The Royal Engagement

Chapter 12

The silence gave them a painfully long time to recollect the tensely awkward situation their recent interactions had put them into. Pyro sat faced away on the chair next her bed, his agitation evident in his rapidly tapping foot. Amy felt eased by his presence than usual since he seemed just as much clueless as to approach the situation as she was.

What was there to say? 'I'm sorry?' No, neither blamed themselves for anything. 'Let's start over?' Amy already knew where Pyro stood with that suggestion.

She timidly peeked over to her side for a glance at him. The least he could do was ask if she was alright or what had happened. As much as she hated the idea of conversing with him, it was agonizingly boring staring at walls until something happened. And, there was the lingering reminder that this boy was her betrothed, and she was fully persistent for it to remain that way if it meant the guaranteed safety of her kingdom's future, but, eventually she would have to get along with him; even just for the public's eye.

She had heard that her sister and brother had come to visit her whilst she had been bed-rest for the initial time – leaving a letter that had described the ferociously violent riots opposing the engagement as they travelled through the towns. They came like waves of armies, beating against the carriage doors and setting fire to buildings and houses of those who didn't join their uproar.

Apparently, the Laphitian Kingdom wasn't fully pleasant about this sudden and recent arrangement either - seeing it as a sign of surrender to defeat in The Laphitian Kingdom and Sirium Empire's long-lasting war. None of it mattered however, soon each side will come to understand the value and tranquillity peace would bring.

No more of bloodshed and terrorising for either country. No more constant patrols or heightened security measures each night in the preparation for unexpecting attacks. It will all come to a rest and remain that way for the fore-coming future.

This royal engagement will add more fuel that it ever has to the war between the two countries, but, soon the fire will run out of air, and this entire feud will extinguish itself to exhaust.

Amy's eyes began to droop. With no activity or interaction to keep her occupied, the delightfully calming chirps of birds outside her window began to lull her to sleep.

A few minutes had gone past of her mind reading through subconscious thoughts in a partial slumber, until an alarming question made her eyes shoot open in urgency, her previous fatigue pumped away by adrenaline.

She made haste to snap her head over to Pyro's position on the chair next to the bed, but, paused mid-way when something every immediate caught itself within an intimate vicinity to her face.

Widening her eyes in bewilderment, she reeled back with a squeaky yelp of embarrassment, frightening Pyro who had unexpectedly and intently been twirling a lock of her undone hair; to tumble back in panic as well.

Amy scrunched away from him to the furthest reach of her bed in bafflement whilst Pyro staggered onto his feet and avoided her gaze with a bright red blush of humiliation.

"W- Wh-What are y-you doing?" Amy's voice quivered in uncertainty to his concerning, uncharacteristic action. His heated face swerved to meet hers with a conglomerate of stuttered, half-broken excuses.

"I-I was- you were just...there was something stuck- n-no a knot, no AN INSECT!" he squawked unnecessarily loud in justification. He continued on with his flustered response, "There was an insect, in your hair, and I was just..." He straightened his classic blue vest and cleared away the tense lump of awkwardness from his throat. "So, yes..."