The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter Twenty three

By the time he got to his private study, all Kieran wanted was some meditation time to cool down and clear his mind. He sat down at his desk and propped his elbow on the surface while his fingers supported his head, massaging his temples. His eyes were shut as he attempted to regain his calm, and find his happy place.

A serene place where he wouldn't have to think about his soldiers' incompetence. A serene place that always made him feel free from responsibility, that made him forget the missions and the meetings and the duties; and made him feel like just another normal man.

Where he could forget about fussing over his subordinates and have someone fuss over him instead.

A serene place like Elena.

Darn.

And that's when it dawned on him. He hadn't realised it before, but it had always been her.

From when she made them race against nightfall in the flower fields - an idea he thought silly until it turned into an extraordinary moment of free spirit, to the times they spent chatting about foods and their different encounters, and getting so engrossed in reminiscing about childhood...

From the times she told stories and rambled about flowers and butterflies and laughed melodiously at some of his adventurous recounts, to when she danced so vibrantly in any place, at any time, with any kind of person even him - he could still remember how her body had fit so well against his, and the first time he saw her blush,

From the times he watched her in marvel, do all these things; whether she did them for him, with him, or for others, to when these actions effortlessly eased happiness within him.

In all those times, he found a kind of freedom. Freedom from the sometimes burdensome title he carried, and the duties that came with it. In all those times, he felt exceedingly light, as though a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

He would forget about the way that his life partly revolved around his subordinates, and the Crown Prince. And he would live in the moment with her - a moment full of only bliss, all thoughts and concerns of work left behind.

She was like an escape from all things 'responsibility' related, and that made any time with her precious.

He shut his eyes tighter, his meditation only stressing him out more.

The one place he needed to go to so badly, he could not. It vexed him to no end.

Just then, the door opened and Aira waltzed in, confidently marching up to the desk.

"Brother, I require your assistance."

"What is it?" Kieran asked, his eyes still closed. Despite his current frustrations, he wasn't about to turn away his sister - especially if she was asking for help.

"Can you go over to Rivera Manor for me?"

Slowly, his eyes peeled open, and he looked up at Aira for the first time, curiously. "Whatever for?"

"Well," Aira's gaze flickered round the room. "It's just that Mara promised to lend me a book by today and she hasn't delivered it, yet it's what I was going to use to teach Jean to read today."

Jean was a little niece of one of the servants, and she usually visited her aunt once a week. As a result, she'd become fond of Aira, who would play with her.

"She was looking forward to learning some more this time and I promised we'd read that book together."

Promises. A lot of them were being made recently, it seemed.