Jared wondered where his wife went to, after his nasty, conversation from hell he had with Arianna where he had succeeded in warning her away from him, although he suspected that the threats will be brushed off by Arianna because she was focus more on the fact that he kept repeating the fact that he had feelings for her in the beginning of the talk. He went back to the party only to discover that his wife had disappeared too and to find Flynn throwing him side looks and smirks and although he knew he would be worried about Flynn after all, it was the cat who ate the canary that usually grinned the widest, he was more worried about the fact that Alexa went to look for him but did not see him. He wondered if she had seen him in the process of telling Arianna off and flared up angrily because there was no limit to his wife anger issues but then he convinced himself that she did not see anything probably. Alexa was not the type to walk away from such a scene, she would have taken it up with him or Arianna or them both, regardless of who was her special invitees for the party she prepared to celebrated their union. And even though she had decided to keep it inside, she would not have continued even after the last guest left hours ago. He eventually went to sleep, not knowing where to look for his wife again. And now, it is morning and she was still missing. “Jared. You look distracted, what is going on?” The queen asked as the small conversation between Flynn and Arianna who stayed in the castle last night stopped while they both turned to look at him, also waiting for the answers for the queen questions. “Nothing your majesty, I am just worried as I do not know where my wife is.” Jared replied with a strained smile. “She did not tell you, she went hunting.” The king replied. The queen looked at Jared before she asked the question that also was in the king’s mind after his statement. “You two always do that together these days, do you not?” “We do.” Jared replied, wondering really why Alexa would have gone hunting without inviting him along. “Maybe you were still sleeping when she left and she wanted you to relax.” The king suggested and although Jared nodded and acted like the king was right in his assumptions, he could not help but feel something else was indeed going on with Alexa because she had disturbed him from his sleep the last time she wanted to go for favorite past time, she does not go alone these days, she was always with him. It was later when Jared saw Alexa much after she came back from the hunt because she did not stay one place for him to find her and she did not look for him too that Jared saw her. “There you are, I have been looking all over for you.” Jared greeted, his mind finally able to calm down once he saw that she was alright, he was not even aware that part of the reason why he was worried was because he had not been able to assess her himself but now that he was seeing that she was alright, he became relaxed. Well what do people know? Apparently, he did care for his wife. Alexa eyes flashed in anger but that was the only emotional display which she gave outwardly as she settled firmly into her cool or rather cold persona, a persona which Jared would have sworn cannot exist in her because all he had seen were fury and blazing temper. When Jared moved towards Alexa to do what he always do anytime he sees her after a long time and for the very first time in the day which was to kiss her, she shifted away from him and her body was filled with tension. Jared knew then that everything was not alright, he sighed as he looked at Alexa eyes. “What is going on?” “Nothing, I just do not want your lips anywhere near my body.” Alexa stated and struggled to keep the statement at that and nothing more added because it would have shown her hand and she knew that she would go crazy if Jared started finding excuse for his actions. Jared leaned back as he studied Alexa eyes, when he saw that they were calm, he became worried for real. Alexa eyes were expressive, they were one of his favorites parts because he knew he could spend all day watching Alexa’s eyes change from excitement to fury to exasperation but calm was a look he had never seen on her and that was scary because it meant he was about to meet another side of his wife and from her actions already, he knew that he was not going to like this side at all. “Did I do something wrong?” Jared asked. Alexa lips curled into a fake smile. “Do you feel like you did something wrong?” She returned. Jared sighed. Great, now Alexa want to act like a typical woman, that was not something which he liked one bit. It was with women that he had to play word games and coax the reason why they were angry out of them so he could resolve it. Normally, this is the point where he would walk out but this was his wife, he could at least try. “No, I do not feel that way but I could be wrong so please can you tell me why you are this way and I will solve it.” Jared asked. “Apparently I am this way because I am me, sorry that you might not have wanted me but sadly, that is what you will get and stick to.” Alexa answered. Jared looked at his wife before a suggestion entered his head. That could explain it, after all it seems like a universal thing where women would act unlike themselves and pick fights with everyone mostly men around them. “Are you on your monthly flow?” Jared asked, dropping his tone a little. When Alexa’s cheeks flood with red, he continued. “I do not mean to annoy you further and it is nothing to be embarrassed about, Jasmine is terrible when she is on hers too. I could get you specials delicacies you like and maybe I can spend the day lazing around with you and rubbing your feet or doing what you want?” Alexa did not know which extreme she should go for. If she should go for softhearted that he seemed to want to do all that with her because he wanted to take care of her for the period where she was losing blood or because he thought that her words and actions were because she was on her period and that fact that he cannot do anything wrong. She scoffed as she glared at him. “It is funny and annoying that you think that I am this way because I am on my monthly flow, believe me Jared, if I was in this mood I am in, you would not survive it.” Jared kept his mouth closed as he thought about why she was angry, Alexa thought that Jared would be thinking about his actions. “Are you in the middle then? I have heard my mother say something like, the middle also makes her moods swing.” Alexa stared at Jared and really felt like killing him then, she did not reply anything, she just turned on her heels and left Jared feeling like he had just done something more worse off without him knowing what was wrong initially. ***************** It did not get better within the next few days, it got worse and Jared had thought that it was because Arianna was in the castle but that was not it because he had seen Alexa smiled at Arianna and acted like she was friendly with Arianna. In fact, Arianna has been nothing but perfectly sane to everybody except him and Jared nerves were getting frayed. He wanted his wife, he was used to his wife talking to him and at least sleeping beside him but apparently he did something wrong because Alexa has chosen to punish him only with her silent and cold treatment. Jared even missed the time when she exploded at him because of tiny insignificant things. She had found a perfect way to make him uncomfortable. “I need to talk to you.” Jared said as he grabbed her arm after dinner that day. Alexa smiling face pulling into a frown instantly as she stared at the place where they were connected by touch. When she did not say anything but rather continued to stare at his hand gripping hers, Jared let out a sigh as he released her hand. It was only then that Alexa raised her eyes to his face. “What can I do for you?” She asked. “Can we talk… Please?” Jared begged. “Yes. Talk.” Alexa returned but Jared shook his head. “Please, you know that I mean in private.” He added. Alexa wanted to be angry and refused but she was tired of being angry at Jared. Sure her actions was yielding results and she knew that he was not playing her, not when he was trying to figure out why she was cold to him but she wanted to be alone with him for a little while even though they were not at peace with each other. Alexa nodded and followed as Jared lead her out of the dining room and into the garden, he was hoping that the calm environment would be good but since this was the place where Alexa heard his conversation with Arianna, she felt nothing but rage as he reminded her of that incident that did not leave her mind but rather diminished. The rage came roaring and she welcomed it. “I do not know what happened but please, we can resolve this Alexa. Please I am sorry for whatever I might have done. For the comment which I made and must have added to your anger.” “I am not angry about that, you just showed how typical you are.” Alexa returned. “Typical?” Jared asked because of the way which Alexa spat out the words like it was a really annoying word. “Yes. Typical. Wrong notions, entitled feeling and more than one significant other.” Alexa said. Jared frowned. “I only have you.” Alexa turned to leave before she would make a widow out of herself but Jared held her. “Alexa please, I need to know what I did wrong so I can fix it.” Jared begged softly as Alexa closed her eyes. She really wanted to tell him her mind but the truth was that it was not going to change anything, he would just know her feelings and that was something which she was willing to let him know since he could use it against her especially since if she did tell him, it was not going to change anything because she knew that he could not help himself. That was why he was still in love with a woman who broke his heart after many years. She would be happy with that character flaw if the woman was her but as she is the other woman in this situation, it was annoying because he was hers but still never hers. “I really wish you can fix it as you claim but I do not think that you can.” Alexa sighed as she turned and walked away, Jared let her go because there was no other way. ************** “You should end whatever is causing the strife between you and the Princess.” Mona said stopping in front of Jared who was resting beside a high window as he watched the people below in their various activities, whenever he had something in his mind, he always went to high secluded places so he could be alone, Apparently, Mona know enough about him to search for him and bring what he was trying to forget back to his mind. “I have tried looking for the reason but I do not know what it is about.” Jared sighed. “She is angry with me about something which I have no idea of, how can I end that?” “You really like your wife?” Mona observed and when Jared glared at her she sighed. “You know the reason why you married her, you cannot fulfil that if she is angry with you.” Mona stated as Jared glared at the woman who should have left him along=e because he clearly still wanted to be alone. “And you think that I do not know that?” Jared rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know why I married Alexa, Mona. Do not worry, my eyes are still on the goal and things would be resolved between me and Alexa very soon, do not worry and just do your part, will you?” “I do not know why we still have to keep this a secret…” Mona sighed. “It is best for everybody and I do not need to remind you why do I?” Jared mentioned as Mona groaned and left Jared alone, passing a darkened corner where Alexa maid was standing and had listened to the whole conversation. She had always had Alexa’s best interest at heart and since she was not privy to the reason why the king and Queen chose Jared, she took the conversation out of context and that was what she explained to Alexa later on.