ALEXEIN

The Well

Warm breeze of air flew and the sun was slightly painful to the skin, not that it was any of their problem since they were in the tent.

“Is this chamomile? “- The prince asked in despair, with eyes visible of disgust

“Yes Your Highness, is it perhaps not to your liking?”- Alexein almost panicked fearing she might’ve offended the Prince while holding the kettle on her hand

“It’s okay, could you just get an oolong tea for me? Thank you”- Prince Arthur

“Certainly, Your Highness, let me just go prepare it, if you'll excuse me ”- Alexein then walked on to the kitchen and realized no one was around, probably because it was after lunch already and they were having lunch themselves.

“Where is it?”- she told herself, anxiously looking for the tea. Scavaging through every door of cabinet she could reach. With the flours, the utensils, the powder of juices where it usually is. Yet nothing.

“Don’t tell me we don’t have the prince’s favorite tea in this gigantic kitchen urgh!”- she felt tired.

She sat on the floor and gazed outside from the open door in the kitchen that delivery men use when delivering supplies to the castle.

It felt right for Alexein, the eight year old child who was just a few weeks ago in her small hut with her aunt; to daydream about her life before everything happened.

“Looking for these”- Alexein almost jumped to her surprise and quickly turned to the voice and saw the prince holding the oolong tea in his hand

“Y-Your Highness”- she bowed her head, careful not to meet the prince’s gaze.

“Sorry you must’ve really looked for it “- he laughed jokingly at her.

Alexein kept quiet, hoping the prince would leave the tea and go back to the forest with the princess.

“I’m not very thirsty for oolong tea anymore, you see”- Prince Arthur as he stepped closer to Alexein, she also stepped back in reflex.

Even she was surprised.

“Forgive me, you must think I’m acting rather vicious”- he snickered

Then again she didn’t answer.

Suddenly a sound of people talking, most probably the kitchen workers were coming back to the kitchen to work.

“Let me have it Your Highness, please wait for me with Her Highness”- She said and reached out her hand.

The prince didn’t answer and simply gave her the tea and left.

Alexein felt an ease in her spine after being left by the prince.

She quickly brew the oolong tea and came back to the tent.

The day went on as normal with Alexein and the prince acting like nothing ever happened.

At night the festivities continued for three days until it was over.

“Did you like the stories Your Highness?”- Alexein asked while cleaning up the Princess’s bed with toys she’d use as characters for her stories.

“ Queen Avira must really be powerful for creating such a big barrier for you guys huh?”- The Princess stated holding the doll from the Prince

“She was, actually it is a fact, Princess that within the center of the palace the queen still rests perfectly preserved”- Alexein shared what rumor she only ever heard herself .

“ That’s so *yawns* cool”- Princess

“Have a good night princess”- Alexein, and tucked the princess in.

As she leaves the room, she quietly walked to the kitchen looking for food and quietly went back after. Before she could even turn to walk the stairs, she could hear people talking.

“They must be wed immediately, I can’t waste any more time”- It sounded like the King.

Alexein was completely still and continued to listen.

“Your majesty it just cant be done, our laws go against it and we must wait until she reaches 15 year of age”- Other man that looks to be the Kings advisor

“ Cant we give the kid a potion or something, I must get my hands on that power as soon as I can. Even if I have to sacrifice my son to achieve it. “- Alexein’s eyes widened with disbelief

Finally the king and the man left, leaving Alexein to debate if what she heard was real or simple because she was going mad.

She hurriedly went back to her room and locked the door. Inspecting all the corners if the prince yet again successfully barged into her room. She sighed a relief after confirming she was alone . Its been three days and the prince hadn’t been targeting her and she’s relieved.

What was an eight year old child going to do with the information she just digested.

She opened her lamp and sat on her dresser.

Could this be? The King wants to harm the prince? Is the princess gonna get killed too? Where do I stand in all this?- a lot of thoughts went through her mind that night. She decided to learn more about what she just heard in order to protect herself in the future.

“Princess I’m going to go get you some pie from the kitchen”- Alexein

“Oh, can you send some for the prince too?”- Princess

“Certainly Your Highness “

Alexein thought it was the best cover up as she proceed to go to the royal library. Her plan failed, not only was she too young to enter the royal library, she also was not even of royal or noble blood .

“ You can come back when your 10 and has a special permission from one of the royal family or a noble, child”- The Guard of the royal library stated

Leaving Alexein no choice but to remove herself from there. She instead went to the kitchen to get the pie and had Geoffrey send some to the prince in the Princess’ name.

“So umh, Chef Sonny have you ever been to the palace’s library?” - Alexein hoped Sonny would be able to get in due to his loyalty to the palace.

“ Even with my years here, its hard to get a special invitation to the library kid, even nobles cant get in”- Chef Sonny felt heartbroken

“You mean no one really gets to enter?”- Alexein still full of curiousity

“Well, not really, the prince always go there to study”- chef Sonny

Alexein’s smile vanished after hearing that the only person she can ask for help was the prince she was trying her best to avoid.

A few days later Alexein still decided not to approach the prince. Every night after she tucks the princess to sleep, she would go and spy on the nobles. Hoping she could hear more about what the King meant with what he said.

But mostly all she could hear was the stories noble had about their wealth and the troubles they had in their estate.

" The harvest was really bad this year, and all the men are useless"- Viscount Reginald Tifaro, complains to another noble.

Maybe that was really just my imagination. I can’t possibly get information when the Knights obviously guard the Kings chamber all the time- she thought

One morning as Alexein was having a picnic with the princess she saw a silhouette as she was gathering flowers that the princess asked her to pick.

“Whos there?”

A gush of wind came over as the person hiding from the bushes revealed himself.

Alexein automatically bowed her head in the presence of the prince.

“Please forgive me your highness, I did not see you”

“That’s alright”

“Please wait here as I call the princess”

“Don’t—“- The prince grabbed her into the forest and into an abandoned well far from the palace.

“May I ask what I can assist you with, Your Highness?”- Alexein

“Sit”- He said pointing to the well

Is he going to drown me?- She thought to herself

The prince sat beside her and started what seems like a study of her being.

“Hmm”- The prince kept murmuring something to himself

“Your Highness?”- Alexein can’t help but feel uncomfortable.

“You really look like her”- He said

“Like her?”- Alexein copied, unsure of what the prince meant.

The prince ignored her and started to gently brush her fringes away from her face

Alexein felt her face burn with shame.

She quickly looked away and acted like she was counting trees.

The prince sat straight and started to talk.

“Queen Avira”- He stated that made Alexein look at him