The Exiled Gem

One Assassin Down

'A lot of people change - only perhaps a handful do not,' he said, 'sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. And we couldn't have done anything to prevent it, or to speed it up, or to slow it down-' 

'And so we shouldn't let that affect us?' Alexandra asked, interrupting and internally surprised at how calm her voice sounded.

'Hurried as ever,' Liam replied, breaking into a grin and shaking his head. A few tufts of dark hair tumbled to his eyes, and he pushed them up, disheveling himself further, except for the fact that it just looked all the better. 'Well, but you aren't wrong. Crying over them, is like crying over spilt milk. If, you will give me the liberty to speak that, with Olivia in question.'

'Had you heard the liberties she took, in speaking of you, you wouldn't be half as gallant.' Alexandra told him. 

'Which compels me to clarify that in case Olivia was jumping off a cliff, I wouldn't do the same.' Liam informed, his eyes shining brighter than before. Maybe because he had just realized that Alexandra had not changed as much as she appeared to have. And that, when it came to the humorous bond between them, it hadn't been snipped.

'That's true,' she agreed, 'but in all probability, she would make sure to push you down first.'

It made them both laugh, and the action didn't hurt as much as it had the previous time. With the movement, Alexandra became aware of the portrait still wedged in her waist band, and if she moved her hand an inch down - she would touch its edges. And then she wondered if she ought to tell him of it. That small frame falling into Olivia's hands and making things the way they were right then. She looked down, blinking and wondering what Liam's reaction would be, looking at his own, a decade old portrait.

'You want to say something?' He asked, back in a whisper. Back with the uncomplicated assurance that all her secrets were safe with him.

But Alexandra decided against it. And as her eyes flew back to his face, she remembered of another, better thing to say. 'I do,' she nodded, grinning, '- you know, the portrait Olivia saw you in for the first time ... I saw it too. I was twelve - and...' at the last moment she faltered - that was the not the best compliment she was going to give him. 

But Liam looked positively interested. 'And?' He asked, just a little higher in volume.

'Er,' she moistened her lips. Then because it was so funny, blurted out, 'no offence - but I said that you looked like a wolf.'

That laugh was higher and lasted longer than the one before. And this time, Alexandra's stomach ached when she finally stopped. Stopped, and threw a glance at the Nurse's window, where she caught her retreating figure. Though herself a spy, she didn't like the eavesdropping - and upon that the fact that the Nurse was so blatant about it.

'The Nurse is eavesdropping, Liam. And she seems revolted - at goodness knows what.' She told him, in the lowest whisper she could conjure. But he heard, and shook his head again.

'Welcome to my world.' he shrugged. And then shook his head with an almost morose expression, 'I don't think Nurse Rose would be surprised if I grew antlers right now - but she's astonished if I laugh like a human. We need more sensible nurses.'

'Wait,' Alexandra frowned, catching one part of all. 'Nurse Rose?' She asked, tilting her head. Apparently, Liam did not know that the second Dovish princess was the nurse's namesake. His face underwent no change as he confirmed the fact, and Alexandra sighed. 'My second sister - she was,' and caught herself midway, 'she is - Rose too.'

Was a grin the best way to reply to everything?

In Liam's case, this appeared to be so, for whatever the matter be - his face inevitably broke into a grin. 'Well,' he then said, 'that is quite a common name.'