Return to Glory

Remember Me?

After Aidan’s reluctant revelation, they ate mostly in silence, something for which Alex was actually pretty thankful, as she had the chance to continue to enjoy the voluminous meal while it was still warm. However, she didn’t want to leave the other so somber, so she’d decided to try to discuss the entire matter again afterwards, especially since the blond had mentioned he’d been alone for so long.

“Would you like some more?” the young man asked with what seemed like forced cheerfulness as he saw Alex’s plate empty.

“I’d love to continue eating,” she stated with all honesty, “but luckily I am full. I can’t even remember when was the last time I felt so stuffed.” She hoped her enthusiasm could be at least a bit contagious.

Aidan laughed, though it sounded dry to Alex, and stated, “I’m glad to hear that. But if you want any more, even if it is later, you can serve yourself; it’ll be over here,” he added, indicating the place in the small kitchen where he’d be storing the rest of the fish and bread.

Looking at her surroundings, Alex couldn’t believe this was now the home of a prince. The entire place was as simple as can get; she’d been at peasant homes with more luxuries than this. It wasn’t that she minded, though, as someone that was always on the move, she was of the idea that more is less, but she had been at the castle her fair share of times, and this entire cottage could easily fit in one of the palace’s storage rooms. How could the prince go from that lifestyle to this one? He even seemed to be completely self-sufficient, something that hardly anyone of nobility ever was.

She wondered if he even remembered her. It wasn’t like they’d been friends or anything, but they had crossed paths many times during their childhood, when she’d go to work in the palace with her mother. Aidan had always been rather quiet in their encounters, but she’d liked him, as he had always also been very polite. As both grew older, she had liked him even more, especially as his personality remained as docile as always despite the way his looks developed. As he slowly became a handsome young man, with one of the most important titles one could even desire to have, and with all the riches anyone could imagine, he was still a pleasant boy to talk to. She thought she might have exaggerated her image of him in her memories, but now that she’d been able to interact with him once again, it all came back.

“Aidan?” she asked as he placed the dirty dishes on the countertop.

The young blond quietly turned around and observed her, face expressionless.

“Do you remember me?” she hated sounding so needy, but she did know that if she was going to try to get on his good side again, she’d have to invest what was necessary.

The question seemed to surprise him, as his eyes grew wide under the elegant blond eyebrows, and he peered at her curiously. A few seconds passed slowly, before he frowned and said, “I must apologize, but I am not sure. For what it’s worth, I hardly remember anyone now.”

Alex’s heart sank a bit at the response; she had hoped he’d be more open if he recalled her as something like a childhood friend. And, she must admit that it did sting that she remembered him so fondly, but the sentiment wasn’t reciprocated. Pushing that idea to the side, she continued with her intentions of improving their relationship; she had a mission and there was no way she would get so far, only to fail at the finish line.

“I see… We used to get along pretty well in the palace. I was the daughter of one of the maids…” she stated with nostalgia, sounding more exaggeratedly disappointed in his lack of memory, than what she truly was. She didn’t want to be as manipulative as she was, but there was too much at stake, and befriending him would be the only way to convince him of going back home with her. She knew she could tell others where he was, to see if he could be persuaded by seeing how many people were concerned, but that felt a bit too much like ambushing him, aside from exposing his private space, not to mention that she’d have to share her bounty if that were to happen.

No. This was her victory and she’d achieve it alone. All she had to do was make the young man understand just how much he was needed.

Looking at the somber, green eyes, she couldn’t help but feel something stir inside. She never was one to feel attraction towards any other person; more interested in her missions and taking money home for her mother. She had no room for distractions like this one. But Aidan was truly something else.

Ignoring that thought, she observed the young man, waiting to see if he’d give her some sort of response, or if she’d have to continue nudging.

Oddly enough, she noticed Aidan grow slightly red. “I have a vague idea but don’t know how comfortable you’d be with what I have to ask to confirm you’re the person I think you might be,” he admitted.

“As you might have seen, I am not much of a formal lady,” Alex stated nonchalantly, spreading her arms to signal her entire disheveled look.

Still doubtful, the blond asked timidly, “Were you the one that fell off the stables’ roof into manure and broke her arm?”

Alex spit out a laugh unexpectedly. “Oh, gods, yes, that’s me,” she managed, still chuckling. It wasn’t exactly what she wanted to be remembered by, but it was basically a summary of her persona. She had fallen off those roofs when she shouldn’t have been there, as she had climbed to retrieve a sandbag she had accidentally thrown too high while playing. And she had been so unlucky as to fall directly into manure, which, despite cushioning her crash slightly, wasn’t enough to stop her from injuring her arm. She had to use a bandage and keep it immobilized for months to recover, and even now it would remind her of her clumsiness every time it was about to rain.

Aidan’s eyes lit up and Alex felt something twitch in her stomach. She was on her way to getting to him.

“That was a very unfortunate event, but it did gain you quite some popularity,” he replied. It was true, but she had many more interactions with him aside from having him tell her to stay put and that he’d get help on that occasion.

Not one to reserve her words, Alex stated bluntly, “Yeah, but we actually talked and played together many more times than just that day.”

The blond seemed pensive. “I do recall other flashes, but I truly remember very little of my time in the castle,” he ended up commenting with that same, sad tone again.

“Why?” Alex wanted to bite her tongue sometimes, but the word was out. She had no idea why he could possibly have such a bad memory, when he had left the palace when he was around fifteen-years-old. It had now been nearly ten years, but he had spent more than half of his life in that kingdom; how could he not remember?

“I didn’t like it there. I wanted to leave. So I left and forgot it,” he stated rather simply. “How about we go sit next to the fire? Would you like tea?”

Nodding silently, Alex accepted the invitation and decided to drop the subject for the moment. She’d just be pleasant while they enjoyed each other’s company in his resting room. Given how long she’d been on this mission, if it took her a few days to convince him, it would be well worth it. She’d ease into it calmly.