The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter Fifty-five

The Summer Festival arrived. Like all other festivals, the night was bright from the various lamps and lanterns, and its atmosphere was jolly. The City Square was packed with tents, stalls and people exploring whatever the festival had to offer.

Couples strolled around linking arms, small children raced and laughed all over as they tried out different games and screamed when they won treats and sweets.

Kieran thought Elena was no different from the small children.

She had worn a long yellow fluttering sundress with white floral patterns. A crown of yellow roses and myrtle leaves settled on her head, and her throat was adorned with the gold and emerald necklace he had gifted her.

Nearly everyone he saw was dressed in different shades of yellow or orange which really brought out the Summer Spirit. All his siblings plus Lukas had decided to wear matching orange tunics and brown breeches, except Aira had worn a knee-length flowy dress and Joshua had worn his black leather jacket on top of the tunic.

Kieran didn't mind having to wear orange, only because the other option had been bright yellow.

Up ahead, his betrothed jumped around with Mara and Maruja because of some game. The two of them wore yellow as well, except their sleeves were long. Maruja had a yellow and orange daylily behind her ear. Looking at how energetic Elena was, Kieran could not help but feel grumpy.

"She really said that!" Aaron exclaimed from beside him.

"Yes," he hissed. "It would have been less stifling if she had said she loved me as a friend but a brother? No one can come back from that, Aaron. At least friends can have sexual relations with each other. Siblings cannot. Tell me, Aaron. Can they?"

"Nay," Aaron muffled out between bites of his skewered goat meat.

"They cannot even be sexually attracted to each other," Kieran continued, his frustration rising. "And she decided to call me her brother yet I could've sworn she was attracted to me too. Was I actually imagining that tension between us?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

Just then, Elena came rushing up to them, her steps and countenance giddy with excitement. She was carrying a bowl of gooseberries. She handed out some to Aaron, and fed the rest to Kieran.

"I won again!" she proclaimed as Kieran chewed down the sweetness. "Maruja's a great partner too and we might do some board betting next! Oh, everything is so wonderful!"

She didn't give him a chance to respond before whirling around and scurrying back to the ladies.

It had become her routine. She'd visit different stalls with the ladies, then come back to feed him or show him something, blabber about how amazing everything was going and run back to her group. So far, he and Aaron had had some meat, pudding, fried plantain and other kinds of foods courtesy of Elena.

They still had to catch up with the girls' stamina, and made sure to always have them within their sight.

Kieran liked that Elena and Maruja had become friends. Previously, Maruja rarely spent the festivals with the Hammedathas. She would attend, yes, but not within the Hammedatha circle, even when Aaron asked her to join them. Now they had a mutual friend - Elena, and Maruja was hanging around because of her. Aaron couldn't have been happier.

"All is not lost," said Aaron. "There is still something you can do about this."

"And what do you propose I do, brother?" Kieran shuddered. "I can't even say the word 'brother' without feeling nauseous."

"All you have to do is stick with the initial plan," Aaron said as they resumed walking.

"You mean my confession?"