Six

“Why is she so concerned about these meetings? We will burn everywhere to the ground if we are both in the same place.” Alexa complains the next morning as her maid got her ready for the meeting they planned yesterday with Jared, her suppose husband to be. She snorted at that, not if she has a say in it, she is known to be annoying and she plans on driving Jared crazy to the extent that he will run from her without looking back but still he has proven to be difficult to drive away but she will not be disheartened, if she wants her future to remain Jared free, she just have to increase the intensity.

“I am sure she just want what is best for her child.” Her maid replied dutifully like always whenever she was ranting which was a lot these days and it was always about him.

“He is not what is best for me.” Alexa hissed in anger and then smiled. “I know what is best for me and he is not it, I will just have to make him see it one way or the other.” Alexa smiled as she waves her maid attempt to escort her to the tea room where she was sure that Jared would be there waiting for her this time, after all she was almost an hour late.

“You are late your highness.” Jared said with a frown as the door opened, as much as he had spent a wonderful time learning old stories about his future wife from her childhood maid, it was still a wastage of his busy time.

“Royalty is never late.” Alexa replied with her nose in air.

“Of course, so this was not a repayment of what happened before.” Jared raising his brows, trying his best not to let a smile free, her antics were predictable and cute, it would be annoying if he was not used to similar behavior from his sister. 

“Of course not, dressing up for a lady takes time.” Alexa replied.

“So if your mother was here, you wouldn’t have kept her waiting?” Jared voiced this time not hiding the smile or teasing in his question.

“My relationship with my mother is none of your business.” Alexa snapped at him even though her cheeks were red with embarrassment at being caught on her childish behavior.

“Of course it is not…” Jared answered immediately and because it was fun to argue with her, he could not resist adding “yet”

Alexa spine straightened at his words. “I do not know what your plans are, Lord Jared but I will not play into your arms.” 

Jared smiled at her words. “Maybe I just like hearing you call me Lord.” 

Alexa gritted her teeth, never has she felt a much more intense rage to hit someone than she felt at that second. “You purposely are getting on my nerves.” She replied and when Jared did not respond she knew she was right. “You do know that you ought to be trying to get on my good side and not my bad side.”

“I do not know anything about that, what I do know is that me acting like an ass kisser to you is the fastest way to make you disagree to this match…”

“I have already disagreed.” Alexa cuts in but Jared continued like she never interrupted his speech. 

“You are just being stubborn currently, you are just shortening the time you should use to adjust to this change in your status because whether you like it or not, we will be getting married before a month and you cannot change that. All that is left for us to do is accept it.”  

Alexa stepped closed to Jared, challenging him with her body actions. “Well, whatever would we do, I cannot get married to someone who already has another mistress. That is not me and I will not change even for you.”

“I never wanted you to change.” Jared replied. “Besides who said anything about me having a mistress?”

“Don’t.” Alexa screamed at him. “Do not act like I am wrong here…”

“We are not married but you got your crazy jealousy down to an art.” Jared pipes as Alexa released her breathe. 

“That maid or whatever she is, who followed you here has to go back to where she comes from.”  Alexa orders but Jared shook his head. 

“Mona goes nowhere, she stay where I am and she is not my Mistress, happy.” 

“I saw you Jared, when you were fighting, I saw you and her.”

“I don’t care about what you think you saw but I do know what I am with Mona and she and I are just friends. Now you are the one with issues you need to resolve before marriage.” 

Alexa was so angry that her hands were already up by the time her nurse maid called her name and when she realized that she nearly hit Jared who was looking at her with his arms crossed and his brows quirked, she realized she still had the urge to hit him, and so she turned on her heels and fled the room. 

He might have won this round but she would certainly win the war. She was not going to get married to a man who lies, cheat and see it as perfectly okay.  No she was going to exhaust all possible ways of calling of the wedding before the date because if she does get married to Jared, she had a feeling that one of them would have to die for the other one to survive. 

**************

It has been two weeks since Alexa last saw Jared but it was clear to all that she has clearly exhausted all ways to put a stop to the wedding and failed drastically and what was even worse, she noticed that Jared was right, He was just friends with the woman who came with him. Apparently, it was the woman’s job to keep her eyes on Alexa and report back on what her actions for that day was back to Jared. 

She was angry that she did not think to train any soldier to be that loyal to her so she could place her person among Jared’s group, she would love to know things about Jared if only to use what she had learned against him but alas, the only person who was loyal to her was her maid. 

“My Princess.” Mona voice snapped Alexa out of her thoughts and Alexa watched as she executed the perfect bow. Alexa shifted back, a little surprised at seeing Mona dressed in clothes that were just like hers.

“Are you trying to mock me?” Alexa asked, her hackles going up. The last thing she wanted was the woman who made her feel insecure, which was a thought she did not want to even explore, dress just like her. 

“No, Your highness.” Mona replied confused. When she was sent to follow Prince Ken orders on watching Lord Jared’s back. She was told that his bride was going to be just like Lady Jasmine, a woman whom Mona liked. Unfortunately, they lied. The only way in which Princess Alexa was alike to Lady Jasmine was in terms of favored clothing, if it was left to her to describe, Princess Alexa, she would have described her as the slightly less deranged version of Princess Fallon who is firmly on the good side but Mona was not even certain about the side. Maybe she was just like Fallon and she would grow into her insanity with time. Mona was so not looking forward to playing the role of the other woman like Princess Annabelle did. That was a role she was certain she would run from no matter what wealth accompany the part. 

“If you are not, why are you dressed like me?” Alexa fired back, she had watched this particular maid, teased Jared. Mona was not like normal maids and she would not put it pass Mona to behave that way to her too.

“I am sorry but I do not understand what you mean. I certainly did not make a clothing that fits me perfectly within the space of three weeks of arriving in your kingdom where I know nobody who can even tailor my dressing for me, just so I could go by your style. This is my outfit for hunting and it is designed just after Princess Annabelle and Lady Jasmine style of dressing for that event too.” 

”Are you saying that this mode of dressing, my mode of dressing is worn by females where Jared is from? For some kind of events?” Alexa asked connecting the dots of what Mona said and ignoring the fact that Mona practically talked flippantly to her and that manner was a ground for punishment. 

“Yes your highness, although Lady Jasmine, Lord Jared sister wears these kind of clothes everywhere.” Mona chuckled to herself. “The nobles have given up from the thought that Lady Jasmine would ever act like a proper lady.” 

Alexa was dumbfounded as she thought of Mona’s words. This was how his sister dresses? No wonder he was not shocked by her, he was already used to it.

“Can we go if we are done with the interrogation?” Mona asked and before Alexa could respond to her insolence, she added. “They have been waiting for you for a while now?”

“Wait? Who are they?” Alexa asked surprised and Mona looked at her strangely once more. 

“Your future husband of course, he heard you wanted to go hunting and he wanted to get the lay of land and what more better way of knowing the land than learning about it from the person who spends so much time roaming it and whose love is evident through her eyes?” Mona concluded as Alexa sighed. 

She was going to have a problem with Mona pretty soon. She could not help but think that maybe, just maybe, Mona was not a regular maid, she was something more unique, just like her master and that left her feeling intrigued by Jared. 

Enough to not raise hell over the fact that he invited himself over on her hunting time before they leave the castle, her home. 

Once they get to their destination, all bets are off. 

************

“I cannot believe you won over a bunny.” Alexa raged as Jared smirked to himself even though he was riding by her side. The first time since he arrived where he has been in the same space with Alexa for more than an hour without them fighting over some inconsequential fact. 

Something that left him feeling happy because he knew he could get used to this kind of time being spent with her once she is his wife. Apparently, nothing bonds Alexa to her enemy more than a hunt that involves blood and gore and most noble ladies would have fainted a while ago.  Not his Alexa, she relish the hunt and Jared found that fact as the surprising thing that pique his interest about his fiancée. 

“Seventeen, Eighteen.” Jared tone was filled with satisfaction. 

“Your Eighteenth kill was a bunny, a small fluffy bunny that I left because it was too cute and still you killed it.” Alexa argued. 

“It does not change the scores.” 

“You can enjoy your victory all you want, next time. I am going to be beat you.” Alexa crowed. 

Jared grinned freely at Alexa’s words. “Next time?” 

He already started berating himself that he brought it up when Alexa smiled died on her face and her mood changed. “Well yes. Next time. You are not so bad when you do not try to get me angry purposefully.”

“You are not so bad yourself too.” Jared volleyed. 

“Why Jared?” Alexa questioned. Jared knew better than to pretend he did not know what Alexa was asking, that would be the worst thing he could do at this moment and it will be because he was insulting her intelligence. 

And now, he has to find a way to say the truth without giving out the full truth. How was he going to tell her that he was doing this out of obligation. 

“I guess that we are both rejects.” Jared shrugged and when Alexa did not flare up at his words, he continued. “Just like you were given suitors upon suitors here to chose from, that was how I was also being troubled by my parents. When your mother arrived, seeking an arrangement with my kingdom, I was the best choice and I agree to fold under the pressure because of your peculiarities.” 

Alexa glared at Jared. “Peculiarities? What does that mean? Are you trying to insult me right now?”

Jared shook his head. “You have to be joking. You did not flare up when I called you reject but you flare up when I mention you are peculiar?”

“How am I…” Alexa started. 

“You prefer wearing pants and hunting to dressing and balls, you talk loudly. Have an opinion on things which women’s input are not required and you think you are normal?”

“Hey, from what I heard, I am just like your sister.” Alexa grumbled. 

“And that was why I wanted to see if this would work. My sister is greatly misunderstood and I think most of the time, you are too. My thought then was, I wanted to give you a chance because I felt like I could understand you better than a lot of men, men who would want you to change or try to break you. I am not like that.” 

“You do not want me to change, that has to be a lie. What man would not want a wife who can take care of his home?”  Alexa asked. 

“Considering, this is your home and you are not meant to take care of it before and it would likely be the place we stay after marriage then why would I need a wife like that, when I can have a wife who can go hunting with me, covered in animal blood and would give a damn about her hair or the fact that I cursed out loud in her presence.” 

Alexa smiled at Jared. Something was different between the two of them. She was kind of glad that she did not pick a fight when he invited himself along for her hunt and on their way to the forest, the wager was already in place. Now she get to have a conversation with him and he was being honest and she actually likes his honesty. That fact was weird. That was when she realized what he said, she really was covered in blood. Her mother was going to throw a fit when she sees her. 

“What?” Jared asked Alexa when she sighed loudly. 

“My mother is going to kill me.” She grumbled and Jared laughed out at her words. The sound sent a jolt through Alexa as she stared at Jared who she had never seen laugh like that, he rarely smiled truly in her presence, always wearing that ridiculous half smirk of his that left her feeling so incensed and ready to run him through with a sword. 

“I think, by the time she sees the two of us talking as we return she would be too shocked at us to care about the state of your clothing.” 

“I really hope so.” Alexa grumbled, secretly wishing that she would be lucky and her mother would be at her solar and she could sneak to her room to change before dinner, leaving her, other no wiser of how the princess of Asteria pranced around covered in blood. 

As they round towards the stables, Alexa saw her luck has ran out because not only was her mother present but her father was too and it looked like they has guests. 

“Oh look. There comes Alexa.” Alexa heard her mother say and she could not help the curse that flew out of her mouth. Jared’s body jerked at the foul word and could not help but think that when they have children, he would be the one warning his wife not to teach their children bad words while they were still young. 

Who was he kidding? With both of them as parents, the child first words would be something vile that would shock the child nurse maid into an early grave.

“Covered in blood.” The queen shrieked when she noticed her daughter’s appearance. This was not the way which she wanted her daughter to meet her in laws. 

“Sorry about that mother. Jared and I had a wager on the hunt we just concluded.” Alexa apologized and to pacify her mother, she remained on her saddle and waited for Jared to come around to help her off, something which she was capable of doing without anybody’s help by the time she was thirteen. 

“Sweet, who won? Please do not tell me he did, I would never hear the end of it.” A girl who was dressed just like Alexa said and Alexa was shocked because this was the first nobility she was seeing dressed like her. 

“I did.” Jared said and the girl groaned. 

“At least tell me that some of the blood on you guys are his…” 

“Jasmine.” The older couple who was standing near the girl admonish and she kept her mouth shut. 

“Mother, father.” Jared greeted, bowing to his parents before he went to his sister side and ruffled her hair, gaining a loud slap on his wrists for his efforts and a scowl on her face. 

“You wish Jasmine. Just a few weeks without me and you are already back talking, I need to put you back in your place.” Jared teased his sister who went red on the face like Alexa always does. Yeah, he would agree. Life with Alexa was never going to be boring. 

“I apologize for my children antics.” Alexa dragged her eyes away from the sight of Jared and his sister who was trying to kick Jared to face the man who looked very much like Jared. “I would like to say it get better with these two together but that is not true, it only gets worse.”

Alexa grins as she realized that indeed, she will fit right in with these people and even though it was not her choice. Her mother chose well for her. 

Even the horror on her mother’s face as she watched Jared and Jasmine made Alexa smile. Maybe it would not be so bad to give this a chance.