"Prince Ailwin, the soldiers are staying we are about to land." His steward walked in, interrupting their conversation midway to notify them that they have arrived.Mika didn"t waste any time jumping out of her seat and running out of the cafeteria to get her things together, Ailwin didn"t have the same enthusiasm.
Five minute later, Lord Mano along with his wives, the elders and some of the clan members were waiting outside the main gates to welcome them.
The bay doors opened revealing Mikaela and Ailwin with several guards and servants behind.
"Mikaela…" Mano called his daughter, who he hasn"t seen in months, from the s.h.i.+p.
Rus.h.i.+ng down the ramp, Mika didn"t realize how much she was missing her father and mother until she saw them again.
"Dad…" Mika hurried off the s.h.i.+p eager for a hug. Mano had his arms wide open for her to rush into them, but instead she ran straight to Lyra"s waiting arms first leaving him hanging in front of everyone.
*Cough* *Cough* "It"s good to see you back home…" Mano covered his embarra.s.sment by rubbing Mika"s head loving.
Ailwin followed Mika at a more leisurely pace.
"Lord Mano…" He bowed when he arrived in front of Mikaela"s father.
Mano took his attention from his daughter to look at Ailwin.
"Prince Ailwin, it"s good to see you again…escorting my daughter....again…..alone." When his wife inform him that Mikaela and Prince Ailwin would be arriving today, he though she was mistaken until he saw the message himself.
Why isn"t his daughter in school where he left her, but instead with Prince Ailwin? Oh, he intented to find out.
Ailwin looked at Mika to have her explain, but she acted as if she didn"t see him. "Yes, well...it sort of just happened that way."
Lord Mano gave Ailwin some face as he was sure his daughter was the reason the Prince had to escort her home.
"Please, Prince Ailwin come this way. We have prepared a lot for Mika"s return home and your visit today." Mano led everyone to the clan"s meeting hall.
Inside the big hall, there were tables filled with food as it was late into the day and no one had eaten yet.
Entering the hall, Lady Lyra didn"t let go of Mikaela"s hand, dragging her to sit beside her"s. Mika sat down and started digging into her favorite foods, unaware of Ailwin"s discomfort.
There was only two chairs left at the main table, one next to Lady Lyra and one next to Lord Mano.
Taking the seat next to Lord Mano, Ailwin began his conversation with him to ease the tension.
"Lord Mano, the Amara estate look beautiful. I will have to have you give me a tour later on."
"Oh, course! I"ll show you around personally after the meal." Mano notice that Lyra didn"t even bother to introduce herself to Ailwin. She sat at the table giving Mika all of her attention.
Meanwhile the rest of kin were so eager to make connections with a Prince, they were jumping over each other with no manners at all.
Mano had to give out several silent warnings to the members to follow etiquette by allowing the head of the clan, him, to introduce them first.
"Prince Ailwin, I am-"
"Prince Ailwin, this is my Uncle. He is the oldest elder of the Amara clan." Mano cut off his uncle"s introduction.
"Oh, h.e.l.lo." Ailwin slightly bowed his head in greeting.
"Um...yes. I am one of the elders here at the Amara. I along with other help the Amara clan function, without us the clan would fall apart! Hahaha…." Mano"s right eye twitched as he heard his uncle"s words.
This old fool is at it again, I see.
Ailwin remained silent as the old man boosted his self-importance within the clan to the heavens; and as the liquor was shared around, the older clan members got more bolder with their words and actions.
"Prince Ailwin…!" A older female cousin of Mano"s yelled.
"Um, yes?" Ailwin looked over at the women who still clearly becoming intoxicated.
"I must asked, how did you and our Mikaela come to travel together?" Everyone in the room was waiting for this question to be answered, but because Lord Mano was present none had the nerve to ask.
However, now that a drunken woman asked, they weren"t willing to let the question go unanswered.
"Yes...Prince, tell us!"
"Tell us!"
Mano planned to asked Prince Ailwin this question privately during their walk together. He didn"t want the relations.h.i.+p between Ailwin and his daughter known yet.
d.a.m.n, this woman! Mano glared at his drunk cousin.
Ailwin glanced at Mikaela, who just shrugged her shoulders before going back to her food.
Since he was left to handle the situation by himself, Ailwin sighed before turning back to the older woman.
"Miss Amara, happen to be flying in her shuttle which was having problems when my air carriers were pa.s.sing by. I decided to lend her a helping hand and send her back home, personally." He tried to keep some truth in the lie without giving too much away.
The members believe his words instantly.
"Prince Ailwin, you are honorable..."
Truthfully, they would have taken any excuse he came up with as long as the relations.h.i.+p between the two wasn"t an intimate one. Or else it would ruin their plans.
Happy with the answer she got, the older female cousin grabbed her eldest daughter"s hand and dragged her towards Lord Mano"s table to introduce her to Ailwin.
"Ahh...Prince Ailwin, you haven"t met my daughter yet…" The woman pushed her bubbling blus.h.i.+ng daughter in front of her.
Once the other mothers and fathers in the clan saw someone else about to use their plan right in front of their eyes, they all sent their daughters to introduced themselves to Ailwin.
Feeling a headache coming on, Ailwin looked towards Mika for help but she ignore him as she kept eating.
Mika! Is your food more important than me?
Almost as if she heard his thoughts, Mika lifted her head up to look his way. Ailwin smiled thinking she was about to help him.
Raising her hand, she called out, "Hey, you!…" The hall went quiet as everyone looked her way.
"Bring some more of the deep-fried honeyed Canyon Pelican, how could you only put half a plate on our table!" Ailwin was mistaken. Mika was merely talking to the servant behind him, to bring her more food.
This girl! Does she think I can"t be stolen!?
Once again left to survive on his own, Ailwin put a polite smile on his face as one by one the young ladies of the Amara clan came forward to gain his favor.
By the time the meal was over, Ailwin couldn"t remember eating a single bite of food that was in front of him.
"Prince Ailwin, shall I give you the tour now?" Mano ask after the servants cleared the tables.
"Yes, thank you." Ailwin was grateful, he could use some fresh air.
Seeing their target about to slip away from them, the members wanted to tag along until Mano stopped them in their tracks.
"We"ll let everyone get back to work...especially for the elders, since the clan can"t function without them."
Realizing their leader wasn"t going to tolerate their behavior any longer, the members grumbled but stayed away as Mano left to showed Ailwin around the estate.