Cirice Forge doesn't know who she is. Other than a piece of paper with her name on it, she knows nothing about her time before she was dispersed into the foster system. Now, she bartends at a popular gentleman's club with plenty of ogling and still...
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"You must concentrate. Feel the power swell inside you as you draw it from the Earth." Sister Amelia said softly, her fiery locks now peppered with gray hairs. She held her hands out, hovering around Cirice's.
Cirice's eyes were closed, her brow slightly furrowed in distress as she fought to recall the Hellfire. After a moment, she scoffed, opening her eyes.
"Father it isn't working!" she cried, stomping her foot and looking to Papa. He was sitting at an iron patio set in the castle garden, watching them both. He clicked his tongue.
"You must try harder, kära en. Perfection does not come without practice, and practice does not come easily." Papa said sternly over his teacup.
"Why do I have to practice anyway? It isn't like I am actually going to need it here in the safest place." Cirice commented smugly, placing air quotes. Papa eyed her.
"Why don't you take a moment to clear your thoughts?" Sister Amelia suggested.
"I'll stay here with your father, you take a turn about the garden." Sister Amelia commanded, eyeing her playfully. Cirice furrowed her brow as Sister Amelia approached Papa.
"Tell me Papa, have you had any other encounters with..." Cirice took the chance to steal away down the stone walkway that lead further into the palace garden.
Bushes and stone walls lined the walkway, shielding her from their view. She breathed in deeply, taking in the chilly Fall day and the crisp afternoon air. She turned a corner and collided with someone. The force almost knocked her back were it not for the secure grip it had on her arm.
She looked up to see Alex, suppressing a laugh as he released her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone accusatory. Alex scoffed.
"I came to speak with your father. What are you doing out here?" he replied, his time mirroring hers. Cirice rolled her eyes.
"Trying to summon hellfire. It's so annoying. I guess I have to be in some real danger for it to actually show up." Cirice said, her tone lightening. Alex raised his eyebrows.
"Well, then I hope you never have to conjure it again," Alex said playfully, smiling. Cirice smiled back.
"So, how is Margaery?" Cirice asked, starting forward. Alex followed.
"Fine I guess," he replied as they continued down the walk.
"You don't sound happy," Cirice commented absentmindedly. He shrugged.
"It is what it is. There's no reasoning with my father." Alex said, somber. Cirice looked at him.
"So you were just as surprised as I was to hear the wedding date?" Cirice sked. He scoffed.
"Suprised is an understatement."
"Surely you could talk to him. Let him know that you aren't ready." Cirice wagered as they came to a fountain. She took a seat on the rim and patted the place next to her.
"I'm afraid I can't. To my father, I'm no different from one of his men. A soldier taking orders." Alex said, dropping his eyes. Cirice took his hand.
"No one deserves to have their autonomy taken from them. No one," she said as he met her eyes. He smiled sadly.
"If only everyone shared your sentiment." Cirice sighed, averting her eyes, yet still holding his hand.
"Alright, new topic and one I have been meaning to ask: why did you wake me up?" Alex met her eyes, his brows furrowed.
"Why that night? Why was that the time to bring me back? Why not all those other bad nights?" Cirice asked, recounting all of the horrific nights she held in present memory. Alex sighed.
"I guess I had just decided enough was enough. After I conjured in front of you, I really couldn't smooth that over," he said, pulling his hand from hers and looking at his palm. Cirice scoffed.
"I knew I didn't imagine it, but why didn't you use it on the ghūl ?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes.
"I couldn't, luckily you stepped in. It's hard to explain but you know that feeling when you are so enraged or scared that all you can do is shake? You want to do more, but you just can't." he said, looking away. Cirice thought back to her time at St. Michael's, and all of the times her bullies had gotten the best of her.
"One time, this kid Dustin kept picking on me. I wanted to fire back at him, I knew I had it in me but I could never get back at him. He beat me up, but he got what was coming to him. A couple of days later, he fell off the playground and broke his arm." Cirice rambled, chuckling. Alex looked at her.
"Dustin Herns?" he asked. Cirice nodded and then looked at him, brow furrowed.
"Yeah...how did you know that?" she asked. Alex chuckled.
"You forget that I was there. I went everywhere you went." Alex said, standing and offering her his arm. Cirice took it gratefully.
"At St. Michael's? Oh no, that means you saw the fight?" Alex nodded as they headed back towards Sister Amelia and Papa.
"I got my ass handed to me," Cirice commented. Alex smiled.
"But you defended Stephen Mack. That was more than honorable and I don't think he ever forgot it." he countered. Cirice smiled, remembering the young boy she had befriended.
"As for Dustin, it may have been a little more than karma that played in his injury." Alex said slowly as they came to the courtyard. Cirice stopped, eyeing him.
"You didn't." she cried, releasing his arm. Alex folded his hands behind his back, pressing his lips together and nodding.
"He was about to go down the slide anyway. Totally had it coming," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Alex!" Cirice cried before letting out a belt of laughter. She gave his shoulder a playful push before they entered the courtyard. Papa looked up and when he saw Cirice with Alex, he stiffened.
"Cirice, it seems you found a friend in the garden." Sister Amelia said, smiling.
"I did! Alex was just coming to talk to father." Cirice said, gesturing to him. Alex nodded to her and then spoke.
"Thank you for the introduction, Princess." he started, his tone now tight and formal. Cirice's face fell as Sister Amelia stood. Cirice couldn't help but gape at the palpable discomfort shared by both of them. She wondered why as Sister Amelia brought her to the center of the courtyard again.
"Now remember to concentrate and visualize." Sister Amelia instructed as she watched Alex and Papa leave the courtyard. She noticed Mason slinking away behind them, his vessel of choice a sleek black snake.
