The Strings in the Shadows

Chapter One- In Which Jack and Kaira get rudely awoken

"Ed! What happened to you?!" She said frantically, running her hands swiftly over his chest and midsection, checking for injuries.

"Kaira, get your hands off me, Kaira, I'm fine, quickly, come in," Edward said in his normal voice. It was a lot stronger soundly than Kaira had expected, so she mutely followed the Crown Prince into his sitting room, where he shut the door with such haste after himself she had almost been caught between the frame and the door.

"Ed, what's the matter? Are you sick? How could Luke let you get like this?"

"What?!" asked Edward, bewildered. Then he looked down at himself. "Oh. Don't blame Luke, Kaira, my appearance is all my doing. I've been pondering over some things for the last week and all my lack of sleep has caught up to me."

"What is going on, Ed? You look terrible."

Edward took in a deep breathe, like he was getting ready to dive into Galaxy river. "I don't want to get bethrothed in two weeks."

Kaira sat still on a couch for a few seconds before saying, "Oh. Is that all?"

Edward looked at her in aghast. "'Is that all'?" He mimiced. "Kai, this is the thing that defines my life for the rest of its natural run. I'm not ready for marriage! Imagine that, Kaira! Imagine the possibility of waking up to the face of someone you don't know, someone your parents picked would make a good queen, but not sone one you picked for your self!"

Kaira thought about it for a second. "That could potentinally be a problem."

"By the stars! That's what I've been saying!!! It already is a problem!!!" Edward began to pace agitated before her. "And I've thought it over and thought it over, Kaira, and I know it's my duty, I know I've got to, but I still..." Her usually word-filled cousin flung out his hands in front of him, as if to grasp at words that were just out of his reach that would explain his predictament. He slumped down beside Kaira on his couch. She placed an arm around his shoulder.

"What do you want me to do, Edward?"

He looked at her hopefully. "Help me. You're more level-headed than me (you're not about to be forcefully engaged to a stranger!), I'm sure you can think of something!"

"And why didn't you ask Luke?" asked Kaira shortly, worried about Edward but not willing to let him off the hook. "He was awake enough to come get me, I'm sure you could pour out your troubles to your Shadow, Ed. That's why we're here, silly." Kaira said "we're" because ,technically, until Edward married, Kaira was assigned to him. When the vows were exchanged, her Prime would become his new bride, and eventual children until her own children would be old enough to become sucessful Shadows. Not that she was anymore eager to marry or have kids than Edward was.

Edward moaned into his hands. "Can you imagine what your brother would do? He'd laugh at me! The Crown Prince, afraid of going to the alter."

A spurt of laughter came from behind the couch. Edward jumped up, shocked by Luke's silent entry into his sittingroom, but Kaira just shook her head at her brother's lack of tack.

"Is that what's been happening?" Luke shook his head, smiling." You're being ridiculous, Ed. Getting married isn't going to keep you from living, or going hunting, or keep you from being happy! Who knows? You might actually like whatever Princess or Grand Duchess you marry."

An idea popped into Kaira's ever-working brain. "That's IT!! I know what to do!"

"What?" Asked the boys in unison.

"We could go on a trip around the kingdom, see the edges of the place you'll rule, Ed! It would give you a new perspective and let you loosen up a bit, and it will get me and Luke out of the castle. We're getting restless, waiting around for Father and Mother to return." Lord Craion and the Lady Hassely were doing a reconnisense mission on the Kingdom to the west, Aradel. "We'd have to go soon since your birthday's in two weeks, Ed, and come back before you turn nineteen, but think of it! An adventure out in the country side!"