The Exiled Gem

Mistakes Make Changes

Alexandra must really have looked like a statue at that point. Bad as Aunt Sabel was, she had never spoken this way to anybody. At least Alexandra had never heard her do it. For a while, she wondered if the intense heat had made way into her brain, making her hear wrongly. Finally, when Aunt Sabel showed no signs of correcting herself, and continued to toss the hand-mirror away, only to pull out a velvet emollient she began rubbing on her palms, did Alexandra realize she did mean her to "come and sit". 

Twisting the free end of her robe around her hand, Alexandra walked around the carriage to the other end of it, ducked slightly, and entered. Now Aunt Sabel was busy polishing a thin, peppery powder in her somewhat sunken eye pockets. 'Do you talk like this with Olivia too, Aunt?' Alexandra asked bravely, she just knew the Aunt would ignore her. And as expected, she did. Alexandra exhaled, shaking her head, and asked the driver to take for the Kalopzic Gallery, a place that Rose claimed had some of the best paintings of the century. It was a reputed place and Alexandra didn't want to antagonize the Aunt any further.

'Take for the Ivaze Point.' Commanded the Aunt.

And they turned towards the left, towards the Ivaze Point - a popular, calm destination for couples. It was a blend of two names: Blaze and Ivy, a popular, tragic love-story that had occurred for real. Since Alexandra wasn't much into love stories, she didn't know the exact details - but perhaps that was the place the duo used to meet at. 

But that was irrelevant. For now, Alexandra felt confused and repelled. What did Aunt Sabel have to do with that place? It was for couples. Had she ever been in love? Even normally, Princesses weren't supposed to do that. And then, of everybody - Aunt Sabel?

'You know that place, Aunt?' Alexandra asked, as casually as possible. Aunt Sabel didn't reply immediately. The lines around her mouth deepened and her eyes hardened. But she didn't speak. Alright, a top secret. The curiosity flared up in Alexandra. The slight flare-up, however, dimmed for the next ten years with Aunt Sabel's next statement.

'Don't ask questions. And it's unbearably hot, fan me.' She ordered, in a maddeningly casual tone.

Alexandra turned to look at her for a minute. 'What?' She asked, uncertainly. 'Aunt - you told I was to guide yo-'

'Olivia didn't question me. Not about the places I chose, not about my orders. You are certainly an upstart. But girl, you won't become smaller by fanning your aunt. It's hot. And I hate this weather here.' She criticized, wrinkling her nose disdainfully. Alexandra stared at the carriage-seat. In between them, a hand-fan seemed to have materialized out of seemingly nowhere.

Sabel was right, Alexandra wouldn't become smaller by fanning her, but Alexandra certainly lost all the little respect she had for her then and there.

Reluctantly, as if it was a poisoned, Alexandra grabbed the hand-fan and began shaking it from right to left - halfheartedly. It wasn't particularly mortifying, but Aunt Sabel's smug expression made Alexandra feel as if her skin was burning. She would have loved to push the hand-fan into the Aunt's mouth.

'Don't you eat, girl?' Aunt Sabel asked, startling Alexandra. 'I can't even feel the air. My goodness, the princess who doesn't know how to fan!' She continued. 

'Then you should just as well do it yourself.' Alexandra shot at her, slamming the fan down and turning away. She expected to hear a reply, but nothing came. And she could feel Aunt Sabel's satisfaction in having successfully flustered Alexandra.

What pleasure was she getting from this? What pleasure had she got from tripping her? Alexandra knew for sure that Aunt Sabel was ill. Not physically. She was mentally ill. For Alexandra, it was equal to madness. And Aunt Sabel was certainly mad. Perhaps, she had passed that illness to Nicholas.