Chapter 16：War

It had been two weeks since leaving my home behind to come to this castle of a building. I stayed mostly in my room unless the time came to go walk with Seymour in the gardens, help him with planning the wedding, helping with the problems of his kingdom. Or eating dinner. That is where we were, in the dinning hall. He was watching my actions with the fork, spreading the food into one big mess in the middle of the plate. His lean hands went to his chin as he watched me.

"Jaq." He said simply. I looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your plate." I looked down at it then placed the fork on the table, then my hands on my lap.

"Nothing." I said looking over at him.

"You haven't smiled since coming here."

"No, I guess not." Just then, the guard came almost busting into the dinning room. He bowed first to Seymour then to me but his attention went back to Seymour.

"My Lord, we have a problem." Seymour stood.

"What is it, Tim."

"You are requested in the war room."

"War!?" He exclaimed. "Come Jaq." He said. I stood and followed the two men out of the dinning hall and into the war room. Three guards waited inside the room by the door. As Seymour entered he stopped dead in his tracks making me bump right into his back. I moved around him and gasped. The lean six foot frame turned to us from looking out the window. His hair was slicked back, he wore black pants, black boots, a button up long sleeved cotton shirt along with a jacket that had a rankings pin by his shoulder. His green eyes looked directly at Seymour ignoring mine all together. I looked down at my folded hands feeling the tension build, then Seymour smiled before the laugh.

"Dear brother, what do we owe for this visit?"

"I am not here to speak with my brother. I am here to speak to the king." Edward said in an authority tone that I had never heard before. I kept my head bent down not wanting to look at either of them. Seymour grasped my hand and walked to the table as Edward stayed by the window. Seymour only grinned.

"By all means then, Lord Edward, speak your peace then leave."

"It is not going to be that easy, sir." The amused look on Seymour's face dropped as Edward's hands were behind him as he walked towards us. Then I noticed the hand gun at his side along with a sword. I had never noticed any of these garments in the house at all. Where did he have these hidden.

"Alright then... what is the problem?"

"I am here to declare war."

"War!? Under what grounds?!" Seymour was no longer thrilled or amused but rather angry at the declare.

"Isn't that what countries do when they have a disagreement? You see, I recently have had something taken from me. Something that can not be replaced. Let's give it a name. Love at War." I held the gasp as I looked from Edward, the green eyes not taken from his brothers mixed eyes. "I found the Virgoians first. I recently discovered also that the words that came from your mouth had threatened my family, and of when you said these words, Jaqualine was part of it, and still is." I grasped the chair next to me to balance myself. I looked down at the thumping foot of Seymour as I held my breath. "So, if you give back my queen, I will forgive that you ever threatened my family and will not attack. And Seymour..." Then and only then did Edward's hands lean on the table as green sparks flew at his brother. "Not only do I over power your technology, but I also over power your magics." Seymour laughed then.

"I don't see how your logic is with magic. I was always the one training. Always the one taught to hunt down the Virgoians and make sure they were killed or detained." Edward's arms flew up and spread wide.

"Then by all means, gather us." Silence, a disturbing one, hit the room.

"Us?" Seymour said low, and unbelieving.

"Us. Jaqualine, Alora, Felicia, and myself." When he said "myself" his voice hit an all time low tone. "Not only will you have to contend with guns, canons and gun powder but also two fully magical Virgoians to start. Now, should we discuss what terms I want to end this?" Seymour seemed to be weighing his brother.

"Go on." His hand had suddenly and shakily went into mine.

"Give her back and I won't do a thing. Everything, our relationship, our countries will go back to their normal every day activities."

"How long do I have to ponder your request."

"Twelve hours." Edward said. His eyes still never looking at mine.

"Twelve hours then. At eight o clock we meet here." Edward nodded, turned and left the room from the door behind him. Seymour, the first time I had ever seen him, fell to his knees bringing me with him since his hand was so tightly in mine. I looked up at him as his mixed colored eyes looked down at the floor. "I don't believe what he is attempting." Seymour said. He stayed kneeling but let my hand go. "Come, i will walk you to your room." He stood, and linked my arm with his as we walked out of the war room. He was silent as we walked down the halls. Edward no where in sight as we walked up the stairs to the west side where my room was. He stopped at my door and turned me to him. "What are you thinking?" He asked.

"I take it you didn't know."

"No." he said low. "I had no idea he was Virgoain. Father never said anything about his second wife being from your city."

"Seymour, look at me." He did as I held both of his hands. "When you look at me, what do you feel."

"Triumph."

"And.." I asked still looking up at him.

"If there is more... I do not feel it."

"Love?"

"You don't feel that way towards me." He looked at my eyes, standing there with a blank look on his handsome face. "The evil ways your father wanted you to be just took your kindness and threw it to the birds. You still have it in you. You know how to be playful, you know how to show affection in the right manner. You have lived your life following a dream that doesn't exist for you. I should not and do not belong in your palace. I do not love you as a wife or queen should. You deserve better then that. I can help you to open up. I show someone that you care deeply for them but I am not the one that should be getting that love. You don't love me."

"No... I don't know how." He said his eyes looking at me. I smiled then as he chuckled. "Got you to smile."

"See that is what I am talking about. Seeing other people smile, knowing that you can make that special someone smile for you."

"Your not what I want." Seymour suddenly said. "Your smart, beautiful, but not what I want." He bent his head and kissed my forehead. "Get some rest, love. Eight o clock sharp." He let my hands go and walked away.