Anybody But You

39

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Vibe: Goosebumps ft. Kenny Beats by Bastille

With a paled face, Narcisse laughed uncomfortably, "Quite the imagination you have, lady Alice..."

Alice's face didn't change from the blank stare as she finished the gruesome retelling of the story about his death. "As I said, Narcisse. I'm willing to prove it to you."

Narcisse's jaw clenched, still attempting to look unbothered as he spoke again, "and how are you supposed to do that, my lady?"

Sitting back professionally into the chair, she exhaled, "By using a memory spell. And before you say anything, it will only work if the memory has actually happened. It can't be used for a dream or something that you made up. It will only show your past truly lived  experiences." She sucked on her lip, "It used to be used all the time in royal court to show the truth of a situation until it was banned."

Honestly, Alice was nervous, since talking with Lucy, she had begun to doubt her so-called past life. What if it really was all in her head? She used to get terrible nightmares as a child, maybe she had one that was so terrible that it broke her mind? If the spell didn't work, she didn't know how she would deal with that situation.

Narcisse nodded slowly, frowning in thought, "Which means you're claiming you've already lived through it... that you've been to—or are from—the future?"

Alice flushed as she heard how crazy it sounded, she nodded, "Crazier things have happened because of the forbidden spells, your highness. That's why they've been banned." She reminded him and herself.

Narcisse looked at her as if trying to read her mind, "I guess.. but what makes you think you can change the future?"

Alice chuckled, "What makes you think I haven't already?" She challenged, readjusting in the chair, "Just look in the mirror..." She added under her breath in a mumble.

If she could have held up an example of the past Narcisse to compare it to the current one, she would have.

"This spell," Narcisse folded his hands together under his chin, "Why was it banned?"

"Because..." she spoke with a calm expression, "even the clearly innocent people on trial at the royal court often chose death over going through the agonizing process. Due to so many criminals getting away with their crimes after automatically being ruled as innocent once their victims were executed for failing to cooperate (since both parties had to agree and normally criminals bluffed better than good folk), eventually the past king ruled it as a cruel, evil and corrupt method that kept criminals in power... and banned it from ever being used again out of respect for his people that had unfairly died."

After a long period of silence as he processed her words, Narcisse abruptly pushed his chair back, standing up as he stared down angrily at her, "Have you lost your goddamn mind!?" He shouted, rage causing his breath to come out unevenly, "Why in the world would you willingly put yourself through that, Alice!"

Alice swallowed back the tremble of residual fear as she looked at his mercilessly devilish eyes. "Because in order to convince you, you need proof."

Narcisse laughed bewilderedly, pulling a hand agitatedly through his dark locks. "Okay.. then I believe you! You know the future!" He looked at her incredulously, "So forget about that damned spell—what do you want me to do?"

Alice's eyes blinked rapidly, her mind going blank—she'd only really thought as far as convincing Narcisse. She didn't think it would be as easy as talking to him about it.

Narcisse placed his hands on the desk, curling his fingers as he exhaled loudly with a bowed head, "Why do you do that..." he stared at his shaking fists, "Why are you always so quick to hurt yourself?" He looked up at Alice with a pained expression as her chest tightened, "Do you mean so little to yourself?"

Alice looked away, the sound of her blood in her ears. "I still need to do it—the spell." Her soft voice breaking the silence temporarily.

The prince spat out a frustrated laugh before slamming his hands on the desk with such force, Alice stiffened. "Dammit, Alison!" He cursed, "I should just lock you away!"

Alice's skin paled as she looked at him with rage glowing in her blue eyes as she stood up, meeting him at eye level, "I will not be your doll, Narcisse."

Not again.

His angry face flinched, the expression softening with the confusion, "I don't want you to be my doll—I just meant I want you safe." Shaking his head, he rubbed his face, "I'll never lock you away, Alice. I couldn't even capture you if I tried." Narcisse muttered as he collapsed into his chair. Tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling, he let out another exaggerated sigh. "I'll never understand you... even if I lived through a hundred lives with you, you'd still be a mystery."

Alice had calmed down from his empty threat, with a look out the darkening window behind Narcisse she frustratedly pushed her palms into her tired eyes. "I should go. It's getting late." She muttered.

"You're really going to do that spell on yourself, Alice?" Narcisse practically whispered; pain evident in his low voice.

Removing her hands from her face, she nodded as the black spots in her vision disappeared. "Even if you don't need convincing, I still do."

His face grimaced, "Since I can't stop you, at least allow me to be there with you while you do it."

Biting her lip, Alice was too tired to fight anymore. She just wanted to go home. "Fine. I can't do it on royal grounds so meet me at the inn in three days—the spell has to be done by midday, so if you're late i'll start without you."

With that, Alice turned away. What Narcisse didn't know was that Alice wasn't scared of physical pain... Because Narcisse had put her through every physical pain she could possibly survive through.

He had numbed her from the fear of it.

~*~*~

A.N.

Not Narcisse being confusing again :( but dammit, his worry was kinda fucking cute and I hate that.

Thank you for reading! what do you think of Narcisse? Have you changed your opinion since you were first introduced to him? Or are you all hate for the dude?