His Thoughts (2)

Prince Johannes Chevalier from Arendal, sixth in line for the throne and as presumptuous as all royals tend to be. He had been in the same year as Ms. Knight. Alexander remembered how he and the crown prince tended to crowd around her. He assumed it had to do with the fact that they lost to her at the academy. He had watched as they had lost to her intellect at every turn. 

He had never cared for Johannes. Stocky, blustering, and composed of two left thumbs, Johannes was lacking in the grace expected of royalty. Compared to his siblings, Johannes was of little consequence, possessing no qualities that would improve his chances of inheriting the throne of Arendal.

Alexander and Johannes had interacted on many occasions both inside and outside the academy. International relations were always a tricky subject and the meetings and affairs to promote unity seemed never-ending. Seeing as his family was the second most powerful family in the country, or the most powerful depending on who you asked, Alexander was required to attend those dull affairs.

Alexander always carried himself with grace. He never engaged in any activities that could appear unsightly to the public eye, such as flirting or excessive drinking. Etiquette and refinery were second nature to him and he disdained nobles that acted without grace. Prince Johannes was one such noble.

On many occasions, Alexander had watched from afar as Johannes made one blunder or another. He would call nobles by the wrong title, carelessly spill his drink, and on one occasion he tripped and allowed his dance partner to fall to the ground. A most egregious crime in Alexander's book. 

The events to promote unity never ceased, but after graduating from the Academy, Alexander stopped attending. He found himself wrapped up in starting his casino.

Alexander had pushed Johannes from his mind for years until the blundering buffoon had gotten dead drunk and caused a ruckus in the middle of his casino. 

Because he was royalty from another country, none of Alexander's staff felt equipped to handle it. They had called him out of his office to see if he could settle the matter. He planned to settle the situation amicably, but the drunkard's monologue stopped him in his steps.

Johannes' looks had deteriorated since his academy days. A decently fit physique had been replaced with pounds of fat. His love of the excess hadn't changed, however. Each of his fat fingers had a gold band, and a large golden chain was slung around his neck. 

He stumbled around the poker table, throwing chips and stealing people's cards. The table was now stained with wine, his half-full cup sloshing to and for as he staggered around the table. 

"Edwina, that bitch,"  Johannes slobbered, "She always thought she was smarter than me, and maybe she was, but she was nothing! A commoner. She honestly believed we'd get married! the dumb cunt."

Johannes chugged his wine, a drip slipping down his throat stringing his shirt, "It was the best revenge that day, that day. You know what I did? I told her what she was to her face. A used slut who would never get married. She'd end up alone, an old hag, dreaming about me. There was no way a royal could marry a commoner, her blood is so dirty can you imagine-"

Slam. Alexander didn't know when he moved or what he had done until it was over. He slammed that braggarts head against the card table. He heard a crunch and he knew he had probably broken his nose.

"An old hag you say? Dreaming of you? Don't make me laugh," Alexander scoffed.

Johannes' cup tumbled onto the floor, his limbs flailing as he tried to release Alexander's grip on his hair. 

"The bastard prince of a king. I doubt you'll live longer than your brother's succession. Even if you do live longer than that you'll be granted a sad little title like 'Baron' and fade away."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Johannes screeched, thrashing against Alexander's steady grip. 

"On the other hand, Edwina will earn a title greater than yours in a couple of years. Men will be vying for her hand, the genius loved by the king is something many will covet, unlike you."

Alexander leaned in close to Johannes' ear and sneered, "When was the last time a woman approached you willingly?"

Johannes howled in frustration, screaming obscenities. Alexander laughed and slammed his head into the card table again.

"You-- You can't do this to me! This will cause an international incident."

"I doubt it. Once I wrap you up and send the bill citing what you owe to the casino to your father, I doubt we'll hear much about it."

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh but I would," Alexander released him. Unprepared, Johannes slipped and fell to all fours, "Seize him."

Without sparing Johannes a second glance, Alexander stalked toward the back offices, "Benjamin," he called, "Bring me the books. I need to get the bill ready."

The beating that followed in the interrogation room had been somewhat satisfying, but Alexander still felt off.

He sipped his drink staring into the fire.  He was shocked. What had Edwina Knight seen in that buffoon? And where had she found the time amidst her studies? Shame on her for treating the Academy like a matchmaker's game.

The broach came to his mind. It was made of silver and was finely crafted. He had wondered where she had gotten the money. Now he knew, it was a gift, from that bastard. And she had worn it with a smile on her face. 

And why was he so angry? He'd never been angry about anything. Disgust was a common emotion he felt. He also felt weary most of the time. Never angry. That was a passionate emotion. He liked to remain clear-headed.

And why was she always in the back of his mind? He was always hearing news about her. He remembered all of the events she was a part of in school. Remembered all the gossip about her post-graduation as well. The information just stuck in his mind. He always assumed it was because of his good memory. But maybe, it was something else. Could he be interested in her? Ms. Knight?

He closed his eyes and imagined it. He imagined having a conversation with her, holding her hand, making her blush, kissing her… 

He leaped out of his chair, shocked. He'd never thought this hard about any woman before. But Ms. Knight was driving him crazy and he had never even had a conversation with the girl.

"Benjamin!" he called.

"Yes, sir."

"Bring me another drink, and all the information we have on Edwina Knight."