The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter Forty-four

It had been a month since The Guard’s departure and since Elena’s last interaction with Kieran. Elena’s family had tried their best in giving her comfort and reassurance. Her mother and Mara especially made efforts to brighten her mood, but Elena found the results to be no more than fleeting moments.

Instead, she had found true warmth and solace in the Hammedatha household – because she saw no pretence in the remaining family members.

Neither Lady Alyssa nor Aaron acted any differently than they had been before the Guard’s departure. Lady Alyssa continued to manage the affairs of the manor house, and quarreled with Aaron about doing the accounts. When Elena showed up to visit, Lady Alyssa would drag her in to do accounts as well.

“It will be your home, so you need to learn how to manage the affairs with me,” she would say.

It made Elena’s chest hurt, but also brought her a semblance of relief – and hope.

It was not the first time Lady Alyssa and Aaron had had to wait at home while the rest of the family went to battle, and they acted as though what was happening was within the ordinary course of daily life.

They spoke of their family members as if they had merely gone on a fishing trip and would eventually come back – with lots of fish.

It was different from her own home where everyone walked on eggshells around her, and a gloom lingered with the smiles; fake smiles.

The Hammedatha household was bright and warm, and Elena found herself genuinely smiling when she heard Lady Alyssa and Aaron recount a few fond Hammedatha tales, as well as referred to Aaron’s siblings light heartedly.

“Elena, even if Aira begs you to let her bake in the kitchen with you, please decline. Otherwise, she will burn this whole house and all of us alive,” Aaron would remind her.

She rarely saw The Commander, but on the occasions she did, he always gave her a small smile, being a man of few words. And when he smiled, his resemblance to Kieran was striking; she figured Kieran got his famous half-smile from his father.

She had gotten a chance to meet Maruja, an apprentice of Physician Maverick. Although her demeanour was serious, her volatility towards Aaron amused Elena, and she developed an instant liking for the redhead.

“Aaron is such a sweetheart, yet you are so cruel to him,” Elena said to Maruja one day.

The two were seated on stools on the terrace of Maverick’s simple house. They were sorting herbs heaped on bamboo trays, settled on their laps

Maruja rolled her eyes. “He is as pesky as a mosquito,” she said. “He won’t leave me alone no matter how many times I shoo him away.”

“I just do not understand why you must shoo him away,” Elena said. She plucked some yellowish leaves from one branch of the herb and tossed them on the floor, atop a pile of other discarded leaves. “What is it that you do not like about him?”

Maruja stopped her plucking motion and looked up into the front yard. It was filled with brown maple leaves, shed and spread across the ground. She had a faraway look in her eyes.

“It isn’t that I don’t like him,” she said softly. “Aaron…Sir Aaron and I…we are different. Someone like him and someone like me cannot be anything more than acquaintances.”

She went back to pruning the branches, her stoic mask returned. But Elena saw a bit of sadness in her eyes and sensed a resignation in her voice.

“Maruja!” Aaron’s voice chirped as he came waltzing onto the terrace.