Chapter 78 - Of Odds and Favorites (2)

"What are you doing here?" His monotonous voice rang inside their ears, it was deafening and it sent a chill down their spines. Alexandra cursed inside her head, that voice, it clearly belongs to him. Alexandra slowly turned her head around, meeting his cold and sharp gaze, he was glaring at them. What are the odds of meeting him here? He would rarely go at this training grounds in the afternoon and why would it happen now? Why would it happen at the time that I decided to go here? Alexandra asked herself and observed his expression, and how his eyebrows creased seeing them two together.

Prince Calixander's eyes darted at Christian whose back was still turned against him, he refused to turn his head around and meet that gaze of his. He could feel it, piercing at his back and once again, it sent a chill down his spine. Alexandra and Christian remained still, not answering his question. The disgusted and annoyed expression plastered on his face already told them that he doesn't want to see them but at the same, he was curious at why they are here. He would understand if it's only Christian but he was with Alexandra, peeking their heads and looked at what Prince Chandler was doing.

They remained silent. The silence which surrounded the three of them was dull and uncomfortable, it felt awkward. Alexandra was thinking on what she should say to him or how she should answer his question, should I tell him that I was going to give these macaroons to Prince Chandler but he would highly doubt it and thinks that it's poison. Trains of thoughts keep coming inside her head as she was silent when he decided to speak once again, repeating his question, his voice getting more and more annoyed as seconds past by while he spoke. "I said, what are you doing here?" The question seems like it was directed to Alexandra and not to Christian.

Alexandra who was startled by him speaking and blurted out what she was thinking, "Macaroons!" Alexandra said, startled. Christian was shocked and confused at what Alexandra just said and looked at her hand, who was holding a small bag filled with macaroons and chocolates. Prince Calixander's expression gradually turned into a confused one. Realizing what she just said, her face flushed red and the expression plastered on her face turned into an embarrassed one. Why did I shout out macaroons? I felt dumb, Alexandra groaned and heaved a sigh, trying to calm herself down.

"What do you mean by macaroons? Are you giving macaroons to my brother?" Prince Calixander asked and noticed that Alexandra was holding a bag of macaroons and some chocolate. There was a hint of interest seen on his eyes but his gaze remained sharp and cold as ever, the expression on his face turned into an annoyed one. Alexandra couldn't do anything but just nod and go with the flow, it might end in a good way or something good will happen if she does so, that's what she thought.

"He doesn't like sweets and that might be poisoned, I can't and will not trust you," Ouch, that sent an arrow straight to her heart. Christian was about to speak and defend Alexandra but she just stopped him. If he does that, their relationship as brothers might get broken and they would just argue. "I wasn't the one who made these, it was one of my maids, a maid who is really close to me. I will never poison the prince because it would bring harm to me and her. I can guarantee you that these are not poisoned and if these are, I will let you take my life but not my maid," Alexandra sounded determined, Christian was shocked at the last thing that she said. In case if that was poisoned, she will get killed, the only one. She refuses to let the maid who made the macaroons get killed.

Was it the 'Diana'? The one who always takes care of Alexandra at the palace? Christian asked herself and tried to recall the maid's face.

Well, it's not like Diana would give her poisoned macaroons to eat in case if she gets hungry. She trusts Diana and she will never do that. Prince Calixander stared at the small bag Alexandra was holding tightly. He was about to speak when they heard the sound of some footsteps muffled by the snow and a voice that called out to them. "Miss Alexandra! Prince Christian!" That familiar gentle voice rang inside Alexandra's ears, it was loud and laced with worry. It was Carlos jogging towards them, a worried expression plastered on his face. Behind him was Gabriel, a stern look on his face.

Alexandra gulped and groaned, what great timing. This is getting more harder for me to handle. Aside from that, Sir Gabriel looks scary, I shouldn't have dragged Christian along with me. But he insisted and we were just to spend a few minutes here. Carlos stopped on his tracks as his eyes darted at Prince Calixander's direction who was looking at them at the corner of his eyes. "Prince Calixander!" Carlos regained his composure first before he bowed along with Gabriel. "May the Queenilia's sun shine down upon you, your majesty," They both said in unison.

The loud voice which was Carlos' caught the attention of the prince who was training and turned his head at their directions and saw 2 personal knights, a girl, and the two princes who were his brothers. He walked towards their direction, creased eyebrows and a scowl on his face. "What's going on here?"

Alexandra and Christian turned their heads at the direction of the voice and gulped realizing that they interrupted Prince Chandler's training, well that was what they were planning to do earlier but this was completely wrong timing and probably the worst. Now, the 4 siblings are together in one place, the only one missing is Prince Gilbert who is probably dozing off or reading somewhere. "Brother Chandler," Christian muttered but he was heard by Prince Chandler, he turned his head in his direction and gave him an annoyed look.

Crap, crap, what do I do now? How can I escape this situation? Can I just rewind the time? That's impossible considering that I don't even know how to cast a tier 1 spell. So how? Running away looks stupid, should I just walk towards Carlos as nothing happened? What about Christian? I'm sure that they will scold him. What is this timing anyways? Multiple thoughts came running inside her head, circling around and making her crazy. She stood still, not moving from her position as the expression on her face slowly changed into a troubled one. Eyebrows creased and lips forming a frown.

Carlos knew that they already need to leave before something bad would happen, the pressure in the atmosphere and how Alexandra was tense and still like a statue already indicated that. "If you may, I will be taking Miss Alexandra and Prince Christian," Carlos couldn't help but be nervous for Alexandra. He wasn't showing it but it was clearly obvious, from the way he fumbled and think on what words he should say. It sounds like he was trying to abduct the miss along with his brother but in a polite way because of the words he used and his tone of voice.

Prince Calixander didn't speak, so Carlos just called out to Alexandra who was still zoning out, thinking about so many things that she didn't notice Carlos speaking earlier. "Miss Alexandra," Carlos called out to her and grabbed her attention. There were multiple thoughts running inside her head and it was all just cut off when she heard Carlos calling out to her. "Y-Yes?"

"Let's go," Carlos said as he smiled at her. But there was something behind that smile, it seems like it was telling her that she will be scolded as soon as they leave. Alexandra gulped and looked at Christian who was also looking at her, communicating with the use of their eyes. Alexandra had an apologetic look on her face and there was a hint of sadness and regret on her eyes but Christian just replied with a smile indicating that it was okay and she did nothing wrong. Alexandra heaved a sigh and walked towards Prince Calixander with a determined expression and his eyebrows creased, raising his guard up. Alexandra just sadly smiled at him and offered him the bag of macaroons while bowing her head.

"Please accept this as an apology," She said in a rather sincere and genuine voice while there was a pleading look on her face, hoping that he would accept it. It looks like she was a high school girl offering a box of chocolates to her beloved crush or something during the valentines, the only thing lacking is the hearts on their background and the blush on her face. Let's set that aside, what is she apologizing for? Is it because she was here? Is it because she annoyed? Is it because he hated her? Is it because of her actions? Is it to show that she wasn't an arrogant person with a wicked personality? Honestly, she also doesn't know. She just felt like it.

Prince Calixander raised his hand and Alexandra thought that he would hurt her or something but instead, she felt the bag of macaroons being lifted off the palm of her hands and she raised her head. Looking at him with widened eyes and a shocked expression plastered on her face. "If this were poisoned, I am really going to kill you with my own hands," Was what the expression that was plastered on his face says. He was glaring at her but he looked more soft and gentle or was that just Alexandra's imagination? Alexandra blinked multiple times and Prince Calixander was still there, glaring at her and it seems like it was asking for her and Christian to leave.

Alexandra gulped and slowly turned her heel around, walking towards Carlos and Gabriel's direction, Christian was already with them and looking at her, and amazed expression plastered on his face while giving her a thumbs-up secretly. He smiled at her and she smiled back but then she felt Carlos' piercing and scary gaze at her. She avoided his gaze as much as possible as she walked towards Christian. "Wasn't that macaroons made by Miss Diana?" Christian asked before they walked.

"It was supposedly just for me but I have to give it to him, as a sort of apology," Alexandra said in laughed embarrassedly, regretting and getting angry at herself for giving the macaroons instead of the chocolates. Diana's cooking was the best and her macaroons were the best, Alexandra thought to herself, crying inside her head. They continued walking and along the way, Christian began to scold Alexandra because of her actions while Gabriel told Christian some things in a rather gentle yet stern and scary way.

While on Prince Chandler and Prince Calixander's side, they were staring at the bag of macaroons which was offered by Alexandra. Diana's cooking, huh, Calixander thought to himself. A hint of sadness in his eyes, staring at the small bag he was holding as he began to recall some memories. "Brother, are you going to eat that?" Prince Chandler called out to his brother who was zoning out whilst staring at the bag on his hands. But he just ignored him and continued staring at the bag.

It's rare for him to see his brother zoning out like that while staring at the small bag which looked like a pouch or something. Well, he likes—

--

"Come to think of it, I just recalled earlier an important information which will really help you, Alexandra," Christian suddenly said out of the blue while they were walking towards the library. Carlos just finished scolding Alexandra and she apologized, it was probably the second time that she did something reckless. The first time was on the second day of the winter star and she ended up meeting the prince of the Luminaria Kingdom.

"What is it?" Alexandra asked, darting her eyes in his direction.

"Brother Calixander actually likes sweets and desserts and he is somehow obsessed with it just like you,"