"Probably. I don't think her parents would be too thrilled if they found out she was sleeping when she should be greeting guests." JC looked down at Alex, sleeping peacefully. "Lexi, come on you have to wake up."
She opened her hazel eyes and looked up at him. "Where are we?"
"At the castle. I think Prince Justin is here. "Alex's eyes widened. "What?!" JC put her down and she started to run toward the throne room. She brushed off her clothes and ran inside the room. Many eyes turned toward her, taking in her very un-princess like appearance. "Alexandra!" gasped her mother. "Why in the world are you dressed like that? Go change this instant! Better yet, just go and get ready for the ball this evening!"
Alex turned and walked out, taking one last look at the people in the room. She came back out into the hall and sighed as the others gathered around her. "Looks like I just made a fool out of myself in front of my betrothed."
"He was there?" asked Dei. Alex nodded. "He was tall, blue eyes, curly blonde hair. Well, I have to go change for tonight, so you're going to have to meet him on your own time." Alex walked off leaving everyone else standing in silence.
"That was her?" asked Justin as he, Lance, and Char walked down the hallway. "That was Princess Alexandra?"
"I guess so," said Lance, shrugging. "At least she didn't look like a stuck-up brat." Char smiled. "Even though she didn't say anything, I think she seems like a nice person. She seems like someone that I would like to get to know."
"Talk about sensors," muttered Justin. "She's already got the girl down." Char laughed. "I just have a good idea of how people are."
"Well, I should take Queen Cythera's advice myself and get ready. Mother will be very mad if I don't look my best." He shrugged and walked into his new room. He closed the door and put his back up against it. He sighed, wishing he could undo what was already written.
"What did you see?" asked King Dain of the Horus Kingdom as Rand stood before him.
"Princess Alexandra walked into the clearing. She seemed to be very upset about something. She had a sword tightly clenched in her fist. I was wondering what she was going to do with it when she started to twirl it and do exercises with it. She was very good. Then that servant of hers JC came in and they talked. Then she got on a horse with him and two friends and rode away." Dain listened intently to what his spy was telling him. "What was said between Alexandra and JC?"
"Well, from the gist of it, I think Alexandra was betrothed against her will." Dain froze. Betrothed. He smiled grimly. He could use this and her reactions to his advantage. He smiled. "Well. I guess she would rather get away from it all. I can certainly help her if she needs it. We'll just see." A wicked grin crossed his face that sent shivers down Rand's spine.
"I hate having to wear this crown," mumbled Alex as Dei helped her get ready for the evening. "It's fine the whole night, but then I try to take it off and it gets caught in my hair or something." Dei laughed and stepped back to look at her. The gown was a deep red and the sleeves slid off of her shoulders. The beaded top fit her tightly until it ended at a V at the waist. From there, the skirts billowed out. A small golden crown, inlaid with rubies, rested on her head and golden ringlets of her curled hair fell from it.
"You look great," said Dei.
"Thanks," said Alex as she sighed. "I'd rather be doing something else, but I can't unless I like what death would do to me." Dei laughed again. "Well, you have to go." Alex stood up. "I'm going to puncture a lung in this dress."
"It fits you perfectly. Now get out there." She grumbled as she shuffled toward the door, her skirts swaying around her. She walked out the door and turned to see JC jogging down the hall, doing the buttons on his sleeves. He looked up and stopped dead in his tracks. She blushed from his stare until he shook his head and finished walking toward her. "You look great." She smiled." Thanks. Are you ready?" He smiled. "I guess so." They started to walk down the hallway and JC reached up to fix his collar.
He started mumbling as he tried to fix it with no luck. As they reached the mahogany doors, Alex started to laugh. "Oh, let me do it." She reached behind his neck and fixed the collar. "I owe you so much," he joked as she took her arms away.
"I know," she replied. They laughed and the great herald walked out to the doors.
"You look very lovely tonight Your Highness," he commented.
"Thank you," she said. She turned and looked nervously at the closed door. "Justin is already down there, he was introduced a few minutes ago." She reached up and began to play with the ruby pendant she wore. "Would you calm down?" said JC as he reached over and snatched her hand away, holding it in his own. "You're going to break the chain." She sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just nervous."
"You have no reason to be. The people down there respect you and would be fools not to. Just be yourself and you'll be fine." She smiled.
Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him close. "I swear I couldn't make it through this without you JC." Pulling away from him she looked toward the door one more time. "Let's get this over with." She nodded at the herald. "Didn't I just do this two nights ago? That's not fair." JC laughed as the herald went to announce them, so they could start on their way.
Justin sat on a chair placed below the throne. He had been formally introduced to the court and was now waiting to see Alex. He sighed. He didn't want to do this. He had tried to talk his way out of it with no luck. He reached up and rubbed his forehead, trying to get rid of his soon to appear headache.
"Princess Alexandra accompanied by Joshua Chasez!" Justin stood up and watched the doors, waiting to see his betrothed. She came out and he had to make sure that it was really her. She had drastically changed from the girl he had seen earlier in the day. She and her servingman walked down the stairs and stopped in front of the throne. They bowed and curtsied. Then Alex turned and walked in front of Justin. He bowed deeply in front of her, bringing her hand to his lips.
He stood back up and met her eyes. Measuring, but comforting. She bowed her head, curtsying before him. Then he led her to her seat, besides his own. JC stood behind her and was joined by Justin's servants. "Now, I have something to announce," said Roald standing up. Justin tensed involuntarily. "Today is a joyous occasion. My eldest daughter, Princess Alexandra, is betrothed to Prince Justin of the Timberlakes!" Alex flinched next to him as the people erupted in cheers. He looked over at her. She was smiling brightly at the crowd, but something was missing. From close up it didn't look like her heart was there.
King Roald sat down and the ball began. He looked at Justin and smiled. Justin turned to Alex next to him. "Would my lady like to dance?" he asked politely. She smiled and placed her hand in his, letting him lead her to the dance floor. "I don't want to seem rude, but I don't think that you've even said one word to me," Justin told her. She looked at him in shock and then started to laugh. "I'm sorry. My head has just been elsewhere and duties and etiquette were not apart of my agenda right now." Justin listened to her voice and smiled. She did seem like a nice girl.
"If you don't mind me asking, um, what were you doing this morning that made you, well..."
"Unclean? Gross? Just plain odd?" She laughed quietly. "Let's just say I needed time alone and I got quite unnerved in the process." Justin nodded. "I know what you mean. Sometimes, I just need to get away and pretend that I'm not a prince." Alex sighed. "Finally someone who has a clue about where I'm coming from." They continued to talk about their lives, not skipping a beat as they came and sat down. Roald and Cythera looked at them. "I knew that this was a good idea," he said. Cythera nodded. "They seem to be good friends all ready. At least they don't hate each other." Roald laughed. "Now that would have been a bad situation."
Alex laughed at something Justin said and looked at the hourglass on the wall. "Oh heavens it's late," she commented. She turned around and saw JC and Dei talking with Lance and Char. She put her hand behind her chair and snapped her fingers, getting JC's attention. JC walked over to her. "Yeah Lexi?" he asked. "What are you doing tomorrow?" she asked. JC thought about it. "I don't think a lot, why?"
"Because I thought that all of us could go to Clearwater Lake." JC nodded as Justin watched them curiously. "That could probably work. But what are you going to do about Eric?" Alex sighed with frustration. "Maybe I can convince him to not come and just post a perimeter guard. We'll see." She turned to Justin. "Would you like to come? You, Char, and Lance?"
Justin nodded. "Yeah, that sounds great." Alex smiled. "Good. We'll go tomorrow." She stood up and yawned. "Oh, I'm going to bed. Dei come on, I need you to help me so that my hair doesn't end up being all pulled out." Dei laughed. "You need more help than that for more than one reason." Alex laughed. "Don't I know it. Good night everyone." The two girls walked out of the room. "She seems to be a really nice girl," commented Justin. "Oh, she is," said JC. "I'm not sure if I've ever met someone that cares as much about everybody as she does. Well, I had better go too, I have to clean some stuff up before I get to sleep." He smiled one last time and walked away.
"Well, how is she?" asked Lance coming up next to him followed by Char. "She's an amazing person, I'll tell you that much. We're all going riding tomorrow." Char smiled. "That should be fun." Justin nodded. "I'm going to follow their lead and go to bed. You guys should too."
"Yes, father," they said in unison, making themselves break out in laughter. "We'll see you tomorrow." They walked out and Justin watched them go. Alex was a great girl no one could deny that. But he couldn't fool himself.
Early the next morning, Alex woke up. She quickly dressed and made her way to the stable. Seeing as she was the only one there right now, she started to groom Iris. "And where do you think you will be going?" asked Eric as he came into the stable. Alex turned around in irritation. "My friends and I will be going riding today."
"I'm afraid that I can't let you do that," said Eric, running a hand
through his blonde hair. "You can't go out unprotected."
"That is why I suggest that you post a perimeter guard around the forest. That way you get to do your job and we get to have some privacy." Eric shook his head. "I don't know."
Alex looked straight into Eric's brown eyes. "There is nothing wrong with the plan and you know it. Besides, JC is going to be there among others and you know him." Eric sighed. "Fine. I'll post a perimeter guard. But don't go and do something very stupid."
"Oh please," she muttered as he walked away. After roughly an hour, everyone was there and ready to go. The ten people who were going to go were mounted and ready to leave. Alex mounted and said, "Let's go!" She spurred Iris into a gallop, not waiting for the others to catch up.
Five