Chapter 41 - A Conversation in the Garden

The walk towards the palace was quiet and a light atmosphere surrounded them. Alexandra and Carlos head towards the emperor's office where her father is and to inform or tell him that she paid a visit. Aside from that, she could see if the emperor is working too much again. Both of them climbed many stairs and passed through the floors to reach the floor where the office is.

Upon arriving in front of the door, Carlos knocked two times and cleared his throat before he spoke. "Your highness, Alexandra is here to see you," Carlos said and Alexandra stared at him. They heard a light or low voice coming from the inside, "Come in," Carlos held the golden knob of the door and turned it as he gently swings the door open. Alexandra stepped inside and roamed her eyes around as she walked towards her father's desk while Carlos closed the door behind him and followed her behind. "Peace and Glory for the Queenilia's light," Carlos said as he bowed in front of him to show respect. He lifted his head up and he met eyes with the emperor.

"What brings you here?" Although he sounded cold and annoyed, Carlos saw the hint of warmth and joy from his gaze when he looked at his daughter who was smiling at him sweetly. Alexandra went ahead and responded, "I'm here for a visit," Her voice was gentle as she spoke and she sounded formal and polite. Alexander stared at her who also stared back at him before he heaved a sigh and continued doing his paper works, ignoring Alexandra. "Have a great time," Alexander said in the midst of writing, Alexandra smiled at him. Their conversation ended and it was just short one like they are just saying their greetings to one another, to let Alexandra inform him that she's here to pay a visit.

"Thank you, papa," Alexandra said before she turned around and head towards the door of the room but stopped on her tracks and decided to wait for Carlos who was saying his goodbyes as he bowed his head. Carlos opened the door for Alexandra and she stepped outside and continued walking while Carlos followed behind her while he roamed his eyes around, his guard raised, gently holding the hilt of his sword, and trying to be alert or focused as much as possible. "Where are we going now, Miss Alexandra?" Carlos asked as he followed Alexandra and went down the stairs, he watched his every movement, how her hand or arm slightly swayed from her back to her front while she gently hummed a song.

"To the garden," Alexandra simply responded. She was hoping that Gilbert would be there since looking for him would be a hassle and troublesome.

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After what it seems like half an hour of walking, they finally arrived at their destination and that was the garden. Alexandra asked Carlos to not follow her and just walk around the place looking at the flowers, "Carlos, please don't follow me. You can walk around the garden," Alexandra said as he smiled at him sweetly. Carlos hummed while he was deep in thought before he came up with an answer. He stopped by the entrance as he walked around looking at each one of the flowers that looked more beautiful than the ones plucked in the garden.

Alexandra immediately heads towards the center where a tree stood up beside her. Alexandra hoped that he was there and when she arrived in front of the tree and she somehow saw a figure of a man who was leaning against the tree, laid-back and carefree, not giving care on what might happen to him if he continued to slack off or just lay down. Just what I have expected, she thought to herself and walked towards his direction and didn't notice a twig lying on the ground as she walked. She stepped on it and it emitted a sound that caught the person's attention and whipped his head in her direction.

Their eyes met and Alexandra showed an embarrassed or awkward smile as she scratched her cheek, thinking of what she should say. He made an 'Oh-Its-The-Liar' face or expression and he suddenly stood up and was about to walk away and head towards the opposite direction of hers when Alexandra spoke, "I will wait for you, no matter what will happen. Even when the rainbow becomes black or the snow becomes red, even when the moon becomes two or the sun becomes dark, I will wait for you. So please come back alive," Alexandra blurted out what she first thought, that wasn't what she totally wanted to say but it was a line from the book where Clark needs to go away for the war against the two countries, that's what Rina said before he left.

Silence surrounded them. Alexandra clutched the sides of her dress and gulped as she waited for his response or his next move, what will he say? Will he walk away and just ignore me? She asked herself and stared at his back but Gilbert opened his mouth to speak, "You know those things will never happen," He responded and Alexandra gasped and her eyes glistened when she heard his response. That was what Clark said to Rina after she said the words Alexandra just blurted out. Gilbert turned around and their eyes met again, his sapphire blue eyes somehow gleamed with slight interest, a hint of joy seen in his eyes which Alexandra didn't notice.

Alexandra bowed her head and apologized, "Please do pardon me for lying yesterday, what I did is truly inappropriate and disrespectful, your highness Prince Gilbert," She tried to sound polite and formal as much as possible, her voice laced with respect and gentleness rang inside his ears. Even when they are siblings, she needs to show respect as she was a girl with no status and just have the Everly Blood running within her. "Raise your head," He said and Alexandra did what he told her.

"I accept your apology and forgive you, I advise you to not do it again in the future especially to the other princes," He said and Alexandra nodded her head as a response. Silence surrounded them once again and Alexandra wants to break it but he spoke, "What was the ending of the story?" He started to walk towards her direction but stopped at the chair near him and took a seat. "Clark died and Rina was devastated. A month later, she decided to visit his grave and laid a white flower there. The first sentence of the last paragraph said, 'Along with the flower that was laid on top of his grave which died was her heart and her soul,'" Alexandra responded with a gentle smile plastered on her face. Thankfully, she remembered all of those.

Gilbert hummed as a response and he stared at her without saying anything. Alexandra fidgeted and gulped, "Thus my hand will let go of yours but not my feelings," Gilbert suddenly blurted out which startled Alexandra but she was able to respond after a few seconds, "For my feelings proved that I am a person who is able to love and cherish others," That was a line from the book, Art of Emotions by Lorraine Wester. They, including Christian, have the same interest or tastes in books, so maybe she and Gilbert could get close rather easily.

"Who was the king who died because he choked on his food?" He suddenly asked.

"King Bard II of the Danaria, the forgotten country which was erased from the map," Alexandra responded fastly. What is this? A test? She asked herself as she waited for his next question. He was testing her knowledge, how much or vast it is, how many does she know, and if she read the books that she has read. What he asked was from a history book, studied or taught to teenagers or people way older than her yet she answered with no hesitation or without thinking, she was sure at her answer and it was correct.

"What did King Harley I to her wife before he died?" Was his next question and Alexandra thought for a moment before she responded.

"Look inside my closet and you will find a box of treasures," That was what Ferdinand taught her and thankfully she was able to recall it. She heaved a sigh of relief when she was able to answer his question. "What was inside the box?" That was his next question and without thinking or without hesitating she responded, "A box filled with handwritten letters, a diary or a notebook, and a necklace which pendant was made out of diamond,"

"Tell me the legend of the Crystal Rose," He said and Alexandra cleared her throat first before she spoke. "There was once a goddess who is very kind and love flowers, she was powerful and she has the ability to turn everything into ice or crystal. One day, she died inside her rose garden and her mana somehow spread or scattered in her garden which was caught by the flowers and soil. The roses became crystals and had the appearance of ice, it looked vulnerable but when thrown into a wall, the wall will break or have cracks but the rose still looked good as new, no scratches or a single small crack. Only the chosen can pluck the flower out of the ground. However, people don't know if it's true or not. People don't if it exists," Alexandra said without stopping, she recalled what Diana told her and what she read from the books. This was like a summary of those since she can't remember it, only the important parts.

For a 7-year-old kid like her, she was knowledgeable and somehow intelligent, she was called a genius by the maids because of that ability or skill she possessed even Gilbert was impressed at how many or how vast her knowledge is but he doesn't show it. Then there came his last question, "Why did the Emperor of Deva surrender to their enemy?" Alexandra gulped when she heard his next question. She doesn't know what the answer nor was it discussed to her. Alexandra just stared at him and gulped. She cleared his throat before she spoke, "I apologize for I don't know the answer to that question," She said.

Gilbert clicked his tongue, "It was from a book, History of Deva was the title, you can find it in our library or maybe yours. Come back to me when you are knowledgeable enough," He said before he stood up and he walked away. His voice was cold but there was a hint of interest and joy that can be seen from his eyes. Alexandra wasn't angry nor annoyed at what he said, it was somehow a piece of advice and it showed that he wasn't annoyed by her presence based on what he said. As Alexandra watched him walk away, he suddenly stopped from his tracks and he spoke without looking at her direction, "I had fun with our conversation," His voice was low but she was able to hear it clearly and understand but what his next words aren't audible for her ears and left her confused and curious at what he said.

"W-Wait, what did say? I didn't understand," But she was ignored. He continued walking until his figure disappeared from his sight. A voice was heard after a few seconds, "Prince Gilbert, there you are! I was looking for you everywhere!" Was what the voice said. Alexandra stood still there for a moment before she turned around and started walking back to the path she took where Carlos is waiting at the entrance.

As she walked, she was thinking and wondering what he said earlier. What did he say? What were his next words? What I only heard was again? What does he mean by again? She asked herself so many questions which she knows that she can't answer it. As she reached the end of the path where Carlos was waiting for her while he was standing still, she smiled and called out to him grabbing his attention. He turned his head around and looked down, their eyes met. "Let's go back to the palace, I need to do something," Said by Alexandra and Carlos nodded with a smile plastered on his face.