Survive As The Brute's Wife

Holding her hand, Maximus stood on the balcony enjoying the breeze. Alexandra turned to look at him. His hair fluttered chaotically in the wind and yet there was a certain serenity to the movements of his soft locks. His eyes were closed and the hands holding hers were warm.

No matter how much she gets angry at him and disagrees with his methods, she calms down in just moments by looking at his face.  To think that someone who shares the same appearance as the one who broke her heart in her past life, still has that effect on her made her feel like she is pathetic.

But it is what it is.

"You want to dance?" Maximus asked sensing her stare on him.

Alexandra shook her head. She didn't want to get in again. After refusing his suggestion, she realized that she is not that angry that Maximus dragged her out here. But about the other things, she knew talking with him would achieve nothing.

But she tried nonetheless.

"I heard that you killed the Princess..?" she asked. She didn't feel fear when she talks to him.

He turned at her and stood leaning on the railing. Crossing his arms over his chest, he smiled at her.

"Would you have rather have me dead in that Princess' place?" he asked.

"No," Alexandra shook her head. "She tried to kill you?" she asked as she was intrigued.

"You're impressed by it?" Maximus' lips curved to a smile.

"Yes," Alexandra stood closer to him as she got excited. "Was it because you tried to conquer her homeland?"

"Usually a wife would curse the one who tried to kill her husband," Maximus chuckled.

He would expect this reaction from her. He is fine and that woman is dead and there is no need for her to worry now. So she would be curious about other things. But if that woman tried to attack him now, she would plunge a dagger in that woman's throat first and would think later.

He knew it. He knows his Alexandra.

She wouldn't be the kind of wife who waits on her husband and does everything thinking of her husband. She would do what she feels like doing. He loved that part of her. He still does. She might not show that part of her yet to him but he knew she is the same person as before.

He didn't want to be equal to her ever. She is better than him. In fact, she is better than everyone else and the whole world should know that. He won't rest until the day comes when everyone including him bows in front of her.

"She attacked you with a hidden dagger?" Alexandra didn't mind his chuckle. She just wanted to clear her doubts. She admired that woman she didn't know for her courage.

To save her homeland, she dared to go against a man she knew she had no chance against. Such courage is lacking in the hearts of many and that leads to various troubles in this world.

She would learn that courage, but since her wish in this life is to survive, would she need courage? Isn't it common knowledge that cowards live longer?

"She tried to plunge that dagger in my back," Maximus said looking to his side.

"Oh?"

Alexandra pressed her lips. Now attacking someone from the back is not very courageous, is it?

"You're not impressed now?" Maximus turned at her as her tone went low.

"It is not honorable to attack someone from the back," Alexandra spoke the thought in her mind.

"Honor?" Maximus scoffed and Alexandra observed him find out why he reacted this way when she mentioned "honor".

He held her hand and pulled her closer to him.

"Ah," with a yelp, Alexandra ended up between his legs and her nose crashed on his chest. Something metallic he pinned on his chest hit her nose and her eyes watered. She rubbed the tip of her nose turning it red.

"Are you hurt?" Maximus held her chin and made her look at him.

"Yes," Alexandra pouted. "You're strong as a rock…" she paused as he saw her eyes turning sinister.

"Rock, huh? Why don't you check once more just to be sure?" he leaned closer to her face with a smirk dancing on his face.

"Leave it. You were talking about honor…" She shifted the conversation to another topic.

He would usually kiss her after his eyes turn that way. As much as she loved his kisses, she didn't want to be kissed now.

"Yes, honor," he sighed. He turned at the garden in the distance that had rows of torches lighting up the pavement. The mesmerizing floral scent she smells here must be from that garden.

But rather than the garden, she found observing Maximus' eyes more pleasing. His eyes were unfocused and fororn. And that made her heart hurt.

"Tell me, Lexa…" he wrapped her around her waist and pulled her closer so that her waist ended up on his. "Will you give your enemy an honorable death?" he asked.

"Ye-" Alexandra almost answered him yes as that is what she was trained to do as a Knight.

But then she remembered that she has no honor now.  She even killed someone to protect herself from troubles. She had no right to talk about honor.

Maximus looked at her thinking deeply and continued. "Tell me. Why would that girl give her enemy, the person she despises,  a chance to have an honorable death? Won't it hurt her enemy more if she stabbed him in the back? To have me dead is beneficial for her principle. And it would be advantageous for her if she caught me by surprise. And it would give my pride a great blow had she successfully hurt me. There were more advantages for her if she lose her honor and spare me my honor. Why would she choose honor when the alternative gives her more power?"

Alexandra's palms went chilly hearing that. She understood that he makes sense. And in wars, they didn't always fought with honor. They used guerrilla and ambush techniques and a lot of camouflage and other techniques to mislead their enemies. They called that war tactics.

"It does hurt a lot when you get stabbed in the back," she mumbled. Luke did that and she remembered the unbearable pain in her heart.

"What?" Maximus couldn't quite catch what she was saying and asked.

"You are saying that she was smart," Alexandra looked at him and he nodded.

"Hmm," Alexandra hummed and leaned on his chest.

Talking to him about that issue that bothered her gave her some relief. She could see that Maximus respected that Princess who died although she tried to kill him. It needs maturity to understand this nuance.

[I told Tubby that I won't be a fool in my next life. I should be tactful. It is not me losing my honor. It is me protecting myself for my principle. He talked about it after he found out about Lucy too.]

"You are a clever person, Maximus…" Alexandra hugged him around his waist. He smelled like mint as always. As she leaned, he softly patted her back and she loved that gesture.

She's seen animals licking their newborns right after they are born. She's heard that it gives the little ones strength after they came to this world. She found Maximus' touch having a similar quality. She was weak and confused a lot when she woke up here. But his gentle voice and his soft touches and kisses have given her abundant strength and she could feel the difference.

"I wish I am clever too. I don't understand why you made me the Grand Princess of Deberia after what happened with the previous Princess."

"You want to know why?" Maximus asked and Alexandra looked up.

"Will you tell me?"

"As I told you, I will do whatever you ask for," he smiled.

"Is that so?" she raised her brows.

[Did he forget that he always refuses to answer me when I ask him who he is! Eh!]

"Hold on," Maximus said and suddenly she felt the ground beneath her feet leaving her. she looked down to see them floating above the floor.

"What?" she was stunned and she wrapped her hands around his neck. "How?" she asked and he gave a knowing smile.

"You never answer me, Max," she lened on his shoulder with a pout.

[His promises are vain!]

Oddly when she looked around, she was not scared. On the contrary, she thought this feeling of floating in thin air is familiar.

And that familiarity brought her an unfounded fear.

She clutched his shoulder and buried her face in his neck and let go only when her feet touched the hard ground.

"Careful. We are standing on the roof," he warned her, holding her hand.

Alexandra held his hand tightly and looked around. Her stray hair started to hit her face due to the heavy wind and her flowy dress almost pulled her down as it bellowed in the wind.

But before she could compose herself there, she felt darkness rising in front of her through her peripheral vision.

She looked to her right and that's where she saw it.

A distant island with a single tree. And the big dragon perching on the tree has stood up and spread its wings almost covering the sky. The dragon was so majestic and its scales glittered in the moonlight.

[What is that place....]