The Forced Throne

Chapter 29

They both walked down the castle hallways in silence. "Father," she wanted to explain what happened, but didn't know where to start. As they continued to walk through the castle's white walls, she began to increasingly get nervous, where was her father taking her. Arriving at a drape on the wall, Jaron moved it aside to reveal a wooden door, but it had a lock on it. Jaron pulled a key from a pocket in his coat and unlocked the door, he motioned for her to step through the door first, and so she did. He close the door behind them and locked it back. She moved aside so he could lead the way again. 

They walked down the small and narrow pathway until they arrived at another door, Jaron opened it and when Alexius looked through, it seemed to be a private garden full of many different types of plants and flowers. Alexius assumed that this was where Jaron went to get away from the struggles of being king, but why was he bringing her here? There was a small bench in the garden on top of a patterned patio in the center of the garden. Alexius made her way to the bench and sat down. Jaron grabbed a water pitcher and started to fill it up in a stream that ran through the garden. "Explain what happened," Jaron said, focused on what he was doing.

"Oh, So Darius and I were supposed to go and train with Uncle Fink and Roden and I had accidentally left my sword in my room so I went to go fetch it," Alexius started to explain. Jaron was now watering a plant that she wasn't too familiar with, but it had pretty yellow flowers on it. Alexius never knew that Jaron had an interest for growing plants. "When did you start growing flowers?" Alexius asked, slightly tilting her head to the side to get a better look. "Since your mother, she got me into it," Jaron chuckled. "Anyways, but Darius wanted to come with me, so I let him but he ran ahead of me. Once I got to my room, I noticed that my sword or Darius wasn't there. So I started searching around and Darius had come into my room. Once I asked him about it, he pulled it out and we got into a fight," Alexius trailed off.

"Did you win?" Jaron asked, looking towards her. Surprised, she fumbled around with her words, "E-excuse me?" Jaron set down the water pitcher and made his way over towards her. He sat down on the bench right next to her and waited for her answer. "Did you?" Jaron asked again. "I'm sorry, what? Well, yeah?" Alexius answered, really confused by this question. A wide grin grew onto Jaron's face, "That's my girl, but be more careful next time. Trying talking it out instead of resorting to fighting, your mothers words not mine." Alexius laughed at the last bit, "Yeah, I knew that wasn't something you would say." The two continued to laugh until they had enough of it.

"Why did you bring me back here?" Alexius asked after a bit of silence. Jaron leaned back, propping himself with his arms. "I needed to water my marigold, I don't know why but I feel like I'll need it one day," he explained. "Marigold? Doesn't that heal burn wounds," Jaron nodded at her question. "So am I going to get into trouble for this," Alexius shifted her position to something more comfortable. "No, but don't do it again. I don't want my only children fighting like wild dogs," her father laughed, but she didn't join him in the laugh. Alexius leaned forward and looked at her arm where.......a scar was, but it hadn't happened yet? A scar....blood....Alexius smelled blood. Looking down where she had been stabbed, she felt her own warm blood, it was bleeding through her bright azure dress. There was so much of it bleeding everywhere.

"AH! WHAT THE?" Alexius screamed and her journal flew across the room. She must've fallen asleep with it on her face. She looked around her room, it was late now. Still, she felt warm blood dripping from her wound. Pulling her blanket off, it showed that it was indeed bleeding. A servant ran into the room within the next second, but once they noticed her wound they quickly ran out to go grab Tobias. "Great!" Alexius muttered. Holding her side tightly, she grabbed a sheet from her drawer and wrapped it around her waist to help stop the bleeding. She then reached for her sword and used it as a crutch. Walking down the halls, she called one of the vigils to help her make her way to Tobias's room. "But princess, he's not here right now," the knight explained. Alexius cursed under her breath, not sure what to do now. 

"What about my father?" she said through gritted teeth, the wound hurt like the devils and they must think that this is funny. "He's in his office, I believe," the knight answered, trying to be at some use. Trying to keep herself conscious enough, the knight helped her make her way to her fathers office. For a moment, Alexius thought that she had seen Darius in front of her, was she dying? "D-Darius.." Alexius trailed off before losing her conscious.