Hearts Locked in War

V ~ ALEX

If Alex had to rank all of the Avooke balls he had been to in his 17 years of existence, he would put yesterday's ball at the very bottom of the list.

It had started perfectly. He had everyone's attention when he had first entered the ballroom - even Nu's. He had danced with all of the girls at the ball just to get the confidence to dance with Nu and when she had taken his hand, chills ran down his spine in spirals. She had looked beautiful, and out of everyone she could have danced with, she danced with Alex. She could have had any of the boys at the ball, he heard how they would speak about her when she was listening. Sometimes, it could be down right disgusting and disrespectful. But, even though, Nu had stepped on his feet, he savoured the time he spent with her that evening. Until his parents made their routinely spectacle.

Alex had hated his speech impediment. Kids his age had always made fun of him for it, and although he could shake that off, whenever his parents had said anything, he would be overcome with shame. It was not the first time that his parents had used him as the butt of their joke. Alex had been through that humiliation thousands of times. Tonight however, they had chosen a topic that they knew Alex was ashamed of. He might have been able to survive the hurtful stories and jokes, even pretended to laugh at it, but then Nu was stood at the front of the crowd. She had watched him and his family as if she had just seen the person she loved most hung. He had not the guts to meet her eyes but the look she gave him as she stared... It made him feel dysfunctional.

Although she was not there long, listening to his embarrassment, he felt pathetic. The head of the Normhinge Military and next in line for the Normhinge throne being tormented by his own parents. He must have looked weak.

Yes, they were rivals. Yes, they were fighting in a war against each other. Yes, they were brought up to hate the other person. But Alex didn't want Nu to think of him like that. He didn't know what he wanted her to think of him as; he just knew he didn't want Nu Robinson to hate him.

Once his mother and father's audience had laughed at him for one time too many, he tried to look for Nu. He would catch up with her, say something chivalrous and walk her to her room. Alex would have done anything to make sure that the last time she saw him that night, was not him being laughed at by his own family. When he tried to find her though, she was gone. In one final, desperate attempt, he had asked Iona Dunn, Empress of Avooke, where she might be, and she simply responded with:

"She retired for the night. Her father, poor Neville, was so drunk she had to take him back to his room too. Why? Planning an attack?" A bubbly laugh, more similar to a giggle gave Alex the idea that maybe she should retire to her room.

Instead, he laughed gently and walked away. He did not know where his feet were leading him, but in the end, he found himself stood facing Nu's door. Alex raised a fist to knock at the door but thought better of it. What would he say? He had no reason to be outside of her room, his room was on the other side of the palace. and he is sure that she is now disgusted by the sight of him. Finally, after standing there with his fist hovering in place for 2 straight minutes, he grudgingly walked away, back to his own room.

***

The sun cast a golden hue across his room when he awoke the next morning. It was early; few birds sang their sweet song. He pulled himself out of bed and got ready with bored efficiency.

He sat on his bed fully dressed, fully washed. What was he to do know? He pulled his book from his luggage but not even his favourite novel could catch his attention. Alex strolled to the door of his room and unlocked it, stepping into the corridor. The cold caught his skin, but he kept walking regardless. Before he realised where he was, his eyes caught the gentle sight of dark hair falling into slight waves, as the Empress of Nevish Tue stepped into her room. He was always seconds late.

***

The earliest horse and cart left at 6:30. He stepped in hesitantly. When he would next see Nu, he didn't know. He might find her body lay dead in a battlefield next week. Alex should have said something last night when he was stood in front of her door. He should have had the courage to dance with her earlier. Its too late now. The horse and cart had started moving, carrying Alex away to Normhinge.

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We're getting onto the actual story line now.

:)

Word count: 861 words