Leon was the one to step up and talk to Catherine."Princess, you're supposed to be guarded right now. It is not safe when the person who killed your brother is still out there."
Catherine ignored Leon's words as she was only concerned about Alexander. Word of his return had reached where she was being kept and against the advice given to her by the guards protecting her, she ran off in search of Alexander. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? How did you get away?" She bombarded him with questions.
Leon didn't understand how Catherine knew what happened to Alexander as she had returned after he was reported to be missing. How was she asking these questions like she had an idea of where he was and who was this "they" she spoke of?
"I don't know what you are talking about Catherine. Care to enlighten me?" Alexander acted like he had no idea what she meant. He felt like taking a short detour to strangle the men who allowed her to walk back to where there was previously danger.
"You know…I know where you have been. That thing told me about it. He was the one who killed Darius. He tricked me," she tried letting Alexander know that this wasn't her fault. Chaos was the murderer, not her. "Have you been okay? Are you here to stay with me? No one else can protect me like you."
"I will have many skilled guards looking after you-"
"No!" Catherine silenced Alexander. Why would she need anyone else when he was here? Was he planning on leaving the palace again? Had he found someone else? "I only need you protecting me. Stay with me. My brother was planning on having us get married. You can stay with me and become king."
"Catherine, I have no plans on becoming king and being your partner. Right now, it is best that you go back to being protected by the guards until it is certain you are out of danger. Running here just to see me was careless. You are now in a position where you can't think only of yourself," Alexander scolded the young woman. He didn't think this crush she had would make her foolishly run away from where she was being guarded just to see him.
He made it clear countless times that he shared no affection for her.
"What about the palace? You can save a lot of people if you become the king. There might be a few objections but you have a good reputation in the kingdom and many people who are on your family's side. I am certain your father would help us. I know you don't love me but I promise you, we can one day learn to truly love each other."
Alexander sighed because Catherine was just as stubborn as her brother if not more. A loveless marriage was not what he wanted. Marriage itself was not something he was certain awaited him in the future. If it did, it would never be with Catherine and he was tired of stating this. Whatever she felt for him was not love. She was just infatuated with him like everyone else. "Don't waste your time on me, Catherine. I am certain there is a man out there who will make a great husband and king if you stop wasting your time."
Catherine clenched her fists upset with the rejection again. She was a princess. Many of her peers were jealous of her and there were many men who would jump at the opportunity to be her husband. Why did Alexander never acknowledge her? Why had he never shared the affections the other men did? Even if he could just pretend he did, she would be satisfied with that.
He could use her to become queen for all she cared. As long as she was named his wife she would be content. The only explanation for why he was denying her was him having a woman. Catherine knew he was with the goddess because of Chaos. Did the goddess do something to him? "That woman, did she do something to you?"
"I don't know what you are talking about," Alexander responded. Artemis ordered him to not speak of what happened while she had him and even if she hadn't, he wasn't going to tell anything to Catherine.
"That Goddess in the forest had you. That thing told me when it was here. The woman did something to you, didn't she?" Catherine took a step forward to check on Alexander but when she did so, he took a step back away from her. "Why can't you just love me? You are the only man I ever had in my heart. I don't want to be with anyone else. Don't tell me you fell in love with that woman?"
'Fell in love with Artemis?' Alexander asked himself. For the most part, the two of them just kept bickering with each other while he was there. Nothing romantic had happened between them. They were supposed to be enemies however, he couldn't help caring for the woman who was left all alone for so long.
Her arguments with the sirens humored him, her ever-changing thoughts on the world amused him, her teasing him about Catherine annoyed him but the way she didn't want to be touched by a human man but had no problem touching him and not feeling uncomfortable. Artemis was a woman he could not understand but he wanted to.
"The look on your face is confirming Alexander," Catherine spoke disappointed with what happened when he was out of her sight.