Triplet Queens' mysterious Guard

Heart to heart conversations

1340

Common folk district, fountain

Alicia

“I have no idea what you mean, just say it then. The earlier you say it will be the earlier we sort it out” Jon said from behind her, it was annoying because she knew he honestly had no idea what she was talking about. He could be totally oblivious to things around him and people’s emotions from time to time, sometimes it was like he was not there at all, his body was around but his mind could be so far off. “I am right here Elle, tell me what our problem is.” Jon asked again. He stood up now and put a hand on her shoulder before gently and slowly turning her around so they were now looking into each other’s eyes. “You can tell me anything.” Jon assured her with that smile he had, the one that made anyone around him docile and calm almost instantly it was unleashed. It was his secret weapon and Elle was sure he knew that and used it on people on purpose whenever situations got tense.

“I am not scared of saying anything Jon; I just want you to remember that you are the one encouraging me to speak now. Once I say this I can never take it back, I can never unsay it and you can never unhear it.” She said and paused to look straight into his eyes without blinking. “I love you.” She said calmly and watched the smile spread across her lover’s face. She could think they were just friends but that was not it, men and women who were just friends did not enjoy being with each other this much, did not have this type of chemistry and do not share a kiss while still both very sober. The fact it had happened more than once was enough to prove they were more of lovers than friends. As she looked at his face now she knew her earlier conclusion was not correct, he was not a coward, he was just unsure of what they were and what future it could actually create for both of them.

“You should really learn to stop taking the situation head on and being indirect from time to time Elle, are all royals usually this straight forward? You forced me to dance with you the first day we met; you should have let me be the first to confess my feelings.” He said with a laugh “I love you Elle Gradin, I love you much more than I have loved anyone else since I saw the sun for the first time.” He said now moving his hand down from her shoulder across her arm and holding her hand in his. “I have always loved you mi lady, I thought I made that very clear on your birthday. I used to be like that before, I know you’ve heard the stories and everything but I don’t go around kissing women I don’t love anymore just because they are beautiful. I kissed you because I think me and you are connected by otherworldly forces” he explained with a smile and got Elle to smile back at him.

“Now that we both know we are crazy about each other, what do you intend to do about that?” She asked looking at his eyes. He held her hand in his and moved closer to the stream so that they were both now standing together at the very edge of the little but beautiful flowing body of water. Jon was looking straight ahead and this time it was the other way round. He was looking at nothing ahead of him and was rather lost in thought while Elle stood there with anticipation in her eyes; she really wanted to know if he saw them having any sort of future together.

“Elle we both love each other, but what if at the moment and even in the future that is not enough? You want to know why I haven’t confessed my love to you this whole time. It is because I am the man in this relationship and yet I seem to be the one totally incapable of making it work, I am the one making sure love will never be enough and I don’t even have a say in it. I have pondered on this so many times and I think this is the only reason why I could not tell you how I actually feel about you this whole time, I am the only one who seems to remember you are royalty.” Jon said sounding distant and a bit angry, he was angry but not at anyone. He was angry because he had always noticed how fate tossed people challenges they could never overcome and now said fate had turned around and done the same to him. Elle was thinking now and she felt a bit of relief, he was not a coward or a man afraid of love as she had concluded in the coach earlier but simply a man trying to find a way through a problem that seemingly had no solution. It brought her relief but instant fear as well, a part of her was saying something and she did not want to believe it.

“Jon do you think it would be absolutely wrong or impossible for us to be together now and in the future?” Elle asked as she gently removed her hand from his. There was finality to how she asked that particular question that got all of Jon’s attention and made it clear to him that his next few words would determine how they would move from here onwards.

“It could never be wrong, we have that type of connection people never get to experience in a single lifetime so our being together could never be wrong. Us being together in the future or planning to become a normal couple is however a totally different thing. You are related to the Queen by blood, not just related to her but even a member of her inner court I guess. How am I supposed to walk up to the Queen of Nirvana, the beautiful and great Queen Isabella the first? I have never even seen her, even meeting you was just a moment of good luck on my part; I only met you by mistake. When you consider the actual factors and points in this you would see what I see. There is no way I could get married to you, not here in Nirvana anyway. Not because I don’t want to but because there are things beyond our control and lines that just can’t be crossed, most especially when royalty is involved.” Jon explained still looking at the stream and the empty space ahead before the buildings. He didn’t want to see her eyes now, if he saw hurt in them he would feel worse than he already did. She asked him a question and all he was doing was being totally honest because of how much he cared for her. He didn’t want to look in her eyes now because he was sure she wouldn’t understand things from his perspective, she was the one who was royalty and he was a mere nobody, she obviously wouldn’t fully grasp what that meant for his reality in relation to hers.

“So that was why you did it Jon, which was your intention. Tell me, was that your actual plan or not” Elle said as a single tear dropped down her eye and she wiped it with the sleeve of her long dress, she was not going to cry because she was hurt, especially when the anger she was feeling totally outweighed the hurt at the moment. She was really angry.

“What did I do? What plan?” Jon asked her now turning to look at the visibly angry lady next to him, she looked fiercely beautiful when angry and he caught himself staring at her for some seconds.

“That incidence that occurred the very day after my birthday, the one that was settled only because I mistakenly ran into your mum for the first time, it was all just a cover up. Was that just you trying to let me go? You were trying to separate us even before we got together, weren’t you?” she said coldly and looked at him for an answer, he had recalled exactly what she was talking about and he did not want to lie to her by denying what she said. He stood there but did not waver and did not stop looking at her, he said no word however, and that made it clear to Elle that her deductions were right. “You had no right to do that Jon, especially if you thought I felt the same way. Love goes both ways so I don’t see what gives any one person the right to wake up and decide to make a decision about the love two people share. It is a decision that we should have made together.” She said now unable to ascertain if she was feeling hurt or just plain fury.

“I did that but I could not see it through, I couldn’t see it through because I could not bear the hurt. It was not just because my mother spoke to me. You have to believe that, I would never lie to you.” He said stepping forward and hugging her. She stood still as he hugged her with both her hands still straight beside her. He said to her from his mouth’s position very close to her head. “What brought all this up today Elle, what is all this really about. I know you well enough already to decipher your reason for doing things but right now I am totally lost.” He said with sincerity. She stepped out of the hug gently and coldly now, she didn’t want his hugs right now, they would make her soft with him and if she was soft he would be soft to and probably not fight for their mutual feelings. She had to be hard on him if she wanted him to be capable of firmness when those who would want to separate them finally show up.

She said nothing and began walking back where they had come from, past the bench and towards the line of buildings between the stream and the fountain that would lead to the fountain itself. She was obviously making her way to her coach and not even bothered to say another word to him. She stopped as she got to the blocks of buildings. “You want to know why I brought all this up but I am honestly not in the frame of mind to tell you this myself. I have told Ferran all the important details you need to know, it will be happening in two weeks time and it’s up to you to decide what’s going to happen to both of us next. You can continue living a simple life or chose the hard life that comes with wanting me; it’s all up to you now. I will see you here next week Friday as usual, if Ferran has explained it to you by then and you love me as much as I love you, you will understand why I feel so hurt and angry right now.” She said loudly from where she stood now so he could hear

“You told Ferran what important details?” Jon asked and watched Elle turn away from him and continued walking purposefully towards the fountain where her coach and driver were waiting for her as they did on most Fridays. He couldn’t help but still admire her at that very moment, there was poise and a natural royal elegance to the way she walked that could rival that of any queen.

The events of her birthday had been nearly chaotic after they kissed, he had managed to calm everything down and continue being just friends with Elle. This entire time he never imagined she would still have memories about the events of that strange day.