Chapter 17

Elena wakened the next morning with bleak eye bags, and messy bed head roughly swiveled to the right side of her head. Her fingernail markings were noticeable on the collar's fabric, a clear indicator of why she hadn't slept much.

She hugged the heavy chains to her chest to ease her movement, as she made for the door, having the sudden urge to pee.

Still with heavy eyelids, she opened the door half heartedly only to be met by a crimson pair of red eyes, staring cautiously at her.

"Just where do you think you're off to?" He raised a brow, resting his left hand against the door, lowering his body to meet hers.

If the princess were half asleep before, peering into her enemy's eyes first thing in the morning jolted her awake. She pressed both lips firmly against each other, combatting the urge to wrap her chains around his neck and finish him off.

"I can tell with just a glimpse that you plan to use your chains on me." He observed, being particularly chatty that morning. Elena flickered her eyes from his poorly maintained face and latched her gaze on his right hand, which he kept behind his back.

Elena sheepishly backed away from him, giving him the impression that she was letting him inside. He seized the initiative to ensue, but was served a slammed door to his face instead!

Alixandre glinted his eyelids at her audacious attitude, he was receiving the direct opposite of the effect he had intended binding the witch would have.

"I see you relish to trample on other people's patience!" He chided from the other side, resting his hand on the door handle, about to yank it open.

"Think whatever you like to, weren't you instructed to knock before entering a lady's room? Or is manners one of the many aspects you lack?" She retorted sharply, pushing her back firmly against the door.

"Lack?" He echoed with a stupefied expression, it was the first time someone had found fault with his personality. Without Elena knowing it, she had awoken another part of her abductor, she never knew existed.

Elena felt her chest tighten when she heard his footsteps retreat from the door and descend the stairs calmly. A nervous line of sweat formed on her forehead, as she pondered over what the king was thinking.

She didn't have to guess for very long though, the princess backed away from the door, then proceeded to slowly haul it open and check. She peeked her messy blonde head out the door and took a sweep of her surroundings.

Elena crinkled her brows against each other, and pursued her pink lips.

"Where did he..."

"Behind you." A rich voice retorted from behind her, sending a chill quiver down her spine.

She instinctively straightened her back and made a swift twirl, till she was standing face to face, with her abductor. Her emerald eyes narrowed at the open window, her shoulders declined in disappoinment.

Alixandre sneered at the startled gaze on her face, his eyes drank in her features, stemming from her unkept hair down to the marks inscribed on the collar.

'She's having a hard time.' he analyzed with a forbearing expression glued to his face.

"This is my tower, I can come and go whenever I feel like." Alixandre firmly declared, stressing on each word to make a point.

Elena simply looked away, it would be all the more humiliating for her to argue while wearing a collar, like a dog barking at it's master.

"Here, I have something for you." He suddenly proclaimed, pulling out what he had behind his back.

A plant.

Nay.

A dead plant.

Alixandre walked away from her and carefully set the withered plant on the only table in the room. "Come here." He instructed without breaking his sharp gaze on the plant.

Elena had to look behind her at the door, just to make certain that he was indeed referring to her. With knitted brows she strolled over, struggling with her heavy chains that weighed down her neck.

The butlers had snuck into her room late at night and massaged her shoulders, arms and legs till early the next morning. Though she hated everything concerning Reeves, Elena was grateful for their concern.

It was all thanks to their medicine that she felt a bit energized in the morning, despite not getting any sleep.

Elena examined the plant, unsure of what sort of flower it might have been, it was already dried up and it's petals had fallen. There was no saving this plant, the princess concluded.

"I want you to revive this plant." Alixandre told her, breaking the silence in the room.

Elena's eyes widened in shock at the request, "pardon?" She inserted all too quickly, fazed by his unreasonable request.

"For how much longer do you think I intend to keep you here for free? You'll have to earn your keep." Was his response, a rather aggravating one at that.

Elena's countenance fell once she realized that the serious look on the man's face spelt business. She traced her line of sight to the plant, taking one more scrutinizing glare at it.

"I am not a gardener, I've never worked a day in my life, surely you can delegate this plant to someone else." She said to him, having no intention to humour him.

Alixandre remained calm at her response, his blank expression made it hard to read what he was thinking in his head.

"You won't know till you try, and for your understanding I am not asking you, I'm telling you to do it." He asserted, hardening his voice at the latter part of the statement.

"And I'm telling you, that I don't have an inkling of an idea on what to do. You can force a collar around my neck, but you cannot always have your way." Elena's icy tone struck a nerve surely, but her abductor refrained from showing his emotions.

Instead, he focused his attention on her wounded ankle.

"That still hasn't been treated?" His voice was an uneven mix of curiosity and irritation, though it was hard to tell which was more dominant.

Elena instinctively crossed her wounded ankle behind the other, hiding it from his vision, giving him her answer.

He returned his focus back to the plant as though it were more important than her wounded leg. She rolled her internally, certain he cared more for the dead plant.

"You're not just my slave, you are the blue moon witch, if anything you're capable enough to revive this plant." Alixandre said with no uncertainty in his tone, the man was brimming with confidence in Elena's...rather the ability of the blue moon witch.

Elena shrugged her shoulders and sat on the bed, "have you ever considered the possiblity that I might be the wrong woman?" She retorted, meticulously placing her chains beside her.

"Are you trying to say I made a mistake?" His edgy tone came across as imposing, Elena closed her lips immediately, not looking to gain another sort of punishment.

"It's just that, I am by far the weakest from my siblings and the least attractive. And..." The princess looked both ways then brought her right hand to the side of her mouth, lowering her neck to whisper something.

"I am in truth the step daughter of King Roderic, which means I am not of royal blood." Elena spoke softly, seeking to convince the king.

Alixandre walked over to her and in turn imitated her movement, bringing his hand to the corner of his mouth to respond.

"I know that already." He told her with a wicked grin, "don't you find it oddly suspicious?" Alixandre implored in a manner which suggested an Indication of something sinister.

Elena felt his hot breath on her ear and dry coughed in response, from the corner of her eye she could clearly observe his long eyelashes. She withdrew her face abruptly, and refocused all her attention to her foot.

"Logically speaking, If I'm unable to even heal my own ankle, it's highly unlikely that I could revive that plant." She explained in a civil tone, stroking the collar on her neck as a reminder not to get too familiar with the enemy.

Alixandre could see that she was unwilling to adhere to his wishes, she was too much of a spoiled lady to obey his words so easily.

Hence, he stood firmly and straightened his back taking a sweep of the chamber.

"You're far too defiant, it's time I remind you who the master is." He announced wearing a merciless look on his face. He swiftly made for the door behind him, gesturing to leave.

Elena stroked the back of her thumbs, nervous about what his words could have meant.

Fortunately, Alixandre halted in his tracks and cleared his throat to speak, his back turned to her.

"Untill you're able to revive that plant, no one is permitted to feed you any food or water." His baritone voice announced before he walked through the door and slammed it shut with a force so great, the tower walls tremorred.