The Kidnapped Bride

Chapter 9- From Far Enough Away

Xavier's POV

Alice didn’t look like she was taking the news of my father being King particularly well.  In fact, she looked positively green. 

“Are you serious!” she spits out, then claps a hand over her mouth as if just realizing she has insulted someone of great importance.  Alice’s green eyes, wide with anxiety flicker to mine and I have to hold back a laugh.  She looks hilarious, and I am reminded of our kiss in the elevator.  Feeling my cheeks flush, I stop that train of thought. 

“Father, Alice and I require some time to be settled in, then I will come back for our meeting.”  Dimitri nods and shakes my hand and Zack’s one more time.

It was awkward to say the least.  It’s not like he is a bad father, for in fact he is an incredibly good man.  However, there wasn’t much time for nurturing a child when you had to lead a persecuted civilization back from the brink of extinction. 

We grew up like strangers, and I am perfectly content to keep it that way. 

“It was nice to meet you… um, your Highness.”  Alice’s parting statement is phrased as a question.

“It was my pleasure, Alice.  And please, call me Dimitri.  I do not like titles, they make me feel like an old man,” Dimitri says with a chuckle. 

Alice manages to crack a smile, and I cannot help but think of how beautiful she looks when she is happy.  She and Zack head out of the throne room and head down the hall; however I pause, sensing my father has something to say.

“I like this one.  She is beautiful, to say the least.  Do not do anything innately stupid to drive her away.”  There is an age old wisdom behind his words.  His wife, my mother, left Dimitri after she found out he was king.  “Once she leaves, she will never look back, this I know.”  Dimitri’s voice is heavy with regret and sorrow that scares me.  I cannot bear the thought of Alice leaving; I don’t know how my father got through his grief.    

Striding over to his position by the settee, I clap a hand on his shoulder and look him in the eye.  He seems… tired.  Exhausted, actually.

“Father, you need a break.  You have been working too hard for too long.” 

He meets my stare head on.  “Are you truly ready to rule, Xavier?  You know I will not force you, but I cannot let someone outside of the royal family take the throne.  And you know your brother cannot rule.  He will destroy us.”

I shake my head slowly.  It’s not that I don’t know how to rule, for I have been trained since birth.  I just don’t want to, and it has no appeal to me. 

“Exactly.  So I will rule until you are ready, or our civilization will crumple.” 

I decide not to show my father how much this thought scares me.  

Alice's POV

Walking back with Zack, I stare at the Greco-Roman statues lining the richly decorated hall.  They are absolute masterpieces, white marble and black onyx standing out against the red and gold walls. 

“You alright there princess?”  Zack’s voice is low and sad, yet it breaks me out of my reverie.  I had been daydreaming about Xavier, and that kiss…

“I just don’t know, Zack.  I can’t seem to wrap my head around it all.  I mean, a King.  I don’t know what to think anymore.” 

“At least you’re with your partner.  At least you get to be here with the one you want.”  Zack’s voice is harsh with pain, but I know it is not directed at me.

“We will find her, Zack, I promise.”  Here, I pause, afraid to ask the question I have wanted since I saw his picture on the shelves in Emma’s room.  “Do you love her?”  My voice is quiet, and at first, I think he has not heard me.  I am about to repeat myself, but he speaks, slowly at first, then with gathering confidence. 

“Yeah, I mean yes, I do.  I love her so much.  And I am going to get her back.”  The silence stretches out, thick and awkward as I try to understand his feelings.  He seems so human, so caring.  He cannot possibly love Emma, though.  How could he?

The elevator gives a little ding as it reaches our floor, and we step in, the doors closing smoothly and soundlessly behind us.  Once again, I stare out the glass as we go down, looking at the bustling street below.  From this height, it looks like any other street in any big city in America.  The people here are different from the rest of the world. 

I guess when you are as high as I am, everybody looks the same, acts the same.  When you get far enough away, nobody is really different at all.  

We go about halfway down when the doors open and Zack walks out.  Having nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, I follow.  While the King’s floor was old-fashioned with deep, vibrant colors, this floor is softer, more modern.  The walls are a pale blue color, almost cerulean like that of the ocean. 

“This is your own personal wing, on floor 75.  You of course know where the King’s floor is.  There are food courts and kitchens on 11 through 14, so you can go down anytime you are hungry, or just order room service.”  We stop outside a pair beautifully carved wooden doors.  “Alice, this is your suite of rooms.”  Zack turns to leave, but I catch the edge of his sleeve before he can rush away.

“Where are you going?”  I look into his regally handsome face, so like Xavier’s.  They could be brothers, but I don’t let that observation distract me. 

“I have to go to the control rooms, see some personnel and other people.”  I can tell he’s avoiding my question, but I understand the motivation behind his evasion.     

“We’ll find her, I swear it.  I won’t rest until we do.”  Zack nods his approval, and I step back to watch him walk back to the elevator.  The monster that is in love with my best friend. 

But right about now, he just doesn’t seem like much of a monster.    

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Chapter 9!  Yayyy!  I'm not particularly pleased with this one since there's no chance for romance(yes it rhymed!) but it's alright.

Plus, I haven't uploaded in like, a week.

My bad.  

Keep reading and loving!

And PS, there are some big secrets coming, up... maybe a masked ball?  I don't know...

Keep reading and voting!  Comment too!

~Elena