Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

-ALEX-

Exactly four years ago, there is this girl whom I cared the most more than anything else in this world. But suddenly, she left me without a single trace or any word of her farewell after graduation. All I know is that my heart shattered into tiny, million pieces and took it away with her. 

I haven't heard a word from her except her achievements abroad as a famous violinist who is now part of the Grand Orchestra that performs a world tour and caters to famous singers. I was left waiting for her to come back, or sending one particular letter. But the sad thing is she didn't, and all that wait I made for her has all be gone in vain.

Now, four years have passed since her departure, my heart has finally returned to normal. The scars from that heartbreak have finally been healed, and the open wound she left me has finally been filled and recovered. 

And now that my heart has fully recovered, here she is once again… going back into my life and expecting that everything would return to normal like how it used to be back then between us.

"But I still care for you…I still love you. That is why I chose to come back here so that we can start all over again." Margaret looks into my eyes, searching for any love that I still have for her. But there was nothing that she could find.

"You want that, right? Now, here I am… ready to make a sacrifice. I would sacrifice everything just to be with you again, Alex." Tears start to swell at the corners of her eyes, but I can't feel anything in particular for her right now. "Everything."

"If that is true, then why now? Why not before when I still have nothing….when I was still merely a graduate myself. Why can't you fight for us against your parents?" I asked the questions that I have been wanting to ask befoe questions that I have been wanting to ask her in the past.

As stupid as this may sound, I used to imagine how things would turn out by the time we see each other once again. But I did not expect it to be as soon as this.

Margaret's parents are against our relationship because I had nothing back then. My parents had left me under the care of my grandma Lucy, and I struggled myself just to get myself a better education at Gilead Academy and to fulfill my dream of becoming the captain of the Royal Army.

After finally graduating, Margaret left me without saying anything about it. She just…abandoned me, like what my parents did.

"I'm sorry if I haven't fought for us. But I am willing to make it up to you now, if you will just let me." she says quite desperately. I maintained a straight face in front of her, to show her that all the things she will tell me now doesn't concern me anymore.

"I believe you are just wasting both of our time here… because that won't ever happen."

I started to stand up and is about to take my leave from here when I heard her speak once again.

"Is there someone else? Is there another girl that you like?"

Upon hearing it, I stopped in my tracks and faced her once again.

"What if there is? It doesn't concern you now, is it?"

I noticed how her mouth parted, but I didn't show any traces of emotions on my face right now. I won't give her the satisfaction by letting her see it.

Without waiting for her response, I added, "It's getting dark. You should be home by now." and simply walked away from here and went towards my office.

She was the girl whom I loved four years ago. And now, as time passed by, someone had already replaced her inside my heart and made me whole once again.

---

-KRISELLA-

Hearing from Lucas that Alex has a lover in the past sends me in a state of shock and bewilderment. For the past few months that I have been with him, Alex never opened up his past relationship to me or to anyone else. Or maybe it's also because that guy, whom I regarded as a heartless, cold jerk in the past, doesn't look like the type that easily falls in love.

It also makes me sad, to be honest, and makes a lot of sense to me now. The way he rejected me on the day I confessed my love to him… I know now the reason behind it. Alex rejected me because there is a girl that he is still waiting to come back, and now she finally returns at the worst timing possible.

Sensing my silence, Lucas clears his throat loudly to get me out of my series of thoughts.

"But that doesn't mean they would eventually return in each other's arms after that, right? I mean, after Lady Margaret left my friend to chase after her dreams of being a well-known musician in other nations, there is no way Alex would just return to her." Lucas says, giving me an encouraging smile.

That got me confused. Would that be the reason why they were separated after all these years? Why would someone give up the love of their life in order to fulfill their dreams just like that?

I pretended not to be so interested in Alex's past relationship that I put on a straight face as I looked at Lucas once again.

"Is that so?" I replied nonchalantly. "That must truly be a heartbreaking experience for the captain, considering that he never entertained any other girl besides Lady Margaret alone."

Then I curtly nod at the lad and added, "Thanks for the information. But I must head to the office to get the notebook that I left earlier."

Without waiting for his response, I began taking a few steps towards my destination. But when I started doing so, Lucas behind me spoke once more.

"You are wrong though…" he says, making me stop in my tracks. "He has already another girl in mind as we speak."

My lips parted by the time I heard it from him. He has another girl in mind, that's why he rejected my confession. What a lucky girl that lady is.

I pretended not to hear him and proceeded to the office. Just hearing all of this information from Lucas truly breaks my heart and my stomach churn. I think I am going to be sick after this.

I have convinced myself that Alex and his past relationship doesn't concern me even a bit the whole night. I already conceded my defeat the other day and accepted the fact that Alex wouldn't fall for someone so ordinary like me. Yet it takes such effort to really convinced me of such a lie that it almost rendered me sleepless that night.

The next morning, I wake up a little bit sleepy but fully convinced to continue my act of not being affected by Alex nor that girl who just appeared out of the blue. I came into the dining room a little bit early than before to have my breakfast with my other mentors in my fake princely getup.

And speaking of the devil, Alex decides to show himself up at the dining room a little bit late. I remember that he usually reprimands me for being late during breakfast, and now here he is… with his eyes still clouded with sleep and his face looking like he is sleepwalking his way towards a seat.

I heard Lucas chuckled softly and Lancelot eyeing the lad curiously.

"Good morning, Alex," Lancelot says, still staring at him like he was the strangest creature he has ever seen. But the former didn't reply and just sat down in his seat next to Lucas and across me.

"Seems like you really had a great time yesterday…" I trailed off and sneak a glance towards the poor, sleepy lad who just stares into nothing then proceeded with slicing the meat using my table knife. "It made you sleepless for today."

Lucas now stops chuckling and concentrated on what he is eating. Meanwhile, it seems that the meat was not thoroughly cooked so therefore, I have to do some sawing through gritted teeth just to cut it. When Alex didn't respond, I began to saw as hard as I could.

"So, silence means yes? Am I right?" I tried to play it cool, but the meat just won't budge. When I nearly lost my patience, I suddenly sent the steak flying right towards Alex's direction. That's when he started getting out to his own little world and looked down at the damage I have caused.

"Geez, weren't you trained already for mastering table manners?" he says and gets a napkin to wipe the stain of the sauce away from his garments.

I simply smiled at him and said, "Oopsie."