Alexander

The sun begins to creep above the horizon, allowing a weak blue light to filter into the room. I shoot upright, eyes darting frantically as I search for the Dark Aes Sidhe who was here last night. My head spins, making me aware that I sat up too quickly, but Illius is there to press me gently back to the pillows again, quelling my panic.

"Where did she go? What happened?" I ask, suddenly aware of the pounding in my head. My mouth is as dry as a desert, making me feel as though I drank too much alcohol the night before when I have not touched a drop of it.

Illius notes my wince and presses a hand to my forehead, his pale face pensive. "She is gone. I sent her away, for now, so do not worry. How are you feeling?"

Taking comfort in his familiar proximity, I allow myself to exhale and lean back against my pillows. I notice that Sage lays at my feet and she rests her head on my leg, looking up at me with concern equal to that of My Captain's. "Like I have been kicked in the head by a horse," The whole scene from last night felt like a dream, though judging my Illius' response, it clearly was not. There are other Aes Sidhe, some of which are out to cause Illius harm. I try to swallow, but it escapes my lips as a cough.

Illius pours some water into a cup for me and I take it gratefully, feeling the tickle in my throat return with my anxiety. As I drink, I try to remember the snippets of what happened before I was swallowed by the darkness. I recall that the shadows that overtook my mind and eyesight seemed to be emanating from Czarina herself, which did not feel as terrifying at the time as it does looking back on it. The thought that there have been other people subject to the same feeling, except that they never opened their eyes again makes my stomach flip. I am grateful that she is on good terms with Illius, and that I had him and Sage here to look after me.

"I was able to remember much more after she left," Illius says, giving me time to drain the contents of the cup before speaking. "I had forgotten that humans have a poor response to Aes Sidhe... Typically," He adds, giving me a fond look. "Because the Dark Fae occasionally prey on humans, it would seem as though their presence tends to render them unconscious, much like the venom of a snake."

Illius visibly tenses at the mention of Czarina's dietary habits, though it does not come as much of a surprise to me that something like her would make a meal out of my race. Just looking at her, it was easy enough for me to tell that she was a predator, and the adrenaline that ran through my veins upon first meeting her was not a coincidence. It evokes the same feeling as a Vann-Hest must bring to a land horse, which I suddenly understand much more clearly than I would like.

I crane my neck back to look at Illius, realizing now that he is sitting very close to me on the bed, with his legs stretched out beside mine. It looks as though he had been sitting beside me like this for quite some time, though he rests above the blankets with his sword remaining at his belt. He stares back at me with his silver gaze, and I find it impossible to believe that Illius would ever be a danger to me, or to anyone else who was not being detrimental to me. As long as I have known him, he has never harmed anyone, let alone killed a human. Perhaps it is only the Dark Fae that have the urge to hunt humans for food.

"You are making that face. Are you alright?" Illius is close enough that his breath tickles my face, with an unsurprisingly odorless scent. In fact, he smells faintly of pine and freshwater, as he always does. He leans unnecessarily close to examine my face as if he would be able to tell my health from my expression and places a hand against my forehead once more. "You do not feel as feverish anymore, Praise God."

"Aside from a headache, I feel fine," I do not swat his hand away, though I find it suddenly hard to maintain eye contact with him. Instead, I lock eyes with Sage, who is being surprisingly docile given the proximity of Illius and I. She tilts her head, examining me with her amber eyes. Seeming to find nothing out of the ordinary, she rests her head on my leg again with a sigh, gaze unwavering.

Illius seems oblivious to my reaction of his face being so close to mine but takes his hand away to fold his arms across his chest thoughtfully. "Good. Czarina mentioned that more exposure to her may have a positive effect in terms of building up a tolerance," Judging by his tone, he is not fond of the idea. He clearly does not want her to come around me again, though I cannot help but feel as though she may be telling the truth. "I do not like her being close to you," Illius admits what I find to be obvious.

"Why?" I test him. "I do not think that she is a threat to me. Should we not be more concerned over the presence of..." I trail off, furrowing my brow as I try to recall the name of the Aes Sidhe that Czarina had mentioned. My memory from the night before is coming to me in patches.

"Ashael," Illius says the word as if it were a curse, and I find myself taken back by the hatred in his voice. His eyes have taken on a cold look as he gazes straight ahead. "I-We," Illius corrects himself, knowing that I would never allow him to face this adversary alone. "Will deal with him eventually. For now, my priority is keeping you safe."

Illius turns his head to look at me, all evidence of the ice in his gaze melted away like snow in springtime. A soft smile caresses his lips as he uncrosses his arms to wrap one of them around my shoulders, bringing me closer to him. "I do not wish for anyone else to be close to you. That is why I will not permit Czarina, or anyone else of my species, to come near you."

You are mine.

The unspoken word should not take me by surprise, but I still find my brow raising. I clear my throat, keeping my eyes from glancing away from Illius' intense gaze again. I cannot discover the source of my sudden discomfort, as this sort of interaction between Illius and I is quite the normalcy when we are alone. Perhaps it has to do with that Czarina said. "What does 'boyfriend' and 'Anam Cara' mean?"

Illius' smile grows at my question, and he bends his elbow so that he may run his elegant fingers through my mess of hair. "Just as I said, Sandy. 'Boyfriend' means that you are mine, and 'Anam Cara' means soulmate."

Again, I feel as though it is ridiculous for me to feel shocked at the definition of the words, though I find my throat dry once more and I lick my lips. "Like the ancient Velitian King and your Father?"

"Not quite," Illius muses with a note of amusement. His silver orbs shimmer in the strengthened sunlight that begins to spill into the room, and my stomach feels strangely warm as my eyes lock with his, but I decide that it is likely due to the lack of food.

I am quick enough to know what he is alluding to and accept it with a swallow. Perhaps our peers do have a reason to be suspicious of our closeness, after all. I open my mouth to respond, though I am cut short by a knock on the outside of the door. I am much more startled by the sound than Illius, who has taken on an annoyed expression as he casts a glance behind his shoulder. He allows me to scramble to the edge of the bed in order to stand and follow suit, his eyes on me as I tug my sleeping shirt down and scurry to gather a pair of trousers.

"I am awake, allow me one moment," I call in response to the knock. Sage hops from the bed with silent footfall and shadows me to across the room to change my clothes. Considering that she does not go over to the doorway to investigate, I can assume that the guest is someone that she knows well, and apparently trusts. Aside from Illius or my mother, I cannot imagine who it could be. 

"Fine. Do make haste, Serilda has come as you requested," A voice responds, one that I recognize too well as belonging to Bellamy, strangling the small spark of hope that I had in my throat. "Your Uncle has requested the servants prepare breakfast."

I feel more annoyed that the visitor is Bellamy than I rightfully should, considering that I logically knew that my mother would not be returning so soon. I peek around the privacy screen to share a look with Illius at the mention of another large meal being prepared. There is no sense in reiterating my displeasure of my Uncle's wasteful tendencies at the presence of guests, so I gesture to the wardrobe across the room, addressing Illius. "Will you fetch me a tunic?"

My Captain stands at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed in front of himself again, glaring daggers at the door at the interruption. Noticing my request, he nods and goes to the wardrobe to do as I requested. He selects a navy colored fabric similar to the one that he wears but pauses just out of my reach from behind the screen. "Here you are, Sandy," He states playfully, aware that I cannot reach the garment from my hiding place.

Sage stands between us, keeping her eyes trained on Illius' outstretched hand. The growl that escapes her lips is nearly inaudible, though I quell her uncertainty with a thought. She sighs and slides into a sitting position, though she does not move from her place in between my Captain and myself. Her burning irises never leave Illius' hand. 

I give Illius an incredulous look and extend my hand, hyper-aware of my bare chest. The look that he gives me makes me aware that Illius knows that I am half-naked, and makes no motion to step closer. I narrow my eyes, considering my options. If I order him to hand the tunic to me, there is no doubt that he would do as instructed, however, I sense the challenge in his playful gaze and step forward to snatch it from him.

I am not nearly as muscular as Illius, though I do have enough strength to correct a Vann-Hest who is out of line. As I glance down at myself, I realize that I've gotten much skinnier than I had been before my parents left to take part in the war. I try to ignore the heat of my Captain's gaze on my skin as I hurry to pull the tunic over my head, pretending not to notice my flushed neck as I tighten the laces of the tunic to cover more of my torso.

Illius' smirk is replaced by the slightest grimmace when he sees how my collarbone juts out like jagged rocks against a shoreline. He masks his feelings quickly and quickly removes his eyes from me to find our boots beside the bed. He hands mine to me and slips his own pair on as I sit beside him. Doing my best to forget the look that just flashed upon his face. 

My boots require me to tighten the laces all the way to my knees, but Illius waits patiently for me to be ready with gentle eyes, despite the apparent annoyance it causes the Prince on the other side of the door. Bellamy bangs against the thick wood once more, sharing his dwindling patience for our sluggishness with us. 

By the time that Illius opens the door for me to step out, Bellamy has stepped away to lean against the wall, his arms folded like a small child who was made to wait for a dessert pastry until after his supper. He pushes away from his post and thinks to step into place beside me as we exit the bed-chamber, but Sage's soft growl reminds him of her presence. He decides to wait for Illius to stand beside him, instead.

"Good Heavens, it is about time that the two of you came out. I am not surprised that you were together, of course," Bellamy adds, casting a knowing glance between the two of us with a noticeable smirk on his mouth. Somehow, those blasted eyes of his had known from the beginning. Admittedly, he does have quite the gift. I am grateful to have him as an ally. 

Illius relieves the Guardsmen at the doorway with an acknowledging nod and once he makes certain that the door to my chambers is locked and secured, we begin to make our way down the hallway.

As we begin to make our way to the first floor of the castle to the Dining Hall, Bellamy notices the glance between Illius and I and the sudden tension as we recall the event that occurred with Czarina the night before. Illius takes a half-step closer to me, his hand coming to rest on the hilt at his side as his face takes on a stone expression.

"Well, which of you is going to explain... that?" Bellamy asks after a moment, vexation audible in his tone. I realize that it will be incredibly difficult to hide anything from him with his impossibly quick eyes catching every detail of Illius and I's interactions, including the wordless ones. I revoke my previous thought about being grateful for him.

The hallway is filled with nothing but the sound of our footsteps as I decide how much of the events to share with Bellamy. Illius does not open his mouth to answer our new friend's question, waiting for me to decide whether we will answer him or not, and how much information to provide him with. Knowing that Bellamy has little motivation to use the knowledge against either Illius or I, I can find no excuse not to tell him. Besides, Sage has displayed her trust in him, if only to a certain extent. I decide to have faith in her judgment.

"We had a visitor last night," I begin, though before I am able to explain, Bellamy cuts me off with a shocked response, instantly earning my annoyance. Only another Prince would have enough audacity to interrupt me that way. 

"What? Who would pay you a visit in the dead of the night?"

I run my tongue over my front teeth and cut him an annoyed glare but continue with my explanation. "I am getting to that point, If you have a mustard seed of patience," I pause for a moment, giving him enough time to speak now, rather than cut me off later. 

He rolls his eyes at my tone but says nothing, so I continue.

"An Aes Sidhe by the name of Czarina came to us in the body of a bird. She claims to know Illius from his time in her realm, and that she came to him in order to warn him against the person who made him forget his past life and sentenced him to this world. He is the one who possessed that servant maiden from the market place to attack me."

Though it is general knowledge between the three of us at this point, it still feels surreal to speak the information aloud. Looking at Illius now, it is easy for me to forget that he is not from this world in the way that I am, and that he has been alive for longer than my mind can comprehend. Yet, I am comforted immensely by the knowledge that he has known me and been by my side through each of my reincarnations.

Bellamy raises his brow slightly in surprise. "Are you joking? How would the other Aes Sidhe become aware that Illius regained his memory so quickly?" He asks incredulously.

It feels as though my patience is rather thin today, noticing that my brow has furrowed. Whether my mood has been brought on by last nights events or Bellamy's smug face, I am unsure. "Do I wear the attire of a Jester? I haven't the slightest clue as to why they have come to be aware of the situation already, which is why we will pass the information along to Serilda. If anyone will have the answer, it will be her."

Able to sense my ill-temper, Sage slows her trot to walk closer to me, her lungs producing an audible whine as she glances up to me for guidance. I extend my fingers to brush her silk textured ears, willing my emotions to calm for her sake. It must be frustrating for her to sense my feelings, which change more frequently than the tide.

It is well. I assure her, feeling the truth of my words as Illius reaches a pinky to touch the inside of my wrist, proving the words to be honest. Tingles shadow his feather-light touch against my skin, creating a trail of sensation wherever it grazes. I do my best to ignore the new feelings that quicken my pulse in my eardrums and focus on the situation that we are about to walk in upon. 

I cannot help the sneaking suspicion that Serilda knows about what happened last night, which would explain her sudden visit being timed as perfectly as this. It does little to surprise me, considering her Clairvoyance. 

We pause outside of the Dining Hall, and I take a deep breath to steady my hands. If anyone will be able to provide more insight and offer us much needed assistance to combat this new threat, it will be Serilda. With an approving glance in Illius' direction, he nods to the Guardsman outside of the doors, and the wooden entryway is pushed open for our arrival.