Staring at the beauty across him, Abel rattled his fingers against the arm of the chair he was sitting on. He continued doing so until the person paid attention to him.
"Give me the explanation of this behaviour of you, Abel," Eithne sighed. "You've been staring at me so intently since I came back."
Zerach who was reviewing some documents at another corner glanced at the two people who were sitting across each other, separated by the low round table.
"I thought I made it clear yesterday that I want Kyle to accompany me today," Abel squinted his eyes.
"Kyle is my person, and even if it's not, he have his own choice whether he wants to accompany you ot not," Eithne could not help but secretly rolled her eyes.
"Your image as a gentle person is not showing at all right now!" Abel said, angrily.
"You're acting like a child. No wonder Kyle doesn't want to be near you." Eithne wrinkled her brows, her gaze filled with contempt.
"If it's not you who suddenly wanted to go out, Kyle would have stayed with me!" Abel clearly showed his dissatisfaction. "He stayed with me last night, alright?"
"As I said, it's his choice to follow me or stay here. Even if he stayed, I guarantee it's not to accompany you," Eithne had no mercy with her words as she continued to point where it hurts. "And last night doesn't count, it's because I asked him to stay at the garden to watch the moonlight."
"You asked him to watch the moonlight, what kind of command is that?" Abel could not relate how everyone was saying this young lady in front of him was a gentle and kind person, because all he saw was the opposite!
"You shouldn't bother Kyle too much," Eithne said.
"It have nothing to do with you," Abel refuted.
"Kyle is my person."
"!!!"
Zerach only raised his brow as he sighed before he resumed his works. At that time the door was opened from the outside and three people came in.
"Are you guys arguing over small things again?" the young man with his long silver hair chuckled as he sensed the atmosphere between the two people.
"Misha," Eithne smiled at the young man and the other two who entered at the same time. All of them sat down except the black clad person who went to one side and stand straight.
"Kyle, sit beside me." Eithne gestured at the chair beside her, avoiding the gaze Abel threw at her. He wanted to say that the chair beside him was also empty but Kyle already walked towards Eithne and sat down beside her, still maintaining an erect posture.
"Zerach, come and join us," Abel retracted his gaze from the black clad person and waved at the young man who was still focusing on the papers in his hand.
"It's been a while since we gathered together like this," Misha grinned, his hand reached out towards the cookies on the table.
"How was everything so far?" Eithne took a sip of the tea before placing the cup on the table.
"How could you ask me such question, Eithne? You knew from the start who was the addition people who are coming along with the envoy from Zvon, right?" Misha rolled his eyes. "To think that I even went to investigate it myself."
"Don't be so annoyed with me," Eithne smiled. "I just had a hunch, and it's only after you went out, alright."
"Hmmph."
"Who was it again, Lord Ethan Teyla and Lord Argus Ravelle?" Abel asked as he casually put more cookies in front of Kyle.
"The merchants from the Valerie Empire?" Alpheus joined into the conversation. His hand was also not idle in putting cookies in front of Kyle.
"Yes, the same merchants who were here in Aur 5 years ago," Misha answered, his gaze fixed onto his favourite cookies which were in front of Kyle.
"Or... I could say they had been staying at Aur much earlier than that," he continued. "Eithne, you met him for the first time 6 years ago, right?"
"About that..." Eithne hesitated for a while. "It's true I first met him 6 years ago at the Golden District, but..."
Looking up to see all eyes on her, Eithne continued, "I have a feeling we've met long before that."
"Oh?" Abel smiled mischievously. "What is this development? As I thought, there's something between you and this Ethan guy."
"Ah, I remembered Eithne acted like a bashful young girl for the first time that day," Alpheus suddenly said. "Was it during that time that you met with him?"
"..." Eithne did not have anything to retort. Don't blame her, she have been growing up with these bunch of young men, it was already amazing how she managed to be 'the most gentle and graceful young lady of the capital' or 'the goddess of Aur' or whatever title she was given by the people. Thinking back of her pasts, she really was no different from the boys around her. That was why she could not find any reason on how did she became such a 'lady' beside her meeting with Ethan and her foolish first love at the first sight with that gentle man.
"Eithne is really frank with her feeling," Misha chuckled. "Anyone could tell you're not over that first love of yours."
"And here I was thinking your first love was Alpheus," Abel laughed. "Because he was like a big brother to all of us at that time, and I remembered Eithne used to depend on him a lot."
"I think your memory got distorted due to my beating for the last 15 years," Eithne snickered as she stared menacingly at Abel. "Who was it that always come running to Alpheus and cry everytime he lose to me?"
Abel sneer froze as he subconsciously glanced towards Kyle. There were no change in his facial expression but he was looking at him with a complex gaze before turning to look at Alpheus. At this time Misha reached out to confiscate his favourite cookies from Kyle's plate and put them on his plate.
"Hah, you're exposing your true nature, you uncouth girl!" Abel gritted his teeth.
"Oh? Who is the uncouth one? This young lady here or this gaudy pheasant over there?" Eithne casually retorted, her eyebrows were raised.
At this time there were no image of a refined prime minister who was hailed by the people, and there was no graceful goddess of Aur, there were only two people sending vulgar remarks to each other.
The other ignored the two people who was sending sparks against each other's eyes and enjoyed their tea. At that time, the young king joined them at the table, sitting down between Kyle and Abel. Kyle casually pour the tea into his cup.
"Thanks, Kyle," Zerach smiled as he put some cookies on his plate. Kyle smiled and nodded, making both Eithne and Abel stopped their staring contest and looked at the two.
"Kyle, I thought you only smiled to me, it seems like I was mistaken," Eithne exaggerated her voice as she said with grief.
"Huh? Kyle always smiled to me," Zerach said with a confused face. "He also smile to Alpheus and Misha." Misha and Alpheus just nodded.
"Eh?" Abel was taken aback as he look at Kyle. "Kyle, you never smiled to me."
"Kyle doesn't like you, just accept the fact," Eithne sneered.
"What have you been working on, Zerach?" suddenly Alpheus asked before another staring contest was started.
"It's about the nobles of Aur, and the fiefs around the kingdom," Zerach munched on his favourite blueberry flavoured cookie.
"Those stinky nobles," Abel scoffed. "If it wasn't for our need to hasten the plan and secure our footing on the capital, I would've already eradicated those selfish people long time ago."
"They'll taste their own medicine," Eithne curled her lips. "I can't wait for that to happen."