The Silver Throne

Chapter 35

If you haven't listened to Folklore yet, please put this story down and go do that first. I'd love you for that.

[ edited on the day Taylor Swift unexpectedly dropped an entire album ]

Alexandra sat on her bed as she waited for him. As much as she dreaded this conversation, she felt like she needed to at least apologize for what nearly happened with Christian. She debated whether it was a good idea to bring it up or simply pretend it never happened. She didn't think Nicholas would be the type who would go mad with jealousy — unlike his father.

She shivered at the thought. Definitely, Nicholas was nothing like his father. They haven't been together for long to actually make her conclusion solid, but she trusted him not to break her initial impression. On the other hand, she also didn't want him to look at her in a different light. Alexandra didn't know what came over her earlier and wasn't proud of what she did. The fact that she was making a big deal out of it all made her sigh.

A gentle rap momentarily brought her out of her turmoil. She swung the door open and tried to convince herself that confiding with Nicholas was the best thing she could do. He might be able to help her sort things out.

He raised an eyebrow at her as she closed the door. "What did you want to talk about?" It was clear to her that he put in extra effort to appear playful when all he wanted was to crash on the bed and rest.

For the second time, her resolve wavered. He already dealt with so much today. From their synchronous revelation last night, his father waking up, and tracking Azi for the rest of the day, he had little energy left to spare. She glanced at the clock. It wasn't even eight in the evening and he was already exhausted.

He noticed her hesitation. Nicholas took her hand in his and gazed at her. "Tell me what's bothering you. Maybe I can help." The sincerity in his eyes was unwavering.

She could get lost in his eyes. Before she could get distracted, Alexandra looked down at their entwined hands and sighed. His thumb drew circles on her palm as she picked her words. "I was just worried about you." The problem with Christian was probably better off shelved.

Nicholas made a curious 'hmm' sound, urging her to continue.

"I don't know how your talk with your father went. Since you didn't bring it up earlier at the library, I could only speculate on what happened. I just hope you're okay."

He froze at her words, his thumb stopping and no longer finishing the lazy shape it was in the middle of making. Nicholas glanced at the door behind him, led her away, and sat down on the bed beside her. Drawing a weary sigh, he closed his eyes. "If you're worried about this whole thing putting a dent on our father-son relationship, don't be. He was never a father to me. The only reason why I act respectfully towards him is that others expect me to."

Alexandra didn't know what to say. She shifted her position, folding her left leg as she lifted it onto the bed so that she faced him instead of the wall. He had laid his defenses low and, for once, opened up a topic that never crossed her mind. She had always thought his father, as terrible as he may be to others, treated Nicholas with love, as anyone would have expected. His eyes clouded over as he recalled some distant memory. She squeezed his hand to remind him that she was there for him.

"He's hard to please. I quickly learned but I can only do so much. I fail sometimes. He had a whip coated with silver made. Whenever I fall short of his expectations, he would call me to his office. The wounds heal themselves quickly though, so I didn't have to deal with the blood for long. The silver just meant it would leave a scar."