15 Power and Possession

Belongs to someone.

Just when do you know whether someone belongs to you or not? By love? By marriage? When you make the other person lose their freedom and get bound by the chains you put on them?

Not only love but also power. Just like how the Marquess never acknowledged Alexandria as his daughter but still uses her to his advantage, marking his own daughter as his possession despite not giving her a father's care and attention.

Vasillis never liked the idea of a person belonging to someone, he believes that we should all be free. We belong to no one but ourselves. He also did not like the stupid idea of women belonging to their man only to be a partner without the freedom of doing what they want, no power, no worth, and he knows that Alexandria would agree.

Everything that was supposed to be for Alexandria, was not given by the Marquess even though she deserves it, and everything that should have been for Alexandria, Alexander had it all.

Vasillis let out a scoff. Of course. Miss Millington belongs to Alexander. He knew that much, but he never knew there was a rule not to accept a hug given by a friend.

Vasillis looked at the butler who was keeping up his polite smile, yet seemed like a mocking one for Vasillis. He pulled the lady of Millington away like building a wall towards the two of them, but he cannot feel any possessiveness from the butler, so the dangerous aura must have really come from Alexander.

Vasillis glanced in the direction that the butler came from and looked to see if Alexander was there but he was not. He must be hiding, Vasillis thought. 'I suppose he cannot even show himself to a friend he once had.'

Ever since the incident, they had always avoided each other. Vasillis did not want to see him at all from anger, while Alexander knew that and did not want to show himself to him. He let out a snort, "Saying those words must be an order from your new master." he said.

Bastien Cross let go of the lady and smiled, "I am only thinking for my master and said it on behalf of him. Any man would not like seeing his woman being embraced by someone else." he responded. "I am sure you know that well, Lord Vasillis."

Vasillis just looked at him and did not answer. The Head Butler approached him and tapped his shoulder while he whispered in his ears, "Did you not feel the same whenever you see My Lady and Lord Alistair?"

Vasillis's eyes slightly widened but returned to normal as he let out a sigh, "I do not understand what you mean, why should I feel the same?" he asked.

"Your feelings for Alexandria are not a mere feeling one has for a friend." he responded and a smirk formed on his lips as the two men stared at each other in the eye, "You love her."

Vasillis clenched his fist, trying to hold himself back from removing the smirk on the butler's face, but he could not do it. He did not respond to him as he did not know what to say.

Because it is true.

The Lady of Millington who was just beside them, listening, stared at Vasillis in surprise, "Lord Vasillis...you like Alexandria..?"

Vasillis looked at the lady who spoke and lowered his gaze to the ground, that action made Lady Millington know the answer even without hearing it directly from him. She averted her gaze and her hand made its way to slightly grip her clothes near her chest because it suddenly felt heavy, as if her heart was being squeezed.

"Lord Vasillis cannot even answer, are you that guilty?" the butler asked, but it felt like he was teasing him.

"...It is none of your business whether I have feelings for Alexandria or not," he said.

Alexandria, despite wearing an emotionless face, treated him genuinely as her friend. They were best friends since they were a child, although Alexandria went through a change, it did not break their friendship. But Vasillis never told the lady that he liked her more than friends.

He did not have the courage to tell her. Alexandria had told him a lot of things with the thought that it was all right since he was a friend. If he had told her about the love he has, Alexandria would think that Vasillis only stayed with her because of that feeling, and not because they were friends.

Vasillis knew how difficult it was to fall in love with a best friend. Once he confesses and gets rejected, he could lose the friendship he had with Alexandria. Even if he will not get rejected, he knows there would be a time where they could separate, and he would still lose both love and friendship.

Sometimes it is better not to tell at all because watching the person you love from afar is still a form of love.

But a painful one.

Hiding your feelings forever, watching the woman you love marry someone else, have children, grow old without having you by her side, just thinking about it hurts him. But if he knew that Alexandria would just disappear like this, then he would have confessed.

Love can make you experience true happiness, but it could also be the one that could torture you to death.

~~~~~~~~~~

Before the chaos,

"But why are you asking this?" Lloyd Vasillis asked, curious about his best friend's intentions.

"I just wanted to know if it is possible to fall in love with a friend," she asked.

Vasillis averted his gaze, if only she knew that he had long fallen in love with her, then she would have known the answer to that question.

He nodded, "Of course it is possible. Most lovers started from being friends. Then they marry-"

"That is not true." Alexandria cut him off, making Vasillis look at her.

"What?"

"You said 'most' but the truth is, there are only a few people who could marry each other by will."

Alexandria stood up from her seat and looked at her best friend, "Most of us are not even friends with the ones we must marry. Marriage is not something we decide but order from those who control us. They arranged it all as if planning a game, not even hearing what we have to say."

"I suppose that is how it works for nobles," Vasillis answered.

"The same could work on commoners. Their family also decides which they should marry, especially if it would benefit them." Alexandria responded.

"They say the commoners are being controlled by the nobles, but even nobles do not have freedom. The truth is, all of us are just being controlled, and the ones who pull the strings are the ones above us."

The King who let his kingdom drown in blood and get swallowed in greed.

And the Goddess who sits back and watches her people suffer as they try to survive.