Distribution: Ask please.
Rating: Mature
Timeline: Sometime in Season 2 before Cry your Name and all of its misery. You pick!
Summary: Sometimes its only in silence, that we can hear the truth.
A/N: This is my entry to the Haunt's Challenge. The story was inspired by the glorious episode of Buffy called Hush. If you don't know it, you should go watch it now! It is brillance, as is Joss, the creator of my favorite shows of all time. Basically, there is, and will be no dialogue whatsoever. Hope I can pull that off! Part 2 will be up by Valentine's Day!
Dedications: To Court, who graciously agreed to be my beta and then tolerated my annoyances while impatiently waiting for her FABULOUS insights. To Kristen, Sara, and Tams, who encouraged this maddening idea in the first place. I think I get something for this, but I'm not sure. Oh yes, and thanks Sara for the pretty!
It all started so innocently.
One minute Tess was dreaming that she was back on Antar, a servant girl helping her dress for the inaugural ball where she would reclaim the throne. Outside her bedroom she could hear her name chanted excitedly by the masses, and knew that if she stepped onto the balcony the chants would become cheers of love and adoration. Everything she had ever hoped for would soon be handed to her on a silver platter – including her Prince Charming.
Her people would have nothing less than the royal couple together again; even Liz had finally accepted it. Before the Pod Squad returned to Antar, her once rival ended her relationship with Max for good, something Tess thought would never happen. Max had seemed gloomy at first, but now he was in his own chambers preparing to accept his destiny with her. Tess knew it was only a matter of time until he was hers completely and for the first time in a long time, she felt genuinely happy.
That happiness was punctured as her outer chamber doors burst open with a bright flash of light. Blinking to clear her vision, Tess watched in shock as a troop of masked men stormed into the room. For a few seconds, her mind was unable to process exactly what was happening, and she stood frozen as her bodyguards engaged in a deadly battle to save her.
When the first of her four bodyguards fell, his white and gold suit stained with dark blood, the remaining guards charged with renewed vigor. Tess nearly cheered when one intruder was taken down, but the small victory was instantly overshadowed as two more men rushed into the outer chamber to take his place. Her eyes never left the scene and she couldn’t help but notice the striking contest of the red and black-checkered uniform the invading soldiers wore to those of her kingdom. There was something oddly familiar about their colors and the hair on her neck started to rise as her mind rushed to find the answer.
A gold emblem caught her eye on the arm of one of the soldiers as another one of her men was slain. Squinting her eyes, she gasped in fear as she the recognized the symbol and the threat it represented. The dragon on the crest taunted her, its evil eye glaring and the reflection of the sun creating a realistic image of fire erupting from its mouth.
It was the Crest of Khivar.
Instantly her arm snapped up in defense as she prepared to retaliate with her powers. Behind her, she felt her dress ties loosen and the floor give slightly as the chambermaid fainted onto the floor. Ignoring the useless servant, she closed her eyes and concentrated on releasing a burst of fire towards her attackers. Adrenaline coursed through her system and she prayed that her two remaining guards could maintain cover for a just a few more minutes.
In her mind she saw the flame as it grew into a large ball of fiery destruction. Her chest tightened and her head began to pound as tiny beads of perspiration appeared upon her skin. Opening her eyes, she aimed for Khivar’s men before releasing her hold on the power.
Nothing happened.
Taking a deep breath, she attempted to relax her body, hoping to reconnect with her powers. Tess had a destiny to fulfill. She was a Queen, and with that position came responsibility: To Antar, to her people, and to Max.
There was only one remaining obstacle between her and her enemies and she was impressed with his loyalty to the throne. Michael had chosen well with this one. He fought almost as well as the General himself, but wasn’t nearly as annoying and always knew when to keep his mouth shut.
If she didn’t act quickly, every dream she’d fought for would soon be slaughtered at her feet.
Determined, she closed her eyes and focused once again on creating a massive fireball. Khivar had destroyed her life once, but she’d be damned if he’d be allowed to do it again.
Despite her intentions, she still was unable to produce a single wisp of flame. Cursing under her breath, she decided to stop wasting time and use one of her lesser powers: a blast. It was only when nothing occurred again that she discovered her worst fear had come true.
Her powers were gone.
Panic shot through her system at the thought, but when her last bodyguard fell and the soldiers turned to face her it increased exponentially. She tried to scream, knowing that the noise would have her future husband and his men running to her rescue, but her throat tightened painfully instead. Instantly her hands went to her neck, scratching at her skin desperately as Tess realized with growing alarm that she was unable to make a sound.
The silence inside the room was deafening as she darted behind her bed, barely escaping the grasp of a few soldiers as they attempted to capture her. Her mind raced, trying to form a plan over the echo of her heart pounding in her chest. When none was immediately forthcoming, she relied on her instincts as her pursuers approached on either side. Without her powers she was significantly outnumbered, but she wasn’t completely helpless.
Noticing that her dress had fallen below her shoulders, she moved slightly, allowing the weight of the gown to pull the front down further to reveal more of her soft, ample bosom. A perky nipple peeked above the cloth, and inwardly she grinned with feminine pride as the soldiers stopped in their tracks to leer at her. <i>Some things never change</i>, she thought sarcastically, <i>no matter what the species</i>. Taking the opportunity to catch the men off guard, she made her move.
Using her entire body she slammed into the soldier on her right, momentarily knocking him off balance. He lunged for her, and she ducked to avoid his clutches, thankful for her height for the first time in her life. Her heart racing, she ran towards the balcony, knocking over chairs and objects as she passed in the hopes of slowing down her captors. Her destination wasn’t the safest way out of the castle, but the other exit would only lead to her capture.
Tess barely felt the glide of silk across her arm as she pushed past the heavy curtains leading outside. The castle was lavishly decorated with tapestries and flags to celebrate her homecoming and coronation. Now she planned to use those decorations to save her own life.
Reaching the ledge of the balcony, she gathered up the bulky material of her gown and threw one leg over the threshold. Tess didn’t have time to think about why the crowd had suddenly disappeared or why the silence was so deafening. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the approaching goons and her heart fell to her stomach in fear as she picked up the pace. She didn’t want to be caught, but she didn’t want to die, either.
Carefully, but quickly, she pulled up one silky tapestry and secured her arms around the fabric. Wrapping the material around her waist, she hoisted her other leg over the rail and held her breath. Closing her eyes, she desperately clung to the material and took the plunge, just as her pursuers stepped onto the balcony.
Tess didn’t have time to consider the irony that she’d rescued herself from perilous danger as she fell from her ivory tower. Instead, her mouth opened as she screamed, but she heard no sound. For a moment time seemed suspended as she swung through the air, then the ground rushed up toward her in fast-forward as she opened her eyes.
Her life flashed through her mind. Every moment she’d fought for destiny, working against all obstacles to make her fairytale come true. Max and Liz’s ‘soul mate’ crap had slowed her down significantly, as had the group’s unwillingness to trust her and the death of Nasedo, but she had found a way to make her dreams happen. She’d even lowered herself to asking Alex, a human, for help translating the destiny book so that she and the others could find their way home.
For Tess, it had been a tough and lonely path at times, but in the end it had been worth it. It was ironic that her first moment of complete happiness coincided with an attempt on her life, although she should have expected it. At least this time, she knew what she had to do to overcome the obstacle.
Her body jerked as the tapestry drew taut, and she lost her breath at the sudden tightening of the material around her waist. She swung through the air, relieved, and stole a glance up to the balcony. Khivar’s soldiers were gone, but before she had a chance to wonder where they’d disappeared to, she felt the flimsy silk of the tapestry start to rip.
She tried to cry out in alarm, but found once again that she couldn’t. Closing her eyes, her mind reached out for help, hoping Max would answer her call. Her soon-to-be husband was no doubt worried that she was missing by now, if he hadn’t been captured himself, so where was her knight in shining armor? Surely he would come to her rescue. After all, she was his future bride.
The panel gave way, tearing its last thread, and she began to fall.
Her body tensed as it braced itself for a hard landing. Tess could only hope that she survived the fall intact and able to keep moving. Otherwise, her capture would lead to a long, torturous death.
Without warning, she was caught by masculine arms as the tapestry material fell on top of her, nearly smothering her with its weight. She felt the impact of her landing when the man struggled to maintain his balance while keeping her in his arms. Convinced he was one of Khivar’s troops, she fought against him, flailing her arms and legs as she struggled to escape. It was only when she felt her captor lose his footing as they both began to tumble that she opened her eyes.
Her mouth opened in shock as she met the puzzled expression of one Alexander Charles Whitman.
Tess landed safely in his arms as he pulled her further against him, absorbing the impact of the fall himself. She felt the air rush out of his body on impact and sighed with annoyance when he didn’t move to help her escape from the tapestry’s clutches. The material was wrapped around her tightly, nearly cutting off her air supply, while he lay uselessly on the ground.
Frustrated, she twisted her body and his hold on her loosened as she rolled out of her silken prison. Placing one hand on each side of his head, she pushed herself onto her knees before slowly rising to stand. She surveyed the landscape as she stood, relieved to discover that her pursuers were not surrounding them.
Tess rolled her eyes impatiently as she turned back around to face Alex only to find him still sprawled out on the ground. Tapping him with her foot, she was momentarily confused when he opened his eyes, his face flushing and his gaze quickly averting away from her. It was only when she stepped into his line of sight and he turned away from her again after darting his eyes in the direction of her chest while his face grew red with embarrassment, that she figured out his problem.
She was flashing him.
The humor of the situation wasn’t lost on her, but she managed to resist the urge to tease him mercilessly as she pulled up her dress to cover herself. This was Alex, after all. Innocent. Brilliant. Genuine. Funny. Trustworthy.
Completely naive.
Sighing, she got his attention once again by tapping him with her foot and watched as he slowly opened one eye to look at her. Tess glared at him impatiently, one eyebrow raised as one hand went to her hips. He was wasting time. Khivar’s men could be here at any minute and he was worried about her modesty.
Her posture seemed to get the message across, and he quickly jumped to his feet – although he still couldn’t look her in the eye. Rolling her eyes, she realized that if she didn’t get this issue resolved, they were going to be captured quite quickly. Pointing at him, she silently ordered him to get to work as she turned around and lifted her hair so that he could fasten the remaining buttons of her dress that the servant had failed to get to before her attack.
Alex got the message. Nervous and fumbling, he slowly worked on the buttons. She turned her head, watching him gulp as their eyes met. It was amusing that she intimidated him. Raising an eyebrow to indicate that he should hurry, she turned back around, unwilling to let him see her smile as she felt his fingers clumsily attempt to pick up the pace.
She tried not to shiver as the warmth of his hands seeped through the delicate fabric and the skin of his fingertips brushed lightly against her back. No one had ever touched her so gently before. Her head dropped shamelessly and she closed her eyes, relaxing into his touch while she tried to imagine that he was Max. It was only when he hooked the last button and moved away from her that she opened her eyes. Ignoring the disappointment that her fantasies weren’t reality, she smiled and accepted the arm he offered in escort.
His answering smile mesmerized her with its genuineness. Opening her mouth to thank him for assisting her, she grew frustrated when no words escaped her lips. Horrified, she remembered the flash of light that preceded Khivar’s soldiers’ entry into the room, speculating based on the only other time she’d seen such a flash that they must have used a modified version of the weapon that took away their powers back in Roswell—only this version seemed to also take away sound.
They walked quickly together, Alex letting her lead. When she covered her mouth in shock of the theory, Alex seemed puzzled and tried to say something, no doubt a word of comfort or a joke to make her feel better; but it seemed that he too had been affected. Tess nearly cried with the realization; however, she didn’t want Alex to think she was weak so she blinked back the tears.
If she was right and this weapon could affect humans as well, then they were all in trouble. Both Antar and Earth could be shutdown completely without communication, leaving Khivar to rule ruthlessly over both planets. At least the humans didn’t also have to deal with the lack of superpowers and would be able to fight back.
Not that it made her feel any better at the moment.
Alex seemed to take the loss rather well, which was more than she could say about herself. No doubt he’d just chalked one up to the alien abyss. Rather than waste time trying to speak to her again, he dealt with the problem in true Alex fashion. He found a way around it.
Quickly squeezing her arm in reassurance, he used his other hand to open her palm. Using his finger, he traced lines in a pattern on her skin. She was too frightened to be effected by the usual tickling sensation, but quickly understood what he was trying to do. Concentrating, she recognized the letters as he repeated them once again.
O-K.
Okay? Surely he was kidding. She’d just fallen from a balcony after an attempted abduction by Khivar’s troops and her entire planet had somehow lost its sound. Max was not at her side to comfort her, nor would he expect to find her outside the castle walls. Not to mention the fact that, other than Alex – who really didn’t belong on this planet, now that she thought about it – and the goons who had attacked her, everyone else seemed to have disappeared.
Something wasn’t right here.
Snatching her arm from his grasp, she looked up at Alex suspiciously. Was he really here, or was he a mind warp from Khivar’s troops intended to trick her into being captured? Then again, he couldn’t be a mind warp because her enemies would have shown her Max, not Alex; at least, if they wanted it to work. Not to mention that if he was a mere figment of her imagination, then she’d probably be splattered somewhere on the pavement.
For his part, Alex looked perplexed and tried to step closer, motioning for her hand. Tess threw her arm up in warning, stopping him in his tracks as she moved a few feet away from him. Obviously he didn’t know about her lack of powers.
Tess didn’t have to question his loyalty for long. As if waiting for a moment of division between them, they suddenly found themselves a mere twenty yards away from two of Khivar’s troops as the soldiers jumped from behind an outlying castle wall. One guard had a laser weapon trained on her chest and she dropped her hands in surrender.
Alex inched closer, and she wasn’t sure whether to draw comfort from his presence or keep her guard up so that she could avoid his capture if he turned out to be some sick type of mind warp. The answer came seconds later when the guard pulled the trigger. For some reason, she found herself unable to move, frozen by some unnamed fear as she watched the beam draw closer. Tess braced herself for the impact of the weapon while she desperately sent messages to her body to duck, once again trying to escape the death she managed to avoid only minutes earlier. She was too young to die—too close to her happiness for the end to come now.
The hit never reached her.
Alex dove towards her small frame, pushing her to the ground a split second before the weapon hit its target. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been as lucky. She gasped in terror as blood shot from his shoulder and his body landed hard on top of hers. She tried to push him off, but her arms were trapped across her chest.
If she could have screamed at that moment, she would have. How could they have shot him? Why did he try to save her? Didn’t he know that she wasn’t worth the effort?
Alex met her eyes as he struggled to breathe. Staring into their hazel depths, Tess attempted to find her answers, but all she could see in his expression was pain. Then his eyes closed as he sighed heavily and she was left alone to encounter their enemy.
Anger coursed through her body as Tess watched in disbelief while Khivar’s men approached, smirks of victory etched across their faces. She knew when they reached her that she would wish that they had shot her instead. The tales of Khivar’s treatment of prisoners had left even those who had not experienced the torture scarred.
This was not how it was supposed to end. She was supposed to die fighting; for herself, for her people, for Alex. He deserved to have an avenger, but instead she lay helpless awaiting the end to her own horrific nightmare. Closing her eyes to hide her captors from sight, she prayed that it would be over quickly.
As if on cue, Alex stirred slightly, his breath blowing heavily against her neck while she took the opportunity to free her arms. Her tears of fright became tears of relief when she realized there was still a chance. With agonizing slowness, she reached for his hand, hoping he would have the strength to do as she requested. With trembling fingers, she traced the letters into his palm.
The soldiers reached their position as she released Alex’s hand. Leering over her, one reached to pull Alex’s body off her while the other loomed above her with his weapon drawn. As soon as her legs were free, she jumped into action.
Aiming strategically, she kicked the soldier above her between his legs and he fell instantaneously to the ground. While he was distracted, she grabbed his weapon, shooting him in the head before turning in the direction of the other goon. To his credit, Alex sat on top of the struggling soldier, a goofy grin on his face as he looked at her in triumph.
<i>Amazing</i>, she thought to herself, <i>even in pain the boy smiled.</i>
His smile faded as the soldier twisted his injured arm and threw Alex off of his body. Tess reacted swiftly, using the weapon to kill the second soldier before grinning at her winded partner in celebration of their success. It almost seemed too easy, but given her luck today, she’d take the victory. Alex moved to stand, but she stopped him by placing a hand on his arm and gesturing to his shoulder when he met her eyes in question.
Nodding in understanding, Tess threw him the weapon before moving quickly behind him to survey the injury. Blood still oozed from the wound, although fortunately it didn’t appear to be life threatening. Ripping the skirt of her dress, she made makeshift bandages and carefully wrapped his shoulder, wishing once again that she had her powers back so that she could heal him. It wasn’t her strongest ability, but at the very least she could ease some of his pain.
Satisfied with her work, for now, Tess walked back around to face Alex. She grimaced in apology, but couldn’t look him in the eye. It was her fault that he’d been injured in the first place.
Gesturing with her head that they should move out, she turned and surveyed the land with uncertainty. Tears glistened in her eyes as hopelessness overwhelmed her. Their only chance to survive hinged upon Khivar’s men not finding them again, but she had no idea where they could go.
She was a stranger on her own planet.
A gentle squeeze of her shoulder reminded Tess that she wasn’t alone, and she struggled not to pull away. She wasn’t used to such comfort, nor did she have any idea how to respond to it. Wiping her eyes with one hand, she placed her other hand over his much larger one in a gesture of thanks.
Alex turned his hand in response, their palms meeting as his fingers wrapped between hers. It was almost too much, but she couldn’t deny that she needed the support right now. Closing her eyes for a few seconds, she took a deep breath and struggled to find her strength again. Behind her, she felt Alex tug on her hand and she turned to face him with a weak smile.
As if he could sense that he’d pushed her enough, Alex pointed to the woods ahead before raising his eyebrows in question. Tess nodded, thankful that he had made the decision since her mind was a little overwhelmed at the moment. As he pulled her towards the forest, her thoughts returned to Max, and she prayed that his bodyguards had protected him.
A small part of Tess worried that he’d been captured, but given the fact that Khivar’s men were still chasing her, she doubted it. Without Max, she held no claim to the throne; however, she would be a useful pawn to get the King’s attention. She wondered what length Max would go to in order to get her back.
Would he offer Khivar money? His kingdom? His life? How much would she worth to Max Evans?
But more importantly, Tess thought bitterly, would she even be asking these questions if her name was Liz Parker?
A tree branch brushed her arm, shocking her out of her pity party. In the dark shadows of the forest, she could barely make out the back of Alex’s head. His tall, lean figure moved confidently in the darkness, as he navigated them away from danger. Too tired to worry about getting lost, she studied the man before her curiously.
He was much braver than she’d realized, not that Tess had given him much thought in the past. The gang had often overlooked him when facing dangerous situations, which was odd now that she thought about it. Alex had a knack for solving problems, strong computer skills, and an ability to bring the group together. Although he wasn’t the strongest person physically, his heart and spirit were probably the strongest she’d ever encountered. Sure, she’d made fun of his infatuation with Isabel, but if Tess really thought about it, she’d been jealous.
No one had ever loved her the way that Alex loved his girls.
While on Earth, she’d thought his capacity for love and compassion had made him weak, but it was also what made him one of their most selfless allies. With little questioning, he’d given blood so that Max could protect his humanity. Before he knew their secret, he’d helped Liz discover the true identity of Kathleen Topolsky and although hurt and confused, never once betrayed them to the Sheriff or the FBI. Later, when he’d gotten to know the Pod Squad better, he’d cheerfully faced death with Kyle to help them rid of the world of Gandarium. Sure, that last one had been an accident, but she knew that if he’d been given a choice to be trapped over one of the others, Alex would never have thought twice about it.
His willingness to give without questioning had been the reason she’d asked him to help her translate the Destiny Book. Even with the knowledge that a translation might give the Pod Squad – including his precious Isabel – a way off the planet, Alex had worked night and day to make it happen. They’d even gone as far as to break into the Las Cruces supercomputer in order to speed up the process.
On Antar, nothing about him had changed. It was odd that he barely knew her, yet still he’d been willing to sacrifice his own safety to keep her alive. It puzzled her. While she would expect such an action from one of her people, Alex was human. Antarian laws and obligations did not apply to him. Once they got their voices back, she’d be sure to ask him what he’d been thinking.
<i>If</i> they got their voices back.
Ahead of her Alex stopped, and she quickly went into alert mode. The forest was dark and shadowed, but she squinted, straining to make sure they’d not been discovered Alex squeezed her hand in assurance, the gesture relaxing her as she turned her attention back to him. He smiled; dropping her hand before rubbing his shoulders to indicate that he was cold and nodding his head towards a fallen tree.
For the first time she noticed that the chill of night had set in, and she shivered as goosebumps traveled across her skin. Alex took off his coat, draping the thin fabric across her shoulders before kneeling to collect a few stray limbs that had broken off. She watched curiously as he carefully gathered them in a pile before breaking another larger piece in two across his thigh. With the smaller piece, he took the branch in between his palms before rolling it quickly back in forth in his hands as it rubbed against the larger piece of wood before him.
Tess chuckled silently, having seen one too many reality shows to know that he was fighting a fruitless battle, but at least it would be amusing. She should have known better. Alex didn’t quit, and at the first sign of smoke she raised her eyebrows in surprise. Who knew he was a boy scout?
It was ironic that she was the one with the powers, but he was the one who had managed to create fire.
When the first flame erupted, he turned and cheered in trump, doing a celebratory touchdown dance as he walked towards her. Tess bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, rolling her eyes instead as he raised and lowered his eyebrows at her several times. Obviously, there were a lot of things she didn’t know about Alexander Charles Whitman.
It was an intriguing thought.
She didn’t hesitate when he reached for her hand, pulling her closer to his makeshift camping spot. Reaching the fallen log, he helped her sit and she looked up at him in thanks. He started to grin as he searched her face before his brow furrowed and he frowned. Dropping to his knees, she forgot to breathe as his large hand reached for her face.
Paralyzed, she could only watch as he gently cupped her cheek and tilted her face upwards. A knot of uncertainty formed in her stomach as his face moved closer. Squeezing her eyes shut, a myriad of thoughts and emotions rushed through her system, one much louder than the others.
Was this really happening?
A soft piece of fabric brushed across her cheekbone and her eyes few open in confusion. Ignoring the fleeting sense of disappointment, she met Alex’s apologetic gaze with her questioning one. Following his line of sight, her eyes grew wide as she noticed a large streak of blood on the cloth as he pulled it away.
It was only as her brain caught up with the action that Tess felt the sharp sting of pain on her skin and realized the blood was her own. Apparently she’d been so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed that she had cut herself and, from the looks of things, she was bleeding pretty badly. One hand flew up to check the injury, but Alex stopped her. Folding the ripped material in two, he reached up and pressed it more firmly against her face as his eyes met her own. The heat of his hand radiated through the fabric, heating her skin.
She never thought such a simple act could feel so <I>intimate</I>.
Averting her gaze, Tess felt her face flush as she studied the dwindling fire. The small kindling provided little fuel for the flame to grow and she knew that in a few moments it would die if not fed. Turning towards Alex, but not meeting his eyes, she replaced his hand with hers on the cloth as she gestured for him to tend to the fire.
Alex nodded in response, his shoulders slumping before he turned his back to her and scouted the ground for more kindling. Closing her eyes, she took a deep cleansing breath and chastised herself. A few short hours ago, she’d been ready to accept her destiny as the Queen of Antar, as Max’s wife. It was everything Tess had ever dreamed and more than she thought she deserved.
So why had she allowed her body to react to a simple touch from Alex? Even more importantly, why did she want more? After all, she reminded herself, Alex wasn’t Max.
Funny how that thought didn’t hold the same power over her as it had mere hours earlier.
Shaken, Tess pushed away the icy finger of fear that crept over her at the last thought and tried to rationalize the situation. She was alone with Alex, the man who had saved her life twice in the last few hours. Trapped together in a lonely world full of enemies and silence, they had no choice but to rely upon and be close to each other. These feelings of interest in Alex were nothing more than a byproduct of the situation, some form of Florence Nightingale syndrome, the adrenaline coursing through her body, or perhaps even last minute wedding jitters.
Whatever the cause, there was no way they were genuine.
Besides, there were bigger and better things to worry about at the moment—like how they were going to get back into the castle, or get their voices back, for that matter. The inability to talk was really starting to irritate her. Communicating via facial expressions, hand gestures, and the occasional finger-palm method was very limited and inefficient. Plus, there were some things she simply needed to hear for herself.
<i>Like what the hell was taking Max so long,</i> she sighed internally. She opened her eyes to survey their surroundings, consciously avoiding the man who worked quietly in front of her as she scrutinized their predicament. In all honesty, it wasn’t a great start to her marriage or her reign. Thanks to Max’s incompetence, it would take her months to subdue their people when word of this blunder became public, precious time she had hoped to spend basking in the satisfaction of finally fulfilling her destiny.
Then again, being a Queen did come with sacrifice. It wouldn’t be the first time she had been or would be asked to give up her wishes for the good of the kingdom. For her people she would give up her time, her energy, her knowledge, and her powers; but the longer she spent away from the pull of destiny, she wondered how much more she was willing to give. Could she give up her life, her dreams, her freedom, or her soul to a kingdom that would only demand more from her and a man who would always compare her to a human girl?
Frustrated, she ran her hands over her face, grimacing at the forgotten pain of her cut before propping her elbows on her knees and twisting her fingers into her hair. Playing the waiting game was not her forte, and this was no exception. The silence gave her too much time to think, leaving her feeling uncomfortable and displeased with her predicament.
She shot out of her seat, pacing back in forth in front of the growing fire, and noticed for the first time she was alone. Before she was able to panic, a familiar head of brown emerged from the bushes to her left carrying another small bundle of kindle and she sighed in relief. His grin was instantaneous at the sight of her, and warmth spread across her cheeks when he quickly darted his vision to check her injury before meeting her eyes.
Before they became locked in another staring contest, she averted her gaze and reached for the wood in his arms. Obviously not noticing her intent, he stepped forward just as her arms reached out and the small pile of kindling fell to the ground between them. Simultaneously, they leaned forward to retrieve the timber and in a moment straight out of a cliché, his chin met her forehead with a solid thud.
Tess drew back quickly, her hand flying to her forehead as she rubbed it soothingly. Looking up, she watched Alex do the same, his large fingers cupping his chin like an evil genius contemplating his next world takeover. The thought caused her to giggle uncharacteristically, the eruption of joy overtaking her body as it shook with the force of emotion.
Clearly she was losing her mind.
The giggles turned into outright chuckling, and for once she was glad for the lack of sound when she snorted from the exertion, the vibrations tickling her nose and causing her to laugh harder. Covering her mouth, she tried to calm herself down; but a glance at Alex’s perplexed expression deemed her efforts futile. Her eyes watered, the excess moisture trickling down her face as her entire body flushed.
The hand on her shoulder shocked her back to reality, her eyes meeting the concerned gaze of Alex as his hand cupped her cheek lightly. He gently worked around her injury as his thumb wiped away the trail of tears. She forgot to breathe as she studied the emotions radiating from his hazel orbs as he opened himself completely to her—acceptance, concern, amusement, worry, curiosity, excitement, desire.
The last one caught her completely by surprise and she couldn’t stop herself from gasping at the realization. Stepping back when he felt her sharp intake of breath, Alex scrutinized her expression. Nodding at whatever he saw, his hands dropped from her face and he stood before her awkwardly shuffling his feet as his eyes shifted upwards to dutifully study the trees above them.
The air grew colder, stifling and full of unwelcome tension as Tess wrapped her arms around herself at his absence. She missed the comfort and warmth that had grown between them, but couldn’t for the life of her understand what had changed in that moment. Emotions warred within her as she struggled to discover the appropriate way to overcome the sudden chasm between them.
Why did this situation have to be so damn complicated?
If Tess could just speak to him, tell him that she was destined to be with Max and serve her kingdom, then maybe they could fix it. He shouldn’t waste his time with her like he had with Isabel. It wasn’t going to happen.
It couldn’t.
Alex turned away from her, picking up the mess they had made with the dropped timber. Tess panicked, still unsure of how to respond in a way that he would understand. She wasn’t confident that she understood. Confusion was the most prominent emotion overwhelming her senses at the moment; but it wasn’t the only one.
The one that scared her the most was need.
She reached out to tap his shoulder, her hand stopping mid-air as she mentally berated herself. A Queen did not beg for forgiveness. Emotions were for the weak. Her destiny was laid out before her; she could not deny her people for her own selfish desires.
Not even for the simple pleasure of Alex’s friendship, since that was the only thing that could ever be between them.
Besides, she reminded herself, it was better for Alex if she didn’t give him hope. Her resolve strengthened, she returned to her seat on the tree stump as she watched him work quickly. The distance grew between them and she ignored the ache of loneliness as she resumed the persona of her royal position.
Nasedo had taught her well.
The fire spit and crackled as Alex added the fallen timber to the blaze. Well, it would have if she could have heard it. She wondered for a moment if they had been rendered deaf instead of mute, while she concentrated her focus on the growing flames. Not that it really mattered at the moment. Her thoughts returned to their predicament and what they could do to regain control of the kingdom.
She was tired of waiting on Max to rescue her.
A sudden movement in her peripheral vision caught her eye and she jerked her head in that direction. Her senses on full alert, she raised her arm in preparation to defend Alex as well as herself. Alex moved quickly to her side and they both studied the darkness for a sign that they had been discovered.
A small flash of light was her only warning before Alex fell to the ground, blood oozing from his wound as she dropped down beside him. Her mind was screaming in outrage as her hands pressed against the hole in his chest, attempting to stop the bleeding. She couldn’t think of anything, the thought of losing him too horrifying and overwhelming to even consider what would happen when they captured her.
She couldn’t do it without him.
His hand covered hers and she met his gaze, refusing to look away from him. It took everything in her power to concentrate on the weak tracing of letters across the sensitive skin of her hands, but the message he sent her went ignored. Shaking her head, tears poured unbidden down her face as she denied his wishes.
She would not leave him.
Throughout this journey he had been her strength. She hadn’t realized it until now, but Alex had rescued her from more than certain physical death. He had helped her find her dreams again.
His body shook as he gasped for air, sweat trickling across his skin. As she watched him weaken before her eyes, Tess realized she didn’t want to sacrifice her own wishes anymore for those of her kingdom. Destiny only existed in the dreams of children and she wasn’t a child. It was time for her to wake up and live her life as she chose, even if the time she had remaining was limited.
She felt their presence surrounding them, but there was no fear for her own safety as she tried to find a way to save Alex. Desperately attempting to form a connection to heal him, she cursed Khivar for taking away her powers. When they captured her, she would not make it easy for his troops to use her as a pawn for his crusade.
Alex’s cool hand cupped her cheek, attempting to wipe away her tears in comfort even as he struggled to breathe. Tess closed her eyes, pressing further into his hand as she choked on her tears. There was no one else like Alex—generous, loving, and giving.
Why hadn’t she seen how beautiful he was until this moment? She had searched all of her life for someone who would want to know <i>her</i>--someone that would truly care. No one had ever made the effort until now—and the truth of her discovery was bittersweet.
Alex was the real prince in her fairytales.
His hand fell away and her eyes flew open in panic as she fearfully assessed his condition. The weak smile that met her perusal caused a lump of grief to form within her throat. No, her heart screamed, even as her mind fought for ways that she could help him.
She couldn’t lose him—there was too much she needed him to know, too many dreams she had yet to fulfill, and too many things for which she needed to thank him. The shadows looming above her grew smaller and she knew that her time was nearly over. Unable to bear the separation she knew would come without one last ditch effort to communicate her feelings to him; she leaned forward, hovering over him as their eyes met in a silent exchange.
It wasn’t enough.
She saw the surprise in his eyes, recognized the joy that her emotions brought him; but it didn’t fully communicate everything she needed him to know.
Pressing herself closer, she tentatively met his lips in a kiss, her emotions pouring into his soul as he opened himself to her. The spark of electricity surprised her, as did the hands that grasped her head to pull her closer. She didn’t resist, reveling in the feel of his soft lips moving against her own.
It was like nothing she had ever experienced.
For a moment, time stood still as she willed him to live through the passion of their kiss. His hands loosed their grip on her head and she felt him shudder. Pulling back, she watched him close his eyes as her heart screamed its denial.
Tess fought the hands that grabbed her, unwilling to leave him. Twisting in their arms, she kicked and clawed in desperation. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream as her heart cried out for Alex. When she bit the hand that covered her mouth, her world went black.
