ㅤㅤ"And what if she doesn't like it?"
ㅤㅤ"Don't be ridiculous, of course she'll like it!"
ㅤㅤNeo twiddled his thumbs in uncertainty as Daileth floated in front of him, zipping back and forth as he tried to reassure him. They were outside the front doors at the bottom steps, talking quietly so the other guards couldn't hear. Well, Neo was - Daileth was being bright and cheery as always. Neo was taking over one of the watches Raemith had on his schedule, while the guard went off to fetch the ring. For some reason, Neo felt like he was in danger going back there to get it.
ㅤㅤ"And if she thinks it's cheesy?" Neo smirked.
ㅤㅤ"Of course it's cheesy, that's what makes it great!" Daileth twirled, outstretching his arms. "That little line? Absolutely cheesy. But she'll love it and pick on you for life."
ㅤㅤ"Wow, so reassuring," Neo mumbled.
ㅤㅤHe sighed, watching past Daileth as the little pixie went on excitedly. Before the steps, a small flurry of white specks swirled in the air, the small breeze growing cold quickly as Christopher appeared before the doors. He was dressed in something comfortable, dawning a trench coat and a set of sweatpants. His hair was tied back in a messy bun and he seemed to be wearing his eye glasses.
ㅤㅤSpeaking of his eyes, they looked rather heavy. Upon seeing Christopher, guards immediately rushed to the doors to allow him inside, but he simply shooed them away. He turned to Neo with a foggy expression, but he quickly blanketed it with a makeshift scowl of disdain and annoyance. However, despite that, he started walking towards him.
ㅤㅤ"She'll love it!" Daileth was saying. "Like, really, it's almost as if you're propo-"
ㅤㅤ"Chris!" Neo snatched Daileth out of the air in both hands, cupping him as there was a light yelp from the fae. "Hi, hey, what's up, Frosty?" He grinned innocently as he leaned against the staircase stone railing and let the pixie go at his side, who fluttered away in a panic.
ㅤㅤ"Neo," Christopher responded. "Almost alarming to find you outside, actually doing work here instead of guarding my sister. Is there a reason for that?"
ㅤㅤ"Yeah!" He said, almost too quickly. "I'm, uh... covering for Raemith. He's getting... sssomething."
ㅤㅤChristopher furrowed his brow curiously, looking him up and down. "Alright, then. So... if these three think they can handle the shift on their own, I'll have to ask you to come with me privately for a few moments." He paused, his voice becoming low. "Please."
ㅤㅤ"Oh?" Neo raised an eyebrow before it dawned on him, and his shoulders tensed. "Oh," He said slowly. Glancing at the other guards, they simply nodded in understanding, so Neo stood upright and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, sure, I mean... You've got three out here and two inside at just the doors, so I'm sure they won't miss me."
ㅤㅤ"Wonderful," Christopher nodded.
ㅤㅤThen he placed a hand on Neo's shoulder, and within seconds, the same kind of flurry-like mist of snow surrounded them. Neo blinked, and then they were surrounded by bush walls and potted blue hibiscus. Within the centre of the area was a small pond, but no fish inhabited it. Neo stumbled slightly, but Christopher let go and made his way over to the water, sitting down as he dipped his fingers inside.
ㅤㅤ"Sorry about that," Christopher apologised. "But, this was much faster than walking." He paused as Neo caught his senses, then continued. "I used to love this place - it used to be my favourite spot to think in the garden."
ㅤㅤNeo watched him for a moment in silence before he followed in a leisurely but stiff walk over to the pond. He stood there quietly for a few moments before he stuffed his hands in his pockets, watching the water twist and turn around Christopher's hands. It formed flakes of frost that flicked away from his fingers before melting away as it escaped from his skin.
ㅤㅤ"It's just a bit away from the greenhouse," Christopher went on to explain. "I used to come over here as a kid when I was... so stressed and wrapped up in my training. Father used to get rather harsh when-ever I made mistakes, even though he always apologised."
ㅤㅤHe ran his touch through the water in gentle motions, staring off at his reflection thoughtfully. "Unlike my sister, I've always been chosen to be rather specific about my magick. I've always liked the winter and preferred the cold. I've thrived in it. Harnessed it. Father was proud of it. Even thought it'd be nice to lock me in a shed for two days to regulate my temperature, as he said."
ㅤㅤChristopher paused before he glowered at the water. "If you're wondering why I'm getting sentimental, it's not because I like you. Don't be delusional."
ㅤㅤNeo scoffed lightly, but playfully. He looked past him into the pool, his mind wandering to his own fatherly ordeals. His own acted like he loved him, as if he would do anything for him, but Neo should have known better. I love you was a foreign concept and term that he only learned from Fleur. His family was not a family - it was a broken illusion of hate and despair. Despite these thoughts, he didn't speak up, letting Christopher go on.
ㅤㅤ"But," He said. "I should thank you. For taking the initiative to help me come to my senses. You probably wouldn't admit it as much as I might, but... a part of you seemed to care about me. Now whether the goal was to help my sister or not, I won't debate. But still... thank you."
ㅤㅤHe took his hand out of the water, only gazing at the pool now. "I remember everything. I... had to take to take a break, to process. I'm sure you'll wish to know all the gory details, too."
ㅤㅤNeo was silent before he sighed, running his gloved fingers through his hair. "Unfortunately, it's not a problem of wanting to know - it's that I have to. More like, both me and Liene do. She thinks one of the projects is still alive, and if you had a connection to them, then it would save us a load of trouble. We might know which Nameless is bonded with them, but they won't share anything. So... if you know..." He trailed off, looking at Christopher's back almost in empathy but also hope.
ㅤㅤChristopher sat there for a moment in silence before he simply laughed for a response. "I suppose I do," He said. "I remember her as if it were yesterday. She could do extraordinary things compared to all of the others. We bonded over the experiments. You could say we became friends due to our shared pain."
ㅤㅤHis voice shook and nearly broke at the mere mention of it. "But one day, they took things to the extreme. Brought up her dosages. They would do this thing where they would administer something like shock therapy, but it was to instil some sort of chemical or magickal response.
ㅤㅤ"It backfired. She had wonderful gifts, powerful gifts, but she died - and they discard her body as if she were nothing. After that, I was to take her place... and it was insane. Father apparently told my sister that I had gone on a trip. Some expedition to learn more about myself and my abilities. He was only telling half of the truth."
ㅤㅤChristopher was staring back at the water, and only then did Neo notice that tears were falling into the pool. "Father projected himself to be such a nice and kind and just man," The prince continued. "But he was simply that - a man. Not kind, not nice, not just. He was a man with ideals that nearly brought this nation down.
ㅤㅤ"I remember picturing her in my head every day, all the time. Waking and dreaming with the thought of her and our conversations." As he went on thinking, he looked even more forlorn. "She used to say she could be a translator for people, since she spoke so many languages. I told her that I would help her get out so she could be who she wanted to be."
ㅤㅤChristopher took a deep breath. "She died the next day. I couldn't do anything. So many people, so many families, just... dead. I couldn't do a bloody thing."
ㅤㅤHe sighed and shook his head. "Father had these tattoos on us. They hindered our magick and abilities, unless he wanted us to use them. However, the one thing we did have was a sense of each other, each and every one of us. When she died, the experiments and the Nameless lost the connection.
ㅤㅤ"Now that my memory has come flooding back to me, and that god awful curse my father placed on me is gone... it's almost an odd pull, but I know it's her. Ever so faintly, I can... feel her. Amongst other things."
ㅤㅤNeo stiffened as he said the last part, hesitating before he asked, "What sort of other things?"
ㅤㅤ"One other," Christopher nodded to himself. "The same faint feeling that I get with her, there is one other. It's more faint, though. I can't put it to a name or a face, but that means another has survived the experiments. But... I feel her. Alexandria Nubard."
ㅤㅤA sharp pain erupted in Neo's head, his ears ringing. A small grunt came as he touched his forehead first, then both hands travelled to hold either temple. It came as soon as Christopher said that name, something flashing in his mind. A woman, pale skin, with dark curls around her cheeks. She was speaking to him, but she was faceless.
ㅤㅤ"Lexi!" She said chipperly, an innocent smile remembered but not seen. "Short for Alexandria."
ㅤㅤThe voice echoed in his mind at the end, and he didn't realise until after his vision came back and the ringing stopped that he was on the ground. He was on his knees, gripping his head through his bright red hair tightly and panting heavily. Christopher was in front of him, cold hands on his shoulders, saying his name sharply.
ㅤㅤ"What happened?" The prince demanded, glaring - but he was clearly concerned. "What was that?"
ㅤㅤ"Al...Alexandria," Neo mumbled, gasping as he lowered his hands to steady himself on the ground. "She... I saw her."
ㅤㅤ"What?" Christopher huffed. "You've... seen her? That would be impossible. She's supposed to be dead, she shouldn't be anywhere near here."
ㅤㅤ"You said yourself that you felt a pull from her," The bodyguard hissed, looking at him. "Explain that."
ㅤㅤThe prince paused, then nodded slowly, letting go of him. "Where did you see her?"
ㅤㅤNeo took a deep breath, getting to his feet. "The jewellery store. I'm not sure, but I have a problem remembering that place. It could be her, maybe. She... did something to me."
ㅤㅤChristopher stood. "A... problem remembering? What colour... What colour were her eyes?"
ㅤㅤHe stood there for a moment, trying to remember, before looking back up. "They were gold. Not at first, but I remember gold eyes."
ㅤㅤThe prince huffed in defeat, shoulders slumping. "She used it on you."
ㅤㅤ"Used what on me?" Neo demanded, confused and honestly, slightly worried.
ㅤㅤ"Alexandria has this power," Christopher explained. "To control people. You look her in the eyes, they glow golden - and she can make you do whatever she wants. Even forge your memory into something else, which is why you don't remember."
ㅤㅤNeo stared at him, absolutely horrified. What had he been made to do? He couldn't remember, finding it all gone from his mind. He looked past Christopher at the pond, where he could see the lowering sun's reflection above the rose bushes. Taking a deep and slightly shaky breath, he looked back at Christopher.
ㅤㅤ"We have to find her," Neo said.
ㅤㅤ"We?" Christopher repeated. "I'm sorry, are you suggesting we go on some ridiculous mission to find and perhaps kill one of my childhood friends? That is utter insanity."
ㅤㅤ"Why, no, why would I suggest anything like that?" Neo said sarcastically. "It isn't like I asked Raemith to go get the present for Liene from her, and he has been gone for far too long. No, you're right - we should just leave it be."
ㅤㅤChristopher stared at the grass for a moment, and after a few seconds, he grit his teeth and sighed. "There are so many things wrong with that sentence, you bloody bastard. Fine, let's go. Raemith is not weak minded, but against her, he won't be able to hold off. Especially if she has had time to gather her strength and planned for it."
ㅤㅤWith that, he slapped his hand on Neo's shoulder, and they both disappeared in a swirl of white powder.