The Silver Throne

Chapter 21

[ Edited on July 11, 2016 ]

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Alexandra learnt three things on her first hour with the rogues. The first thing was that they lived in huts suspended high in the trees; and she had yet to worry about falling to her death when she moves in. Next was that Angelina behaved very much like Brian with a hint of Carlos' easy-going personality. Thinking about her brothers brought up a new wave of nostalgia within Alexandra. She knew she'd be doing the right thing by staying away from the people she cared about — even if she hated the idea. And lastly, she realized that her father kept a lot of information from her.

Since her childhood, Alexandra always knew that she was just the beta's daughter; though she was an unlikeable successor since she was the youngest. She never knew that she was actually the real heir of the throne (no matter how extremely impossible it sounded) until she shifted into a wolf that's apparently silver in color and characteristic.

"Wait," said Alexandra as she gaped at Max. "So you're telling me that you've been associated with my uncle before?!" It certainly was an incredulous thought. Max actually told her that he worked for her grandfather, King Luis, before Charles took over. Alexandra had a hard time wrapping her head around it. Max was the one who helped her uncle master his wolf.

Max calmly nodded from his seat. "Your father knew me, he used to go and watch me and his brother spar," said Max with a wistful smile. With a sigh, he shook his head. "He always left too many openings. But that's not my point," he said as he looked at her. "You are my priority now. But I want to see you fight with your wolf first." Alexandra rolled her shoulders and nodded. She thought that Max was right. He had to see her fight if he was going to help her control her wolf. "I think Angel's a good opponent for you."

Angelina. Alexandra did not even know how she'd be fighting against Angelina. The odds of it was that Angelina was better than her in fighting. However, she knew that it was a challenge and Alexandra never backs out from a challenge (except for 'rare' occasions).

***

"So," Xavier drawled as she stepped out of Max's office. She jumped upon noticing his figure leaning against a bamboo post nearby. His hand rubbed the back of the gray cat as it calmly rested between his other arm and chest. Then, she glared at him for startling her. "You're going to fight my big sis?" The cat meowed and crawled up to his shoulder. Xavier pocketed his hands and raised an eyebrow at her.

Alexandra furrowed her eyebrows but nodded nonetheless. He must have eavesdropped earlier. "I think — I know — I wouldn't last five minutes with her." She threw her arms in the air from frustration. "I can't even last two minutes with Sam!"

Xavier rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that bull," said Xavier. "And who is Sam anyway?" Alexandra told Xavier about everything she knew about Sam Snow; how he tormented her daily with a flying spider or two. Xavier laughed a bit but said nothing more about the subject until Alexandra drew it back to her impending embarrassment with Angelina.

"Stay, Mac," murmured Xavier to the cat perched on his shoulder. Mac mewled and started to rub himself against Xavier's hair. He pulled his hand from his pocket right after she finished her rant about it. Using his fingers, Xavier calmly rolled the small vial along the palm of his hand. Alexandra widened her eyes when it dawned on her that it was the same vial that Max took. "So what if you lose?"

His question silenced her raging doubts about herself. Alexandra stood there in silence while Xavier gave her a knowing look.

"We all have our own battles to face. It doesn't matter if we win or lose," mused Xavier with a soft look in his blue eyes that looked as if he knew a lot of things. For a sixteen-year-old, Xavier really did play his part of giving her advice. "What matters is that you learned something new. If you accidentally fall to your death while crossing that rickety, old bridge over there," he said, pointing towards the hanging bridge to her left that led the way to her hut — Max briefed her about the location of her hut. "You won't be able to do anything but mull over your mistake while you fall. Tomorrow you'd feel different, I'm certain about that."