A L M I R A

Chapter 26
Almira Davenport

I stood outside on the balcony, the calm and gentle wind blowing through my hair. The chilly wind nipped at my skin, but I elected to ignore it.

"Enjoy your food?" Calix's velvety smooth voice asked. I looked at the stars in the sky, the moon dimly lighting the castle walls and village. Warm lights glowed from inside houses in the town, all turning out sooner or later.

"I didn't eat," I shortly replied, gliding my hands across the balcony railing. I leaned against it more, looking over the view. From nearby trees who's leaves were gently shaken by the cool breeze to mountains far off in the distances, everything seemed calm, quiet. It was like everything was at peace.

A pair of warm hands found themselves on my shoulders, rubbing them. "Almira, it's important that you eat."

"I'm not hungry, but thanks," I calmly answered.

Calix turned me to face him, looking at my face. "You need to eat. Come on, we'll go down to the kitchen and we can eat. Just the two of us."

I sighed. "You're not going to stop until I eat, are you?"

"Nope."

"Fine. I'll dine with you, but not because I'm hungry. It's so you'll stop bothering me about it," I chortled, grabbing onto his arm.

He lead me down to kitchen and fixed a small, simple meal before sitting it on the table in front of me. He sat down across from me and scooted his chair in.

We didn't exchange any words, just a silent dinner. I ate my food in peace, as did Calix. I took a sip of my wine before clearing my throat. "Calix? What did you mean by I wouldn't understand?"

He looked at me with furrowed brows. "Pardon?"

"Earlier?"

"Oh." He finished chewing and took a sip of wine before looking back at me. "Being a king over three kingdoms is a lot of work. There's stress, pressure, and sleepless nights that come with it."

"Three? I thought a king could only rule one kingdom?" I inquired, continuing to eat.

"It's one kingdom as a whole, but I've taken over other kingdoms. I had my original one, which is the capital, the one you're always roaming around in, and then the other two, which you've never set foot in," Calix explained, looking at me.

"What's so stressful about it?" I persisted, leaning on the palm of my hands. I was genuinely interested in his duties. Calix never talked about them before, he just did them and had his meetings a lot.

"All of it. The non-stop paperwork, the crime rates, the punishments, the remodeling, the business and marketing deals, alliances, the education system, making sure nobody assumes I'm playing favorites, the military, the safety of the citizens, the list goes on and on," Calix gushed, taking another bite of food and sipping his wine.

"That sounds like a lot," I began. "I could help you if you want?"

"Help me? Are you saying I can't do it?" He snapped, glaring at me.

"No, I didn't. I'm saying if I helped you, I'd have something to do other than spells and magic all day long. Plus, you could have some free time to yourself, to do as you please," I offered, smiling.

Calix pondered the offer for a second before nodding. "It wouldn't hurt to get you more involved in the kingdom. Fine, you can help. But you do what I say how I say, no going off on your own and doing whatever the hell you see fit."

I gasped and clapped my hands together. "Yes! Okay, deal!"

Calix grinned and shook his head. "You are really an odd one, aren't you?"

"I like to say special, or unique," I retorted, giving him a cheeky smile.

"You are most definitely special," He replied, looking at me.

~-~

I woke up to a creak. I sat up in bed, looking around. Calix was in the bed beside me, sound asleep. I grabbed the candle holder and lit it, crawling out of bed. I stepped into the bathroom, looking around. Nothing.

I walked back out and moved the curtains, looking out on the balcony. Nothing.

I sighed, turning around. I know I heard something, but what? I made my way to the door, slowly opening it. A bouquet of black, dead roses laid outside the door with a little note on top of them. I sat down on the floor and picked the note up, reading it carefully.

To my dearest Almira,
Where to begin, love? I supposed the alliance. I'll be the gentlemen to inform you that Wryler and I have combined armies and will lead together. Doing so, we are both bearing a heavy, deep hatred for Calix. I hope you can understand, darling. Calix is a horrible man and has come this far without punishment. We are only doing the world justice. He's waged war. Would you be a dear, when he wakes up, tell him to check on his army. We left a delightful surprise.

Sincerely, Alastor

P.S. Wryler and I miss your company.

My stomach churned and I felt unbelievably ill at the sight of the roses and note. I picked up the bouquet, only to notice the puddle of a dark liquid below them. The black roses dripped blood, slowly trickling into the puddle.

I dropped the roses and the note, quickly walking to wake Calix up. I shook him him a panic, my breath gradually becoming the uneven. "Calix? Calix, please wake up!"

He turned over and looked at me with sleepy eyes before sitting up. "What is it?"

"Alastor visited," I answered, setting the candle down on the nightstand.

This woke him up for sure. He grabbed into my eyes, his eyes scanning over my trembling body. "What? Are you okay? What happened?"

"I-I'm fine. He uh, left something at the door. Bloody, black, dead roses and a note," I responded.

"A note?"

"Yes, a note."

"Where is it?"

"At the door."

Calix got out of the bed and walked to the door, picking up the note. His eyes scanned over it before he set it on the nightstand. He picked up the roses and threw them into the lit fireplace before grabbing a candle. "Come on."

I crawled out of the bed. "Where are we going?"

"To check on our army," Calix shortly said, grabbing my arm. We raced to the entrance of the castle before he grabbed two lanterns, lighting them with the candle. He set the candle down and we walked out, quickly making our way to the army's fort.

Calix walked inside with no problem, dragging me along. He ran into the barracks to see slaughtered shoulders lying on their bunks. I gasped, looking at them. He let go of my hand and walked off to somewhere.

The lantern illuminated the area in front of me. I stepped closer to a dead soldier, examining his body. Upon further inspection, it dawned on me. They weren't all dead, but they were dying.

"Calix!" I called out, turning around. He ran back into the room, looking at me.

"What is it?" He asked

"They're not dead. Well, most of them. They are dying though. If you get me a couple things, I can do a major healing spell to get them stable enough for doctors," I breathed, glancing back at the severely injured soldiers.

"Right, what do you need?" He pondered.

I gave him a little list and he ran off. A couple minutes later he came back with the supplies, which surprised me. You wouldn't think they'd have witchcraft supplies at an military base.

I hastily set everything up, murmuring the spell. This was important to me. If they didn't survive, or the spell didn't work, I don't know how I'd live with myself.

Soldiers starting sitting up, reaching for their necks and coughing.

"What happened?"

"Who was that guy?"

"Bro, shut the hell up, the king is here!"

"Watch your profanity, Harold!"

"Who's the girl?"

They all whispered until the room fell silent. Calix looked over the room, taking in every detail. "Is everybody alright?"

"Yes, your majesty!" They answered in unison.

"I suggest you all see a doctor just in case. I'm sorry for the ones that you lost. They were good soldiers," Calix sympathized with them.

"Thank you, your majesty," The soldiers simultaneously responded.

"This lovely lad here is the one who saved you. Treat her with respect and thank her," Calix ordered. He was cold, demanding. Then again, I guess you had to be for people to respect and serve you.

The soldiers' attention turned to me and I sheepishly smiled. "It was nothing," I shrugged it off.

"Thank you, madam," One soldier thanked, the others thanking me after he did. "Really, we wouldn't have been here without you."

"I just can't watch somebody innocent die. That's all," I vouched, nodding.

"We'll take our leave, do rest up for tomorrow's training," Calix voiced.

He put his hand on the small of my back and led me out, holding the lanterns. "I'm going to get them back," He hissed.

"How?" I questioned, glancing at him. "He's tactical and sly, it's really hard to get in or out of his castle."

"We're going to kill some of his army, for good. Then, we're gonna kill his assistants, and you're going to help."

~-~

We sat in Calix's office. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, the warm light falling onto Calix and I. Sunlight really suited him. Calix was looking between a couple papers and a map while I read terms and alliances, signing them for him, and setting them aside.

I sighed, setting yet another paper aside. "This is your job?"

"You can quit if you want," He suggested, glancing at me before adverting his attention back to his work.

I declined the offer and stood up, stretching. "Have you drunk your daily dose of blood yet?"

Calix looked at me with an amused look. "How did you know I had daily doses?"

"Maids and butlers talk, Calix," I teased. "I'll go get you a glass and get me a thing of wine. I'm going to need it with the rest of the papers."

I walked out and went to the room with all the blood containers stored. I quickly pulled out a knife from my bra and glided the blade across my skin, blood seeing from the wound. I grabbed a container and held it there before mumbling the spell. I poured it into a wine glass and walked out of the room. I poured myself a glass of wine.

I made my way back to the office and sat down the two glasses on the table before siding back into my seat. Calix picked the glass up and took a sip before making a funny face. "Something wrong?" I asked.

"No, nothing's wrong. It just tastes fresher," He responded, looking at the glass before continuing to drink it.

"Must've been a new blood bag," I excused, signing another paper and setting it in the stack with the others.

"Must've been," Calix mumbled.

~-~•~-~