The Exiled Gem

He Deserves Better

Alexandra pulled into the stables, at top speed. The sun was overhead. At best it would be one in the afternoon. Which mean in nine hours, she had to be in Idgard.

It was not impossible. But it was extremely difficult. Her eyes immediately fell on a small black horse. It looked fidgety and in a hurry. Markings of a swift horse. Alexandra pulled out some hay from the neighboring horse's pile. It neighed in complain but was ignored. She piled the hay in front of the black one.

'There!' She said, 'eat up, I need you to travel a lot.' She added, standing back and watching the horse tuck in hungrily. It had taken her an overnight journey to arrive. No less than twelve hours. And now, she had just nine. Even by the shortest routes, she knew it was tough - why, it was very easy to be late, since once the sun was down, she would have no sense of timing. But she just needed to do it. Liam had to be saved - and if possible, Than had to be finished. He was dangerous - and if he passed the art down, it would be disastrous. If she was late...

Alexandra shook her head. She couldn't even think of it. But while she did, through the corner of her eye, she spotted something glinting in the distance.

A single patch in the roof of the stable, a single beam of light. And something shone mutely - it was alluring. Though she was not supposed to waste a second, Alexandra trudged to it, and knelt down on the dry grass. 

A rectangular frame - with golden borders. Valuable and in perfect condition. Either somebody had dropped it, or thrown it. She picked it up and turned it over, gasping as her eyes fell on the portrait.

It had been ten years of it, yet she recognized it immediately as the one Olivia had kept. Liam's portrait - the one she hadn't considered giving a second glance to. 

Despite everything else, Alexandra smiled. A familiar nostalgia creeped into her, and the likeness was interesting enough. It was a Liam not much different from what she remembered. Tall and impressive. Of course his eyes were golden - and charming - but they weren't as pretty as the pair she remembered. A little lost, a little sad, a little mysterious and troubled, as though saying that I can be doing a hundred, better things right now. He was not smiling - just the lightest of grins. And there were two swords strapped to his belt - he seemed to be making a conscious effort to not reach out for them. But the eyes still pulled her in, the dark hair still needed setting and it was he - no doubt - for even without trying to, he made Olivia appear common.

Perhaps Olivia was now done with him. Perhaps she had succeeded in banishing him from her heart. Perhaps she no longer needed it.

That was just as well. Alexandra stood up and pushed the portrait into her waistband, next to Moira. She hardly knew why she was doing it, but one look was not enough. She would keep it with her to examine at leisure, and admire. And criticize, why not, though somewhere deep down...

She knew she was past the phase of criticism. And the bumpy ride had just begin.

* * *

Half an hour later, she was on the horse's back. Her veil still covering her face, lest anybody saw her. She didn't want any trouble. Any more trouble, that was. What she had wasted half an hour in, Alexandra herself did not know. She had no intention of going back to the inn - Jade could just fly back to the Council. Her things could be disposed off. It left her with a half and eight hours - and she knew was in for the most tremendous journey of her life. Between Akwanda and Idgard, through the shortest routes, there roughly lay - a forest, the tip of a desert, three rivers and a small hilly expanse of volcanic origin. Of course, Alexandra could not help feeling apprehensive.