The Snake Princess (Magi Fanfiction)

Chapter thirty six

Chapter thirty six

Red stained the once-clear oceans of Sindria, tainting the bright and happy mood of two young royalties, their surprise and horror hidden beneath the waves gently crashing into the docks several yards above. Fear chilled Prince Alexandros to the core, his limbs jagged and motionless, his own well-being forgotten as he watched Princess Amirah convulse with pain.

She'd coughed up blood several times now, the magic tool she'd held in her mouth probably nearing the ocean floor. A gulp of air resulted in saltwater-filled lungs, making the princess cough and panic more. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her body curling in on itself.

Alex reached out to her, but it felt like she was lightyears away. His breath caught in his throat and he began to shake. He didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to think it, nevermind say it. But he knew. It was his fault.

This feeling was only confirmed as someone jumped into the water, casting waves and air bubbles in Alex's direction, causing him to drift away some.

It was Sinbad, fully clothed and decorated in jewelry as usual. His expression was hard and determined, his eyes locking onto Amirah and in seconds he was at her side, strong arms wrapping around her and holding her close. Sinbad's eyes landed on Alex has he carried Amirah to the surface, his gaze narrowing into a glare.

Alex was surprised he wasn't dead. The king's gaze surely suggested he should be. Sinbad's usual warm smile and kind eyes had frozen into pure rage, and although Alex knew the king didn't know who he actually was, in that very moment it felt like every single lie had fallen away, the truth of the situation spilling out. It was nearly enough to make Alex break down in tears and confess. Instead, he hastily gathered what he could of his composure and swam up after Sinbad.

~

By the time Alex had reached the surface and pulled himself onto the docks, Ja'far, Leonidas, and several citizens of Sindria had gathered around Sinbad and Amirah, the latter who was lying on her back, coughing up saltwater mixed with blood. Everyone's eyes snapped to Alex as he climbed onto the docks, though Leonidas was the only one to react, rushing over to him and growling in hushed tones:

"What the hell, Alex?! What the hell happened?!" Leonidas yanked his soaked brother to his feet, angry enough to shove the smaller prince back into ocean if not for the scene it would cause.

"I-I don't know! She was fine one minute and then just-" Alex stammered, but was cut off by Leonidas shaking his head:

"It doesn't matter. Get changed then we'll go see what's up." By now Sinbad had picked Amirah back up again while Ja'far soothed the gathered crowd, the pair then heading back to the palace in a rush to treat the princess.

"B-But Leon-"

Leonidas placed his hands on Alex's shoulders, staring him dead in the eye. "Focus, Alex. This is no time to lose your head-"

"You know mom did this, right?"

"I know. It wasn't a part of the plan, but we have to deal with it. You can't let them figure out who we are. Got it?"

"I can't just let this happen," Alex spoke, barely hearing Leonidas as his thoughts raced.

Leonidas' grip on Alex's shoulders tightened. "You have to."

Alex closed his eyes, trying to pull away from his brother. "I can't-"

"Alex. If you fuck up somehow, one way or another you're gonna end up dead. Whether it be by Sinbad's hand or Mother's. You don't want to figure out which is worse," Leonidas insisted, then growled, "I told you not to get attached, didn't I?!"