Alexander had no wish to get up from his bed. No matter how much he denied it, he did feel low due to all the happenings. 

He ate dinner at his private chambers yesterday, not wishing to face anyone at his current state, only later hearing the news that Clare skipped dinner. He usually pulls her out with him to make her eat but yesterday, it was different. He felt guilty now, thinking about it, but at that moment, Alex felt that it was for the best if he left her alone. 

Even though he was feeling guilty, he couldn't bring himself to meet her. He tried to distract himself by concentrating on Clare's state of mind and her troubles, but when she turned the tables around, he did not know what to do. 

He wondered if he was really feeling sad for losing his throne to his sister. He had always loved her. The only person who he had felt comfortable talking with, or doing anything with. She was the authoritative figure in his life next to their parents. 

He had never been too close with his father. His father had always gone off to deal with political stability after the war while Alex was just a kid. Once he reached a certain age, he was sent off to boarding school to learn about politics, separating him from the rest of the family. 

His mother was the only person who wrote him letters every week. But their mother's letter was not what kept him happy, but his sister's cryptic sentences. To hide the fact that she existed, sending letters was not a prominent option to her, so she used to manage adding a sentence or so at the end of their mother's letters without anyone knowing about it. A normal person reading it would not have understood a single word in it but Alex understood it loud and clear. Such was their love between each other. 

He never really understood why Clare didn't want the throne, but he realized that it had to do something with having to witness the cruelties of war at a very young age.

His mother was a sweetheart too. She had always shown love towards him, no matter what. It broke his heart when the two people he loved the most had a falling out. Even though he wasn't exactly there to witness the fight, just the whispers from the workers told him well enough that it was intense.

Alex's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He believed it to be a butler, here to call him for breakfast. Expecting exactly that, he opened his door in a wide swing and found his mother standing.

"Mom?" He said in surprise.

"Can I come in?" She asked expectantly.

"Yeah, sure," he said and let her in, closing the door later.

"I told them to bring breakfast here. Hope that's fine," she said casually as she walked forward.

"Yes, it's fine mom," he said, glad that he didn't have to go out.

Despite his mother's presence, Alex felt pulled to his past again. He remembered the holidays he used to spend in the castle in between his studies, the only time him and his sister truly bonded. Soon, the whispers about another child of the king and queen spread. Having no other choice, Clare was introduced to the general public during an assembly, not through speech but simply by her attendance. With the little knowledge people had, they believed Classandra to be the second born, his younger sister. Of course, their father felt guilty. He made arrangements to officially announce Clare as the first born but within that, the gears in her head started clicking and she announced that she didn't want to be the heir to the throne. Everyone was shocked. The decision was hers and hers alone. Both their father and their mom tried to persuade her to change her mind but to no avail. Hence, the misunderstanding was left as such for the people to dwell in.

"Are you alright?" His mother asked, startling him from a daze.

"Yes," he said in a reflex. "I'm fine."

His mom nodded, looking intently at his face while he tried to avoid any kind of eye contact.

"At least you ate dinner yesterday, unlike your sister. I should be happy about that, I guess," Elizabeth said, sighing. For that, Alex didn't know what to say.

"Are you angry?" Elizabeth asked. "On me?"

Alex's head jerked towards her in shock. Why would she think that, he wondered.

"If you are," she continued, "please, let it all out. This silent treatment is killing me, especially when it's from you. I already have to deal with one child who acts that way, I can't lose you too."

Alex's heart beat so fast that it was a miracle it didn't fall out. It was a feeling that he didn't really like but had to put up with, once in a while.

"Mom," he said, his voice a whispered shiver. "I'm not angry. And you will never lose me. Nor Clare. You are still her mother. She loves you no matter what."

This time, it was Elizabeth's time to put her head down and nod.

"So, you are not angry?" She asked again, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

Alex shook his head; slowly; very slowly; trying to comprehend his mother's state.

"Sit down," he finally said. Elizabeth nodded, only now realizing that she was still standing. Taking comfortable seats at the couch, they were interrupted by the butler bringing in their food.

"Have you invited Classandra to breakfast?" Elizabeth asked the butler. Alex felt warmth spread in his chest, knowing that their mother didn't leave Clare out.

"Yes, my queen," he said with a bowed head. "Princess refused the first attempt. The second time we tried to contact her, she wasn't in her room, your majesty."

"She wasn't in her room?" The queen asked, surprised. "Yes, your majesty," the butler said, barely a whisper.

The queen nodded and dismissed the butler with the motion of her hand. Once they had their privacy back, she placed her palm on her face and murmured, "what is she up to now?"

"She must have gone for a walk, mom," Alex tried to reason, "you know, just to get some fresh air."

His mother nodded her head for his sake, but deep down, something was nagging at her. She knows her daughter very well. She is someone who likes to have a bit of fresh air but, at her current state, she wouldn't have wanted to get out of her room.

Where is she, she wondered, hoping she was not brewing any trouble.