19- The past (2)

"This way, Mr. Cole," The maid directed him toward the refreshment room. He ambled behind the maid and observed the Mansion, it was really big and decent.

"Miss Alexandra would be down in a minute." The maid told.

Alexandra kept looking at the mirror as she arranged her hair, she wanted to look pretty, not for Oliver but for Michael.

She walked downstairs and caught sight of Oliver. She then walked toward him.

"Hello, Mr. Cole," She greeted formally. She and Oliver weren't familiar with each other, they only met five times throughout the years, but that was due to him traveling too often.

"I'll prefer you drop the formalities, Alexandra, you can call me Oliver," he requested. His tone was sweet and gentlemanly. Alexandra knows his type, he's the all gentle and soft guy, just like Michael.

She smiled, "Ok, Oliver. Shall we?" They both walked out to the back garden.

The Mansion has been rather silent since King Magnus, Thomas, and Katherine are away; it's been many days now.

"What do you think about our marriage," she didn't expect him to ask this soon. She wasn't ready to respond.

"Oh…that, I think we'd make a fine perfect couple." She had no idea of what she just let out.

While she and Oliver were conversing, three sets of prying eyes were on them.

"By the way she's laughing I bet your chances are slipping," A voice said behind Michael, startling him. He was sitting near the window in the room he was given, which was located on the second floor.

"I know her better than you do, Four," He tooted as he tilted his head to glance at Forsyth.

"Sure, you do," Forsyth retorted sarcastically, he was slightly disgusted by the name Michael used.

"Why are you after her anyway, trying to get on Dominus's nerves?" He asked and strode closer to the table and picked a fruit. "Why does this taste different? In a good way though," he inquired as he took a bite from the fruit.

"That's because it isn't a fruit, arsehole,"

"What?" Forsyth quickly spits it off his mouth. He uses the back of his hand to wipe his lips. "No wonder it tasted awful," he grumbled. He turned his gaze to Michael, his eyes became sharp which sent a shiver down Michael's spine.

"I'd control my mouth, if I were you, I wouldn't want it cut off." He stepped closer to Michael whose eyes were now staring at the ground.

"What are you scheming on doing to the Ginnak's girl," he asked Michael, "Whatever it is make sure not to end her, that's for Dominus to do." He continued and rolled his eyes when he watched as Oliver removed a strand of hair from Alexandra's face. "Pussy whipped." He growled.

Michael turned his gaze to Forsyth, "Why would Dominus end her? He needs her, right?"

"What did you think happened years ago?" He responded with a question.

"If ending her was his goal, why hasn't he done it yet?"

"I dunno, maybe he's waiting for the blue signal,"

"Signal of birth? Why would he need that?"

Getting annoyed with the questions, he replied, "We both know Dominus isn't far, right? He's like doors away. He has the answers to your queries. So would you let me watch this beautiful scene in front of me, I love seeing losers get pussy whipped." He scowled at Michael.

"Does he know you're here?" Knowing Forsyth's temper, asking the most related question was safe.

"I might've been asleep for long but I'm not dumb, of course, he doesn't. Hiding my scent is one thing I'm good at." He boasted. "And I-" Help!!- "Dammit woman!" He grunted. The calling for help echoed in his head. "Are pussies usually this loud?" He turned to Michael who looked baffled. "I've got somewhere to go, hopefully, it's a good place or someone's getting roasted." Without giving Michael a chance to speak, he disappeared.

Michael shrugged and returned looking outside the window.

_____

"They sure do look good together," Simon commented as he appeared close to Dominic whose eyes were staring at Alexandra and Oliver.

"They sure do," Dominic nodded his head at what Simon said, he couldn't help but notice something seemed off about his tone.

"What it is?" He queried calmly. He wasn't used to this side of him.

"She's the one, right? The Ginnak's girl," Simon watched as he nodded his head after a few seconds. "Why didn't you tell me?" He was becoming furious.

"Would you have protected her all these years if you knew? Or would you have killed her yourself for what she made you go through," He asked with a calm voice.

"Those weren't the reasons why you kept it hidden, you wanted to end her yourself. But you would've done that by now, that only means one thing," he paused, "You're waiting for the blue signal," the silence from him only proved his statement. "At least you aren't as heartless as Forsyth." He said.

"Michael is here," Dominic told, his eyes moving away from Alexandra. "He wants her."

"Just when I thought things were getting better." They knew Michael, he was manipulative and can get any girl he wants, but it's still a puzzle of why he wanted Alexandra.

"What about Oliver?" Dominic asked.

"He's clean."

______

Forsyth appeared in an unsettling scene, he was sure he was getting obsessed with apples since he landed himself upon an apple tree.

In front of him was Mildred who was getting assaulted by animals, but the animals weren't the reason for her outcry. Her hand grasped tightly on the small wood at the edge of a cliff, yes she was about to fall from the cliff and the scene was quite entertaining to him. He bites on his apple and watches the scene like a flick.

"Mildred?" Forsyth groaned, the thought of ending Simon who just emerged pruning his entertainment crossed his mind. It's not like she would fall, maybe after a couple of hours of being stuck there, but he would have rescued her, ending her was his game, and his alone.

"Mr…Mr. Cian?" She faltered, she was so skittish.

Simon scoured for the voice, he wouldn't have known she was in danger if not for the notification from the enchanted necklace around her neck. He listened for heartbeats and followed them. And there she was, holding on to a small stick for her life while animals were waiting to feed on her.

"Mr. Cian," Her desperate tone made him speed toward her. He clasped his hand on hers and hoisted her upward, she was light. He realized.

"Are you okay?" He inquired, his eyes roaming around her body for any sign of a bruise. But none, thankfully.

Mildred bobbed and looked up at him,

"Your eyes, there are beautiful," she said, she hadn't noticed this yesterday, there were beautiful. She stared into his eyes, getting lost for a second.

"Hmmm…" A throat cracked, yanking her from her daze.

"So sorry to ruin your romance moment but it's an eyesore, try finding somewhere else," Forsyth cockily voiced out, he looked over to them and raised the side of his upper lip in disgust.

"Dammit," Simon growled.

"Madman?" Mildred asked when she saw his face. The beards weren't there anymore and he looked washed up, except for the shady clothes he still had on.

"Oh hello to you too, princess," Madwoman! He rolled his eyes, something Mildred rarely see men do.

"What are you doing here?" Mildred asked, wasn't he at the cavern in the Eastern kingdom? How did he get here?

Forsyth jumped down from the tree and made his way toward them,

"Me? Well, I don't know myself," he scowled. His shady clothes were making her more scared.

"Let's go back to the inn," Seeing how uncomfortable she seemed, Simon decided they would head back.

"Oh, hello stranger," he waved at Simon and grinned. This made Mildred think he was mentally ill.

"Let's go, Mildred," Simon ignored him and helped Mildred stand up. They both turned their backs on Forsyth, but his speech made them stop.

"August 18, 1744,"

His words made her feel déjà vu; she didn't know why but flashbacks appeared on her face, they were too fast and she couldn't comprehend anything.

Simon fisted his fingers, veins were popping around his neck as he tried to stop himself from punching Forsyth.

Forsyth smiled at himself, he knew the date would affect them, whether they knew the incident that happened that day or not.

Seeing his plan to distract their 'romance' moment worked he turned around and fled.

_______

(The year 1742) Past…

"Mother, you called for me," 19-year-old Ava walked closer to her mother, she had heard her calling from outside.

"What message did you get from the Queen, I heard her maid stopped by." Her mother inquired. She wasn't around when her maid stopped by.

"She had her maid inform us that time was running out, our family hadn't provided a male for the war." She watched as her mother's face fell. That was a sore spot in their lives. Her brother along with her father had been killed by an unknown animal on their way from the Western kingdom.

"Or?" Her mother managed to ask, she already knew what was next.

"Or I'll have to go to the war as one of the nurses that attends to injured males,"

"Get your things ready," She could feel her mother's pain, nobody wanted to be separated from her child.

"I've already done that,"

Her mother took out some silver coins and handed them to her, "Go get my medicine, I feel unusually tired today." She knew something was off by her tone, but she didn't ask, her mother didn't like questioning.

She rushed out of the house and ran toward the drug seller's shop, the distance wasn't very far.

After what seemed like fifteen minutes she came back. She entered the room and her mother wasn't there.

"Mother…" She called out. She exited and walked to the back.

"Mother…I've brought the drugs," But still, no reply. She walked back into the house.

"Mother, where are you?" She was getting frustrated. She turned to go outside again when something caught her attention.

Smoke was coming out from the kitchen. She walked closer to it.

She pulled back when she saw the kitchen on fire.

"F-fire?!!" The fire spread out to the living room and the other room in no time. She was then stuck in the middle of a burning house and her mother was missing.

"Help!" She ran past the fire to the door, but it was locked from the outside. She pushed the door forcefully but it didn't open.

She started coughing and looked for other exits to go out, the windows were shut and locked from the outside. She couldn't breathe properly, the smoke was entering her nostrils and she started feeling dizzy.

Oh God, she didn't want to die!

She had nowhere to hide. A burning wood fell on her front and she yanked backward, she fell to the ground and her vision became blurry.

The last words she heard before falling unconscious were "Fast, someone's in there!" A woman's panicking voice, and it wasn't her mother's.