Allisia and Alexander part 4 the Throne Room

“Do you have a horse, sir?” Alexander spoke quickly, and backed off, “I apologize it's just, well, I don't really know where I am right now, and we were walking for two days before we arrived here, and, I can pay you, and-”

“Quit your yapping boy,” Carlisle stood from his chair, “Your money's no good here. As much as I hate to admit it, I empathize with you. If I could go back and save Isabella I would,” He moved to the door, propping it open for Alexander.

“Dora is an old girl, but she can take you where you need to be, and I expect you to bring her back here safe and sound,”

Carlisle led Alexander to where the horse stood, grazing in the field just in front of the house. Carlisle whistled and the horse trotted over to him. Alexander raised a hand to brush along her coat.

“I don't know how I could ever repay your kindness,”
“I'll think of something when you bring my horse back, how about that?” Carlisle chuckled to himself. “Now, you'll want to head north. Follow the path, it's safer that way, for you and Dora,”

Alexander mounted the horse with ease, following the path north as instructed. His wounds were healed, and his blood was pumping with adrenaline. He had to make a plan.

Sneaking into the castle was the easy part, it was finding exactly where the King was keeping Alissia that would be difficult, especially without getting caught. Depending on what information the King gave to the other servants, he might be able to pass by them without a second glance, but that wasn't a risk he was willing to take. He thought hard, trying to recall any locked doors or spaces he hadn't been.

In a flash, he remembered. Behind the King's throne, there was a small wooden door, protected by a heavy padlock. There were few servants that would be allowed to move that close to the throne, and the only reason he had seen it himself was that Alissia had shown it to him in childhood.

Accessing the door would be difficult. He recalled Carlisle's story, bringing the late Queen food every day. There had to be another person with access to these chambers. He could bide his time and wait until this time came, but it was dangerous to hide in the open throne room without a plan.

The ride back to Nevia seemed to pass faster than Alexander had anticipated. Despite his exhaustion, he knew he would be unable to sleep until he saw Alissia with his own eyes.

It was nearly dawn when he arrived at the kingdom. He recalled a pond near enough to the castle that he could go unnoticed and stopped here. He tied off Dora's lead to a tree, giving her much room to roam.

Alexander steeled his nerves, once again taking his blade from his pack. Alexander didn't have much of a plan. He continued to move forward, nonetheless. He moved only in shadows and intended to move toward the kitchen when he arrived. It was early enough that many of the castle's servants wouldn't yet be working, and he was hopeful the same could be said for the king. If he got lucky, Alissia would be receiving a meal in the morning, and he would be able to sneak into the chamber.

He crept ahead, the corridors eerily silent as he moved. The sun was just beginning to peek out overhead. Alexander reached the kitchen, pressing his ear to the door before opening it. There was a gentle rustling, but nothing more.

Alexander took a deep breath and gently cracked the door. A man stood inside, putting some eggs and toast on a plate. It was someone Alexander hadn't recognized. Alexander had gotten lucky.

Alexander could wait for this man, or he could take control of the situation and enter the tower on his own. Alexander sheathed his blade. If he were wrong, though, it could cost him his life, and possibly Alissia's. Clenching his fist at his side, he pushed the door open and entered.

“Good morning,” he called out to the servant as he approached. The servant nodded in response. “King Gilbert asked me to relieve you this morning. You were needed at the castle gates, so I'll be bringing the tray up to the tower,”

“Is that so? The King has never authorized this job to anyone else before,” Alexander noticed the large bronze key in the man's hand. Alexander's heart was pumping hard. It took every ounce of self-control not to take the key and run.

“King's orders, I'm only the messenger,” Alexander responded. With a huff of breath the servant dropped the key on the tray of food and passed by him. Alexander nearly collapsed with relief. He was on a time crunch now, it was only a matter of time before the servant would report this to the king. Hurriedly, he picked up the key, leaving the tray behind, and sprinted back to the throne room.

Sure enough, the heavy bronze key fit into the padlock, that clattered at Alexander's feet. He picked up the padlock and slipped it in his pocket. The last thing he needed was to be locked in here.

Alexander slipped in and shut the wooden door behind him. What lay before him was a narrow, spiraling, steep, iron staircase. He could just barely make out light filtering in through the small gaps in the stone. Carefully, he trudged up the stairs, examining the walls to ensure there were no hidden traps along the walls. At the top of the landing stood another locked wooden door. He inserted the key, and it unlatched with ease.

The door swung open, revealing Alissia, curled up in the corner of the room.
She was pale, and she looked exhausted, malnourished. When he entered, she only barely lifted her head.

The realization that it was Alexander that stood before her rather than a servant made her eyes widen. She stood shakily, tears welling in her eyes.

“You came,” she whispered, stumbling into his open arms.
“You knew that I would, didn't you?” Alexander held her close, examining the small room. Trays of food lie untouched. The room was nearly devoid of light. She seemed so weak.

“I know you're tired, Alissia, but we have to move now. We have to get out of here,” Alissia took hold of Alexander's hand. She wouldn't doubt him, not now that he was here before him. Alexander was careful to put things back in place as he left, locking the door at the top of the staircase, and once again replacing the padlock on the throne room door.

Just as the padlock clicked into place, a muffled laugh at the end of the room made his hair on his neck rise on end.

“We thought you might be back here,” Alexander spun, drawing his blade as he did so. The same cloaked figure that had attacked them in the woods appeared before him.

“Stay behind me, Alissia,” he spoke softly to her, steadily moving toward the figure. “Let us leave here, and I'll let you leave with your life,” he spoke with authority to the figure.

“Cute, but I'm afraid I can't let you do that. The King is paying me a pretty sum of cash for keeping the princess here while he's in Breacuria. Don't tell me you haven't heard, the princess is supposed to be dead,”

“What are you talking about?” Alexander demanded.

“Ah, so young and naive,” the figure laughed again, “I suppose you deserve to know since this will be the last thing you see. The King anticipated his daughter's fleeing the country. There's a lot of money involved when you're the sole ruler of two nations, you know. A shame you made it here since they already found a body for your beloved,”

“Are you saying the King killed an innocent citizen? For his own gain?”

“The rich get richer, don't they boy?” Alexander grit his teeth.

“Let us pass!”

“I think not,” As the figure spoke, he raised his hand.

The familiar distortion of the air began once again. Alexander hadn't anticipated this person here. A guard, he could fight, but this was different. His rage was apparent, but he couldn't act rashly.

The figure once again focused the energy to his fingertips, and Alexander rushed ahead. Blade raised, he shouted into the silence.

The beams of energy once again tore through Alexander's skin, but this time he was ready to take them. The beams lodged along his torso, one by one, but this time Alexander didn't stop running.

A continuing scream was punctuated by the blade ripping through the figure's flesh. A huge gash ran along the stranger's torso, black, inky blood flowing from the tear.

Alexander's vision was dancing with red, and he moved his arm into another sweeping motion, taking the figure down to the ground.

The figure's hood tipped back then, revealing that it was far from human. It was a pale white, almost reptilian in nature. It smirked when Alexander raised his blade to its throat.

“What are you?” Alexander muttered.

“I could ask you the same, boy. That should have killed you,” This made Alexander pause. He was hit, he knew that. But, the wounds didn't hurt as much as they had before, it was no worse than a papercut.

He backed off, only slightly, and took in the faint blue glowing that rose from the wound in his chest.

“Magyks?” he said it out loud, more to himself than anyone else. The creature below him coughed up more inky black blood.

“You can kill me here, boy, but there will always be others. Enjoy your victory, for it will be short-lived,” the creature spent its final breaths laughing as Alexander slashed the blade across its throat.

He stood shakily, turning back toward Alissia, who now stood pinned against the wall in fear.

“What are you, Alexander?” she gestured to the faint light that still emitted from his chest, which appeared bare despite the energy that had pierced directly through him. He went to her side then, taking her in his arms. Despite her fear, she didn't resist.

“You'll laugh if I tell you Magyks are more than a children's story, won't you?”

“Alexander, have you gone mad?” Alexander released her from his embrace, instead of holding onto her hand.

“Perhaps, but what I do know is that we need to get going. I can explain everything to you once we escape,”

Alexander and Alissia escaped the castle unnoticed, the morning sun now shining brightly overhead. Alexander led the princess to Dora, untying her lead from the tree. Alissia still looked pale, the shock of the battle did her no favors, but she seemed to perk up slightly upon seeing the animal.

“I desperately hope you didn't steal this beautiful horse, Alexander,”
“I'm not that much of a criminal, my love.

We have a return to make before we continue south. I can tell you everything you missed in your absence then,”

With a chaste kiss placed upon the princess' lips, he helped Alissia onto the saddle and mounted the horse in turn.

Alissia drew her hood over her head, leaning against Alexander as they rode together toward a new beginning.

Former Posts about Alissia and Alexander:

Part 1: https://steemit.com/romance/@naltedtirt/alexander-and-allisia
Part 2: https://steemit.com/fiction/@naltedtirt/forbidden-love-alexander-and-alissia
Part 3: https://steemit.com/fiction/@naltedtirt/alissia-and-alexander-3rd-part
Part 4: https://steemit.com/fiction/@naltedtirt/run-away-alissia-and-alexander

Photo by @naltedtirt
Story by @naltedtirt
Princess Breakfast by @naltedtirt
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