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Firewalk with Me (Madam Mim x EvelynWillows)

The castle seemed to be bustling with activity that day, as people adjusted to having Princess Althea's people in the household as well. There was a quick glimpse of Princess Olivia as she and Prince Owen marched through the hallways. They were dressed identically, as if going into battle, and had only enough time to give their future step-mother a friendly wave before leaving. The servants were likewise busy. Now that Althea had arrived, the wedding seemed almost imminent, and they had so much work to do to prepare for all the guests.

Even Lady Roberta seemed busy that day with organizing the house servants and arranging to have tableclothes embroidered with Atlhea and Alastair's initials, wine labeled correctly, and the right flowers ordered for the wedding. She did manage to send over several selections of white silk cloth for Althea to pick from for her wedding dress.

Finally there were two things calling to Althea; the west wing of the fourth floor, and the garden.
 
The next day Althea found herself quite alone for the first time since leaving Highchester. It was a little lonely, but nice. She found the library and spent the morning reading, but her mind kept wandering. Finally she marked her page then snapped her book shut, getting up and walking to her room. Dom Pierre had the decency to appear where she could see him once she had finished changing. He seemed to be popping in to check on her.

"Can you see me even when I can't see you?" the princess wondered aloud to the ghost. "Well, nevermind. You're just the spectre I wanted to see. Do me a favor? Go check out the west wing on the fourth floor, let me know what you find. I'm dreadfully curious, but I dare not go myself."

Thanking the foppish page she pulled on her winter cloak and a pair of boots before going outside. She went into the gardens on a walk, hoping to din into "Alex."
 
Dom Pierre had been upset when he died. It only made sense, after all; he'd been tortured and put to death in the most horrid way, and for no crime other than his loyalty to Sir Jacques. Loyalty and love. His devotion, in fact, kept him mired in the earthly realm more truly then did the viciousness of his death.

He nodded when Princess Althea asked him if he saw her when he was invisible. He shrugged and looked slightly embarrassed, if a specter could be embarrassed, and then nodded sagely when she asked him to go check out the west wing on the fourth floor. He disappeared with a flourish and a slight smell of ozone, eliciting an excited yap from Apollo. Apollo seemed to have more of an affinity to Dom now that he was a ghost. Perhaps they could hear each other better, or the dog realized that the fop was no threat to his Mistress. But when Dom wasn't hanging around Alex he was somewhere in the vicinity of the dog.

Outside a soft breeze was blowing. The clouds were scattered and allowed a lot of sunlight to hit the snow, and here and there patches of ground could be seen fighting to peek out below the white cover. The garden was beginning to wake up. In fact, small dark spikes poked up from the snow where bulbs were beginning to make themselves known. A steady ~clop! clop! clop!~ came from behind the greenhouse where Alex was steadily splitting wood and stacking it in neat, tall piles. It looked like he had been at it for a goodly amount of time.
 
Althea followed the sound of wood being split and found Alex. Leaning against the cold glass of the greenhouse, she smiled and watched him silently for a while with her arms folded across her chest. Dear Gods he was handsome! If only fate had been kinder, he could have been her husband or at the very least the prince she was doomed to marry after his father's death. Well, she supposed she would just have to be up front with Prince Duncan once he was revealed as she had been with his father. Certainly he would understand just as well.

"You certainly have a magical touch," the princess said softly after a while. "Obviously the garden likes you, to bloom as if it were spring. Through the unmelted snow, even!" She grinned and pushed herself off of the side of the greenhouse. "Yet I wonder why you don't use those same skills for splitting wood. Mind if I try?"
 
Alex startled when he heard her voice. His expression was happy, though, when he turned and saw Althea. "I - no, that's not magical at all," he said, "it's just the normal cycle of things." He leaned on the long-handled axe as he looked at her. "Every winter during the worst part of the war I'd look for the Snow Crocus to show herself. It helped a lot of men have heart when they thought that they couldn't go on."

He smiled at her request to try splitting wood. "The ax is heavy, but sure; just don't cut your leg off." He took both hands and handed Althea the axe, then set a log on the larger stump. "Okay, take it easy and try not to get hurt. The king would have my head."
 
Althea rolled her eyes and stepped toward the gardener-knight. "J...Alex, you do know I'm still that dirty little gangle-doll on the inside, right? Puberty and soap happened, that's all." She grinned and stepped forward, hefting the axe with both hands.

The axe was heavier than she'd expected, but just as when she was a little girl she tried her best to save face in front of her lifelong love and pretend that she had it under control. She planted her feet firmly and lifted the axe over her head before bringing it down. It struck the log a bit off-center and made it about halfway through.

"Okay, so maybe I'm not as strong as you are," she said, blushing. She lifted the axe again, taking the log with it, and brought it down to split it on the second try. "There! Told you I could do it." She stuck her tongue out playfully.
 
"Thank the gods," he teased, "I'd hate to have people tease me about being only as strong as a girl." He stuck his tongue out at her in return. "Besides, if you do it too well I'd be out of a job." He put another piece of wood on the stump. "Go for it. I'm happy to have someone to help out."

Now it was his turn to lean against he greenhouse. "So, how has your stay been so far Princess?" Alex smiled and crossed his arms, looking up at her through his hair. "I noticed Sir Edward riding off with Sir Owen and his men this morning. I suppose that's a good thing, right?"
 
"Oh, is that where he's been?" Althea asked in mild surprise. "I honestly haven't seen him since we arrived, and that's certainly a relief. Maybe he'll take an arrow to the throat while he's out there." She rolled her eyes and looked up at him after bringing the axe down again and her legs turned to jelly. "Don't look at me like that," she leaned in whispered, "or I'll just have to throw myself on you right here."

"I had lunch yesterday with the king," she continued conversationally, louder than a whisper but not too loud. She brought the axe down with a grunt and split the second log. "We spoke of many things. He knows how close I was to my champion." The princess looked up at him again and gave him a meaningful look to make it clear as to her true meaning. "We're to have a memorial for him and build a monument in his honor after our wedding. Oh, and I picked out fabric for my dress today. Cream silk; I think it will be beautiful. How's Ellington been treating you, Alex? Better than where you came from, I hope?"
 
Alex nodded and stood up fully, uncrossing his arms. He wouldn't have minded a little throwing, but here in the castle of his sponsor it was playing with fire. "A memorial for your champion?" He asked as she came around behind her and took the axe in her hands. "Here, move your hands up just a span, Princess. You'll have better control. So I guess you were very close to this champion of yours, if your betrothed has deemed him worthy of a royal memorial."

He breathed in deeply the scent of her hair.

Intoxicating.

"I ah, I haven't been picking out fabrics and such, if that's what you're asking, but I have enjoyed being here as compared to the last few weeks. I think this life will suit me well. Albeit, it would be much nicer if I had a sweet wife in the cottage with me on cold nights." He smiled and moved away from her to stack another piece of wood on the stump. "But it's good to be here. There are much worse places to be, and I believe the king will be a fair man to work for."

Alex stepped back as he waited for her to take another swing with the axe. "If you ever decide to give up the life of luxury, Princess Althea, you'd make a fine wood-cutter."
 
Althea shook slightly as Jacques--no, Alex--took her hands and moved them for her. She leaned back against him a little and closed her eyes, wishing for all the world they could do more than simply stand near each other. So engrossed was she in the man around her that she nearly missed his words.

"Yes, I was close to him all my life. I thought he would always be there so we would always be together...it's strange to think of him now as gone. He admired the king very much, and obviously the king had a great deal of respect for him, too." She smiled a bit sadly. When he mentioned having a wife, however, it almost sounded like he intended to start looking for other, more eligible women. She swung the axe down hard and split the log cleanly in two on one go.

"Well, I'll think of that should I choose to run away from my duties as queen," she said with a tight smile. "A wife, hmm Alex? I have no doubt a man like you would have no problem taking his pick of any woman he might want to consider his wife. Or do you have someone special in mind already?" The real question was obvious, she just wish they didn't have to speak so cryptically. Did Jacques plan on taking another for his wife since Althea wasn't readily available?
 
Alex smiled, oblivious to the question in his lover's heart. "There is a girl. She's scrawny and had tangles in her hair, but I think I loved her from the moment she existed. Unfortunately she's engaged to another. And she's much beyond my station. I doubt she'd even notice me now, " he said, half teasing.

He placed another piece of wood on the stump. "Aren't you tired yet? Keep this up and we may have to have you train with the Knights." Alex reached over and pulled her skirt or of the way.
 
Althea smiled when Alex began to describe her, the little girl he'd left before the war, and her heart leapt at the thought that he'd loved her all her life. But the smile fell along with her heart as he continued. Did he doubt her?

"Station doesn't matter when love is involved," the princess insisted quietly, "and if she loved you before I'm sure she loves you still. Perhaps the engagement was not of her own choosing. So...you would take another for your wife to keep you company on those cold nights?" The look on Althea's face was plain; hurt, betrayal, fear. She had promised to be with him as soon as she possibly could. Was he unwilling to wait for her?

"It's only been two or three logs," she said tersely, swinging the axe down again. "Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I tire easily.
 
Alex chuckled. "Well, if I have enough wood cut then the nights will be warm, and if I need something to hold then perhaps Apollo will consent to sleeping with me when his Mistress' bed is too crowded." He put another piece of wood on the stump. He noticed that she was getting upset, and before she could swing the axe down again he reached up and caught its handle to stop her.

"Hey, Althea...what's wrong? I mean, other than the obvious, what is bothering you?" He tried to pull the axe out of her hands so that they could talk without one wielding a weapon. "Do you think that my feelings or my commitment to you has changed now that we're here? Because I promise you, my love. They haven't. I'd shovel the stables if that meant I might catch a glimpse of you on occasion. My joy comes from knowing that you are safely here, and that the king will care for you and protect you because he is an honorable man."
 
Althea raised the axe but found her hands sliding down the handle rather than the weapon swinging downwards. When she looked up Jacques had a hold of the handle near the head. She let go and looked down at her palms which now bore plenty of splinters. Biting her lip, she looked back up at him with sorrowful eyes.

"It's because you wish for a wife, and I know I can't give that to you," she said softly, wary of anyone eavesdropping. "It makes me worry that you won't wait for me when I'd wait a thousand years for you if I could. I mean, love is all well and good but you have to make yourself happy too, and as much as I shouldn't be upset about that I am." She sniffed and looked back down at her hands, plucking the bits of wood from her skin. "And now my hands are full of splinters, thanks to you." She stepped on his foot lightly and smiled a little. "Apollo would love to come see you, provided you give him a place in the garden to dig and stuff like he had back in Highchester. A place with plenty of rabbits and birds."
 
He brushed off the wood chips from the stump and sat down, pulling Atlhea onto his lap. "Here, let me see your hands," he said quietly. he wanted to pluck the splinters from her delicate hands before they became infected.

"I should have given you gloves. Althie, I'm never going to love another like I love you. I understand your worry, though; I couldn't wait when I was away at war and I was unfaithful to you. Twice. I regret those indiscretions every day, my love. I wish I could have had the faith it took to stay pure for you, but I was weak." He brushed off her hands with his own. "But I know that you love me now. That makes a lot of difference, love. I'm older now and more mature. I'll wait."

He wanted to do more with her, to hold her and kiss her, but instead he knew that she had to go soon. Or at the very least, that he had taken too many liberties with the king's betrothed as it was. "I won't marry. I promise you, Althie. I'll nurture the old rumors if that's what's needed, but I'll wait until I can have you legally."
 
Althea sighed and shook her head. "You were unfaithful to a twelve-year-old girl with a childish crush. You were a grown man with a grown man's needs." Still, it felt good that he was apologizing for that. She sat patiently while he plucked the splinters from her flesh, wincing when he had to grab at particularly stubborn ones. She sighed when he spoke of having her legally.

"I'm afraid we may have to wait even longer than that," she said softly. "The king...he means for me to marry his eldest son once he's gone. He made me promise." She closed her eyes in a grimace. "It...it's all for a reason and I know it is...and I tried to say no, but there's only so many times you refuse a king his dying wish." She looked up at Jacques, her Jacques, with tears in her eyes. "But that will never change how I feel about you, nor what I want to do about us. If we have to marry in secret then we will. One way or another, my love, I'm going to spend my life with you."
 
Jacques' was stricken at Althea's revelation of what was to happen.

"What? The king's son? With Owen? But that makes no sense. Why would he want you to marry his son?" He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger and grimaced. "You said it was the king's dying wish, Althea. I didn't know that he was ill." He took a deep breath and laid his head against Althea's. "Oh God...what are we going to do?"

He held Althea for another moment before standing up with her and going to stack more wood on the block. He still had wood to cut, after all. "Does he mean to have his son raise his own brother?" He looked over at his beloved and realized how pitiful his complaints sounded. "Oh, Althie, I'm sorry. Here I am lamenting this, and I haven't even asked you how you feel? Are you okay?"
 
Althea shook her head. "The king is healthy, to my knowledge. I say 'dying wish' simply because that's his wish for his deathbed, that I marry his son. I had the very same concerns you do, but it seems more complicated than that."

Again, Althea stepped in to whisper. "It seems the king knows Prince Duncan is alive, and it's only a matter of getting your father to confess it. This is the son I am to marry."

She stepped back again and spoke above a whisper, but still softly. "As for what we are to do, I don't know yet. We can't run away, or at least I can't, but we could get married in secret. I could forsake my vows to the prince for you." The princess rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "As for the brother bit, I'm on the same page as you. The king said it wasn't incestuous or immoral or anything, but it still sort-of grosses me out. To share the sane bed with the sin that I already had with the father? Bear children to the son of the man who took my maidenhead?" She made a face and shuddered. It's creepy.
 
Prince Duncan is alive.

Jacques stood stock-still and stared at Althea. "Alive?" All of his life he'd lived under the shadow of knowing that his dad was responsible not just for Queen Annabelle's death, but that of her infant son, Duncan.

"Are you sure? Have you seen him?"

He rubbed his face with his hands and shook his head. "No, no...I don't want to do anything in secret, Althea. I don't want to live my life under a shroud of lies, always afraid that we'd be found out one day. I need for us to be legitimate, Althea. I've lived in fear and shame my entire life. I don't want that for our children."

The ex-knight embraced the king's betrothed and sighed. He wanted so desperately to tell her that they had shared in the loss of her maidenhead together, in a small cabin one night. To save her from shame and possible punishment Jacques healed her 'injury' and erased the memory of the night from her mind. It was the most difficult thing that he had ever had to do. "I love you, Althea. I know that this will work out for the best. I have faith that it will."

Out in the far edges of the garden Lady Roberta's voice could be heard as she called for Apollo. She'd taken a liking to the large dog, and she was on his afternoon walk with him. Soon it would be time for Althea to share lunch with her king.
 
Althea shook her head. "I haven't seen him, nor do I know how he was kept alive for so long without anyone's knowledge." She sighed in frustration. "The king said everything will be revealed in time. It's all too mysterious for me, but the king seems to have had this plan in motion for a long time. I just...I don't know."

The princess sighed and shook her head when Jacques said he wouldn't marry her in secret. She wanted the same thing for her children, but it didn't seem like it would be possible. She hugged him back and rested her head on his shoulder.

"My love, we're doing everything under a shroud of secrecy anyway. Our children can either be secretly legal or outright bastards. Either way we'll have to pass them off as the children of my husband." She rubbed her eyes. Jacques' strength was stronger than hers. "I'll lean on you, then, when my faith is weak. We can be strong for each other."

Althea jumped up at the sound of Lady Roberta's voice. Looking up at the sky with shielded eyes she found the position of the sun and swore softly. Looking down at her love, her eyes were full of sorrow.

"I have to go, my love," she said sadly. "I have lunch with the king, and it wouldn't do for Lady Roberta to find us in such close confidence. Apollo's out here somewhere; he's sure to sniff me out." She kissed her first two fingers and pressed them gently against Jacques' lips, the way she had when she had been a very small girl, and mouthed 'I love you' before squeezing his arm gently and turning the corner around the greenhouse.
 
He smiled against her fingertips as she went to leave. Jacques turned away and went back to his work; the wood wouldn't split itself, though it would be a neat trick if it did. As she rounded the corner Jacques looked up to watch her disappear, and thought to himself that her future husband was a lucky man indeed.

The servants were already setting up the greenhouse for lunch, and Lady Roberta was still searching for Apollo. She caught sight of Althea and flashed her a flushed smile. "Your Highness! I'm sorry, I lost track of your wonderfully exuberant beast. I'm sure he's around here somewhere." She pushed the hair out of her eyes, tucking it inside her bonnet as she did. "You're a tiny bit eager for lunch if I may say so myself. Eager, are we?" With that she gave Althea a little wink.

She remembered something and brought her hands together excitedly. "Oh! And the tailor wants you to come by this afternoon for another fitting. The cobbler is here as well, and the hairdresser has come in to to talk to you about headresses..." she continued to prattle on a bit about schedules and appointments, happy to have someone to dote over once again.
 
Althea smiled back at the kind lady. "He likes to do that sometimes. Fancies himself a hunter though he's the gentlest dog I've ever met; garunteed he's hidden himself in the snow." Shaking her head, Althea put her fingers to her mouth and whistled shrilly. "Apollo! Supper!"

Sure enough, the clever dog had buried himself in the snow about fifty yards off and was lying in wait to pounce on the unsuspecting Lady Roberta until there was a mention of food. He sprang out of the snow and galloped toward them, skidding to a halt and shaking himself off. Althea shielded herself, grinning.

"There's my smart boy! Oh clever puppy, huh Apollo? Big bad hunter doggy!" His tongue lolled out of his mouth in a stupid grin as she rubbed his head; they both knew she was being sarcastic about him being a hunter though he was clever. Sometimes. "See? Just call for him and mention food and he'll come running, even if he knows it's not suppertime."

She looked up at the lady's sly implications. "Hmm? Oh...I just...I was out on the grounds already and didn't want to be late," she clarified, "though our lunch yesterday was quite interesting."

The princess patiently let the woman babble on about appointment and such she could really care less about. Headdress? Was she to wear one of those godawful wigs to her wedding? She certainly hoped not.
 
Not soon enough the tables were set and the servants were getting ready to leave. Jacques' wood chopping had faded into the background and was heard no more, and Lady Roberta curtsied to Althea and said that she should take her leave with 'the Beast' lest King Alastair think she was being too much of a busy-body. A moment after she left, the king seemed to appear out of nowhere. He smiled at Althea's elbow, inclining his head subtly as he greeted her.

"Princess Althea, I trust your day had been pleasant. Although..." he took her hand and caressed the palm, "you seem to have a penchant for the more physical activities. I've called for a master to come and train with you; he should be here by the end of the week." He smiled. "Juko-kai? Olivia highly recommends this gentleman, and I believe you will find him quite acceptable as an instructor." He took her hand and laid it over his arm. "Shall we dine, my dear?"
 
Althea warned Lady Roberta with a smile that Apollo would get a big head if she kept doting on him so. The truth was the loyal dog had always been a bit spoiled. She jumped a little when her betrothed appeared at her elbow quite suddenly.

"King Alastair, you startled me," she smiled. "One might think you have the powered to become invisible at will." She chuckled nervously, struck with anxiety that he did have such a power and had seen or at least heard her telling Jacques everything. She blushed lightly with embarrassment as the king slid his hand over her palm. "I'm afraid I always have, sire. The gardener was teaching me to chop wood. I'm anxious now for this instructor to arrive."

The princess took King Alastair's arm and allowed him to lead her to their set table, sitting demurely. "I trust Your Majesty's day has been an interesting one?"
 
"It has been an enlightening day." The king pulled out a chair for his betrothed and helped her to sit. "I know that you have just arrived here, Althea, but would it be overly-burdonsome for us to talk politics today? I would really like to know what your true feelings are regarding magic and our differences in beliefs. You come from a region that believes differently from my kingdom, and has been responsible for the burning and decapitations of many who disagree with them. In truth, we've killed many who disagree with us as well, so there is no innocent party here. Only death and remorse."

He waited while the servants removed the covers on their dishes and then left the two alone.

"Now, I want you to not be afraid of honesty with me. I want to know the heart of the woman who will one day help to keep this kingdom strong." He smiled at her as he poured iced tea in both their glasses.
 
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