The Strings in the Shadows

Chapter One- In Which Jack and Kaira get rudely awoken

"Yes, I vote we do that!" Crowed Luke, who jumped from excitement.

Edward seemed to be deep in thought. "How about in a week?"

"So late? Why next week?" Kaira frowned. She reached forward and took one of the small chocalates out of a bowl on the sitting table.

"The King's holding a sort of pre-of-age ball in my honor next Tuesday night." That was how Edward always addressed his father. "It would bring shame upon our family if I was not to attend."

"A ball? Since when?" Questioned Kaira. She had heard no talk of a ball.

"Since the King sent me a letter yesterday. Like I don't live two stories below him. I think I'm supposed to be introduced to the eligable ladies of the court as a proposition, or something." Edward griminced distastefully.

"So... Wednesday morning? We could go early, under the cover of darkness, and then we'd have, what, six days to get you back home?" Kaira pressed. She needed to leave this castle and Starcircuit City soon, if only to get the tension off her chest. Luke was right, she mused, not getting targeted for death in over a month was stressful. Without a certain amount of danger to ease the tension of supposing there'd be an attack soon and the attack never coming, she hadn't noticed her transition into a bundle of nerves.

Edward suddenly broke out into a toothy grin, his face lighting up into the cheerful cpusin she knew so well. "Let's do it, then."

Kaira got up to her feet as Luke slapped Edward on the back. She stifled a yawn and had a moment of inspiration. "Oh, Luke, I forgot about something," she said casually. Her brother turned around, smiling.

"Yeah?"

Kaira's fist sped out from her body, connecting with Luke's jaw a few inches above her head in a soaring uppercut. Luke's limp body dropped to the floor with a solid thump. "That's for waking me up." She told her sleeping brother. She looked up to see Edward smirking at her. "What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Was that for waking you up? Or for the mask?" He chuckled. "Because you might have attacked the wrong person."

"You encouraged that foolishness," Kaira realized. Edward shrugged, continueing to smirk.

"Well, Prince," said Kaira sweetly," I just remembered another important thing Your Highness would consider to be valuable information."

Edward smile vanished in an instant. Whenever Kaira called him "Prince" or "Your Highness" outside of court, it meant she was probably about to tackle him to the ground and rub his face in the mud for acting in some stupid manner, like making her angry. True, she hadn't done that particular punishment since they were children, but still. "Yes?" He ventured.

"I heard there was an angry cat in the halls, with big claws and a short temper," his cousin said conversationally. "It's almost like someone foolishly woke her up early in a disagreeable manner. You might want to stay in your rooms today, Prince, until the cat is calmed down. Then again, feel free to leave. I've recently taken a fancy for the color red, and I think finding it splattered all over the walls would greatly improve the asthetics of the castle. Good day, Highness." Kaira dropped into a curtsy, smiling sweetly at her stricken cousin. She'd never hurt him in the way she was describing, they both knew that, but she wouldn't let him get away with his tricks on her, either.

Edward cleared his throat as Kaira turned to leave. "I'd like to meet again on Saturday to discuss plans and provisions with you in the pavillion." He said cautiously. Kaira merely raised her hand in acknowledgement. After she'd left, Luke got up off the floor and brushed off his clothes.

"Is she gone?" He asked Edward, who wasn't surprised in the least that Luke had been faking.

"Coward," Edward teased.

"Well, you didn't want to mess with her, either, when she's in that state." Luke defended himself. Edward had to agree.

Only someone with a deathwish would mess with the Lady Kaira when she'd lost her sleep.   

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So, I don't really know if "miffed" is a word, but whatever. Hello wattpad readers! Please comment or whatever to verify to me that i'm not just posting a story no one will ever, ever read, which is one of my deepest fears.

I'd also like to note that I made Jack's math up, I have no idea how long it would take to peel that many bushels of potatoes, or even how many potatoes are in a bushel.

Peace out, Demigods!