had been killed in the war, revenge was sought out now. Finish the war that was never supposed to be won by Aralore. They would kill her and take over the castle, scouring through everything to find what Aramis had been after and was never able to obtain.
Several of the assassins and spies posed as guards just outside the banquet hall, listening in on the conversation and argument that went on in the room. The leader of this mission, Connor, suddenly had a brilliant plan, as he heard the Tresterian king ask about what would happen if the queen died. They wore the guards’ uniforms now and could completely go undetected as being part of Saelis, framing the king that the queen’s assassination was his plan all along, to take over her kingdom. He signaled to Jonas, who stepped over to him and the plan was discussed. It was just a matter of spreading the word to the other members of their mission. Jonas quickly took off to do so.
As a servant headed towards the room, Connor struck them down, killing him. He waved one of his men over and instructed him to put the servant’s clothing on and to enter to banquet hall and wait. He quickly responded, understanding the plan, and he made his way into the hall with the tray of pastries for the party’s dessert. He walked around the table, placing the plates in front of each person, posing as a servant, waiting for his cue.
Throughout the castle, more of Connor’s men scattered about, clearing rooms, locking others in, telling them it was for their own safety—that someone in the castle was going crazy and their Tresterian king ordered them to stay put until further notice. Some of the Araloren guards were told that they were needed outside the castle, as someone was trying to break in. They had run off to scope the problem out.
When the castle seemed secured and empty of any threats, the men all met just outside the banquet hall. Again, they heard Edward bring up the queen’s death. Connor grinned and motioned for everyone to storm into the room just then. Perfect timing.
The doors of the banquet hall smashed open, the loud bang echoed throughout the room. Suddenly, the Tresterian-looking guards began spilling in, clearly outnumbering the party of guests and the Araloren guards that were within the room.


[EDWARD]
He looked to Aric as Alexandria excused herself and began walking away. Aric's expression would say it all as he'd watch his future queen look so defeated and like she wanted nothing to do with him anymore. He was confident that the queen would not back out of this agreement. What else did she have left to do? He had everything exactly as he planned. Though he didn't expect Aric would actually follow through and do exactly as he had hoped. He called after the queen. "We will sign the agreement tomorrow should you decide to agree." It wasn't a question or request. It was the queen's first order.
But just before the queen could leave, the doors were slammed open and it looked as if his guards began to pour in. "What is this?" He yelled out, confused as to why his men were storming into the room.


[ALEXANDRIA]
She did not turn around as Edward called after her, demanding that she had until tomorrow to make a decision. It wasn't enough time. But before she got any closer to the doors, they were thrown open and Tresterian guards came pouring in, looking ready to attack. Alexandria backed up quickly, her eyes filled with fear. Well that's why Edward was so interested in her demise... He wanted to hear her say who she would leave in charge, so that when his people killed her, he could have Aric take over. She continued to back up until she was back at the table with no where else to go.


[NEMERIS]
Well this was not what was agreed upon initially. She could see the pain in Alexandria's eyes and she glared at Aric. She had warned Alexandria to agree to this marriage, and now she could see why. She slowly stood as the queen excused herself. She thought to follow her to talk to her about all of this, but she figured perhaps the woman would need a moment to herself. She glanced around the room and was startled as the doors were thrown open and men began pouring in. Her eyes widened and she stood frozen, unsure what to think.


[ORIN]
He too, would go to console his sister, later. Not after he had a word with Aric. But suddenly, there was a loud bang followed by a bunch of the Tresterian guards. His sister in their path. He called out to her, unable to move because the servant was suddenly in his way. "MOVE!" He shouted, trying to push the man aside. "Alexandria!" The imposter servant suddenly dropped his tray and grabbed hold of Orin, now allowing him to move to help his sister. Orin yelled out at the Araloren guards. "PROTECT YOUR QUEEN!!!"


[ARIC]
Devastation. He saw it on all of their faces. He saw the disgust and the hatred they suddenly had for him. All he wanted to do was take it back, but they would not be doing any better. Alexandria would still be losing something. For now, this bought them time...but he feared she would not believe him. After everything, she would not believe just how sincere he was, and he wouldn't be able to blame her.
Dark eyes turned and narrowed on Edward, wanting to punch that smug and pleasant look right off of his face. "Do not pretend to know my motives!" he growled, his arm swiping food and chinaware right off the table in his fury. It was the only thing he could do besides lunge forward and grab his brother by the throat.
But what hurt the most was Alexandria's dismissal. She couldn't even look at him, devastated by what he had done. "Alexandria, please..." He nearly pleaded, feeling so defeated. This wasn't his intention, but there was nothing he could do right now to prove that.
When the doors burst open and a flood of Tresterian guards came in, he was confused at first. Even his brother seemed to be. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded in an echo of their king. Aric couldn't have been the only one to feel that something wasn't right. He could feel it in his gut, in his bones. There was something wrong about these men, and Orin's voice boomed over all of the confusion. Long legs stepped him over the banquet table to the other side, grabbing a hold of the queen to drag her aside before the men could fully advance. Naturally, he was unarmed...and the Elysian guards were sorely outnumbered. This was going to be a massacre.
"What have you done?!" he roared at Edward.


[CASSANDRA]
She gasped, lunging back further as the doors swung open with more than a dozen of men in Tresteria garb filtered in. Like Aric, her eyes instantly went to Edward in an accusatory way, unable to believe his confusion. There was little time to judge further, because the men charged forward, and Orin ordered the few Elysian guards to protect their queen.
They wouldn't last long. They were far outnumbered.
One of the servants had grabbed a hold of Orin, keeping him from the fray, and in a moment of strange bravery and panic, she retrieved a have drunk bottle of wine...and swung it at the stranger's head.


[ALEXANDRIA]
By the time she had her back to the edge of the table, Aric was grabbing hold of her and pulling her away from the advancing men. She stumbled in her footing, causing her to trip and fall against Aric's chest. She was furious with him, but now wasn't the time arguing. He was blaming his brother, asking him what he has done, and now it made sense. This whole thing was a ploy to what, destroy her kingdom more? Take the land for himself? And while the king was yelling at the guards to back down, it didn't seem believable. Was it an act so he did not look bad? Like he had planned all this. Alexandria clutched to the fabrics of Aric's coat, her eyes were frantically searching his. "Did you have part in all of this!?" But before Aric could answer one of the Elysian guards came crashing down in front of them, blood spilling from his neck, his sword falling just by Aric's feet. Alexandria stumbled backward then as one of the men began approaching.


[ORIN]
He was fuming with anger as the man held him back, making it hard for him to fight back. But suddenly the man's arms loosened and he was falling to the floor. Orin looked to see Cassandra there with the broken bottle, and in any other circumstances he my have laughed, but he simply nodded at her before grabbing hold of her hand, along with Nemeris' and he dragged them away , keeping them behind him as he made his way towards one of the fallen men, grabbing a sword. He needed to get to Alex. She was in Aric's hands, but could he be trusted now? Was he in on this attack and would generally protect her, or was this all his way of gaining power to take over Aralore without having to marry Alexandria.


[ARIC]
The moment she fell against him, he was cradling her, practically dragging her further away from the table as the Elysian guards did their best to fight off these men. There was something in the way they fought, different from the Tresterian ways, but all he could think was that his brother brought mercenaries to Aralore with him to kill Alexandria. Perhaps he planned on having them all killed. His mind was swarming with maddening thoughts, afraid of what could be real and what wasn't...before he heard her voice amongst the fray, bringing his eyes back down to her. That probably hurt more than anything, and it left him temporarily speechless, perhaps even paralyzed. The hurt was painted clear across his face before he managed to speak, desperately taking her face within both his hands. "Please tell me you do not believe that! Alexandria, I-" The dying Elysian guard plummeted to the ground in front of them, his sword clattering to the stone. He had to let her go to retrieve the blade, gesturing for her to keeping moving back. "Get to Orin!" He saw the man had his cousin and the ambassador, sword in his hand. There were only two Elysian guards left standing while 8 traitors remained, still advancing towards them, pushing the entire dinner party to the opposite wall of the room. Soon enough, they would have the royals and their company surrounded.
A firm grip on the handle, he pointed the sword at the approaching Tresterian. "Your king ordered you to stand down!" Still, the man advanced. "Stand down!" That horrid feeling was at the pit of his stomach, and Aric found himself having to dodge and deflect the guard's attacks. Were they also turning against their prince now?! The guard managed to forcefully shove him back, but Aric had enough time to adjust and raise the sword, jabbing it sideways underneath the man's arm where his armor did not shield him.


[CASSANDRA]
She was stunned and shaking, standing there like a surprised doe as the servant collapsed to the ground. Cassandra hadn't been thinking, but her fear drove her. The bottle fell from her grasp as he took her hand, ushering her away as the Tresterian guards attacked. The Aralorens had little hope to destroy them all, but they fought valiantly. Five against too many, but they upheld their duty. Edward was demanding that the men stop but they weren't listening, and she was almost half a mind march on over to her cousin and beat his teeth in. How could he do this?!
The fear only worsened when Aric was picking up that sword...killing one of their own when they didn't relent. "We're not making it out of here..." she said frantically to whomever would listen. There had to be another way, there had to be something someone could do.


[EDWARD]
When he realized the guards weren't obeying him, he finally joined in, fighting off what felt like his own men. He didn't what was going in, but Aric was blaming him for this!?" He didn't have a weapon on him, but he was able to grab a fallen sword and started to help the others in the attack. Though he hardly put in much of an effort.


[ORIN]
He had one arm shielding Cassandra and Nemeris, while the other was swinging his sword, trying to keep the traitor away. He quickly glanced back at the women, Cassandra in her frantic cry. "Yes you are." He held them back, coming closer to the table again and he yelled back at Cass and Nemeris. "Get under the table, quick!!" He remained blocking them until they were safely under the table and out of harm's way, before he went full on attack mode on the attackers. He heard Aric yell for Alexandria to get to him, so he looked back, trying to find Alexandria amongst the madness.


[NEMERIS]
She was a woman who tried her best to never show emotion, but now was not one of those times. She had worry across her face, and although she had no weapon, she helped Orin with shielding Cassandra from harm. If anything were to happen to the duchess, she was sure Edward would make things even harder than he already has. As if that were even possible. When Orin instructed her and Cassandra to get under the table, she took hold of Cass' arm and pulled her down with her, crawling underneath and away from the chaos.


[ALEXANDRIA]
Tears were streaming down her face as Aric held her face and her gaze. She looked into his eyes, afraid of what she might find in them. He was hurt by her question. She had trusted him and he threw her into an arrangement that she would have never agreed to in the first place. He betrayed her. What was she supposed to think? But before she could say anything, the Elysian guard was fallen in front of them. Alexandria let go of Aric as he reached for the sword of the fallen guard. Her eyes glanced around, searching for Orin, who was somewhat nearby. She waited until it was safe for her to run to Orin, and she did so, grabbing hold of another sword on her way. "Orin!" She moved behind him, placing her back up against his, drawing the sword to fight. She could not stand aside while they were so outnumbered. Alexandria was able to fight.


[ARIC]
There was a brief lull in the fight, and it was enough time for Aric to reach over for his brother, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. The man had a sword in his hand, but he was barely using it. "Tell me you had nothing to do with this!" he hissed. A rush of feet behind him had him shoving the king away so that he could swing his blade around to clash against an impostor's. Steel scraped against steel until the edge of his blade sliced across the man's neck, giving him a crimson smile. They were down one less Elysian guard, and there were still a few Tresterians to deal with. Glancing over, he turned white to see that Alexandria had taken up a sword. One could admire her bravery, but if anything happened to her…


[CASSANDRA]
She seemed to be the only useless one there, but she wasn't bred for this sort of thing! Fortunately, Nemeris had her wits about her and dragged her beneath the table, but the rest of them may not outlast the Tresterians for much longer. Cassandra wondered if there were more of them, if the rest of the castle were unaware of what was going on. "What if we tried to make it for the door?" she whispered to the ambassador. "We can't sit here and wait. They need help." The fight went on, and still they were outnumbered.


[EDWARD]
He was grabbed by his collar, and he nearly screamed, thinking it was one of the attackers. But at the hiss of Aric's voice he turned to face his brother and he growled. "Of course not!" He pushed his brother back as an attacker approached them. He lost his footing and fell to the ground, his sword went flying across the room. One of the attackers went to Aric, making it impossible for him to go to help his brother. Edward scrambled on the floor, trying to get away as another one of the attackers began to approach him.


[ORIN]
When Alexandria got to him, he was preoccupied with one of the traitors, but he felt Alexandria's back against his and saw in the corner of his eye that she was in fighting stance. He growled. "Alexandria, get under the table, now!!" But then there was the sound of metal clashing. She was fighting one of the men. "Alexandria!!!" He raised his sword, to hold off the man he fought, and he looked to Alexandria, and the man she was fighting. "Please!!" He was begging her. She was putting her life at risk, and they could not afford to lose her. When he turned his glance, a sword was being swung right down on him, slashing his face. He yelled out loud, stumbling. One hand moved to cover his face, while the other tried to continue to fighting. He managed to knock the man down and swung his sword, decapitating the man's head. He was starting to see red, as blood began spilling into his eyes. But he tried to keep pushing forward. His sister was still fighting off one of the men. He stumbled over to her, grabbing hold of her arm and pulling her away, pushing her behind him so he could continue her fight with the man.


[NEMERIS]
She clung to Cassandra's hand as they knelt underneath the table. When the woman asked if they should try for the door, Nemeris glanced around, trying to see if they could possibly have a clear path to the door. She crawled to the edge of the table and glanced over towards the door, they may have a chance. There was still one Aralore guard, Aric, Orin, somewhat Edward, and dammit, Alexandria? But still five of the Tresterian imposters. Nemeris turned to Cassandra and motioned her to follow behind her. They needed to find the other guards.


[ALEXANDRIA]
She ignored her brother's pleas for her to get to safety. She could not stand by and watch them, outnumbered. She was handling her own, keeping the man at bay, even perhaps making him fight harder than he expected he would. When Orin yelled out, she couldn't turn to him, as she was busy with the man. But suddenly, Orin was pushing her away and taking care of the man she was fighting with. It was then that she saw Edward, scrambling on the floor, trying to get away from one of the imposter guards, weaponless. Alexandria rushed over and quickly stabbed the man in the stomach, saving Edward from his near death. She didn't spend anymore time there, and she was moving off to help with the next. They were down to three more guards, still only one Aralore guard remained.


[ARIC]
He heard his brother frantically scrambling. Aric turned to take care of it, only to find that Alexandria, sword still in hand, saved the bastard king from what would have inevitably been his doom. Despite the danger they were all drastically in, Aric couldn't help but watch the woman in awe. A moment that couldn't last any longer because one of the last three men were charging at him. He was shouldered in the chest, sending him sprawling, head over heels across the dinner table. He fell to the ground with a grunt, struggling to get his breath as he achingly climbed back up to his feet near Orin.


[CASSANDRA]
The Duchess didn't let go of the woman's hand unless she forced her off. Yet, as frightened as she was, she was too scared to stay put. There was no telling what would be awaiting them on the other side of that door, but if they didn't try, they couldn't be sure what would happen. If there were more imposters, they would need help.
Nodding to Nem, she drew in a deep breath before following behind the ambassador as they rushed towards the door. Hands gripped tightly into the skirt of that beautiful, green dress to hike up the hem so that she could avoid tripping. One of the men, however, spotted their desperate flee and followed in pursuit.


[ORIN]
He was struggling now, his face covered in blood. He could not see. He quickly wiped his face with his sleeve, giving him a moment to see Cass and Nem escape out the room. But when he saw the man begin to follow them, he struggled back to his feet, heading towards the door. He grabbed hold of a knife from his boot and tossed it towards the man, trying to follow them. The knife sank into the man's back, causing him to fall. Shortly after, Orin lost his strength and collapsed to the floor.


[ALEXANDRIA]
She had a moment to rest, as Aric had one man occupied, the other Elysian guard had the other, and Orin had just took down the third. She saw Orin fall and quickly went to him, kneeling down on the floor by his side. "Orin!" She saw all the blood over his face and quickly tore a piece of fabric from the bottom of her dress, placing it on his face to try and stop the blood. In her moment of panic, she did not notice that the servant man Cassandra had knocked out, had come to and was lashing out, stabbing Alexandria in her side. A shriek escaped her lips and she fell next to Orin. The man got up, now hovering over the queen, the knife at her throat now.


[ARIC]
He was the last to catch sight of his cousin and the ambassador trying to run for it, and Orin collapsing after taking out the guard chasing after them. Slamming an elbow fiercely into his opponent's face, it caused the man to stumble, giving him an opening to run him through with the knife. Before the guard could collapse to the ground, he heard the terrifying cry.
He turned to see Alexandria falling beside her brother and the servant hovering over her. Panic set in, adrenaline pushing him forward faster than he thought imaginable and tackled the man straight to the ground. Crashing to the stone, there was a struggle until Aric forcefully slammed the other's into the floor. Not once, not twice, but three times until he heard the pronounced and sickening crack of his skull. The guard instantly went limp, allowing him to desperately crawl over to the queen, praying that she was alright. "Alex? Alexandria?"


[CASSANDRA]
She and the ambassador made it to the door, unaware of everything that was going on behind them. Terrified even still, she flung it open to look out...fortunately not seeing anymore Tresterians (or anyone for that matter) waiting outside. Once the final man was was killed, the castle was eerily silent. And that worried her even further.
Until she heard her cousin call out the queen's name. Fear on her face, Cass spun around to find Aric rushing over to Alexandria's side, who was on the ground near her brother. "Oh my God," she breathed, her heart drumming with worry. Were they safe here? Would there be more coming? Should they try to move? Cassandra's questioning gaze turned back to Nemeris briefly before she ran back into the blood soaked banquet hall, sliding down to her knees. "Aric, the queen...?" She tried to ask, afraid to hear the worst. Meanwhile, her small hands tried to roll Orin onto his back, instantly seeing the red all over his face. They were going to need a healer.


[NEMERIS]
She knew there would be injuries, so while Cassandra ran back into the banquet hall, Nemeris left, heading to fetch a healer that they would need. To find the guards. If there were any other of the men around the castle, they needed to fight and get rid of them.


[EDWARD]
He remained on the floor, unable to move. The queen had just saved his life? After all he had done and argued and made her feel horrible... She still risked her life to save his. He sat there, ashamed. When is seemed that Aric, Orin and Alexandria had the fight better under control, he managed to slip out of the room. He needed to get away from all this.


[ORIN]
He yelled out when Alexandria put pressure on his wound. It hurt like a bitch. But it wasn't long after, that she wasn't there, and she was shrieking out herself. He tried to move to look to see what was going on, to help her, and he saw the man there, over his sister with the knife. He tried to get up, to help her, but he couldn't move and he didn't know why. Luckily, Aric was at her side, saving her from the man with the knife at her throat. Blackness. Slowly, he became weaker and drifted out of consciousness.


[ALEXANDRIA]
She laid there, her hands grasping at her side where she had been stabbed, blood was soaking through her beautiful blue dress, making it now appear black. Her hands were covered in blood and she couldn't move. She heard Aric attack her attacker, smashing his skull into the floor, and when he was over her calling out her name, he seemed as if he was getting further away from him. She looked up at him, with weakness in her eyes. Her bloodied hand reached up to take his hand. "...Aric?"
Then Cassandra was at her side, too, but she couldn't look away from Aric now. He was fading away.


[ARIC]
Flooded with concern for Alexandria, he hadn't noticed his coward of a brother flee the room. Nor did he care. When the queen began to move, Aric was quickly shrugging out of his jacket, using it to put pressure against the wound at her side. "I don't know," he answered Cassandra. Dark eyes briefly glanced over to Orin as his cousin tried to rile him awake.
When Alex's hand reached out, he was taking it instantly. "I'm here," he told her, giving that hand a squeeze. "You're going to be alright. Nemeris is getting help, just stay with me, alright?" He tried to reassure her with a smile, but it did little to mask his fear for her. "I'm sorry." Those words were barely audible as he moved his hand to her face.


[CASSANDRA]
She wondered if she should have gone instead of the ambassador, but Nemeris would know the castle far better than she. "You, sir!" she called out to the tired Elysian guard that was left. "The ambassador...please aide her in finding a healer. We need one quickly!" As he jogged off, Cassandra still felt useless and helpless, afraid for both Alexandria and Orin. At least the queen was talking, but barely. "Orin?" she called to him, taking the torn piece of fabric Alexandria had created. "Orin, I need you to answer me." Panic was in her tone, and she looked at Aric who wore the same expression as she. How horrible it was that both Aralorens were injured after an attack by those pretending to be Tresterian. Now, her nerves were becoming frayed, so the attitude was coming out since it was the only thing she had. "Dammit, Orin, answer me," she hissed, slapping the uninjured side of his face just enough to hopefully wake him up.


[ORIN]
He laid there unconscious, unable to move. Probably for the best, as if he knew Alexandria was injured, he would be disregarding his own wounds and would be distraughtly trying to help his sister. As he was slapped and shook, Orin wasn't responding. Until finally, he coughed, groaning in pain, his uninjured eye opening slightly only to see Cassandra kneeling over him. "Cass? Where is Alexandria?" He was struggling, his voice barely coming out no louder than a light whisper.


[ALEXANDRIA]
She stared up at Aric, afraid to move or look anywhere else. She felt his hand in her own and his other touch her face. Tears began flowing from her eyes and she spoke quietly. "We couldn't afford to lose anymore men...." Even still, in her injured state, she was worrying about the state of her kingdom. She feared that whomever these attackers were, they were waging war outside the castle as well. Was it all over, now? She wasn't sure how much fight she had left in her. Her grip in Aric's hand weakened, loosening from his and she struggled to keep her eyes open. She felt awful, felt as if she would die in that very moment, and there was nothing she could do. She cried softly, looking up at Aric desperately. "Please... Please take care of them for me..."


[CASSANDRA]
She breathed in light relief when he finally responded. And from what she could discern, his face was the only thing that had been injured, but now he wouldn't sit still for her to make sure. Pushing him down by his shoulder, she was trying to carefully wipe the blood form his face and better see the wound. She was no healer, but she feared that might scar.
"She's...she's right here," she told him hesitantly. "Nemeris has gone to get help." And she hoped she came back soon. Tears were welling up in her eyes, seeing the carnage all around them, and her concern for the queen was only increasing. How did it come to this? Who were those men?


[ARIC]
The ambassador needed to move faster. Aric could feel Alexandria beginning to slip away, and he removed his hand from hers so that he could keep pressure on her wound; his other still cradling her face. "And we're not going to lose you," he said, his voice wavering and yet somehow still strong. "You just need to stay awake, alright? Stay with me." Staying still was becoming harder for him, because he wanted to run out of that room to look for help. He wanted to cut down any man that got in his way.
Gently, he cradled her to his chest so that he could rest his head against hers, hearing her desperate plea. "No," he said, stubbornly. "No, they need you. I need you, understand? I can't do this again..." He couldn't handle his heart being yanked from his chest and torn apart, not when it had finally been mended. He couldn't lose her. Dark eyes closed, his lips brushing against her brow. "You're not leaving me now." If Nemeris didn't return soon, he was going to break down every damn door in this castle until he found a healer.


[ORIN]
He seemed to calm down as Cassandra reassured that Alexandria was there. But then he heard his sister begging Aric to take care of them, presumably her people. And that's when he started to panic, trying to roll over and sit up, but he was dizzy and fell back onto his back. He yelled out. "What has happened?! Alexandria!" He was panicking now.


[ALEXANDRIA]
She rested her head against Aric's chest, curling up against him. She was in so much pain, and she couldn't help but cry against him. He was urging her to stay awake, but she felt herself fading and sinking harder against him. Aric admitted to her that he needed her, that he couldn't to this again, and she only imagined he meant his wife and not wanting to lose her now. She cried, feeling so heartbroken for him. She was trying to fight , but there wasn't much left in her. "I'm so sorry, Aric... I'm just so tired..." She closed her eyes, then, resting her head on his shoulder, focusing on the sound of his heart beating.


[NEMERIS]
She was sprinting down the halls of the castle, the guard not far behind her in case of any that tried to stop her or attack her. She found her way down the castle steps, heading for the infirmary to where the royal doctor resided. When she reached there, she pounded on the door until it opened. "Please, come with me... Fast. The queen..." She needn't say more, the man was quick to comply, grabbing hold of his bag of medicines and dressings. He motioned for his apprentice to follow behind and grab what he could. It wasn't long before the guard was leading them back to the banquet hall. Nemeris continued on, trying to find other guards to help scope out the rest of the castle. When she found one, she explained what happened. Suddenly, the castle was on full alert, guards were rushing everywhere, searching and trying to safeguard the castle. Nemeris wasn't sure she could return to the banquet hall. She was afraid of what might unfold in there. So she stood in the hallway, watching as the guards frantically moved about, trying to protect the castle. Something they should have been doing all night.


[CASSANDRA]
She wasn't lying to him, but she wasn't telling him everything. The last thing she wanted to do was make him hurt himself more, but Orin was clearly becoming distraught. And she couldn't blame him. The best she could do was hold him down when she could and keep the cloth against his face, looking towards the door every so often in hopes they would see the healer rushing in. "She's going to be alright," she promised him, though wasn't sure if she was now unintentionally lying.
Green eyes flickered towards Aric and the queen, her gut twisting and her heart breaking. Cassandra was afraid he was going to completely lose it, too. And all she could do was sit there and wait and pray.


[ARIC]
Right now, he didn't see Cassandra or Orin, even as the man tried to get to his sister through his panic. He kept his dark eyes on Alexandria, fearful of the next few moments, his fury growing inside his chest for each second that went by and the healer wasn't there. She was fading, she was becoming so fragile far too quickly, and he was nothing but helpless there. "No, no," he quickly muttered as she closed her eyes. "Alexandria!" Where was that goddamn healer?! His heart was pounding wildly inside his chest, his thumb brushing along her cheekbone. "You're not going to leave me right now. You're stronger than this. Come on, open those eyes..." Although he was trying to keep his voice as even and calm as possible, every part of him was vibrating in fear and anger. It was in that moment that he realized his brother wasn't there. And were it not for the woman in his arms, he would have hunted him down like a dog.
Drawing her even closer to him, wary of her wound that he was only able to stop some of the bleeding, he hugged her close. Even if she didn't trust him anymore, even if she no longer cared for him or maybe never did, he had to stop hiding behind his doubts. This may be his only chance, and the idea was killing him. "Alexandria, I need you to stay with me. I love you," he whispered against her ear. "Do you hear me? I love you." He would say hundred more times if he had to.
Just when he feared the worse, the older man was rushing into the banquet hall; out of breath and terrified at the sight around him.


[ORIN]
He laid there, helpless, occasionally trying to get up to see what was going on with his sister, but Cassandra held him down and had the cloth on his face, making it even harder for him to see. He was frantic. "If anything happens to her I will fucking kill that man!" Meaning King Edward--as he had suspicion, as maybe everyone else did, that he was behind this all. Those were his guards, weren't they? He squirmed under Cassandra, nearly fighting to get her off of him.


[ALEXANDRIA]
His voice was fading away from her even more now. She heard him call out her name and ask her to open her eyes back up, but it was so hard. She was exhausted and her body felt heavier against Aric as he pulled her closer to him. She felt his breath against her ear, causing her to shiver against him. Did he just say something to her, because his voice was so muffled now. She thought she heard him say that he loved her, but she couldn't be sure, was she only imagining, hoping he was? Her eyes blinked slowly, trying to fight to open them. She managed to open them just enough to see him through small slits. He was looking down at her, eyes staring at her. The last time they were this close, they had nearly kissed. The last few weeks, they didn't dare touch or test that boundary again. She stared at him, tears streaming out of her eyes slowly. She needed to tell him in case she died, in case she would never get to see him again. He needed to know how she felt so he wouldn't live in misery thinking that she did not care for him--that she was angry with him. Her lips parted, but only a faint whisper escaped them. "Aric... I... " She paused, as if she couldn't speak anymore, but she pushed herself through it, forcing the words to escape. "I love--" But she couldn't hold on any longer, and she drifted off, her body becoming limp against him.