The room was silent.
Only the faint sound of rain tapping against the windows could be heard throughout the large royal bedroom.
Alexander remained seated beside Sabrina's bed, his crimson eyes quietly fixed on her sleeping figure. The candlelight illuminated his cold features softly, but despite his calm appearance, exhaustion could clearly be seen in his eyes.
He hadn't slept properly for days.
Not after hearing what happened to her.
He slowly lowered his gaze towards her bandaged hands resting above the blankets.
His brows furrowed slightly.
'Why…'
He stopped himself, staring at the bandages.
'Why would she do this to herself?'
The image of Sabrina lying unconscious on the floor surrounded by broken glass still lingered in his mind.
Blood.
Tears.
Fear.
It didn't leave him.
Suddenly—
"No..."
Alexander immediately lifted his head.
Sabrina trembled weakly in her sleep, her silver hair sticking slightly against her damp forehead.
"No... please..." She pleaded
A tear slowly escaped the corner of her sapphire blue eyes.
Alexander's chest tightened painfully.
Another broken whisper escaped her lips.
"Alexander..."
His body froze completely.
For a moment, he thought he imagined it.
The princess...
Called his name?
Before he could even process it—
"I'm sorry..."
Alexander stared silently at her trembling figure.
Sorry?
Why would she apologize to him?
The princess never did anything wrong.
If anything, he was the one forcing this unwanted engagement upon her existence.
A bitter smile almost formed on his lips.
Perhaps even in her nightmares, she couldn't escape him.
Then suddenly—
"NOOO!"
Sabrina jolted awake violently.
Her breathing immediately became ragged, her terrified eyes looked around the room desperately.
Alexander quickly stood up from his chair.
"Princess—"
The moment Sabrina saw him, her entire body stiffened.
Alexander's chest sank.
Right.
Of course.
Fear flickered inside her sapphire eyes.
He unconsciously stepped backward.
"My apologies," he said quietly, lowering his gaze. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
Sabrina stared at him silently.
Her trembling eyes slowly scanned his face.
His jet black hair.
Those crimson eyes.
That cold but familiar expression.
Alive.
Alexander was alive.
Not dead.
Not covered in blood.
Not chained inside a dungeon.
Tears instantly filled her eyes again.
Alexander noticed immediately.
His hands tightened slightly at his sides.
Did she hate seeing him that much?, that even in this time she tears up the moment she stares at his very existence?
A painful feeling spread through his chest.
"I'll leave, princess," he muttered quietly.
But before he could even turn around—
"No!"
Alexander froze.
Sabrina immediately reached toward him without thinking, only to flinch softly from the pain in her injured hands.
Alexander's expression darkened slightly.
"Your hands—"
But Sabrina ignored the pain completely.
Instead, she looked at him desperately as tears continuously fell from her eyes.
"D-don't go..." she whispered shakily.
Alexander stared at her silently.
For a moment, he genuinely thought he misheard her.
Sabrina lowered her head, trying desperately to stop her tears.
But she couldn't.
Not after remembering everything.
Not after remembering how he died because of her.
Her chest hurt so much she could barely breathe.
Alexander watched her trembling figure quietly before speaking in a gentler voice.
"...Did you have another nightmare?"
Nightmare.
Sabrina's fingers trembled weakly above the blankets.
No.
It wasn't a nightmare.
It was real.
She remembered everything too clearly.
Charles's laughter.
Jennifer's betrayal.
Her father's death.
Her mother's blood.
And Alexander...
Those crimson eyes rolling across the dungeon floor.
A sob escaped from her lips.
Alexander's expression immediately changed.
He panicked
Actual panic appeared in his crimson eyes.
"Princess?" His voice softened instantly. "Why are you crying?"
Sabrina quickly wiped her tears away.
"It's nothing..."
Alexander frowned slightly.
How could this possibly be nothing?
For days the entire palace had been in chaos because of her screams and nightmares.
And now she sat before him crying like her heart was breaking apart.
Alexander hesitated for a moment before slowly sitting back down beside her bed.
His movements remained careful.
As though he feared frightening her again.
"...You don't need to force yourself to speak about it, if it's about our engagement then, you don't need to worry about that" he said quietly.
Sabrina slowly lifted her gaze toward him.
His expression remained calm.
Gentle.
Nothing like the merciless monster people described.
How did I ever fear him...?
The thought alone made her chest ache painfully.
Alexander noticed her staring and immediately misunderstood.
He lowered his gaze slightly.
"...My appearance must be unpleasant, to cause you tears and fears, princess," he said quietly. "I apologize."
Sabrina's eyes widened instantly.
"What?, no, no,"
Alexander looked away.
"We should probably call your servants princess."
His voice remained calm, but the faint bitterness hidden beneath it did not escape Sabrina.
"If my presence makes you uncomfortable, I'll leave immediately."
He slowly began standing up again.
Panic immediately filled Sabrina's chest.
Without thinking, she quickly climbed out of bed and wrapped her arms around him tightly from behind.
Alexander froze completely.
His entire body stiffened instantly.
Sabrina buried her face against his back as tears continuously streamed down her face.
Warm.
He's warm...
Alive.
He's really alive.
"I'm sorry..." she whispered brokenly. "I'm so sorry..."
Alexander's breathing became uneven.
His hands slowly tightened at his sides.
"...Princess?" His voice sounded quieter now. Uncertain.
Almost afraid.
Sabrina held him tighter.
This time...
She wouldn't let him die again.
"Please don't leave..." she whispered weakly. "Please... Alexander please stay"
Alexander's crimson eyes widened silently.
For years, he had dreamed countless times of the princess willingly reaching for him, touching him.
But now that it was finally happening—
He couldn't even bring himself to breathe properly.