Heated Hearts

My Alexia ~

~Louis's POV~

I had history at fifth period with her. The two periods after chemistry, without her were 'meh' for me. I didn’t care about anything but her all the time. She was the reason behind me joining this s**t-hole called high school in the first place!

The eagerness and anxiousness to be with her were an understatement. I couldn't help smiling while thinking about her.

So many years have passed since that time, yet she seemed the same. That same innocent smile, that same butter milk skin with that same shy but bold at the same time attitude.Only the name changed and in her mind our memories, but to me she was the same Alexia that I loved centuries ago...

It made me scared for a moment when she told me, she thought she knew me. But I tried my best to lure that topic out of her head and I hope it worked.

If she remembered everything, I knew I would stand no chance against that guy again.

I couldn’t let that happen, even if I had to manipulate her, I would do so.

She was mine, I wasn’t going to let anyone else steal her from me. Not again... I thought.

I waited for her, sitting on the 2nd line of benches as I kept the seat beside me reserved for her.

Sitting there with left palm on my cheek, with a bored expression I kept mentally manipulating and fending away all the girls who tried to take the seat next to me, as I waited for her with every ounce of patience I had in me.

Seven minutes passed, and our history teacher made his entry...

Ten minutes passed, our roll call was done...

Fifteen minutes passed, still no sign of Aster!

Where the hell is she?

My muscles tensed and my fingers tapped on the table as I sat there, trying to calm my nerves, and telling myself to wait another five minutes patiently. She might be on her way, struck in something...

Another five minutes passed, and I huffed. The next moment when Mr. Thomas's eyes landed on mine, I stared back into them, and he tilted his head a little unusually before turning normal.

A few minutes later, as expected, he cleared his throat and called out my name.

I was assigned a task by him that actually didn’t exist and excused from the rest of the class with a pass.

Grabbing my backpack, I ran out of the class. On my way, I heard some girls in the class vexing on Mr. Thomas for luring me out of the class, but I didn’t care about it as I ran down the corridor.

I searched everywhere for her for the next twenty-five minutes. And when I said “everywhere”, I meant each square inch of the bloody school property. But she was nowhere to be found, even her scent had almost vanished from the compound.

As I walked out of the furthest southern building from our main school building where our classes were held, with the thought of performing a locator spell in an urgent basis; a gust of wind swept over me, and instantaneously I caught the intoxicating smell of orchid and blueberry.

My eyebrows creased as I almost ran in my demonic speed towards the fence that lied at the furthest north side of St. Radford, bordering with the dark forest. Though I knew the dark forest wasn’t dangerous like before but I was still afraid for another reason...

My mind was filled with memories...

Before I knew it, I was visualizing it in my mind!

It was almost evening... The sky was colored in the lightest shade of orange and the clouds which were like cotton candies in the morning, now illuminated golden rays...

It had been a few hours since I last saw Alexia. It was like she vanished into thin air after we had breakfast together at the palace front yard. I admit, she had a habit of being on her own as she explored new things, but she always returned home for lunch...

So, today was kind of unusual. I was busy with work most of the time but

for some reason, I was feeling anxious. Several hours ago, I had sent a troop of my soldiers in search of her, but there was no sign of them either.

So, I decided to quit waiting for them and go try finding her myself, instead. The attacks were increasing for the past few nights, so Alexia's safety was now Alfea's earnest responsibility or in other words my responsibility.

After all, as the renewed treaty of our fathers indicated if anything were to happen to them and in their absence, it was my responsibility to protect Alexia and Alfea. It was the sole duty of the prince of Winceston to protect the crown princess of our ally.

The kingdom of Winceston and Alfea were more like “best friend duo” type kingdoms, as both of us had borders with the dark forest and a mutual enemy, we were naturally allies ever since I could remember.

Winceston was always blessed with warriors and physical strength, while Alfea was rich with resources and healing magics. It was like our kingdoms were naturally destined to be allies.

For years after years,Alfea and Winceston fought side by side against the demon clan who ruled the dark forest surrounding us. Even now, our fathers were fighting a battle against them, trying to win back a land on the coastal area that the demon clan had snatched from us earlier.

Alexia and me, we were two years apart from each other in age. I was 19,while she was 17. We were betrothed to each other right after she was born, but she didn’t know that yet. Even I got to know about it a year ago, on my 18th birthday.

We grew up playing with each other, and our teenage years were spent by practicing horse riding, sword fights together. Before I knew it, I fell in love with the highly spirited, brave, careless yet kind girl with breathtaking beauty.

So, when I got to know that we were betrothed, it made me quite happy. In fact, it gave me enough courage to go ahead and confess to Alexia.

As a result, we were a couple now. I couldn’t wait for the day she would turn eighteen, and we'll unite truly, spend the rest of our life with an actual title to our relationship.

I didn’t realize when I ended up near the southern part of the borders but what put me back to reality from my fantasies was a distant figure, head full of fiery red hairs on a horse back.

I hurried my own ride as my lips curled with a satisfactory smile, knowing that was my princess, right there. Riding bravely on a white horse that she called moonlight, her fiery red hairs swinging by her neck making her look like a kindled torch; I could see her smiling as the distance between us shortened by second.

I was so happy at that moment, but what I didn’t know was the reason behind her smile wasn’t me. I was oblivious to the fact that the love of my life, had just met someone in the forbidden forest who stole a part of her heart in one meeting...

If only I knew then... It would've been the end of that bastard... But I was oblivious to everything, as my horse ran and caught up with her, taking her by surprise...

***

In a few seconds, I was standing at the end of the southern fence of St. Radford. Along the way, I didn’t care about someone watching me run at inhuman speed, nor did I care about exposing my existence. The only thing I cared about was History repeating itself...

I couldn’t save my Alexia, I couldn’t keep my part of the treaty. But in this second chance that I earned, I will save her... and I will win this time.

I watched as Aster muttered under her breath, her eyebrows creased, and she pinched the space between them as if trying to get rid of the frustration.

I approached her soundlessly from the back and spoke in a low voice, trying not to startle her.

“In a bad mood?” I asked softly.

Her shoulders tensed immediately, and she flinched, then turned as fast as she could with a horrified expression on her face and her feet wobbled making her imbalance and almost fall.

I quickly responded and strode towards her, holding her wrist I pulled her into me. And there she was, her eyes shut forcefully, her lips pressed hard against each other... My Alexia... I muttered under my breath, and she opened her eyes abruptly to look at me with those emerald green pupils that I loved so much...