Given the creepy way she had introduced herself, Alexandra wouldn't have been surprised if Austin toppled and crashed backwards. So naturally, she was not surprised when his jaw dropped and looked her up and down - trying match the features with what he remembered them to be.
'A-A-Alexandra...' He stammered, recoiling backwards on the cushion, as though stones had fallen on his chest.
'By and by, Brother, you shall learn I'm not Alexandra here. But surely,' she complied, 'you can call me that.' A part of her was rather pleased with the way they were meeting. A reversal of scenario where Alexandra was no longer the helpless one.
Sometimes, life gives you a chance to prove yourself. It also gives you a by-time, a breather, a leisurely break to prepare. Asks for every single drop of sweat and blood for that - AND you should know, that in return - it pays you back. Effectively. Aptly. Without fail.
'I see,' Austin replied, stiffly, sitting back straight, 'where is my questioner?'
'Maybe - just in case - you have impaired your vision somehow - I could have a medic called over. Your questioner stands right in front of you.'
Austin frowned, his brows furrowed, and stood up to look behind Alexandra. When he saw nobody, he walked over to her. 'What are you talking about?' He argued, 'Who is the questioner?'
Alexandra's lips invariably turned upwards into a smug smile. Liam couldn't have done it knowingly, but she loved him a hundred times over now. 'Good day to you, King Austin.' She declared, with a small bow, 'I'm the Head of The Idgardian Espionage Council - Mabel. And I am, also, your questioner.'
Austin looked on the verge of a panicking. His eyes rested on Alexandra for a second, then he shook his head - his mouth slightly open all the while - taking a step backward.
'No-' He faltered.
'Can't help it, brother. Yes, it's me.' Alexandra shrugged. 'Now!' she snapped, 'we've wasted enough time on niceties - sit down and co-operate, please.'
Austin stopped walking backwards, shaking his head and keeping his mouth open. But disbelief was still etched across his face in each and every line. Alexandra registered only a few small changes - he had grown an auburn beard and moustache. He was gaunter than before - perhaps with worry. More slender.
Austin had been this charming and good-looking sort of person. Alexandra had spent more than half her life hearing Austin this and Austin that and Austin whatnot. She herself had been quite in awe of him.
But now, after having several good looks at Liam, Alexandra found Austin... unimpressive.
Well, you can't use the same tools to measure a goldfish and a shark.
Wait a second, Mind, Alexandra asked back, who's the shark here?
But Mind wisely chose to remain quiet.
'Alexandra...' Austin took a breath, 'I don't believe it - this is another trick of these corrupt Idgardians.'
'Have a good look then,' Alexandra sang, flashing her fist sized batch at him, then keeping it back inside. 'And this,' she continued - showing him a bit of Moira. 'And lastly - don't you dare call Idgardians - corrupt.'
'All a hoax!' He maintained, 'that dreadful King - is using you, Alexandra.' And he shook his head, looking at her intensely.
Alexandra gave a small laugh. 'Interesting theories, Sir. But if he is - that is my problem. And you have enough problems to worry about already. For example - this questioning.'
'You can't do that,' Austin warned, 'you can't help them, Alexandra!'
'WHY NOT?!' Alexandra barked unsheathing Moira and pointing it at him, 'whom should I help, then? You? Whom should I believe? You? Why, Austin?! WHY should I? What did Doveland do with me? How much did I matter? What did YOU do with me?' She snarled, taking a step forward with each sentence and pressing her brother against the beautiful, patterned wall of the room - Moira at his neck, it was unnerving that she was not even an inch shorter than him, 'Don't think I don't know of Alexandra's Curse, King Austin. Of Three Cape Ladies club. Of what you have been doing! Espionage Council - it means something.'
Anger? Anger was a small word for what Alexandra was feeling. She was furious!
Austin opened his mouth to say something else, but Alexandra grabbed his collar. 'Final warning. Final warning. Sit down. Answer.' She hissed, through gritted teeth. Their eyes clashed. Finally - Austin hunched his shoulders.
Alexandra moved back - keeping Moira in her hand. Austin exhaled, 'Ask.' He relented.
'Chronology - full chronology of what happened in Doveland since I - left.' Alexandra grunted, reclining on the cushions and mounting her legs on the table in between the two seats. Austin remained standing. 'Come on, come on, Brother - sit down - this place is all yours!' She offered.
Once again Austin had the look a person had when they were being forced to drink their anger. Then he exhaled, sitting down, 'Espionage Council, right?' He muttered, 'You must know then - what happened. Why don't you just consult your memory?'
Alexandra smiled, 'Well - why don't I ask for your transfer to a detention camp? Or why don't I join hands with Doveland? Simply,' she said, shrugging, 'because I don't want to. Now - I'm rather at the end of my temper. So before I lose it, you should hurry up and answer.'
Austin glared at her for a second, then at Moira. Finally, he broke into speech. 'The one thing you did, thirteen years later, losing your temper - cost Doveland a lot. Exile wasn't harsh enough, according to Sabel. The next morning, at the funeral, we didn't even get to see Nicholas once. She said she wouldn't let his murderers see him. And then - all ties were severed. It left us hankering for power, in short. No big breaks with father, because he was too shaken. No, not because of what happened to you, but because of what happened to Nicholas. He never took your name... ever again.' Then Austin shook his head, 'In any case, no big breaks until... until I ascended the throne ... and I was determined to change things.'
'So you accepted all of Ethoris' demands. And struck a treaty wit-'
'Alliance.'
'Treaty.' Alexandra forced, 'treaty.' She repeated, 'It was a treaty. And with that you changed things. Interesting brother - because you did change things. Sadly, for the worse.' She finished, feeling at once pitiful and spiteful. Foolish rulers were such a bane.
'So,' Alexandra continued, 'you wanted to change things. In that sense - you wanted to strengthen Doveland, isn't it?' Austin nodded, 'So here's a question brother: is Ethoris the only Kingdom in the world?'
Austin frowned again, this time deeper, like he had registered the question was an impetus to something larger, but he couldn't find out to what. When Alexandra didn't give any reaction to his silence, he looked into her eyes directly and said, 'No.'
'No.' Alexandra repeated, removing her legs from the table and leaning forward, 'Ethoris is not the only nation in the whole world. Then,' she taunted, 'why were you hankering for an alliance with it? For ties with it? Look around yourself - you have better Kingdoms. If not Kingdoms, you at least have Vedessa. Why not choose to have a pact with us?'
Austin stared at her, like Alexandra had punched him in the gut. He tilted his head, 'You are right.' he concluded, 'I should have had thought a bit more. Unfortunately, it takes years to win the trust of a single person - of a nation, well, you are smart enough to know. And,' he pressed before Alexandra could continue, 'you tell me - who did you kill? Not a street, stray lad. You killed a prince, Alexandra. Which nation will want relations with a country whose princesses are murders?! You think you are very wronged? You think you are the one who suffered?!' He demanded. 'You know how many problems you created for us?! You destroyed all of Olivia's prospects! The reason she had to marry that despicable Neil! Akwandian King - my foot. I've seen him and I know what a despicable man he is. Oh, is he even a man!?" And Austin looked like he would get up, but banged the table instead. "Rose, she's living with a tax collector! Don't you think she loved that Derk one bit. She was just scared! She was scared that if the mad Neil was what somebody like Olivia got, then what would happen to her?! And all this is whose doing? Yours!' He spat at her.
Alexandra knew she wasn't going to feel guilty. Yes, there was some truth in Austin's words, but she wouldn't let them hold her back.
'Oh, we are having philosophy now, are we?' She noted, 'Well in that case - broken trust is even harder to mend. You were fine with the mending business. No excuses, brother. Give no excuses.'
'I am giving no excuses, Alexandra.' Austin declared. 'You don't think I can't see that this Liam who didn't waver one bit in insulting Olivia five times, somewhere, is favoring you unusually too much. Alexandra, I thought you were being used until now. But I change my views: you are using, Alexandra. You are using these new connections you have formed. And at the top of list - comes the new emperor Liam you have somehow charmed!'
Alexandra was very practical, so she did not pull out Moira. But the murderous emotions in her were boiling. She would take anything, but she wouldn't accept too many digs on Liam, out of mere moral duty and a considerable amount of suppressed love. But that was that, a question on her own character upon it - was outrageous enough. 'Don't repeat that, Austin. This is between you and me. Emperor - and he certainly is one - Liam, is my employer - as well as my patron. Honestly, I am not expected to silently listen to disparages aimed at him. This is the first time, I give you a warning. Alexandra, the citizen of Idgard, will not digest her monarch's insult.'
They had a silent staring contest over the citizen of Idgard part. Nobody lowered his or her gaze. Alexandra felt a dough of emotions being kneaded in her chest. She had no idea what to feel, or what to say, what to even ask. But professionally, her way forward was clear.
She had half the information here. But the roots had to uprooted from where they began.
Meaning - from Ethoris.
They had been sending spies to Ethoris. But they had never, ever, thought of sending them into the Palace. Mainly because Ethoris was considered too far to be cared about. Now though, it was time to change that. And she would change it.
'You know the Palace of Ethoris?' Alexandra asked, breaking the stare. Austin looked at her, his eyes narrowed.
'You don't need to go there.' he waved off, 'Charm Liam a little more, become his first wife because there will be a hundred more to come. Spend your life fighting off concubines for his favor, Alexandra. That life, is the one you will love.'
'As much a tempting offer it is, I think I'll just better be figthing off Dovish vermin.' Alexandra replied, hands shaking. 'You better keep that digusting face away from my eyes or I'll make it an unbearable sight for eve-'
And Austin shook his head with a small laugh.
'Don't be that easy to provoke, Agent Mabel.' and he blew the hair out of his eyes. 'Hmm, but you really do not need to go in there. It's a maze, Alexandra.'
'Maze?' She frowned, forgetting about the provocation instantly. 'Like a labyrinth?'
Austin shook his head, his lips pursed and expressionless, 'A maze.' he repeated, 'A labyrinth, has got one entry and one exit. Every path is a way out. Unlike that - in a maze, there are dead ends, several ways out as well as a hundred deceptions. I advise you,' he continued, almost in a whisper, 'to drop the plan to go there.'
The last line hit hard. Even after all these years, she had remained transparent. Readable to her brother. Alexandra had tried to mask emotions - on several occasions, she had succeeded too. But when it was most needed - now, the mask had fallen off.
Take personal tuition from Liam, how's the idea?
'Please shut up,' Alexandra mumbled, then she faced her brother, 'I know. It's not an easy or nice job. But that mad woman is getting too thorny. It's good to give her a trimming. Or better - a cutting. Best,' she added, 'is to uproot her.'
Austin stared at her for a second, then, suddenly - his lips curled into a smile. Alexandra was baffled by how much change they brought to his face. She could see a trace of the old man he had been. She could almost recognize her brother now.
'Alexandra,' he said, like he was reading out a speech on her funeral, 'you've made this mess - I've spread it further. If you are willing to clean up ... I guess - I just guess, that I'm willing to help.'