IMPRESS.

Song of the Chapter: Ariana Grande - Why Try (which is also the song of the chapter)

Warning: Long chapter to make up for the long wait :) Pic of Aunt Rolsin right at the top and gif of our girl Nina just above!

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Chapter Eighty-One: Consider Me, Princess.

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"Don't worry, I'm sure my father will tire of her sooner or later," Alexander reassured as he followed me out onto the balcony, "and if he doesn't, then I know the Queen will do whatever it takes to chase her out."

It went silent for the longest as I admired the view of Aeralin from my balcony and painfully messaged the sore bruising around my neck. I decided to turn around after gathering my thoughts and processing Alexander's words. "Xander, stop acting like you have no idea why I asked to speak to you alone," I cocked my head to the side with a knowing smile that was lowkey laced with worry.

Alexander kept his chin up, clearing his throat profusely. "Uhhh, I don't know what you're talking about?"

I don't even attempt to change my head's position, I just keep staring at him until he grows uncomfortable and decides to be straight with me. It wasn't long until Alexander began to awkwardly shift and shuffle under my gaze. "Ready to be honest with me?"

Alexander hastily sighed and shut his eyes. "Fine... I mean- I did promise your ever-so-charming fiance I wouldn't bring it up," he sarcastically said, "but if you want me to be blunt Natalya, then I will."

I couldn't even respond to Xander fast enough before he started speaking so quickly. "What I saw you do last night completely freaked me the fuck out, and even now I feel like I should maybe keep at a safe distance from you. What in the honest hell was that Natalya, what in the honest hell?!" He repeatedly questioned with his fingers rested in his dark mop of hair.

I shrugged with a sheepish smile, "surprise..."

Xander blinked in disbelief. "Surprise? Is that really all you can say... How about you start by answering my millions of questions. Since when did you have the ability to levitate people? How long have you been able to do that for? And can Alaric do it too?"

"I can't answer any of your questions until I can completely trust that you won't share any of this information with anyone including Cathryn," I stuck my hand out... "Promise me you won't say a word and only then will I speak the truth."

Xander gulped, staring at my hand for a few seconds before he decided to shake it. "You know how I feel about you, Natalya, I would never put you in danger like that. As you know my father and the Queen are very paranoid people, neither of them would react well to news like this. My father would have you burnt at the stake, and the Queen, well she would probably poison you before that."

The King can try and burn me all he wants but fire can't kill me. In fact, it would play to my advantage and only make me stronger. I want to hurt that man so bad after what he did to me. My bloodied wrists, ankles and neck hurt like a bitch.

"How would your brother and sister react?" I unsurely asked.

Xander bit his lip and thought out loud, "it would take Cathryn a while to process, she'd have to overcome the initial shock that a human is potentially stronger than she is, and I'm pretty sure she would think you're some kind of witch, so would Zac. But as you know, not even I can predict how he'd react. My advice is to expect the worse whenever it comes to him."

"Well thank god you're the one who came after me then," I tried to make light of the situation and Xander adorably smiled, looking down at his feet.

"Yeah," he chuckled, "but truthfully speaking Natalya, I want you to know that I don't see you any differently than I did before. Of course, it will take me some time to process it all but all in all, I know I have nothing to fear... Your heart is made of gold."

Awww.

"I'm angry that I didn't connect the dots earlier when I heard the news that your great-grandmother was the great legend Andrea Driarco, I should have known you inherited some of her strengths. Jheez, it makes sense why you're so beautiful."

I awkwardly smiling, sucking my cheeks in. "Thank you, Xander." He was touching parts of my heart that I thought had broken. He was reminding me that not all vampires were dickheads. "And to answer your questions... Levitating isn't really an ability of mine, it comes hand in hand with another ability of mine which enables me to control the wind. It's almost been a year since I got my first ability, and as for Ric, he can teleport and strike lightning."

Xander stood back, stunned. "Wow, I can't believe I have known your brother for years and had no idea about his abilities," he couldn't even fathom anything I was saying to him, "and what do you mean first ability. Do you have more?!" He exclaimed.

I put a finger to my lips in amusement. "I'll tell you if you stop yelling."

He relaxed his shoulders and exhaled. "Okay sorry, hit me."

"Right," I awkwardly walked past Xander, heading back into my bedroom, "so, first I can do this..." I went to pick up a candle from my bedside table and gestured for Xander to come and hold it for me whilst I harnessed the fire within. The moment I felt the heat reach my hands, I covered the top of the candle with my hand and waited for the flare, freaking Xander out by staring up into his eyes.

Xander cursed under his breath when I uncovered the top of the candle to reveal a small flame. "That's insane," he muttered.

"That's not all," I lifted and shook a finger at him before pointing at a glass vase filled with water. "Watch this..."

I stretched my fingers back until the palm of my hand was facing the vase. The heat in my body was soon replaced with a chilling cold that spiralled up through my arm to generate a cool white smoke that solidified and hardened the water inside of the glass into ice.

Turning to face Xander, I ugly laughed when I saw his jaw drop. "And since you've already seen me using my ability to control the wind... I'll skip to the good bit."

"Focus on me," I instructed and he smirked, "I can do that."

Rolling my eyes at his stupidity, I focused carefully since this was the hardest ability for me to control. Squeezing my eyes shut and clenching my fists, I was extremely relieved and satisfied when I heard Alexander's voice echo throughout the room. "Hey, where did you go?"

It had worked.

I had mastered my invisibility.

"I'm right here," I purposely moved around to stand behind him, hoping to mess with him, before bringing myself back into sight.

Xander turned around and jumped back, startled and shocked. "How did you move so fas-! Wait a sec- You can turn invisible, can't you?"

I pursed my lips and nodded victoriously. "Yep."

"I don't understand," Xander had to hold his head in astonishment, "there have been so many opportunities for you to use your abilities, like when you were in IMPRESS. You could have used them to win and save yourself, why didn't you?"

"I hadn't mastered my abilities at that point and I couldn't risk exposing my brother and I. Now that I know how your family would react to the news, I'm glad I handled everything the way I did."

Except for the royal punishment. I wish I had spat in Zac's face that day.

"You're something else," Xander commented in utter awe. "I have no words that can describe how perfect you are."

It had been ages since I had heard him speak to me in this way. I did miss his words of encouragement and support. I missed the times I spent with both him and Evelyn, you know, before the betrayal part.

"I'm not perfect, Xander, but thank you..." I sighed happily, "I'm kind of glad that you know about my abilities now, I feel a lot of weight off my shoulders. I feel like I can breathe, I'm not suffocating in a pool of secrets around you anymore."

"You can tell me anything, Natalya, I'll always be here to listen," Xander seriously said in which I wrapped my arms around him thankful, "I can't thank you enough, honestly..." "But, I have one more favour, please promise that you won't tell my brother that you know what you know. He will kill me," I nervously added.

Alexander smirked mischievously, "only if you do me a favour in return."

"And what does the favour entail?"

I knitted my eyebrows in confusion and panic when Alexander got down onto one knee, digging deep into his pockets. "Alexander, get up, what are you doing?" I asked, at a loss for words.

"Don't panic, this isn't a formal proposal," I blew out a breath, trying to hide further panic when Xander showed me a diamond ring sat in a blue velvet box, "I ask of you a small favour, Natalya..."

My eyes blatantly widened.

"I want you to consider me."

"Consider you?" My mouth opened and closed, not understanding what the hell he was rambling on about. This took a huge turn. "Xander, I'm engaged to King Preston. You know that, right?"

He laughed sadly, "yes, I am aware Natalya, which is exactly why I want you to reconsider. Think about it, think about us. These past months I have given you space to test the waters with both my brother and the demon king, but I'm tired of watching you leave me in the shadows. I want to be an option too... I want you to consider me. I see a life with you, but question is, do you see a life with me..."

Why was my life so complicated? Could someone seriously answer me!

Looking at this ring made a part of me remember when Xander really was an option, he was the first one to outwardly say he wanted me but I didn't take him seriously. A while back I actually fancied Xander and if he had asked me for more of my time back then, I would have given him it, but IMPRESS happened with Zac and when that ended, Preston suddenly entered the picture. He never got the chance to win me over I guess, so our relationship never really managed to surpass the boundary of friendship.

But, could I simply hurt Xander's feelings just like that... I mean- what harm could come from giving him a little bit of hope and considering him. Who knew, the odds could be in his favour, and to be honest, a future with Xander seemed more probable than a future with Zac.

"Preston is the only man I love, Xander, but," I lingered on the thought, "I will consider you. Who knows what could happen in a few years time."

"That's all I want," he smiled standing up and shutting the ring box. "Here," he gently placed the ring box in my hands and softly enveloped his hands around mine until my fingers were tightly clasping it, "think about it, as long as it takes you, I'll be awaiting the answer even if it does come three years late, princess."

Alexander Cortez left me speechless, baffled and surprised all at once. Once he'd exited my bedroom, I honestly don't know how much time passed while I was lying down on my couch, bemused in every way, staring down at the diamond ring inside of the blue velvet box.

Since when did Xander's feelings for me grow so strong? I never knew he liked me this much, nevermind to the extent of marriage, and I genuinely never realised how much I actually mattered to him. I pinched the ring and carefully tugged it out of the box until I held it in-between my fingers.

As I was thoughtfully and closely admiring the diamond, the door to my bedroom abruptly opened causing me to panic and fly up to my feet. I quickly hid the ring in my sock and scrambled to the floor to retrieve the velvet box which had fallen from my lap.

Before I could hide the box behind a cushion, I was forced to turn and face the door as Pres stormed in, his footsteps stomping loud and heavy, and startling me. Deciding to keep my hands behind my back, I frowned when Pres came into my room with a sour face.

"Pres, what's wrong?" My eyebrows fell into a frown, and my breath hitched in my throat when he slammed and locked the door behind him.

Preston heavily exhaled and I swear I saw steam of rage leave his nostrils. "These people are what's wrong!" He growled under his breath. "I've just been eavesdropping on a conversation between two knights of the Kings' guard and one of them let it slip that the Royals aren't actually planning to go through with the negotiation that created our alliance."

My mind went blank as I dumbfoundedly asked, "what negotiation?"

"Don't you remember," Pres said with a madness clear in his eyes, "Prince Zachary and King Creon promised me your hand in marriage if I helped them win this war against the witches. But guess what, they were never planning to go through with it. In fact, they have a plan to kill me before I marry you. Did you have any idea about this?"

I frantically shook my head. I don't recall ever hearing Zac utter a word about killing or betraying Pres and his people. "I'm sorry, I had no idea," I admitted, surprised. "I would have told you otherwise... I'm shocked."

Pres' annoyance was only intensifying by the second, his nails were shaping into claws, his teeth were growing sharper than the point of a nixonited-ink stake, and his eyes were an ungodly black that possessed a murderous gleam.

"Too bad I'm already playing them at their own game, at least now I have a reason for breaking the alliance that was formed between our two kingdoms," Pres wickedly smirked, "you out of all people, know no one can cross me and get away with it."

I wanted to say something to console him but I didn't know what. It felt like Pres was speaking to himself more than he was to me. Thinking he was distracted by his own thoughts, I slyly tried to turn around and hide the velvet box behind a cushion until Pres called for me... "-Natalya, what are you doing over there?"

I threw my head back defeatedly, feeling my face warm up, flustered from being caught. It was honestly impossible to be secretive around him. When I brought my head back down I regretted ever throwing it back because the bruising around my neck started to kill again. Wincing, I bit my bottom lip to suppress the pain and spun around on my heel.

Pres looked at me inspectingly.

"Fine," I sighed and the angry demon grinned, amused at my failure to keep a secret, "It's nothing as serious as what you just told me though."

Pres had completely transformed into his demon self so I would be lying if I didn't say I was slightly uneasy. I hadn't seen him like this in a while so I had to keep reminding myself that he loved me and wasn't going to hurt me because although he was beautiful inside and out, he was still the scariest sight when he was mad. He was what they called a beautiful nightmare.

"Come on," Pres urged, slowly walking over until he was standing opposite me, "show me," he stuck his hand out and waited for me to place the blue velvet box in the palm of his hand.

I pursed my lips and hesitantly placed the box in his hand. "Okay since you desperately want to know," I sighed, "Alexander just tried proposing to me a couple of minutes ago whilst you were gone."

Preston did not look one bit impressed or amused by this. His expression was unreadable but his eyebrows looked to be raised as if he didn't want to hear any more of it. "He did what?"

"He proposed..." I sheepishly shrugged, and when I saw Pres' face twist into one of more annoyance as he passive-aggressively smiled, I vastly added, "It obviously caught me off guard and I obviously said no, so don't let it bother you Pres."

Well, I told Xander I would consider him but that basically means no so...

"If you said no, why did you keep the ring?" Pres spoke through his teeth, trying to keep cool but speaking with a jarring edge to his voice like he was going to punch a wall or something, "are you considering it?"

I snapped my head up at him, disgusted, "no!"

Then I added with a frown, "but I did tell him I would think about it because I didn't want to break his heart."

Pres nodded with a calm smile and when I thought he was completely fine he shocked me by clenching his fist and crushing the box, using shadow magic to burst the box into black rashes of ash.

As he did this, I felt my chest collapse until I remembered I had removed the ring from the box, a ring which was safely tucked away in my sock.

"Well, you don't need to worry about it anymore," Pres possessively said, pushing my hair behind my ear and pecking my cheek, "see, I've erased the problem," he happily said.

Wow. Here I thought Pres wasn't the jealous type. "Hey, you know you have nothing to be jealous about? Alexander is the least of your worries." I leant my head to the side, shaking it with a teasing smirk.

"I just hate that other men are still trying to compete for your heart when they clearly know you belong to me," Pres intertwined our hands together and pulled me close, "I hate that I can't take my eyes off of you for one second without a guy coming and confessing their love to you," he grumbled.

I softly cupped Pres' cheeks, pouting as I traced both thumbs over the visible black veins under his eyes. How was it still so easy for him to be adorable right now? Even after he'd transformed into his inner demonic ego. "-I belong to you, and only you, Pres. I love you with all my heart."

Pres' hands lowered to my waist and his eyes grew darker, "I know you do baby...I love you a million times more..." he tightened his grip on me, "which is why the first thing I'm going to do when we win this war is marry you. The longer I wait, the more impatient I feel myself becoming."

"Well, I'll be waiting," I blushed with a whole-hearted smile, tip-toeing to kiss him on the lips.

A quiet gasp escaped Pres as soon as my lips touched his, and whilst I thought it derived from pleasure, I was surprised when he flinched and pulled away. "Jheez, your lips are freezing. Are you feeling okay?"

Do I feel okay? No, not really. Actually, truthfully, I feel a bit faint.

"No," I started to fan myself, "I feel a little light-headed," I proceeded to inhale and exhale, blinking a few times to clear my clouded vision.

"Here," Pres rolled up his sleeve and frowned in concern,