Above All

-Thirty-Four-

Adoring daydreams

Silver lines ere farewell voiced

Flowers wave cheerful

Layton:

            It was safe to say; my holiday was starting off pretty awful. Nothing drastic has happened, let me be clear, but the fact that Amani was here in Dria skiing with her friends and having fun while I was stuck having to "pretend" to be with Oleo Inyene was quite disheartening. Even my brother got the better end of the stick with our mother allowing Nyarai and her son to join on us on the trip.

            My mother has been so lenient and open since Amani has come around and it was nothing short of a miracle her ability to persuade her to do some of the things it has taken our family years to get through to her; Amani has managed to do that in only a matter of months.

            Amory and Nyarai were having the time of their lives, both of them acting like the perfect little family they always wanted to be and I was happy for them, I really was. After all, I always knew my brother to be the one to settle down before me; he always had that serious attitude about him even when he was in his "wild" phase, it was always calculated as if he we were waiting for the part in his life to finish so he could move on be more mature.

            But I had to think to myself, where was my happiness in all of this?

            Oh right, somewhere in a chalet probably getting hit on by the local men. Or worse yet, Oli Cyril, he did come from this region after all and we happened to be staying at the hotel chain his family has owned for generations; he was here along with his family to greet us once our arrival was made.

            But how could I blame him for pursuing Amani now, she was single after all.

            But perhaps... maybe I could change that.

            I groaned out in frustration just as I heard Amory enter my hotel suite. I turned to look over and saw my brother who was carrying little Louka and Nyarai who was standing beside him with a pure genuine smile, she waved lightly once we mad eye-contact, "Knock, knock." She joked.

            I gave her a half-smile and turned to my brother who I realized was all dressed up for another day out of skiing, as a matter of fact they were all dressed and ready to make their mark on the slopes. Was it already time to head out?

            I loved skiing, I enjoyed snowboarding the most but it's become a drag these past couple of days. "Is it time to go already?" I asked my brother as I quickly tossed my gaze back to my phone where my last text message to Amani had gone unanswered.

            What was she doing?

            "Yeah, everyone's downstairs... we were wondering where you were?" Amory replied to me, his eyes casually observed me as if her were thinking internally about something. I sighed and stood up, grabbing my necessary clothing I was going to need for a day out on the slopes.

            "Are you alright, Prince Layton?" Nyarai asked me curiously as I shrugged my clothing on. Although, I was flattered by her concern for me, it was best she not know that the cause for my holiday blues had to do with specific PR who has managed to invade my ever-living thoughts and fiber of being.

            I finished getting my clothing on and nodded, "Yes I am fine, Nyarai... and you don't have to call me Prince in private... just Layton." I gave her a reassuring smile and she returned the favor with a smile of her own. I could see why my brother admired Nyarai so much, she was such a humble and sweet spirit; no malice to her like some of the women I have previously.