When The Gold Is Gone ✔ ~ trixya

Chapter 13: In His Eyes She Saw Her

Trixie was already saddled up and ready to leave by the time the Prince arrived at the stables. He looked quite handsome, and the Princess felt her heart race as the memories of their garden adventure the night before filled her head. She quickly tossed the thoughts away however, reminding herself of what he had done and the questions she had to ask. 

"Good morning, Your Highness." Alexej said with a smile.

"You're late." Trixie snapped back. 

"By a few minutes, I suppose. Are you upset with me?" 

"I'm not sure, do I have reason to be?" The Princess pressed.

"I would think not, but I am beginning to think I have done something to upset you." Alexej said, concern clouding his eyes. "Beatrice, if I have done something I-"

"If you have done something? Do you think I would be upset if you had not?"

"I... Well, then please tell me what it is so that I might do something to fix things." The Prince replied, his voice now shaking slightly, as if he feared what Beatrice was about to accuse him of doing, or perhaps what she knew he had done.

"Not here, I would rather not have more whispers from castle staff regarding our private life, thank you." Trixie said, climbing onto her horse. "Follow me."

With that the Princess took off, riding quickly out of the stables and over the hills, away from the castle. The Prince hastily finished saddling his own horse and followed the girl. It was a long ride, the Princess traveling to the cliffs at the very edge of town before finally stopping and climbing off her horse. Alexej soon followed, feeling slightly exhausted by the chase, his legs wobbling a bit as he stepped back down on the ground.

"Princess, whatever is this about? Why are we out here?"

"Because I do not need further embarrassment." Trixie replied.

"Embarrassment? Is this about last night? Did anyone see us in the garden?" Alexej asked, worry clear in his tone.

"No, but it is about something I learned last night. What do you know about the brothel by river's end?" 

The accusation in her voice was clear, there was no way for Alexej to miss it. Perhaps that was what was so disappointing to Trixie when he spoke his next words as if no such accusation had been made.

"I know many members of the nobility have visited it, other than that I'm afraid I do not know much."

"Right... Do you care so little about me? So little that you will let rumors fly about the castle regarding you having a secret which somehow makes people pity me? So little that you traverse brothels and then lie to me about it?" The Princess said, disappointment and anger seeping into every word she spoke.

"I-"

"Oh, so now you're tongue tied, huh? Do you realize how small you make me seem? Sleeping around with other women before our wedding day has even taken place? Why did you even bother being kind and showing interest in me if you were going to run into the arms of another anyways?" 

"Princess, you don't understand. There were rumors... I needed to become a man... there was questions..and I.. I had no choice-"

"No choice? No, you had a choice, Alexej. You could have kept away despite the rumors, but by not doing that you have given me no choice. I can not cancel the engagement, so I have to sit there and be pitied whilst you bed other women! Why do you wish to make such a fool out of me?" Trixie yelled, tears streaming down her face, her chest aching from the pain of the betrayal. 

"It meant nothing! You don't understand, if you only knew!"

"Knew what?" Trixie yelled. "What Alexej? What other secrets are you keeping? I know there is something."

"I can't tell you... I will... eventually... I swear... But I just can't yet." Alexej said, his eyes pleading for the Princess to believe that his intentions were not to hurt her.

"Well, if you refuse to tell me then I shall take my leave." 

"Already? But we have only just begun our ride together?"

"I see no point in being around a man who refuses to be truthful with me. I will see you on our wedding day, until then you are welcome to stay far away from me." Trixie said before she started walking towards her horse.

"Your Highness." Alexej pleaded, but there was no response. 

"Beatrice." He tried again, but the girl continued on, her foot already in the stirrup when the Prince spoke up a third time.

"Trixie, wait!"

That halted the girl's movement entirely. She put her foot down and turned back towards the Prince, her eyes wide and curious. 

"Trixie... you called me Trixie." Beatrice spoke, her voice soft and confused.

"Well, i-it was your nickname once." The Prince said, his voice small.

"Yes, but it was not one you used. You never called me that, not even once." She pressed as she walked closer.

Trixie's brain was working at a million miles per hour as she searched her mind for the answer to the riddle that had been tossed into her lap. Alexej would never call her Trixie, but the only one who would was long gone.
Wasn't she?

"I am sure I must have called you it at least once before." The boy said, sounding nervous. 

Trixie stepped closer to him, analyzing his face and comparing it to her memory of Alexej and Katya as children. She noticed things then that she hadn't before, such as his beard seeming slightly loose, as if it was not real, or the amount of makeup he wore on his face, covering up his true features. When stripping those things away in her mind she saw someone else entirely, someone far more similar to the Queen than the King.

"No.. there is no way you would call me that out of nowhere unless you were... Katya." Trixie said, watching the other's eyes widen at her statement. "That's it, isn't it? The big secret? The reason you were so opposed to our union to begin with? You are not Alexej at all... you're Katya."