Above All

-Ninety-Three-

Pursuit in silence

Burning love silenced no more

Grumble of fire

Fionn:

I cut off the engine to my motorcycle and brought my eyes up to the Ligues Temitope Manor. Through the distance, I could see the hurdles of rich and nobility alike walking towards the estate, a light chatter passing amongst their groups as they surveyed the area; I knew for sure that they were looking for one thing they could point out that was off about the place—something to make them feel as if they were better, or perhaps... richer. Events like these always made me uncomfortable; no matter the change in my status these past couple of years have shown me exactly what I thought about the upper-crust of Idizian nobility...

They were nothing more than social climbers.

I had essentially come from obscurity working as a butler and extra stable hand for my father at the palace to now being part of one of the top families closest to the crown was something I don't think I'd ever envision myself having to deal with at my age that and well... love.

I had sworn up and down I would always separate this life I was living with the one I had previously kept to myself, my normal life. Then Inyene came into my life—at first, I thought nothing of it. I was just returning to the stables after a long day of running about the palace when I saw her saddened expression resting by a bench in the garden space. My first instinct was not to comfort her, I pondered to myself: Oh, another sad rich girl... boo-hoo.

Not my problem.

But as I continued walking towards the direction of the stables, her eyes averted geared towards me. I was ready for her to say something snarky or perhaps order something from me after all, I was still in my working attire. So instead, beating her to the punch, I asked her if there was something I could do for her.

I could still remember the way she titled her head to the side, a warm smile filling her bright face as she acknowledged me with kindest of voices.

"Thank you, but I do not desire anything but an ear that is willing to listen to me for once."

I was a little taken aback from her words, but realizing soon after that there wasn't anything I can do for her. I'm sure someone could else could help her with the problem; I began walking away from her, focusing my gaze elsewhere; only capturing the glimpse of her expression returning the defeated and gloomy picture I had stumbled upon earlier. I don't know what overtook me though, a few steps in I found myself stopping and turning back to her again.

I promised myself that it would be the only time I sat and listened to her, but that was further from the truth. In the infrequent times we had fallen into each other's paths I had managed to learn a lot about her that I didn't think I would ever need to have to store into my mind for later use. Then Amani invited me to the skiing trip up in Dria, that at first, I had no intentions attending, but my father thought it was best to get out of my comfort zone and stop working so much.

So, I went, though I would never admit it—I enjoyed myself. Amani's friends definitely did not fall into the typecasts I had placed them in initially. They were all very accomplished, all of them talented in their own right and proud of doing so; they all went to the same prestigious university together and were quite close, but this closeness they shared was so organic, it made me believe that I was essentially part of it all, too.