Alexa knew that Ken was looking at her with a smirk, she had not being able to look at Ken in the same since Jared introduced them after he was done hugging him. His best friend, Jared had introduced Ken as and since then, Ken has worn an insufferable smirk and Alexa had found the 400 years old walls of her castle which she has seen at every evening meal to be more interesting than the visitor from another kingdom. “What’s going on between the two of you?” Annabelle, the wife of Prince Ken asked, Alexa hair was black and although people always say that black is the finest but she begs to differ when she saw Annabel hair. The deepest brown with a glossary look that even Alexa hair with the many products her mother has been suffocating her with for the last few days still could not compete with and she did not need anybody to tell her that Annabel hair was all natural. “What makes you think something is going on?” Ken replied his wife and although Alexa now stared at her plate, she could feel the smirk Ken still wore and she was fighting with her urge not to hit it off his face. She needed to make nice to Jared friends, especially his best friend. “I do not know. “ Annabel deadpanned. “It obviously cannot be because of the annoying look that has been fixed on your face since you saw Princess Alexa and it also cannot be that obvious that the princess have refused to look at you since we arrived. What is going on?” She asked again. Alexa stole a glance at Jared who was sitting by her side, eating like he was unbothered with the conversation. “Well Alexa here happens to be a childhood friend.” Ken started. “That could spar better than you.” Jared added as Jasmine snickered. Alexa still found it strange that her parents has started to take cues from Jared’s own by not paying their younger generation any attention at dinner even though Jared and Jasmine ended up in a head lock. “She won one time.” Ken replied heatedly. “We only fought twice.” Alexa blurted out, finally looking at Ken with a snotty look. “And the second time, I happened to have tripped over Jared’s leg that had conveniently been laid on my part so I could fall and give you the upper hand that led to your victory.” “Technicality or not, I won and that is all that mattered.” Ken retorted. Alexa sighed as she grumbled under her breathe. “This was the major reason I laughed at your face, I would have killed you if you had pushed that issue, if not before the marriage then certainly after.” “What?” Annabel queries, hearing tiny parts of Alexa’s words and even though she did not hear everything, she heard enough to know what the gist of the whole situation was about. Jared raised his head to look at Ken. “Apparently, your husband offered marriage proposal to my fiancée and she refused and now she is embarrassed because she had insulted him as the response for his troubles and your husband has been getting on Alexa’s nerves since he arrived, his smirk throwing that at her face.” Jared stopped eating and looked at Ken who was glaring at him. He kept his eyes on Ken while, he continued to reply Annabel. “He seemed to have forgotten the kind of girl I am marrying and is ignorant of the fact that her hand has been twitching on her knife and he should know that if he continues to annoy her, he might find her knife buried somewhere in his body and I will not move a muscle to stop her.” ‘Do not hurt tye crown prince of Kythia Alexa.” Alexa mother called out before going back to her conversation with her husband and Jared parents. Alexa looked at her mother in shock wondering if the world had ended while she was at the stables with Jared or something when Annabel and Ken started laughing. “I won.” Annabel stated as Ken shook his head. “I should know better than to bet against my wife.” “Exactly, you should know better but you do not and because of that, I am free from night duty with Kendrick for the next one month.” Annabel smiled. “What is going on?” Jasmine asked and Jared was intrigue enough to stare at the couple sitting across them. “We made a bet about Jared reaction to his bride.” Annabel stated. “Seeing as I have known Jared the longest, I betted that he was going to treat Alexa like every other girl in his life other than Jasmine of course, cold, aloof and uncaring about her business.” Ken explained. “And I knew Jared enough to know Jared is hotheaded and emotional. Jared was not going to continue the marriage plans if he knew he was still aloof with the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with. Seeing that Jared did not come back home. I knew that Jared was neither of those qualities which Ken just mentioned… at least not when it concerns Alexa.” Annabel added. “You guys betted on my reaction?” Jared asked and when Ken grinned at him, Jared glared. “Just you wait, I will get back at you.” Jared promised. “Good luck with that.” Annabel responded. Alexa frowned, nobody was saying anything about the fact that she was one of her fiancée best friend choices. “Why is nobody talking about what transpired between me and Prince Ken?” “Because it was before he met me and anything from that time is the past and does not need to be brought up, besides, I already know enough about what happened.” Came Annabel reply and when Alexa looked at Jared, Jared shrugged. “He is my best friend, who do you think he ranted to about the biggest insult someone has ever given to him and talked him down from trying to have you murdered?” Jared responded. “He tried to have me murdered?” Alexa hackles raised and Jared watched as Alexa gripped her knife tightly. He turned to face his friend who was looking at his fiancée with worried eyes, probably wondering how he was going to stop Alexa from trying to maim him. “Run.” Was all Jared stated before Alexa sprang up from her chair and the dining room descended into chaos. ***************** Alexa’s hands shook as she gripped her flowers tightly, the ceremony would soon start and although she knew that Jared was the best person to put up with her, she could not help but have what her mother called wedding jilters. Perfect name for the feeling she was experiencing because she was sure that if her mother was not beside her, she would have tried escaping her own wedding. “You need to calm down Alexa, if you do not, we will have to change the flowers again for the third time and the real ceremony has not started. I would like to think that you would be like me and completely calm when you are beside the man you are getting married to but I feel like it would not be so. That you will be worst off and so I prepared these extra bouquets for you.” Alexa turned to look at her mother who was fidgeting beside her. “Mother, you are more nervous than me and I am the one getting married.” “Hush, you will never speak of this outside.” The queen commanded and Alexa smiled at her words. “I will be fine mother.” She reassured her mother who shook her head. “I know you will be fine, you have and will always weather whatever storm life puts you through, I am glad that you were raised to be self-sufficient but I pray that I made the right decision, that the person who will be waiting at the other end of the aisle for you will be the perfect person to complete you. I pray that I have not dragged that decision out of your hands and given you to someone who is not worthy of you.” The queen replied and Alexa nodded. “You chose right mother, you do not have to worry about that. I promise.” Alexa rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. “How can you make a promise for someone whom you do not know?” The queen demanded. “Because if he is a monster, I will poison him and become done for and if he is weak, I can take over the kingdom and be the dominant ruler, after all father gave me the right lessons for that role.” Alexa responded then added in a quiet voice. “Mother, I am scared that maybe I will be the one not enough for him.” Alexa became quiet after voicing that concern of hers and thought her mother would ignore when her mother did not immediately reply but then her mother used her hand to caress her daughter face. “No child of mine is never enough. Alexa, you have spirit and you are bold. You are a lot of things which men wish they could be, do not doubt yourself by thinking you will not be enough, which is an insult to your line. Your ancestors have always been the strongest women and you will continue in that line my dear. You just shocked everybody by doing it in a way which people did not expect. I am proud to call you my child Alexandria. Jared is lucky to have such a blessing like you in his life.” Alexa smiled at her mother’s words even as she became teary. This was not her, she did not cry at compliments given by her mother but she could not help herself. “Mother, I think you will soon scold me.” Alexa said quietly. “Why?” The queen asked. “Because I think I am crying.” Alexa responded and just as she suspected her mother berated her and then waved over maids who went around, suffocating Alexa with their nearness as they all tried to repair her face make up, with the white powdery stuff that they dusted her in. By the time they stepped back, Alexa was angry once more, ready to spit curses and her little heart to heart talk with her mother was migrated to the recess of her mind. They stepped back not because of her foul mood but because her father came. It was time for her to walk down the aisle. “My Princess.” The King whispered, his eyes seemed a little red. “Father.” Alexa responded as she stepped into her father’s embrace the best she could with her clothes. “Quickly, go on, people are already standing.” Her mother substituted the flowers in her hand with another, this ones matched her perfectly. Alexa gripped her father’s hand and walked down the aisle, a slight smile on her face and when she saw Jared who looked at her like she sun rose and set on her, she knew that, even though this might not be her choice, she would cherish the memory of how he looked at her for the rest days of her life. When her father transferred her hand to Jared hands, she felt his skin wet and clammy just like hers and in that moment she knew she would be just like her mother. For the rest of the ceremony, Alexa did not change her bouquet again. **************** Jared was up before his bride the next morning, determined to serve her breakfast in bed even before they would have to say their goodbyes to his parents and his friends. None of them knew when Flynn would be arriving and they did not want Flynn to meet them in this kingdom and he also need to settle into his new role the soonest and he could not do that when his family and evidence of his former home was still around, still providing him with a lull sense of time. Still Jared was surprised when he got to the kitchen to see Ken already there, ordering for a breakfast set. “Make it two trays.” Jared added behind Ken’s back to the head cook who was nodding at Ken’s words. The woman bowed to him before she went to do what he asked of her. Ken turned to face him with his brows raised. “I would have thought that you would be in bed, still sleeping next to your wife.” Ken said. Jared raised his eyebrow. “I would have thought the same of you too.” Jared smile died. ‘Damn, I cannot believe that we are both married.” Ken rubbed his jaw. “Very soon, we would be having planned family outings… I cannot believe that we are responsible for others now. It hasn’t been that long that we were wearing disguise and sneaking out of the castle together.” “Time surely fly by quickly.” Jared said silently. “Are you happy Jared?” Ken asked. “I know that we should not have asked this of you, especially me. Not after what happened between you and…” Ken said and paused when Jared glared at him. “I know nothing of the sort you are referring to and I would prefer you let the issue go.” Jared snapped at Ken who barely blink or shifted at Jared’s mood. He was used to this anytime talks of the only girl Jared had loved came up. In fact the reaction of Jared was always so strong in concern to the woman he could not get that Ken saw the prissy nature of Jared as normal and even healthy. “Eventually, you are going to talk about Arianna Jared.” Ken pushed on. Jared sighed, this was the first time that Ken continued even when Ken knew he was unwilling to talk about it. “Why are you doing this Ken?” “I need to know that you will be alright, I need to know that you made the right choice and you still think the same of her.” Ken replied. He was worried about his friend and although he knew that Jared was not in love with Alexa, the least he could hope for was that Alexa has washed most of Arianna away from Jared’s memory. “I am alright, thank you for worrying about me and no, I do not think of Arianna like she is the evilest person to exist anymore. In fact, I do not think that I have much space in my head or heart to be occupied by her.” Jared responded grudgingly and Ken could not control his smile which was a reflection of the peace he felt at Jared’s answer. “What?” Jared asked eyeing his friend who looked like he was seconds away from grabbing him and hugging him until he could not breathe. “I am just so happy that you are less bitter. I wish this had happened while you were with us but I am glad it happened either way.” Ken replied and Jared shrugged, having no reply for Ken. When Ken saw that Jared did not want to say anything. He continued. “Alexa must be one special kind of lady.” Jared glared at his friend. “You are definitely trying to get on my nerves, are you not?” “I am just speaking the truth brother.” Ken retorted. He would have gone further and add Alexa might be Jared’s Annabel but knowing his friend. It would only make his friend run as far away from his wife as he could manage. Never had he seen a person more scared of love than Jared. The friend who would pass through hell to ensure that he got the woman of his dreams but was scared of even thinking about the fact that his own would be out there waiting for him. “I do not want to hear what you think the truth might be. Yes I might have married Alexa but you and I know the truth. I could never love her, I am too broken for that.” Jared sighed. “Nothing is wrong with you, you are not broken.” Ken said, angry because he felt helpless, where was he when Arianna condition Jared to think this way. Ken partly blamed himself for Jared’s way of thinking but the truth is he was just as guilty as Jared when it comes to this. The only thing that they were guilty of was letting Arianna in to do whatever she wanted to Jared and left him to marry some wealthy old lord at the end of the day. “Look at us. Waiting for trays to take to our wives and talking about our feelings like we are at our parents age or something. Ken you have to stop doing this to me. I might be married but I am not old yet.” Jared clapped Ken’s shoulder as he took hold of the first try that the head cook returned with. “I will take this to my wife, you can take the next one to yours. We would be out of our rooms in time to see you off.” Jared said as Ken sighed. He pushed too far once more. He just hopes that Jared will not take it out on his wife then again, this was Alexa, the woman was crazy enough to chase the crown prince of a visiting kingdom around the room with a knife while the king and queen of her kingdom was in the said room. If anybody can straighten out Jared, Alexa would be the one. He just hopes that Jared would not push Alexa away and realize the truth for himself when it was too late and he had lost Alexa by that time. ************ “Remember, he can sleep on the floor whenever he annoys you too much.” Annabel said to Alexa as she hugged her for the second time within the last five minutes. They were on the steps of the castle, their carriage drawn to the front as the party from Kythia was saying goodbye before starting their journey home. “You are supposed to be my friend.” Jared complains. “I am your friend. That is why I gave the advice. Just think Jared, what would Alexa do if you annoy her, sleeping on the floor is more of a mild punishment.” “She might not be hostile to my husband, there is the possibility that she might be more lax towards treating her husband she way she treats everybody normally.” Jared replied and at his words. Alexa rolled her eyes and released a snort but left without saying a word to Jared’s mother embrace. “I do not think you would do any better than her.” Annabel said to Jared who shook his head at her. “I do not know what new bet about me that has sprang up between you and your husband but I will not modify my behavoiur to allow you to win, goodbye Annabel, take care of the little monster for me.” Jared said as he reached for Kendrick check. Kendrick who was with his father smiled at Jared before saying “Heck.” Annabel glared at Jared who gulped then quickly move to his wife side under the disguise of saying goodbye to his parents meanwhile what he was trying to do was avoid the wrath of Annabel. “I am not going to miss you people.” Jared announced as he swung an arm around his wife who rolled her eyes at his actions and words but made no move to leave his embrace. “Of course you are not, you finally have left the boyhood stage and you are now a man… finally.” Lady Margret droned as Alexa snickered at her mother in law words. “No, he is not fully a man ye, he still needs an offspring.” His father added and together as if they planned it. The two pinned with son with their gaze. “I am so glad that I will really not miss you two.” Jared responded. “I might miss Jasmine though.” “Why?” Jerome asked his son. “She is going home…” “No silly, I plan on remaining here with you, just until you have fully settled in of course.” Jasmine replied. “No.” Jared commanded and Alexa watched with barely concealed amusement as Jasmine yelled at her brother. At the end of it all, Jared was red in the face and Jasmine still looked like the little angel which most people confused her for even though it was not true. “How did you live with the two of them?” Alexa asked her in laws who smiled like they shared a secret but they did not reply Alexa, they hugged her for the last time and passed Alexa to Annabel who hugged her against before the carriages finally left. “What are we going to do today?” Alexa asked Jared who looked at her. “I do not know what we are going to do but I do know that the first thing I want is for you to get out of these clothes you are wearing and dress to be more like yourself and maybe then we can spar.” Alexa smiled at the suggestion. “I think that I would like having you around.” Was all she responded before she turned and went in with her maid who was always trailing her, four steps behind whenever she was with Jared so as to provide them with some semblance of privacy. After she left, Jared stared at the carriages that were small in his eyesight because of the distance between him and then. “You will miss Kythia would you not?” Jasmine asked softly. “More deeply than any one is aware of.” Jared responded. “Thank you for staying behind.” He tells her and Jasmine placed her hand on his back and patted it. “You have today to feel home sick, enjoy the day with your wife. You do not have much time before you have to make this country better and less reliant on Corthin.” Jasmine replied before removing her hand and going inside, leaving Jared at the steps, staring at nothing and lost in his thoughts.