Deemed Guilty

.

Brenda was seated in the dining as they had breakfast, with the King and the youngest prince. Moments later Leon and Alexander joined

Brenda slightly gasped when she saw the bruises on their faces

"You fought again?" Ares questioned as they took their seats. It had been a while since they engaged in a fight so he was slenderly surprised as to what had stirred them up

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Brenda thought to ask Alexander as the bruise on his face was way worse but the look he had on was clear he wasn't in the mood for questions, thus she kept quiet

Later in the day, Leon left the Palace off to perform his daily duties as usual

Ares was off to his training session in the field and the King was dealing with the court men

Brenda's feet stopped before a door, her hand tightly clenching the kit she held

Hesitantly, she placed a soft knock on the door

The door opened with her hand still hung on the air and she stared awkwardly at him

"Oh...I-I thought of...Your Highness, this is for your wound" she said, finally getting her words right

"Come in"

"Uh?"

"The wound's not going to treat itself, is it? Since you were so considerate to bring me a kit, Princess. Why don't you finish the task before leaving" Brenda never thought of going into his room, she had in mind to hand him the kit and leave in an instant

"I could call a maid to help His Highness" Brenda said, had she made a mistake by coming?

Alexander stepped aside, leaving room for her to walk in. This wasn't the first time she was stepping into his room but she couldn't help the feeling of anxiousness weighing in her chest as she took a step inside

The moment she walked in, the door shut with a loud bang and Alexander went to sit on the couch

Slowly, under the watchful eyes of the mystic Prince, she went to take a sit beside him

He turned his cheek to her, giving her a better access to his face. He had been hit bad, she thought

"What did you two fight about, Your Highness?" she questioned, bringing out the cotton swab and shoving it into the ointment before reaching it to his face

"Why? Are you feeling bad?"

"I am, for my husband. Not every wife would be happy seeing a bruise on their partner's face" Brenda answered "Your Highness..."

"Your hands should be the ones working, Princess. You ask too many questions" Alexander cut in, slightly annoyed

"His Highness is upset?"

"Shut it" Alexander softly scolded "Last time I remembered, I don't have the word 'Highness' imprinted on my forehead, Princess. It's annoying how you include it to every word you utter"

"That's what everyone address you as. What does His Highness wish to be called?" Brenda asked

She moved closer, Air left her lips as she blew on the part she had dabbed with the ointment

Perhaps a little too close, because the moment Alexander turned his head to face her, their lips slightly brushed against each other

Brenda felt a wave of electricity pass through her at that brief moment, her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at him

"I-" she hastily stood up, the kit placed on her lap fell to the ground with a thud "I-I'm sorry, Your Highness" she crouched down to pick it, her fingers shaky as she reached out for it

"Don't" he stopped her midway, staring at her trembling fingers "Leave it"

"E-excuse me, Your Highness" her movements were clumsy as she left the room

Alexander sat dazed for a while before picking the kit, his finger going to touch slightly on his lips

'What was this feeling?'

*

"What does it have to do with you? Again, Alex. Brenda is.my.wife" Leon yelled, banging his fist on the nearby pillar

"Then tell her whenever it is you need to run off to one of your mistresses. Poor girl was all alone in the cold standing outside that manor"

"S-she followed me?"

"What should she have done? You leave her side at night and in the morning"

"That manor doesn't belong to any of my mistresses, whatever reason I went there was related to the political affairs we handle"

"Is it? That manor is registered under...what was her name? Rika Morale, was it?"

"You...who are you to dig into my affairs?" Leon flared

"Oh, looks like the name spiced up the whole thing" Alexander scoffed "Tch, I wonder how the Princess would react when I hand her the information I've found out so far"

"Alexander! Don't you dare..."

"Oh? I know how she's going to react, she'll probably leave Seaton and the King would redraw all his favors and your reputation will get soiled. You have a lot on the line, don't you?"

"Go ahead, Father will be so downhearted and might end up having a heart attack. Then you might as well end up killing him just as you did to the Queen"

"Ah!" Leon's cheek was sent flying to the wall by the punch landed by Alexander

"You, piece of-" another punch was landed again, both ending on the ground

*

Alexander chuckled in mirth, they had fought because of the Princess. He had avoided her question so as to avoid telling her what had happened

It shouldn't have led to a fight, but he got out of control immediately those last words left Leon's lips

The Queen wasn't dead because of him, he had watched her on her death bed, it was a painful sight as a child but there was nothing he could do

And they...they choose to go to a stupid gathering inside of staying by her side, perhaps giving some reassurances that she was going to be fine

If the Queen was dead today, it was because of the King who was so greedy to gain favor around the Kingdoms and his sons who chose to take after him

He assured himself, something he had told himself for years but still wasn't enough to fight the guilt in his heart as he thought himself responsible for her death

He was also deemed guilty, he knew in his heart

The Queen had loved them equally, but her love and attention was mostly centered on Leon, as he was the heir to the throne. But where was he when he needed to show her that same love and attention?