The Song of the Keepers

Chapter 43 Oh Brother

I stared at my brother and his companion in stunned silence as a hundred thoughts flitted through my head at once. Finally, two sorted themselves out from the others and escaped my lips.

"What are you doing still in the Capitol and what in the name of all that is good are doing kissing Jasmine Hayes?"
I demanded in a sharp tone.

Solomon glanced between me and Jasmine, looking as though he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Are you still trying to get back at me for Jasper? A brother for a brother? You make me sick!"
I spat at the dark-haired girl.

"No, it's not like that."
Jasmine defended.

"Oh really? Because you were awfully threatening the last time I saw you."
I reminded her.

"I know we didn't get off to the best start. I probably overreacted a bit."

"Overreacted? That's the understatement of the year. When we first met you accused me of being a selfish, conniving, wench that was using your brother for my own personal gain! Then at your family party, you had the audacity to act like I'd done some atrocious deed to that Claire friend of yours and you actually threatened me to stay away from your family! And don't even get me started on your imbecile of a mother!"
My voice was slowly raising with every syllable.

Jasmine opened and closed her mouth, her eyes darting to Solomon's face in concern.

"Astrid, I'll ask you to stop verbally assaulting my fiancé."
Solomon scowled at me.

He couldn't have picked a worse choice of words.

"Your WHAT?"
I burst out.

Seemingly out of thin air, Ranen made a rather timely appearance, a pouty princess hot on his heels.

"Is everything alright? I heard shouting."
He asked in a concerned tone.

He observed the situation for a moment before turning to his middle sister.

"Hey, Cymber, why don't you take Navia and head back to the library? You can get started on those cookies and finish up the hot cocoa."
His tone was light and cheery but there was a wary look in his eyes.

"But I want to keep decorating."

"We will, shortly. Now, do as I say."

He had his parental no-nonsense tone down to a T. Cymber huffed before grabbing her sister's arm. Navia, still not entirely sure what had happened, reached for me, confusion and concern evident in her eyes.

"It's okay sis, go with Cymber."
Ranen instructed her, patting her shoulder gently.

The two little girls disappeared back up the hall, glancing behind them until we were out of sight.

"So you're telling me,"
I started in a dangerously low tone.

"That you're marrying her?"

"Yes, Astrid, I am going to marry Jasmine. I'm sorry that you don't care for her, but you'll just have to adjust to the idea."
Solomon's tone wasn't harsh, but his meaning was very clear.

"You're stealing my brother from me you-"
The next string of words that came out of my mouth wasn't horribly polite.

It was a good thing Ranen had sent the girls away, Navia might have been deaf but Cymber sure as heck wasn't. There was no way any little girl, particularly a princess, should have heard what I called Jasmine.