Long Ago, in the Castle of a Kingdom called Daventry.... [ 08/09 ]
It was quiet in the throne room of the castle of a kingdom called Daventry, in a rare moment when business was not being conducted, and Alexander sat on the steps to the dais, pouring over some collected papers. He wore a frown of deep concentration and concern on his face; he had done his best to try to put together some of the things Rosella had found for him, but it would figure that Derek Karlavegan had skipped out of town just in time for Alexander to arrive and challenge him about his claim to know nothing of the Land of the Green Isles! It was enough to make him think there was most certainly a conspiracy of some sort.
"Alexander, there you are." He did not look up to see his mother's approach, only when she gently reached out to touch him. He looked up and pulled away a little, a reflex, though he relaxed when he realized it was just Valanice. "Thinking about Cassima, are you?"
"I...cannot help it," he admitted quietly, wondering why this news should be of any surprise to her.
"Son." Consider that he was taking time off of his schoolwork to explore this ridiculous notion of Rosella's, Valanice couldn't help a sigh and feel the urge to finally put her foot down on this matter, since, clearly, not even Fandom High could cure his lovesick heart. "It's been a year. You've got to pull yourself together. After all, you only met that once."
"I know, Mother." Still, he could not let it go, and Valanice's own heart tugged with sympathy.
"Have you and your sister discovered anything about the Land of the Green Isles?" she asked.
"No!" Alexander's frustration pulled the answer out, yet again. "No one claims to have even heard of it, not even after a whole year of searching. It's like she's just vanished."
"I wish I could help," Valanice said, and she meant it, knowing this ghost might never leave her poor son. "Please try to think about something else, dear."
"I'll try, Mother." While Alexander obediently agreed in words, he knew in his soul that he simply would not be able to.
It was then, soon after Valanice departed, that something strange began to happen. The Magic Mirror, one of Daventry's finest treasures, sparked to life, beginning to glow and twinkle with a strange green light. Alexander didn't notice it, after first, but then his heart felt the pull of the magic and he turned his head. Slowly, curious, he stood, and started to wander over to investigate. If the Magic Mirror was sending them something, it must have been important. As he neared, he could hear a faint voice, and then he realized that the voice was calling out his name. "Alexander...A-Alexander..."
"Alexander, I feel so alone..." An image started to appear, unclear at first, but then, as it started to discern itself, Alexander could hardly believe it. "I don't know what to do!"
It was Cassima! In the mirror! And calling out his name! Surely, the magic of the mirror had picked up on some desire of hers to connect with him in a way that not even the wisest could comprehend. He immediately snapped into attention, trying to recognize the scene around the window from which Cassima sat. Oh, she looked just as beautiful as he remembered, though so pained and desperate. "Alexander, I wish you were here! Alexander....Alexander...Alexande---"
Slowly, as quickly as it had appeared, the vision began to face. "Cassima!" Alexander called out, clinging to the edges of the mirror. "Wait!"
But it was too late; the vision was gone, but something else had stayed, a gleam of inspiration. Too excited to contain it, he called out, "Mother! Mother, come quick!"
"Alexander, what on earth--" As she found her son, Valanice gasped. "You're white as a ghost!"
"Mother, I saw Cassima! She was in the mirror!"
"The mirror? The Magic Mirror?"
"Yes!" Alexander felt so triumphant, he could dance. "And it showed me how to find her!"
"How?"
"The stars! I saw the stars outside her window. I can navigate by the stars!"
Doubt ran through Valanice, and the thought of something happening to her son again filled her with dread. "Oh, Alexander, if you really go..."
But Alexander shook his head. "I'll be alright, Mother; I promise."
Until then, though, he had some research to do. He knew, one day, the stars would lead him to Cassima, and now, finally, he knew which ones. And perhaps, with a little help from his friends back in Fandom...
[[ taken (and slightly modified) from the introduction to King's Quest VI; NFB for distance, NFI unless ya wanna call, OOC is awesome, and NO THIS ISN'T BUILDING UP TO ANYTHING, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?? ]]
"Alexander, there you are." He did not look up to see his mother's approach, only when she gently reached out to touch him. He looked up and pulled away a little, a reflex, though he relaxed when he realized it was just Valanice. "Thinking about Cassima, are you?"
"I...cannot help it," he admitted quietly, wondering why this news should be of any surprise to her.
"Son." Consider that he was taking time off of his schoolwork to explore this ridiculous notion of Rosella's, Valanice couldn't help a sigh and feel the urge to finally put her foot down on this matter, since, clearly, not even Fandom High could cure his lovesick heart. "It's been a year. You've got to pull yourself together. After all, you only met that once."
"I know, Mother." Still, he could not let it go, and Valanice's own heart tugged with sympathy.
"Have you and your sister discovered anything about the Land of the Green Isles?" she asked.
"No!" Alexander's frustration pulled the answer out, yet again. "No one claims to have even heard of it, not even after a whole year of searching. It's like she's just vanished."
"I wish I could help," Valanice said, and she meant it, knowing this ghost might never leave her poor son. "Please try to think about something else, dear."
"I'll try, Mother." While Alexander obediently agreed in words, he knew in his soul that he simply would not be able to.
It was then, soon after Valanice departed, that something strange began to happen. The Magic Mirror, one of Daventry's finest treasures, sparked to life, beginning to glow and twinkle with a strange green light. Alexander didn't notice it, after first, but then his heart felt the pull of the magic and he turned his head. Slowly, curious, he stood, and started to wander over to investigate. If the Magic Mirror was sending them something, it must have been important. As he neared, he could hear a faint voice, and then he realized that the voice was calling out his name. "Alexander...A-Alexander..."
"Alexander, I feel so alone..." An image started to appear, unclear at first, but then, as it started to discern itself, Alexander could hardly believe it. "I don't know what to do!"
It was Cassima! In the mirror! And calling out his name! Surely, the magic of the mirror had picked up on some desire of hers to connect with him in a way that not even the wisest could comprehend. He immediately snapped into attention, trying to recognize the scene around the window from which Cassima sat. Oh, she looked just as beautiful as he remembered, though so pained and desperate. "Alexander, I wish you were here! Alexander....Alexander...Alexande---"
Slowly, as quickly as it had appeared, the vision began to face. "Cassima!" Alexander called out, clinging to the edges of the mirror. "Wait!"
But it was too late; the vision was gone, but something else had stayed, a gleam of inspiration. Too excited to contain it, he called out, "Mother! Mother, come quick!"
"Alexander, what on earth--" As she found her son, Valanice gasped. "You're white as a ghost!"
"Mother, I saw Cassima! She was in the mirror!"
"The mirror? The Magic Mirror?"
"Yes!" Alexander felt so triumphant, he could dance. "And it showed me how to find her!"
"How?"
"The stars! I saw the stars outside her window. I can navigate by the stars!"
Doubt ran through Valanice, and the thought of something happening to her son again filled her with dread. "Oh, Alexander, if you really go..."
But Alexander shook his head. "I'll be alright, Mother; I promise."
Until then, though, he had some research to do. He knew, one day, the stars would lead him to Cassima, and now, finally, he knew which ones. And perhaps, with a little help from his friends back in Fandom...
[[ taken (and slightly modified) from the introduction to King's Quest VI; NFB for distance, NFI unless ya wanna call, OOC is awesome, and NO THIS ISN'T BUILDING UP TO ANYTHING, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?? ]]