Heart of Darkness

"Waste of time! Waste of money!" Roxana spoke out loud as she got dressed for another night shift. Why did she let herself get robbed? She knew those fortune-tellers were expensive, If they weren't then they were usually the false ones. So if she was the real one…

No!

She would live a life of comfort with endless resources to wealth without leaving the kingdom where she was known as a thief? She scoffed. Right. 

Roxana decided that she would focus on finding the right item and once she stole it, she would run far away from the castle and whoever that old man was. 

"Maybe there is a man but he is not old," uncle Ben had wondered. "Try to find someone instead of something. I am sure there are many gentlemen in the castle." 

"And shall I charm them with my manliness?" She had asked. 

Uncle Ben had laughed. Roxana could somehow see that he believed in the fortune-teller. She must have told him something in the past that turned out to be true. She needed to leave this place soon. 

Once she was done dressing, she hurried to the castle. When she came around the corner in one of the large halls she walked straight into a hard chest. 

"Oh…" She stumbled back but two arms caught her and a pair of silver eyes watched her amused. 

Oh no! Not him. 

"Good evening Rox," He said helping her on her feet. 

"Good evening, My Lord." 

He watched her in a way that unsettled her again. "Will you do me a favor?" He asked. 

Do yourself a favor and leave me alone.

"How could I deny you, my Lord." 

He smirked then slowly he reached for her hair. Roxana's heart stopped when he grabbed a few strands and felt them between his fingers. "Wash your hair. Put in some moisture and scents." He let the strands fall then looked at all of her. "Buy some new shoes." 

Roxana was thankful that she was confused or she would have punched him. He was really making her his puppet and not in the way that she had thought. Oh, Lord! What did he want from her? Did he really prefer men? But why her? No! 

Was it because she looked fragile to him and therefore easy to control? No. It couldn't be that. As a lord, he could control anyone. Then why her?! If she knew the reason she could make herself unlikable. 

"I need you to stay close to His Majesty. You must look well then." He said. 

Oh, ok. It wasn't for him. She let out a breath of relief but began to think again. Why did she need to look well for the King? Perhaps this man believed the rumors and wanted to use her to entice the king. She thought he was smarter than believing rumors. 

Roxana looked into his eyes. He did look clever to her but she didn't want to believe in the rumors. 

"I will, My Lord so I shouldn't be late." She smiled. 

"Of course." He said moving out of the way. 

She could feel his eyes on her as she rushed from the hall. Any man who underestimated her would pay the price. Including a Lord. 

Going to the barracks she found Gary and Peter resting again. As if they hadn't slept for days, they just refused to wake up. Taking her weapons she decided to leave them behind and find Alexander. Her heart skipped at the thought of seeing him in that beautiful garden again with his jewel eyes. God, she was truly a thief being drawn to shiny things. 

As she scolded herself to stay focused on her way back, to her surprise, she found Alexander in one of the training grounds in the defense quarters. 

He was in a swords combat with Lord Rayven and it was intense. The clinking of swords was loud and their movements fast. 

Roxana did not want to get in the way of their fight and get herself hurt. They were using the whole space so she climbed on top of the barracks and watched them from the roof. 

She was fascinated. These men moved like air. Lord Rayven was on the larger side. He was bulky being a bit taller and had a bigger upper body with more muscle. But that didn't slow him down. He was skilled with the sword. 

The king was leaner but that didn't make him weaker. His strikes had more power and he was fast. They danced under the moon with their swords, the clinging echoing in the stillness of the night. 

Roxana could see that it was a friendly fight but she was tense. Their aim was too precise to think that they didn't mean to hurt each other. One wrong movement and the sword could cut through their flesh and with the power of their strikes, it wouldn't be a small cut. 

Oh, why was this getting worse? Just when she thought they would tire, they began to fight even more viciously. At last what she feared happened and the sword cut Lord Rayven's arm. She held back a gasp but he continued to fight as if nothing happened. Roxana held her breath as many times as they were close to hurting each other. This time Lord Rayven's sword cut the side of the king's waist, blood staining the metal. 

"Your Majesty!" Roxana was about to hurry down when she suddenly slipped and was gliding down the roof. "Woah!" She prepared herself to land on her feet as to not injure herself too much but ended up grasping strong shoulders and firm hands grabbed her waist, helping her land gently.

Alexander regarded her with a frown. "Do you want to break your legs?" He asked in a serious tone. 

She woke up from her shock and let go of his shoulders. "Your Majesty, you are wounded." She said looking down at his waist. Blood seeped onto his white shirt. 

Oh, Lord! It was the waist. She needed to hurry! 

Roxana quickly put her hand on the wound. "We need to put pressure there. Come with me." She said grabbing him by the arm and leading him away. She saw a surprised Lord Rayven from the corner of her eye as she led the king away. It took her to reach the hall and see people's gazes to realize she was dragging the King himself. 

Her heart skipped but it was too late to change her behavior now so she pretended to be oblivious. When they arrived at his chamber the guards hurried to her aid and she ordered them to call the royal physician. 

Roxana dragged him into his chamber, "Your Majesty, sit down." She made him sit at the edge of his bed. "Hold it for a while."

Alexander put his hand on top of hers that covered the wound. His hand was cold but his touch hot. She looked up at him and realized how close to him she was. His eyes drew her in for a moment of stillness before she moved her hand away, startled. She turned around to hide her face and began looking for something to use to put pressure on the wound. Grabbing a towel she went back to where he sat. 

She crouched between his legs. He removed his hand and she lifted his shirt slightly to see the wound. She wiped the blood away so she could examine the wound but there was… none. Roxana was confused for a moment. She lifted more of his shirt only to see his lean abdomen. 

"Was the wound not here?" She asked confused. 

"It was." 

"But there is no wound." She said her fingers touching his skin without thinking. 

She heard him draw in a sharp breath and looked up. Again, a mistake. She was trapped in those sapphire eyes that darkened and changed into a midnight blue. 

She drew her fingers away quickly, realizing she took the liberty to touch him even if he was wounded. "I am sorry," She said trying to stand up but he grabbed her arms and kept her down between his legs. Her breath stilled. 

"You are such a nuisance, Rox," he spoke. 

"I know. I mean I am sorry, Your Majesty." 

"Don't be. You have quite delicate hands for a man." He drawled. 

Roxana swallowed. 

"Perhaps, I should keep you close to me." 

Close? How close? Her throat became dry. 

What was she thinking? Did he mean to keep her close as a guard? 

"I will do my best to serve you, Your Majesty." She said. 

"I am sure you will." He released and she stepped back quickly, suddenly feeling like the air became heavy. 

"I will go bring the physician." She said. 

"No need. I am alright." 

Where did his wound go? 

"I'll leave you alone to rest then," She said. 

She bowed and hurried out of the chamber. 

Oh, Lord! Fanny was right. This was getting worse. She was losing her mind and letting this man affect her. She could not afford desire. Going to the garden nearby, she cooled down in the night breeze and she didn't have to see him for the rest of the shift. Perhaps it was better this way. And then it was time to go home. Roxana looked at her schedule on her way back. She had a day off and then she would go back to having a day shift. She would have to deal with Sir Fulker and her bullies again.. It was time.