Memory of You

Chapter Fifty Nine: Happily Ever After...

Chapter Fifty Nine: Happily Ever After...

With the battle against David over, things slowly returned to normal.

The night they arrived back at the castle, Nicholas, Alexandra, and Mark found both contingents of the guard, along with Sophia, Samuel, and the castle staff, waiting for them outside.

"Welcome home, Your Majesty." Aram smiled, from his place at the front of the crowd.

Surprised, Alexandra was touched by the gesture, she couldn't believe that they had waited for her return since heading back themselves.

"It's good to be home." She said, as Europa finally came to a stop.

She and Nicholas had both ridden a top of the black horse, while Mark had lead them on Dage. The feeling of Nicholas' arms wrapped around her waist, had soothed her, as they headed away from the source of despair. Somewhere along the line, Valek's horse had disappeared in the forest, and none of them had been able to get him to come out.

During the time they had searched for Valek's horse, Nicholas had discovered she was wearing his shirt. Which had amused him beyond belief.

"You're wearing my shirt? You missed me that much that you took me with you?" He had murmured into her ear, chuckling.

"If I say yes, will you stop teasing me?" She had asked, feeling her face heat up, as he kissed her cheek.

"No...I can see the rip." He told her, and she felt his finger brush along her midriff, skin against skin, causing her to turn a deeper shade of red as she squirmed against him. The reaction had only caused him to laugh more, as he held her tightly.

"Where's Valek?" Sophia asked coming towards them, as the three dismounted, pulling Alexandra out of her thoughts.

Before Alexandra could answer, they heard the clip-clopping hooves of another steed.

"Right here."

Turning around, she found Valek riding up to them on his horse, Helios.

She was about to ask him how he had gotten to the castle so fast when he smirked.

"You three are slow riders. Did you not see the short cut in the woods?" He asked them, incredulously.

Giving him a once over, she saw there were no stains of blood on his uniform, and his sheathed sword gave nothing away. Seeing her stare, he looked solemn for a moment, a certain sadness in his eyes. But it left in a flash.

"Elijah, take Henry with you back to the plains of Ryden." He said, going to his men. "There is something that is needed to be done, immediately. You'll have to take the wagon with you."

"Yes sir...what is required of us?" Elijah asked.

At once a sombre atmosphere draped the entire gathering. No one spoke, it was Mark who broke the silence.

"A body needs to be returned to Saarsgard." Her brown haired guard instructed. "Be mindful of the dead."

"Of course sirs." Elijah and Henry said, as they made their way out of the throng.

With David having been buried in Saarsgard, Alexandra was left to write a letter of condolence to King Bradley. Though they both knew what he had done, Mark, Valek and Nicholas all agreed it was the right thing to do.

Days passed before one of Bradley's men notified the castle that Lord Crawley had been found, or rather what remained of him. Taking it upon herself to do justice to the dead, Alexandra held a state funeral for the man. She may not have liked him, or his methods by which he constantly badgered her; but he had gone to David to speak on her behalf, and begrudgingly, she had to give him credit for that.