The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter Nineteen

Aira was livid.

Blood boiled in her veins as she strode through the castle halls, her face contorted with nothing but pure anger. Her face was flushed red, her small hands balled into tiny but threatening fists and her dark braid bounced at her back with every step her boot made.

How dare the Prince do this.

She met Enoch in the corridor, and before he could greet her, she snarled,
"Where is he?"

Enoch gulped. Although he was way taller than the small girl, the fire in her chestnut brown eyes burned brighter than the bracketed torches in the upper corridor walls. He raised a trembling finger.

"B-bed chamb-"

She didn't wait for him to finish his sentence before stomping off towards the direction of the Prince's bed-chamber, sharply turning a few corners on her heel. She nodded curtly to Everest, who was standing opposite the room.

She didn't knock - not like she ever did - and lifting her leg, kicked open the double doors, and marched inside.

A startled Luke stood up from his king sized four poster canopy bed and looked at the fuming Aira, her chest heaving up and down, her tiny fists clenched.

"Uhm, no offense, but I don't fancy little girls paying my bed-chamber visits at night." He said, raising his palms defensively, his face folded.

Aira stomped towards him, and grabbing the upper part of his white tunic, pulled him down to her face level so she could glare directly into his now widened blue eyes. She was so close, he could count the freckles across her nose.

"Why in the world would you send my brother off on a stupid quest at this point in time?" she demanded through gritted teeth.

The relief expelled by Luke was evident, his shoulders relaxing with a sigh.

"Oh thank goodness that's what this is about," he drawled, "otherwise, we would be put in a very awkward position."

Aira contorted her face in confusion before pushing him back, causing him to stumble back and land on his backside on the bed. She might have been small, but she had strength.

"What are you talking about?" she asked harshly, "And don't look so relieved and lax when you've gone and ruined everything! Things were going well between Kieran and Elena. Why'd you have to make him come on some stupid quest with you and postpone the engagement? Are you that dumb, pint-size!"

Luke rolled his eyes. "I should be the one asking you that, since you can't put two and two together," he said, "I thought you were smart."

"I am smart!" Aira retorted, "smart enough to see you've gone nuts. I gloated to Ray and Josh how Kieran and Elena were going to keep seeing each other until the engagement, and now they will be separated because of you!" She pointed an accusing finger at him, right between the eyes.

"Relax, little one." Luke cooed. He wrapped his fingers around her index and stood up. "It's all part of the plan."

She wrenched her hand away from his touch, his cool demeanour irritating her more.
"What plan?" she spat, "to separate them?"

"Yes."

She couldn't believe her ears. She stepped back and regarded the Prince with shock and disappointment.

"You are unbelievable," she said, her voice lowered. She looked him up and down and snorted. "You know, if you were going to switch to Josh and Ray's side, you could have just given me a heads up instead of dropping it on me like this."