The flare had shocked Magdalena- the sudden disruption to the festivities and ensuing panic and confusion was a little too reminiscent of the night she’d been kidnapped. The anxiety that rose in her throat, hot and acidic, felt exactly the way it had then. In the chaos, she’d instinctively grabbed for the nearest person. “What’s happening? Are we okay?” 

He had honestly been enjoying himself at this beach party, for once allowing himself to drop any of the grudges he held for these people and just have fun. But panic started to set in after his initial confusion with the flare going up, his eyes landing on the people who were starting to surround the crowd with weapons pointed in their direction. What was going on? For a split second, he thought someone had grabbed him to take him somewhere but when he heard the frightened voice he stopped resisting and shook his head. “I am not sure what is happening...I have never seen this before. Why are they surrounding us?”

“So very quiet and so very behaved,” she laughed. Cassandra never imagined herself as a woman who snuck around in such a way with any man, but especially a man her father would be furious about. But her heart longed for Alexi and there was no denying what she felt for him. If it made her run around like a lovesick teenager than it was fine. “I think I can come up with a way or two that we could mess up the bed,” she replied with a grin, moving to straddle him. “Depends on how long you think you can devote to causing a mess.”

As Cassandra straddled him, Lexi wrapped an arm around her waist before bringing his other hand to the back of her neck. “Hmm, for you I think I could squeeze a few hours of devotion in.” He lifted her as he stood to lay her back on the bed, the housekeeper hovering over the princess as he took in her features. Cassandra had always been beautiful to him but the happiness that came through in her eyes when they were together, it was the most intoxicating sight he’d ever laid eyes on and as he gazed into them Lexi momentarily forgot what they he had just started. She was mesmerizing and the words slipped out before he could stop himself. “I am so in love with you...” There was no regret though. If the past couple of weeks had taught him anything it was how important it is to let the people you care for know before it was too late.

Pim was absolutely ecstatic for the beach party. Sure the shoreline of Khatanga’s lake was nothing compared to a tropical Thai beach, but it was as good as summer could get in Russia and she was surrounded by friends, sun, and fun activities. While she hadn’t braved swimming she had done the float and some kayaking and now set her sights on what she thought was the best one yet. The paint fight.

Ready to go there was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she dipped a brush into a nearby pot. Quickly she took aim, before flicking the thick mass at what she hoped was an unsuspecting victim. “Oooh, gotcha good!”

It was one of the first days he could remember being slightly serene after his father had died. At firs, Alexi hadn’t been keen on going to the party by the lake but after he’d arrived he was finding that he was actually having a little fun. It reminded him of high school, bonfires out by the lake with no snotty moods in sight and he was sort of glad for it, for something more pleasant to occupy his mind even as guilt started to creep in. He should have been more careful wading through the mass of people that were enjoying the paint war though. As the whole left side of his face was splattered in the stuff he did his best to look stern as he turned to the culprit who had hit him but...he actually couldn’t help laughing. “Alright, I think it is time for you to run.” He grabbed a whole bucket of the stuff before taking off in Pim’s direction, grasping for a rogue paint brush as he did. “I hope you like the color red because you are about to be covered in it!”

“And you can always have mine,” she replied, melting against his lips into the kiss. For the first time in her life, the Greek princess truly felt as though she could kiss someone indefinitely. What would the harm be if she and Alexi just stayed like that forever, forgetting about the outside world and any responsibilities they technically had? “Nothing in the bathroom and the carpet is as clean as it was the day I moved in here,” she replied, grinning as he pushed her hair back. Truthfully, Cassandra had come up with a random excuse to get him to her room and could hardly remember what she had requested having done.

“I do not think we have yet to do anything to cause suspicion,” she teased. Of course they had and for some reason, Cassie felt no shame over it. “I suppose that the sheets need to be changed. Just for me to stay in them all day.”

“Oh no, none at all. The maids are as quiet as church mice.” Which they both knew was a total lie. They could never be quiet, even if the two of them weren’t sneaking around together. Glancing at the bed sheets, his smile turned slightly devious as he moved towards her bed, his fingertips running over the soft material she slept on. “Hmmm, they seem pretty clean to me.” He turned, sitting down on the mattress before looking up at her. “But we can always mess them up just to give me a job to do. Any suggestions on how we could do that?” The housekeeper laid back on his hands, that grin turning from devious to downright wicked.

“Secrets are safe with me at least,” she nodded towards him, “doctor-patient confidentiality and all that. Wouldn’t be much of a professional if I went around telling everyone whatever I’m told.” She’d heard people whispering about various things in the castle many times, rumours with little to no basis, silly gossip, but that wasn’t really her thing. She’d had enough of that back in the UK. 

“Up to you though, whatever you’re comfortable with,” Nell smiled softly, “I’m Eleanor by the way, Nell to most, just in case you ever change your mind.” 

“Doctor?” His brows furrowed and Lexi tried to remember if he had seen this woman around the medical offices. But it occurred to him that he’d really only seen her while walking through the halls and had no idea what her profession was. “Even so...I do not wish to speak to anyone I am not comfortable with.” Knowing this castle and it’s occupants whatever he said would most likely get thrown around somehow. Maids listening in was possible.

“Nell...I am Alexi.” He was still eyeing her, unsure with his decision. Most people didn’t know how to talk to him now, he didn’t know at this point as the smallest things set his temper off, but he just didn’t like the idea. “I am sorry, I did not know your profession when I assumed you were mostly a gossip.”

Bas was about to argue, tell Alexi to eat and that he’d feel better, when the housekeeper relented. He smiled and nodded, and handed Alexi a foil container and disposable cutlery. “It’s pasta carbonara. I figured, with everyone working so hard, I couldn’t go wrong with some carbs and protein.”

He was trying to stay off the subject of the disaster and of the lives lost: he didn’t know Alexi all that well, and he was fairly sure the other man wouldn’t be terribly open to discussing it with a near stranger. “How are repairs going? I’m not very good with this stuff, hence-” he gestured to the food.

Taking the food from the chef, Lexi looked down at it almost cautiously. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Bastien, it was that he didn’t trust his stomach right now. He hadn’t eaten much in the past few days so there was no telling what it could take. “Thank you.” There was brick still raised from one side of the building, a place where he could sit and try to pick through a few bites, and looked up after he took his seat. “Do you want to join? Have you eaten?”

Taking a moment to open the container of food, he shrugged softly at the question. In truth, Lexi hadn’t been paying much attention to the whole process, he was basically stuck in a mechanical state with few moments of emotion breaking through. “Fine...I think. Most of it is just seeing what can be saved at this point. The food is appreciated though, I am sure. Some of them have no means to eat right now so you are doing a lot.”

“Well…” Pim started, moving towards him and the door and placing her hands on her hips as she came to a standstill beside them. “I definitely think you got it off the hinges.” Her tone lacked any kind of conviction that might have come from someone else, instead stating it rather matter-of-factly, before turning to watch as he walked off momentarily.

She hadn’t necessarily thought that he would actually retrieve an axe, but seeing it in his hand made her face light up. “I can’t say I have,” she replied, reaching out to grip the handle tightly and take it from him. “Yes please. And don’t worry, if anything happens my parents will probably thank you for relieving them of the burden.”

It was a joke, mostly and she took the tool with both hands, holding it level with her waist as she waited for him to correct anything that wasn’t right about her current grip.

Had it been anyone else who’d said that Alexi would have considered it a smart ass remark and lost his tempter but he knew better when it came to Pim. Still, he gave the girl an unimpressed look before he sent another smile her way so she didn’t get the impression that he was upset with her. But as she made her joke about her parents his look turned to one of concern. Even if she did mean for it to be playful it was still a concerning statement for one to make. “I am sure your parents do not think that way, Pim. We all have certain ideas in our head about who some people are but the truth is we can not really know. We do not know how they think.”

And yet he was the one who judged all royals for being born into their positions. There was some truth to the words he had spoken, it was something his father had said to him on more than one occasion, but he’d never fully grasped the weight of them until he’d felt the need to say them to someone else. Bad habits were hard to kill though and he understood that as well. 

“Are you trying to make me not want to teach you?” He walked closer to the girl and checked her grip, Lexi placing his hand over her left one and moving it down a little. “This hand should be just above this little knob at the bottom of the handle. Your right should be a few inches below the head. Do not worry about how hard you swing at first, just try to hit your target.”

“Me neither, until i read up on it when I was a kid.” Valentin answered bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. “Oh yeah, they were called wiener dogs, and they’re very cute, but also scary. I got bitten by one as a kid, and I wanted to fight the dog…even thought it was Auntie Annika’s dog, and it was at a garden tea party that I was trying to escape, and the dog really hated me for some reason.”

“Usually an animal does not hate unless it is provoked. Or their owner hates someone. They can take on the emotions of the people they love and trust most.” Lexi shrugged, having grown up around quite a few animals on the farm. Dogs hadn’t been an uncommon pet for them until the farm started doing poorly. “Maybe it is something you were not aware you did. Unless your aunt hates you.” The thought was something that popped out of his mouth without Lexi thinking about it, the Russian looking around at the candles they’d gotten out and lit while trying to contemplate what the next would be.

“Why? Just picture me as someone else, someone you haven’t met or seen before.” Maggie suggested with a small smile. That was the way she was supposed to be now- according to her parents- an absolute nobody. And while at times she definitely felt like it, it genuinely helped her when it came to interacting with others. “It would also really help if I knew your name, you know.” She suggested, hoping that it would at least be enough to break some sort of ice between the two, as it was clearly there.

“I insist.” She argued, continuing to collect the things, just so she could help him out. Even if they stayed silent, it was absolutely fine with her. The man wasn’t the first one who wasn’t very talkative after everything that had happened, and Maggie understood it. After everything that the people here had gone through, she couldn’t blame him for wanting to stay silent and reserved. “That’s okay, I don’t mind. Besides, sometimes people need to vent or let it all out to be able to go back to being themselves.”

“Because I have spent my whole life watching you and your brother grow us as the prince and princess of my country. Even for me, someone who does not usually respect any of you, it feels wrong.” As he spoke the words he realized how true they really were. It was most likely why he had been as respectful as he could to Ivan and even invited him to dinner once when they had first met. And now why he felt bad for snapping at her. “You can not be someone I have not seen before. But I will try to drop the formalities if that is what you want. My name is Alexi, by the way.” It still didn’t mean he could forget her status or how she grew up.

He didn’t object further as she continued to help but he did look down at her hands to see if she was wearing gloves. This wasn’t a job for anyone without gloves much less someone who probably had never had a blister in her life. “I do not know if venting will help anything.” He pulled another pair of work gloves from his back pocket and silently held them out to her in case she wanted them. “I can not blame anybody for what happened this time. So my anger has nowhere to go.”

“Water is the most important thing!” she called back. From her own searches, she had found a stash of candles and matches which was good. “I was successful here in terms of candles and matches. But….I do not know how much that will do for us in terms of heat. But at least it gives us light.” Frowning slightly, the woman began to place all of the candles and matches she had found on the counter so they were easily reached.

Turning around, Cassie used her flashlight to light her way. “If they have a wood burning stove, we can start a fire in that. I know we are underground but if there is one, it should be set up to push fumes out of the building,” she explained. But then she realized the problem with her plan. “As long as that opening isn’t covered from the avalanche…”

“If we can’t find anything else for heat we can always close ourselves into the smallest room we can fit in and put rags in the cracks of the doors before lighting the candles. It might not help much but it will be something and our body heat will help a bit as well.” There had been times in his household when they couldn’t afford to keep the electricity going which meant nights of the whole family staying in one room together. With Russia’s temperatures they had to learn how to keep themselves warm over the years. 

He looked over to the stove as Cassandra spoke and suddenly hated that he had never learned the cooks position here. He was mostly a bartender or server when needed which meant he stayed in the front most of the time. “We could always try it. If fumes started to be a problem we have water to put out the fire?” 

Cassandra had done her best to keep herself busy in the wake of the avalanche. Much of her time was spent in the village, trying to help with the clean-up in the ways she could. She wished that she could contribute more in terms of physical labor but she did what she could. Money was something that she could provide, as were snacks and drinks. And when she wasn’t there, she was with Alexi, as much as she thought appropriate. There was nothing she could truly do or say for him other than offering him her emotional support. More than that, she wanted to offer her condolences to his family but didn’t want to cross that line until he was comfortable.

She was in constant contact with Alexi, trying to always be there for him. In her room alone, she made a request for a housekeeper and specifically asked for the man she cared so deeply for. When he walked into her room and pulled her close, Cassie couldn’t help the smile that spread on her lips. “I am glad that you enjoy my selfishness,” she chuckled, kissing him softly. “I was hoping to keep your attention for a bit.”

“You can have my attention always, Cassandra.” He whispered the words against her lips before he started to kiss her again. The warmth that spread through him with this simple act of affection was more addictive than any drug out there, of that he was certain. He could stay in her arms forever and die a happy man. Eventually though, he knew he had to pull away from her or else he would never find out the true reason she had asked him there. Smiling down at her as he pushed her hair behind her ear, Lexi raised an eyebrow at her. “So, Princess, what is it that you needed cleaned? Wine in the carpet? Fresh towels in the bath?”

The Russian paused, not being able to resist pressing his lips to hers one last time before he regretfully pulled away from her to continue teasing. “I should probably get started on whatever it is before the gossip of the maids starts to spread like wildfire. I think they are starting to suspect.” Suspect? Oh, the two of them were obvious and they both knew it.

Hearing Alexi’s voice, she turned to look at him and sighed. Shaking her head, she was grateful that it was Alexi there as he felt the same way she did about the royals. She had long wondered whether or not he’d be a good fit for the rebellion but she had yet to broach around the topic, and hearing about his interest in the Greek princess, she avoided it. If that relationship were to fail however…… “You make a good point,” she finally replied. “At least I can get away from them. Especially now that you’ll drop books off for me.” Pushing her hair from her face, she smiled. “Any royals been pissing you off more than usual?”

“With the many places in the castle good for hiding you would think I could too. But I have no such luck.” And he had tried. There were rooms rarely visited in the castle and every now and then he would try to tuck himself away in one while pretending to clean objects he’d already cleaned six times before. Usually another maid would catch him, sometimes Katina with her disapproving looks or even Pavel who Lexi had yet to figure out. But lately his favorite hiding place had been with one of the royals herself and that one seemed to work out much better than any of the others. A short laugh escaped him when she posed her question and he shook his head. “I have an even shorter fuse than usual these days so they are all pretty equal in my eyes.”

Whenever she was buried in her work, it was like a thin veil of focus surrounded Wren’s head. There was a certain calmness whenever she did this, a serene look on her face as her fingers worked to put together concoctions that would heal her clients in whatever way they needed. The downside to the hyper-focus was that she often didn’t know what was going on around her; anyone could walk into the shop and do anything and she probably wouldn’t notice at all. Wren’s mother had told her on multiple occasions that this trait would be her downfall, but as her slender fingers worked to crush some lavender leaves with a mortar and pestle, it was hard to see how it could ever be a bad thing. There was a quiet calm about Wren as she worked, and some may even say that was a sight to behold in its own right. 

However, she could feel a pair of eyes on her, and while Wren normally wouldn’t let it bother her, it was making her skin crawl. “I would ask if there’s something on my face, but I already know the answer to that,” she began, brown eyes lifting to meet the other person’s gaze. “Can I help you with something?”

Holistic medicine had never been something that Alexi had considered over the years as his parents bodies started to break down despite his family not really being able to afford care from western doctors. He’d always passed it off as weird ritualistic medicine that had no place in a Christian home even if it had no ties to religion. But as he watched the girl crushing the lavender closely his mind started to wander. What if he had tried this for his father? What if his body had healed enough to get out of the house before he was destroyed along with it? 

The girl having caught him staring brought him out of the deep thought he’d slipped into and he slowly shook his head without hearing what she’d said. “Sorry, I...how do you get yourself to focus like that?” Was it something that came from her brand of healing or was she just gifted like that? Maybe if he started with learning something small he could torture himself a little more by finding out what properties of her work could have helped in the long run. 

Claire stared in shock as the figure walked out of her shop after trying to convince her for five minutes that they deserved a discount because of the avalanche. Yeah…everyone had suffered in the wake of the disaster but books weren’t a necessity to just be…marked down. “What entitlement” she huffed out, not realizing someone was waiting by the counter. 

Every now and then Lexi would make a stop in the bookstore on his way to work to see if Claire had any orders for the royals. He knew she felt the same as he about these people and he could prevent someone else from having to suffer their idiocy he would. The whole exchange he had just witnessed made him glad that he had dropped in that day because he was sure after that Claire wouldn’t be able to deal with anymore of them. “Be glad you do not have to clean up after them. They are supposed to be so proper and poised and yet they leave pig sties in their wake.”

“Yes, I do believe that we can,” Cassandra replied with a faintly growing smile. His presence helped to keep her calm and gave her hope that, as terrible as everything was, they’d make it okay. Soon rescue would come and they could see what needed to be rebuilt on the outside world. “We will get through this together.” It wasn’t something being said just to calm him, or to calm herself. Standing there with him, it was something that she truly believed. “And I cannot imagine not wanting you by my side,” she whispered.

Nodding, she used her phone to look around. “That is a good idea. I imagine we should get to the food sooner rather than later before it spoils. Although, it will get cold in here very quickly and then will not be an issue….” she trailed off, realized that while the cold would be good for the food, it would be awful for them. “That is a good idea,” she agreed, forcing herself to separate from him. “If I find anything, you are the first to know.”

Her words sent a flutter through his chest and he briefly marveled at the fact that she could still do that to him in a time like this. It seemed no matter the situation this woman knew what to say to reassure him, to keep building up that hope of a future with her. A soft grin pulled at his lips as he nodded, silently agreeing with her words to let her know he felt the same way. 

Her mentioning the cold and how soon it would be a bit too much for them to get through without a heat source, Lexi tried to think of how they could rectify that. There was a stove of course, they could maybe use that to try and start a fire, or they could try to build some sort of pit inside the building that could contain one even if it would pose a different potential disaster if they did that. There had to be something they could start a fire in without it catching the building on fire. “Too bad we are underground, a fireplace would be nice right about now.” As he separated from her, Lexi searched for the water bottles he knew the Lilac kept on hand to sell. Some people preferred that over tap though he had never understood it. The pantry wasn’t too far off and he was able to grab a case before making his way back out into the kitchen. “If anything, we have water,” He called out in hopes that she could hear him.

Was she listening to him? Yep-though it came out one ear and out the other. “Then what are you doing standing here talking to me?” Lilli asked curiously, a small, snarky grin on her face. He was getting on her last nerve too, but she wasn’t trying to show it, though she did get a bit offended that he told her to stop moaning. It showed on her face for a split second, then it disappeared and was replaced with a bit of a sneer. 

“Yes, yes, I know, I know, you don’t have to tell me,” she snapped at him. “But maybe some people want their ruined clothes fixed, and they can come to me, but I can’t do any thing with the noise.” She sighed before she started to walk away. “I’m going to deal with it, since i have no bloody choice.”

“You are the one who interrupted me. And you will not give up and go away.” Lexi returned her snarky grin before continuing to pick up the wood pieces he’d just obliterated. With everything he was going through right now there was no way she was going to win out here. His stubborn pride mixed with his anger wouldn’t allow her to have the last word. 

“You really think anyone around here besides the royals can afford that?” He didn’t know this woman’s prices but he could guarantee that getting clothes fixed wasn’t cheap. It would probably be easier to buy new stuff or take from a donated pile. “Oh good, I am glad we could come to an understanding.” Bit of a jerk move, calling after her as she walked away from him, but he was grinning satisfactorily as she did so.