Alexander James Francis Maximillion Nightingale



Alexander blinked. He frowned and found himself suddenly narrowing his eyes. 


"I did no such thing, milady. I was simply continuing to be honest with you. In my realm, the shadows often reveal themselves, and magic can work in different ways, milady. We also CHOOSE what to see and what not to see. By the way... I hate it when I am accused of an action which I did not commit. I am not asking you to not be yourself, milady, but what I AM asking is to simply see it from my eyes, as I am sure you would ask the same of me. Am I correct in that?" 




He found himself sighing again. 




"I simply meant if they do not bother to know my full name, it can mean they do not care. If they do not care then they can be hard to trust, very hard indeed. The two feelings are not unrelated in this case, milady."




He nodded once. He took a breath before he spoke again, a quiet breath that is. 



"I was simply asking you to be patient. I did not accuse you of severe impatience, milady. Please forgive me if that sounded as if I were."




Alexander heard her request. He felt odd at that moment. It was a strange, new feeling. What was it? He had not truly felt it before that moment and could not place his finger on it. Just what could this feeling be? It was certainly a negative feeling. Was he.... hurt? or perhaps he was.......sad? No. It seemed to be something else entirely. Anyway, the king managed a single, slow nod. When he spoke again, he spoke rather quietly. 



"Very well then.........milady."


With that, he left her alone at that spot. Alexander was averting his gaze from her once more, and he did his best not to look at her while she desired to be alone. Women rushed up to him as he approached, but he waved them all away, causing sad looks and such all around. He glanced around at them all for a moment, and then cleared his throat before he addressed them all. 




"Excuse me, esteemed guests. But I must take my leave at the moment. There is something I must do. Please continue to enjoy yourselves in my absence. I shall return soon."



With a single nod, he turned and made to leave the ballroom. The shadow that was his strained against him trying to walk off. It continued to stay connected to that of the princess. It was as if it were almost alive, and it did not wish to leave. Alexander would walk out the ballroom doors, trying his best not to show whatever it was that he was feeling, if he could ever figure out what it was. It was at this time that that maid followed after him. She had a rather angry look on her face, and she looked as if she were about to try and do something. No one noticed her though. 



The maid was swift. She was quiet. She managed to stay that way as she followed after the king. Alexander would have normally noticed, but he was rather mentally distracted at the moment, for obvious reasons. The maid would see this as a perfect opportunity. She was going to have her revenge, or so she thought. She was going to make him pay for rejecting her like that, for making her miserable, or so she continued to think. This was a determined servant, or former servant if Alexander had noticed her or the look on her face or even the fact that she was following him like that.