Royal Bitch

I have too much to do to afford distraction.

"You have to be willing to do whatever it takes.  While you aren't always asked to do whatever it takes, you must still be willing." - Larry Winget

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Chapter 44

Alex looked nervous. He was sitting in one of the plush chairs in the parlor, one of his knees bouncing. His shoulders were haunched and his hands were clasped as he stared at the floor.

"Since when are you nervous to see me?"

"Fiore, you look better." Alex gulped. He still looked nervous and uncomfortable.

"Yes, well, you probably saw me at my worst. Alex, I'm still the same Fiore. You're just seeing a more raw version of me."

"I still don't understand why you didn't bother to tell me."

"Alex," Fiore sighed as she sat on the chair next to him. "Believe it or not, I remember being your age. You've got a lot on your plate like any other teenager, add to it school, your social life, your family life, oh yeah and the fact that you're a prince, and you've got a recipe for stress and drama. I love you, but you've got a temper like your brother. I imagine Henry was probably a bit like you at your age too. Your temper gets you in trouble and when you lose your cool you say things you don't mean to. If you were to accidentally let this slip, it's dangerous. I can't afford to be seen as weak because I am the attack dog. It's who and what I am. I can do my job from a distance, but not if people doubt my threats."

Alex stared back at Fiore stony faced. Fiore recognized this look and sighed. Alex was trying to stare her down and he wasn't going to like what she had to say next. Fiore leaned back in her chair and stared back. She knew that catering to a stare down would hurt them later on. After a long moment Alex let out a frustrated groan as he pulled at his hair and hung his head in his hands.

"Why won't you just tell me what's going on now? Are you better? Are you not better? What's going on?" Alex demanded. Fiore saw through the anger act, behind it was fear.

Fiore sighed again and looked Alex in the eye. "It's not that simple, Alex. I wish it were, but it's not like I have a cold. There are a lot of factors. I'm here recuperating before I have to leave again."

"You're leaving again? Shouldn't you be, I don't know, at home with your family?"

Fiore pursed her lips and took a deep breath. This was going to be difficult to explain to someone who couldn't understand where she was coming from. "I will be leaving again, yes. But no, being home puts me at too much risk. I'll be closer to my doctor and I need to basically be in quarantine anyway. With me away, I can still pretend everything is well with me to the outside world and continue with some of my duties. As much as I'd like to be in the company of my family, it's too dangerous."

"So that's it then? Don't you understand? What if it were me? Would you want any of us to keep this from you?" Alex attempted to explain his frustrations and Fiore understood where he was coming from. "I just want to understand, Fi. Maybe you don't need us but . . ."

Fiore gave him a moment before she continued. "Alex, if it were you, who do you think would be orchestrating everything? I know you don't understand, and I can't make you. It's not simple. My role is very different from yours. If certain people find out, including people close to me, it damages everything I've worked for. I hide this because I still want to fight and protect you. Once it's done, it's done and things will go back to normal. But there is so much more at work here and at risk than you can see at the surface."

Alex stood up and Fiore mirrored him when suddenly he wrapped his arms around Fiore, his grip tight. Fiore bit back a groan and hugged him back. One of her arms around his shoulder and the other hair threaded through his hair a few times. "Hey, hey, hey," Fiore soothed. Alex's grip tightened and Fiore took a few breaths. "I know, I miss the ways things were too. Your sister doesn't even know I'm here right now. I'm not abandoning you. I couldn't do that if I tried. You're my favorite little brother. It's going to get better, right now is just hard." Fiore promised and Alex's grip tightened even more before he loosened his grip, but didn't let go.