Alina

Bernard and Mikal had just returned from the East. Alina watched from her terrace as they flew their Pegasi through the high castle gates, accompanied by Vilfred, Lord Frederik and their guardsmen. When they approached the glass domed stable, she frowned in concern as she realized that Hilda was nowhere to be seen. She was still wondering where she could be, when she found Julian hurrying out of the stable, and her heart fluttered.

She could see Bernard say something to Julian as he dismounted his large black Pegasus, and without warning, Bernard's palm fell against Julian's face with a sudden smack. Her heart sank. Why? Julian had not even spoken a word. Why did Bernard hit him out of nowhere? She watched bitterly as Julian stood still with his head lowered, waiting until Bernard and his men had all dismounted their Pegasi and left. When everyone was gone, Julian simply raised his hand to touch his assaulted cheek, before he quietly turned to take the Pegasi inside the stable.

Not wishing to meet a similar fate when Bernard arrived at her room, Alina quickly hurried down to greet him in the great hall.

When Alina reached the hall entrance, she found Lucian standing nearby, a few steps away from her. He turned and flashed her a big smile. She rolled her eyes. That boy really never got tired. She sighed and gave him a small nod of recognition, and she could swear she saw his smile growing even wider. She turned her face away, holding back an amused smile herself.

Bernard had already spotted her and Lucian at the entrance, his ice blue eyes silently ordering them to come forward. Alina walked towards Bernard and his men, forcing a smile as she curtsied before them. Lord Frederik smiled at her kindly, and Vilfred kissed her hand. But when she found herself standing before Mikal, her smiled faltered as their eyes met and she quickly looked away.

"Alina!" Bernard growled. "Where have your wing chains gone?"

Her heart sank at once. She had hoped that Bernard would not notice her missing chains too soon, and she had made sure to be careful and keep her wings gathered and concealed behind her back, but she realized that in her hurry to avoid meeting Mikal's gaze, she had turned her back and stupidly put her unchained wings on full display for everyone to see. 

"She... she fell down! And the lock broke."

Alina looked up in surprise towards the speaker. It was Lucian. She could only stare at him, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Is that so?" Bernard growled again.

"Y... yes my Lord," Alina said, confirming Lucian's words while her eyes met Bernard's dangerous stare. She shuddered.

"Well, you better not give me a reason to put new ones on you then," Bernard said carelessly before he turned to say something to Lord Frederik. 

Alina let out a long sigh. Apparently, Bernard's mind was busy with more important matters that he did not care for her wings being freed. Alina turned towards Lucian and frowned. She could not believe that he had actually just saved her. He stood there peeking up at her sheepishly with innocent blue eyes. She walked up to him. He stiffened and took a little step backwards.

"I'm sorry!" he said at once.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

"I'm really sorry! I just found myself speaking. I didn't mean to – "

"Thank you." Alina cut him off.

"W...What?"

"Thank you for saving me."

"Oh...but...that was nothing, really," Lucian blushed. "So, you're not mad at me?"

"Of course I'm not," Alina smiled gently. "You know? You are very intriguing, Lucian. I have only ever been unkind to you, and yet you still helped me."

"But I...I don't think you're unkind..." Lucian blushed deeper. "You're just hurt. I mean..."

"Everyone is right it seems," Alina chuckled, understanding for the first time why everyone loved Lucian so much. And she suddenly felt ashamed of herself for ever treating him badly.

"Right about what?" he asked timidly.

"Oh never mind," she said. "It is nice finally speaking to you, Lucie." She gave him another gentle smile, and his mouth fell open in shock. Well, she herself was shocked as well. She would have never thought she would ever tell Lucian, out of all the people in the castle, that it was nice speaking to him. And moreover, using his nickname.

"It's...it's my pleasure!" Lucian's mouth was still open, now in a huge smile rather than shock, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

"My Lady." It was Vilfred who came walking up to them, smiling warmly at Alina before turning to ruffle Lucian's hair. Alina couldn't help but smile back at Vilfred. He seemed to be the only decent person in this castle. He was a true man, strong and powerful, without being evil like Bernard. Handsome and impressive, without being cold like Mikal. Kind and gentle, without being naïve like Lucian. He was a perfect man indeed, and whomever he would wed would probably be the luckiest girl in the North.

"Lady Hilda asked me to deliver this to you," he said as he handed her a closed letter.

"Why is she not back with you?" Alina asked in concern as she still wondered why Hilda was not here.

"She had to stay with King Serenus as a hostage to guarantee our payment for his mercenaries," He explained, and Alina frowned in concern.

"But isn't that too dangerous? How could Lord Frederik leave her there?"

Vilfred chuckled. "Do not worry my lady, she is faring far too well over there. I am sure you will find in her letter enough news to ease your concern." 

Vilfred took Alina's hand and bent down to kiss it gently, before he excused himself. He was so sweet indeed. She smiled, only briefly, until her eyes accidently met Mikal's. Her heart thumped. 

For some reason Mikal always seemed to grow even more handsome every time she saw him, that she wondered if he was using some sort of spell to charm her. He was indeed charming, and it unnerved her, now more than ever. Knowing that her heart belonged to Julian, she no longer thought of Mikal as more than a beautiful face, but the way he looked at her, his eyes filled with unspoken desire unsettled her. More than ever.

***

Alina laughed as she sat by the window in her room, holding up a stack of at least ten papers covered in endless writings. Well, it seemed that Hilda was not only an unstoppable speaker when she talked, but even when she wrote.

She had not realized how long she sat there, absorbed in Hilda's incredible descriptions of the magical Black Islands, until she noticed that the sun hung low in the skies, announcing it was almost time for dinner. Damn, I am late. 

Ever since Bernard sailed to the East, Alina had made it a habit to visit the stable before dinner and spend some time with the Pegasi. Well, it was in fact an excuse to spend time with Julian.

As Alina expected, Julian was feeding the Pegasi when she entered the stables. He turned as he heard her approach and she ran at him in concern, quickly cupping his face and frowning at the dark bruise that rested below his left eye where Bernard had hit him earlier. 

"What did he do that for?" she asked.

"The hell do I know," Julian muttered. Alina closed her eyes and softly brushed her lips over his slightly parted ones. Julian wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deep...

Alina helped Julian feed the Pegasi, like she did every day. It was her favorite part of the day, when she stood so close to him, and her body would brush against his, or his hands would touch hers. She knew it was impossible for them to be together, that no matter how much she wanted to, the most they could do was steal a few innocent kisses and cuddles. But even that was forbidden, and they would both be killed if it were ever found out. 

"Enough for this one," Julian smiled as he lightly touched Alina's shoulder, steering her towards another stall. She smiled as she let him guide her, his hand still on her shoulder.

"Alina?"

Alina turned in horror at the call of her name, and so did Julian who instantly dropped his hand off her shoulder. It was Mikal, staring at them both with the most unreadable expression she had ever seen.

"Come with me," he simply ordered. And Alina, having been caught off guard, found herself involuntarily following his command, without a second thought, and without even turning to look back at Julian, as if Mikal has indeed put some spell on her.

"I have come to know that you spend a lot of time with this boy," Mikal said in a cold unreadable voice as they left the stable.

"I only come to play with the Pegasi," she could barely whisper.

"I doubt Bernard would be happy about that," Mikal said flatly. 

As they reached the oak tree that stood close to the stables, Mikal suddenly turned to face Alina, holding both her shoulders and looking straight into her eyes. She gasped at the suddenness of his touch and she looked up at him in alarm. Surprisingly, he was looking at her with a deep passion that she didn't see quite often in his eyes.

"I fear for you Alina," Mikal said, his voice as soft as velvet. "If Bernard found out that you spend too much time with this human boy he will hurt you. I do not wish to see Bernard hurt you Alina. Because if he does, I will make him pay for it. And if I make him pay for it, I will fall in deep trouble."

Alina's heart raced at Mikal's words, and she didn't know which of these words disturbed her the most. Was it Bernard hurting her, or Mikal making Bernard pay for it, or Mikal falling in trouble for her sake? Or was it perhaps not the words at all, but the silkiness of his voice that unsettled every inch of her being?

"You... don't have to bother..." Alina could barely say, not sure if what she said made any sense anymore.

"How could I not bother Alina?" Mikal was still looking deep into her eyes. Even if she tried to avoid his intense gaze, she could not avoid hearing his deep warm voice and the way he kept repeating her name as if he indulged in the mere sound of it. "Alina..." he said again, and she could feel her whole being flutter at the sweetness of how her name sounded as it came out through his charming lips. Alina was lost, that she did notice when his hands had slid from her shoulders and come to rest at her sides. And before she knew it, he had pulled her into his embrace, his arms closing around her, and his lips closing upon hers.

The suddenness of his kiss was what brought her back to her senses. She quickly turned her face away and attempted to pull herself out of his hold, but his strong arms kept her in place. Neither having the courage to push him away nor force herself out of his embrace, she could only bury her face against his chest, her heart pounding as she stood there locked in his arms. She barely felt his grip loosening a bit, and she took the opportunity at once, pulling away from him.

"Bernard would hurt me for kissing his cousin more than he would hurt me for spending time with a stable boy!" Alina said through angry tears. How she managed to have the strength and confidence to say such a thing, she did not know. She took another step backwards as Mikal looked at her, his face grown cold with reproach, yet still as heartbreakingly handsome as it had always been. And before he had a chance to say anything, Alina turned and hurried back to the keep, flying as fast as she could.

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