Something Lost (Original Draft)

Chapter 38: First Snow

He loved his land and the people who lived in it. He truly did. And they loved him. I could feel it. He was their protector, their savior.

This was my third dinner with Alexander this week. I sat at the end of a very long dining table. My small hands were folded politely on my lap as I listened to him. My eyes followed him as he paced from end to end of the table; he was giving me a history lesson on Berthold, telling me about each King that had sat upon the carved throne. Each of those men was a blood relative; his great - great grandfather was King Richard Blair, Berthold's founder. Succeeding him, King Alexander Blair - Alexander's father found it fitting to honor his late grandfather by reviving his name once more. Then there was his grandfather, King Sterling Blair, who had died the morning of Alexander's third birthday. And finally, there was his father, Ryan Blair... When he went to speak his name, he said it informally, he did not address him by the inconsequential titles he held, only by name - a name that when spoken was touched with a sentimental affection that only a loving son could give.

My heart clung to every word he spoke this evening, for the night before I had read from the pages of Strare Harei. There were things written within that book that were unsettling to me. One thing in particular weighed heavy on my heart tonight. It made me second guess my character - it was testing me.

"Alanis," He repeated several times, as I was in deep thought.

I had written a letter to the 'Old Man', Julian, for an item. I had hoped the raven I had clipped the letter to would have reached him by now. And by this time tomorrow-

His hand squeezed my shoulder, "You've been lost in thought all night. Do you mind sharing whatever it is that's on your mind?"

I answered without really comprehending what he said, "I was thinking."

"Oh, I hadn't noticed." He teased as he pulled out the tall seat beside me and sat in it casually.

He leaned over my plate and plucked the fork from my placed silverware. The silver prongs met with a candied piece of fruit on my untouched dessert plate. "You haven't touched your food. You should at least try it. I had my chef make this specially for you." He commented and plopped the sticky fruit into his mouth. "It's good too." He shoveled another plump piece, of what looked to be strawberries and pomegranate onto the fork.

His hand hovered to where I sat; the fork and dessert neared my mouth. The sweet aroma was tempting, but I was still anxious with the secret I was keeping from him. I wanted to tell him about my discovery. It was a great surprise, a life changing surprise that only I could give. But I couldn't tell him just yet, I wasn't sure if I had what it took to complete the ritual that the spell entailed. Once I received reply from the letter I wrote to Julian, I would see what I was really made out of - at least that's what I thought would happen.

He smiled warmly waiting for me to take the bite that was prepared for me. I took the bite, timidly from the fork he had just used. With each chew the sautéed fruit would release quenching bursts of flavor. I swallowed slowly savoring the sweet tartness that followed.

"Well," he said, while resting the fork on my plate.

"It's delicious." I answered and took a drink of dry red wine to wash the lingering taste of the sweet fruit away.

"Could you -" I paused, knowing I shouldn't have started that thought. "Never mind..."

"Go on, I know something is troubling you. Better to let it go now, before it festers."

I sat the glass back on the table. "It was a personal question. I don't want you to take it the wrong way... It was just an out loud thought that escaped me."