4: Darken War

9:Alexander

i sat at my desk, finishing off some last-minute paperwork before the dragon army arrives.

the door opened and James walked in. "you wanted to see me?"

"you are going to want to sit down for what i am about to tell you." i set my quill down.

James sat. "Its about my wife isnt it?" 

"it is."  i looked at this man who has been my closest friend for my entire life. "There is a chance that something went wrong. the man who we believe to be one of my siblings is shapeshifting into her form and trying to stop the war head-on."

"how would you know this?" he asked, getting mad. 

"Alana arrived just a little while ago." i answered. "she told me that the man had tired it with her, and a chance that he had tried it with Thorne as well." 

"and this means my wife is in trouble?" James started to clench his fists. "this was supposed to be a peaceful mission."

"she is alive." i stood and walked over to my friend, placing my hand on his shoulder. "that much i am positive about."

James looked up at me, tears welling in his eyes. "i only just got her back."

"i know." i pulled him in for a hug. "we both did remember." 

"at least the two of you had shared a body for most of that." James hugged me back. 

"yes, but it is not the same as having her by my side." i told him as he sobbed, i have only ever seen him cry like this one other time.

"i swore to protect her." James pulled from my arms. "i am going with you."

"i know." i already knew he would want to. "i have already asked Lilliana to stay with the children here."

he wiped the tears from his eyes. "lets get back our queen."

"let me guess." we turned as we heard Alexandria's voice on the other side of the desk. "that meddlesome dragon has already told you."

James stood to his feet. "give us Alexandria back, we will go to war for her and you will lose."

he laughed, sounding like my sister in nearly every way. "the war will happen either way, just my way is going to be more fun."

"just answer me one question." i looked them in the eye. "are you one of my half siblings?"

"i am." he answered, his body changing into the form of a man, long blond hair like our fathers and blue eyes. "i am surprised you figured it out so fast brother."

"it was all in his study." i spoke to this man. "but if you are our brother, then why start this war in the first place?"

"why?" his smile looked just as twisted as our fathers. "because you got to grow up with your father, in a palace. then as if he were nothing, our sister murdered him, twice."

"there was good reason for that." I clenched my fists. "he was a monster."

"is that from your experience or hers?" he started to pace the room, the same way father had. "She says she was abused, but you never were."

"she was." James spoke up, face getting red. "he had ordered me to whip her."

"and yet, she still married you." my brother faced James now. "How much trauma does she truly have from our father and how much is made up?"

"There were other people who saw it." I took his attention from James. "i saw it in her memories, it was real."

"well, good luck trying to convince the others of that." he smiled once more.

"others?" i couldn't figure out what he meant by that. 

"you will learn soon enough what i mean." he started to laugh as his image faded.

i looked at James, "just when i thought the family drama was finally over."

"your telling me." he walked to the door. "lets go get her back, and this time we are never letting her leave our side again."

i nodded. "that is something we can both agree with."

----------------

after a few hours the dragon army arrived, as did the fairy and elven armies. 

i saw Throne, dressed in white elven armor, upon his horse at the head and walked over to him. "weren't we supposed to meet at the border?"

"that was before that damn advisor showed up in my palace." Thorne dismounted his horse and shook my forearm, then glance at James who was wearing his own armor. "i thought he was to stay behind?"

"i am going to get my wife back." he said as he walked over. "this is happening too much and i am tired of it."

Thorne nodded. "She does have a bad habit of getting into trouble." he looked at me and Alana who had joined up. "i assume that he appeared to the two of you as well?"

"he did." Alana answered. "i knew right away, the magic didn't feel right, and she flew. how did you find out?"

"she called me by my first name in private." he answered, sounding mad. "She has never once done that, even sometimes slipping in public."

I nodded, "Alana had told me in time, he appeared before James and i."

"hes their brother." James told the group. "he wants revenge for Lexie killing their father."

"another sibling?" Thorne looked at me. "i thought there were only three of you."

"it appears i have some Bastard siblings." i answered. "and apparently they are not happy."

"Lovely." Alana sighed, glancing at me. "Are you okay?"

i looked into her eyes. "i am okay. its just a lot to take in."

"um, Alexander." Throne crossed his arms. "The two of you are acting rather...close."

James raised an eyebrow at me and Alana walked away blushing. i could feel my face going red as well. 

i coughed. "well then, anyway. we need to get moving now, it is a three day ride. we could send the dragons and fairies ahead to scout."

James nodded. "ill get Alana and get on that." he then leaned in to whisper to me. "if you are going to be flirting with her, maybe dont be so obvious."

"i...i wasn't." i stuttered my words, my face feeling like it was on fire. 

James flapped his wings and flew off, glancing back at me. "sure you weren't."

"little shit." i muttered under my breath, then looked to Thorne. "Lets ride."