'School?' Asked Mother Diana and Betty,
'School...' Said Sarah, thoughtfully, 'What kind of school?'
'A national service's school - I learned diplomacy, statecraft - self defense and now...'
'Now?'
'After five years of it, I'm serving the Empire. That is how I broke my ribs - a bit of an accident. Nobody's fault - I fell off a horse and it was a bad fall,'
'Oh,' Betty said, 'That must have been bad... but you know horse riding? Really?'
'Ye-s,' Alexandra said, wondering what their reaction would be if they heard what else she knew to do. Like pushing daggers into guts - and spying.
'That must mean,' said Sarah, 'you have a salary!'
'Er ... yes. I do,' Alexandra assented, with a tilt of head. She did not know too much about the salary part of it, 'actually, I need a house now. To live in. A small one - just for a single person...' she ventured.
'That depends on your salary,' said Mother Diana, quite interested (as always) in property, and sitting down. 'How much is it dear?'
'I-' she began, but it would look bad to say I don't know, it was the truth. Alexandra saw Sarah push her copper bracelet up her arm unconsciously. She saw Betty fidget with something on her right hand's finger, and then decided upon an answer. 'It always varies. Depending on my work,' she said. Another truth.
'So... the minimum? What could you buy with your minimum one month salary?'
Mother Diana was rather sharp when it came to money-matters. As much as Alexandra appreciated smart people, she realized that the owner of the Shelter for Abandoned Kids and Orphans had a shrewd inside to her loving exterior.
'One month...' Alexandra thought about it, nevertheless. 'I don't know. But two months of it ...'
'Two months of it?' Sarah and Betty asked, bending closer.
'This ... shelter,' Alexandra said, a little thoughtlessly. The three ladies around her gasped. Exchanged looks, then-
'You're rich!' Said Sarah,
'Er - I am?' Alexandra asked, for she didn't know. She had been a princess, so everything in Doveland had belonged to her. Fine. Then she had been exiled. So nothing at all had belonged to her. Still fine. But now - somewhere in between, having a salary - seemed a little strange to her. The idea was an alien concept. And just then, her eyes fell on something - Betty's right hand had a ring on it, that she had been playing with.
'Oh goodness!' Alexandra exclaimed, grabbing Betty's hand, and Betty tried to wring it away but Alexandra was a bit too strong. 'This is an - an engagement ring!' She announced, holding up the thin hand.
Betty blushed. Sarah snorted, Mother Diana smirked.
'You ladies!' Alexandra yelled at them, 'You didn't want to tell me?!'
'Mabel, it's not like that - you just found out before we could...' Sarah said, 'Yes,' She then said getting up and twirling, 'Mistress Betty is Engaged to William Atkinson!'
'When?! And who is he?'
'Just a month ago,' Betty said, still redder than Sarah's robes, 'then he had to leave.'
'Leave?'
'He's in the army, Mabel.' Mother Diana clarified, 'Betty met him through Noah - and, I'll let the girls say further.'
'It was love at first sight!' Sarah quipped up.
'This isn't one of your books, Sarah.' Betty scolded, turning maroon.
'But it was. Books got the idea because it happens in real life! They met for six months after that - and then, just before he left - the Ring Scenery took place. Oh I was watchi-' then Sarah stopped, like she had just said something she was not supposed to. Alexandra's mouth fell open, in a wide, sly grin.
'You were watching?!' Betty said, standing up, wide-eyed, 'Sarah you were watching - Sarah - I will kill you!'
'I wasn't - I mean I was .. just a bit,' Sarah squeaked.
'Betty, you need weapons? I could provide you,' Alexandra said,
'None, Mabel! My bare hands are enough! Sarah! Where are you running to? Stop there! Wait!' She said, as Sarah ducked under the table, re-emerged and ran. Betty chased after her, right in tow.
'So, Mother Diana,' Alexandra said, taking an apple and biting into it, sitting opposite to her. 'How are you?'
'I'm good, dear. You look lean, don't you eaten well?' She asked, in a reply, with a motherly concern.
'I eat thrice a day as much as two people.' Alexandra clarified, 'Sometimes as much as three,' she added. She was wearing those loose robes that were called "nightwear", just because people slept in them - and they hung about half a feet away from her body. Despite that, Mother Diana having caught the exact physique, was impressive.
'Dear, dear! You'll get fat, Mabel!' She exclaimed, for now.
'I might - not that I care, I'll just be difficult to abduct.' Said Alexandra, and Mother Diana threw her head back and laughed.
Betty appeared just then, pulling Sarah by the ear. Apparently, the author was not the best of runners. 'Here's the criminal! Mabel, any suitable punishment?'
'Oh, I know of one,' Alexandra nodded, tossing the Apple core into the dustbin, she went and knelt down in front of Sarah. 'Hold her tight,' she removed Sarah's slippers,
'NO!' Sarah yelled, getting an inkling of what awaited her.
'Betty, hold tight!'
'Yes!' Betty agreed, getting an inkling herself. And Alexandra pulled off the slippers and rubbed the feather of her quill on poor Sarah's feet till she had reduced the girl to ragged breaths and a pool of tears.
'Tickling is first rate torture,' Alexandra informed. 'And that must have taught Sarah to not trespass on Betty and William next time.'
'Yes I got it!' Sarah accepted, from the ground. 'I swear I won't! But Betty - you didn't tell Mabel the biggest news!'
'Biggest news?' Alexandra asked, looking at Betty,
'It's - nothing.' Betty said, looking down instantly, like the thing was shameful. All revelry was forgotten in an instant.
'I'll tell you!' Sarah said, triumphantly. 'Betty's an heiress!'
Alexandra didn't feel anything when she heard that - curiosity? Maybe, but Betty seemed to be the exactly same person she had been more than six years ago. The words didn't have much of the desired effect, because Alexandra didn't press Betty about it. The Heiress would tell her the story when she felt up to it.
* * *
It was finally back to those old times. The very same room at the rightmost corner of the upper floor. Betty - Sarah - Mabel (Alexandra?). The three not-so-alike sisters or rather, the not-at-all-alike sisters inhabited it once again.
Betty was lying right of Alexandra - Sarah was left. The pretty girl snored - lightly, like a mouse, and she looked quite cute while doing it. Alexandra couldn't digest the fact that Sarah was only seventeen - or perhaps eighteen. When she had been of that age, she used to drool in her sleep and knock over things.
Alexandra was not exactly sleepy. Part of her was afraid if she closed her eyes and slept - she'd wake up in the morning and have to leave. That wasn't so lucrative an offer. Betty's eyes were closed - she could be sleeping, or trying to sleep.
Apparently, she was doing none.
'I gave up on him long ago, Mabel.' Betty said, quietly. Alexandra opened her eyes and turned to look at her. Betty had put one arm on her head and the other on her stomach. She looked at the ceiling and talked.
'Whom?' Asked Alexandra, shifting her pillow slightly to bring it on level with Betty's.
'The King,'
Liam would be having the worst of dreams that night. How did he find his way into everything concerning Alexandra? It was as if magnets were stuck onto them.
'Betty,' she said, putting her hand on Betty's, covering it. 'You were never seriously interested. You were just young and a bit stupid. All of us ar-'
'I was,'
Alexandra got up a bit, 'Are you awake? Or are you sleep-talking?' She asked, just to make sure.
Betty smiled, without humor. 'I'm awake, Mabel. Sarah's too young to understand it; she is clever, but her heart's young. You will understand, I'm sure.'
'I do,' Alexandra said, lying back down, and deciding to say something of her own. 'I've always looked at men like competitors, I used to think I can do better, Why are they allowed? Why am I not allowed? Now, for the first time - I'm looking beyond it. Not a lot, just a little beyond it. Li- our king's quite fine. You'll say I'm being partial, you'll say he is more than fine, but I am giving him the best compliment I've ever given to a man. I'll tell you something,' she then began, biting her lips. The first time she was going to confess that, would be the last. 'When I am with him, I too feel things like, "he's so charming" and "I am going to fall for him", but when I have put enough distance between us, I realize how stupid that is. Some people just have the natural bewitchment in them, they are - let's say - lucky. But love and bewitchment are two different things, we both know,' and just for the effect of it, Alexandra clasped Betty's hand in both of hers, 'we both know he is a great deal out of our reach. Why should we be miserable over something that can't happen?'
'Because we have hearts? Hearts that do not listen to our minds?' Betty asked, and they stared at each other in the dark for a minute. Alexandra had said what she had to and it now depended on what Betty took away from it. 'Not only that,' Betty then said, turning away and then back towards her. 'Sometimes, you know what I think, Mabel? I - I feel I'm attracted to William only because he's so much like the King. I feel I'm cheating him and myself. I feel so hopeless, Mabel. And a little guilty, all the while.'
'Betty,' Alexandra said, now smiling. 'Would you like to be a Queen?'
'What?!' She asked, a little too loud. Sarah stirred and they both gestured each other to shut up, with a finger to their lips and hissing, "shh". They made quite a lot of noise with the hiss itself, but Sarah's slumber was a deep one, because she turned away and snored on. Betty sighed, and continued, 'No!' She exclaimed, 'No way, Mabel. I don't feel good finding myself an heiress. A Queen? Simply no!'
'Would you like being a soldier's wife?' Alexandra asked, drawing the blanket further up and nodding with a grin.
Betty looked down, realizing the trick. But she smiled a little, 'Yes.' She whispered.
'Then in that case - you are attracted to the qualities. Those habits, that attitude, both a king and a soldier have them. But loving somebody is not only liking them - it's about accepting them. Listen to you heart, Sister - it will never lead you to the wrong person.'
Betty covered her face with her hands, Alexandra gave her the time - then, 'For once, Mabel, your philosophy makes sense.'
'An heiress needs that sense.' She replied, with a broader grin.
'Heiress...' Betty said, 'Goodness knows where Great Aunt Martha came from - I don't even know her. And she has left me this huge Castle-like house, and an Alpine Forest. What do I even do with them?!'
'Build your dream, Betty, what's your dream?'
'A family,'
How often, people mistake their wishes for their dreams.
* * *
Five months later, was when Alexandra finally got another trial.
Though, it couldn't have been counted as one - particularly because this one wasn't by the council.
'Exclusive Agent Mabel,' Said a senior, appearing out of no where, as Alexandra flipped through the day's letters from spies-in-trial. It was dusk outside, the sky was steadily turning pink.
'Yes - yes, Sir?' She replied, almost dropping the letters, supervisory was so boring that it was nicknamed stuporvisory at the council. She had been flipping through the letters, but actually wondering what could be happening in Doveland at that point of time. So naturally, she was alarmed at being picked out.
'There's a summon for you.' He said, not surprised at her surprise.
'Summon?' Alexandra said - 'Why? By whom?' She asked, bending to gather the fallen letters.
'The Idgardian Commander - he expects you in the Fallen Maple Gardens by seven.'
The Commander? Alexandra didn't think much of commanders, they gave her a little headache. And the commander of a country like Vedessa, which was rather ... aggressive, and upon aggression, it had a good bit of deceit and strategy too, the commander of such a country ought to be the scariest man alive, on Earth.
'Why, Sir? Any idea?' She asked, because a little knowledge of the topic could prevent any hasty blunder on her part.
'None, Agent. But you better leave right away. Making the Commander wait - is never a good idea.'
Alexandra wholeheartedly agreed, and so, she abandoned the letters and left for the Fallen Maple Gardens. It was an aristocratic garden - only high born individuals were permitted entry - or unless, one was what Alexandra was - an Exclusive Agent.
Exclusive Agents could not be stopped by anybody. They could enter anywhere - and leave, whenever they wanted to - wherever they wanted to. And wherever included anybody's house too. As for Aristocratic gardens, there had been about a hundred such gardens in Idgard and the neighboring area, but of course, like every other thing, that had changed with the change of throne. Not that the gardens had been shut off, only, they no longer remained those "privileged" lawns. There was quite a good amount of tax upon entry into them, and were called Taxed Gardens now. But keeping their social status in mind, wealthy individuals still toured them, despite the expense.
Wealthy existence itself was a trap. And when added to a State that insisted upon dynamic taxation, wealthy existence was a debt trap.
In any case, Alexandra saw the fierce fellow as soon as she had stepped into the ground (without being taxed, thankfully). He was tall, had a huge (simply huge) moustache that almost covered his lips, shining, gray eyes and auburn hair.
Alexandra touched Moira's hilt - it always gave her a bit of strength in doing that. Something to protect her was with her. And invariably, the Commander reminded her a lot of the Doveland Commander - he had the same ancient sort of look, gray eyes, a fierce moustache and a lined forehead. Whenever Alexandra was reminded of Doveland, her hand reached Moira before she could help it.
'Sir,' She said, bowing to the veteran. Just being near him brought war-like thoughts to Alexandra. Rows of men - anguished groans, battle cries and finally - one country's flag emerging over the top of rubble and mutilated bodies.
War was never worth it.
'Agent.' The Commander nodded, 'I had a little business with you,'
Alexandra smiled. Little businesses were often not-so-little, 'Yes, Sir?' She said, anyhow. There was nobody else, other than two crows and a misbehaved monkey, in the garden. A caretaker was trying to drive away the crows, but the monkey was shooting him with walnut shells, until the caretaker was hit by one on the nose and he retreated, cursing.
'I need to tell you something - personal.' The commander said, stiffly. Alexandra tore her eyes away from the animals to look at him, 'I need your - help, Agent.' He said, like he couldn't digest the fact that taking help was something he was doing.
Alexandra didn't say anything.
'I wouldn't be telling just anybody. This is a very personal matter - my own suspicion - my family problem. But I see you, Agent - you seem to have everybody's trust. My old friend - George...'
Her eyes widened - George? Master George?! That was a serious development.
'All your colleagues trust you - and most importantly, the King himself - trusts you a lot. And I do understand as much, somebody the King trusts has metal. So, Agent - if you promise to help me, I shall tell you of the problem.'
Alexandra turned the concept over in her brain - this was not the council's trial. She was receiving nothing in return - still, she was drawn to help. She wanted to do it.
And then, Alexandra herself was standing this way in front of the Idgardian Commander because before, somebody had chosen to help her. That person wasn't guaranteed anything in return either - but now, just half a year ago, she had ended up saving him.
Sometimes, life gave one, a chance to help somebody without guaranteeing anything in return. It was only a test. And if one pass it - they only needed watch on. There was definitely some payback.
'Sir,' Alexandra said, tilting her head, 'Tell me - I shall try my best to help you.'
The Commander nodded.
'My only daughter- Jessica, is completely charmed, Agent.' He said, and suddenly, as he did - Alexandra felt something was peeling off him. A cover - a mask. Here, now, before her stood - a defeated, weary father, 'The whole day - it is Patrick this and Patrick that. I don't like that man. Not one bit. He's a cheat - he smells of wickedness. Alas, Jessica doesn't want to hear a single word against him. Not a single word and even when she listens - rarely though - she only tells me why I'm wrong! Why Patrick is such a good man! Don't I know? I tell her day and night - I know men. I can sense right away when a man lies - when he is dishonest. And Patrick Atkinson is the worst man I've ever seen!'
'Sir,' Alexandra said, 'You mean you want me to find proof that he's dishonest? You want to show your daughter that this Patrick- is not a right person?'
'Exactly, Agent!' The commander said, 'Exactly! A helpless father asks from you - what might only take you a single day to prove. But it can save my daughter's life, Agent.'
'In that case, Sir, tell me more about this Patrick Atkinson.'
'He works in the Army - Agent. One reason why I don't trust him at all. I know him. I've seen him - he's somebody who can't be trusted.'
Alexandra exhaled, 'And he looks like?'
'As much as I'd hate to remember his face -' Said the Commander, taking two deep breaths. Alexandra waited, 'Dark hair, a heart shaped face. Straight eyebrows. He should be easily recognizable. You must know Jessica,'
Alexandra did. She'd seen the young lady on numerous occasions. She was a little like Sarah in looks, and a little like Betty in brains. Perhaps one of the few women on earth who called Liam a brother.
High problems needed high solutions.