Chapter 45: Bonds of the Present [Part 2]
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★

When the limousine had completely left the owned avenue, Claire turned around to face Tiadora opposite her. She narrowed her eyes and analysed Tiadora to see what was so great about her that attracted the most charming male among most men. As she concentrated, she realized that Tiadora did look astonishingly beautiful. With big brown curls that make Tiadora’s hair attractively wavy, it framed her petite innocent-looking face well. Her skin, as Claire recalled gripping onto Tiadora’s wrist when dragging her, was not only smooth, soft but it was also radiated with such a glow.

That was when until Claire looked at her eyes. She couldn’t tell what colour it was. Her first thought was blue, but then again, she saw a shade of green as well. Claire couldn’t help but ask, “What is your eye colour?”

Stunned by the question, Tiadora gave a nervous answer, “Urmm, my right eye is blue, and my left is green.”

“Why is that so?”

Tiadora was reluctant to answer. She had expected Claire to be angry, especially after how she had pulled her out of the house forcefully and now heading to a place that Tiadora doesn’t know with someone she just met. “They were originally purple,” Tiadora dictated the truth. So long as she didn’t include the fact that she was from the past, it seemed alright for her not to lie entirely. “But my eyes got scalded due to an assassination attempt.”

“Assassination?” now Claire was surprised. “And purple is a natural eye colour?”

“From my kingdom, purple eye colour is quite common,” Tiadora smiled and decided to play along with Jason’s excuse to Herbert onto Claire. “I’m a Princess from a small kingdom called Anastasia. When I was four, there was an assassin that managed to sneak into my chambers. So to prevent me from seeing his crime, he poured acid into my eyes.”

“Ouch!” Claire suddenly felt like as if she was in her shoes. “That must have been really painful!”

“It was,” everything Tiadora said was the truth, except for the part of Anastasia being a small kingdom. It was practically a grand empire! “I couldn’t see for a week. But when I finally opened my eyes, they were healed. There were no distortions, no wound. Instead, both of my eye colour changed.”

“That is one heck of a story,” Claire smiled, and offered a drink which Tiadora thought looked intimidating so she declined. There was silence again. Tiadora was confused to what to expect. Then Claire spoke up again, but with a softer and gentler tone, “Jason really does love you.”

“Pardon?” now Tiadora was even more puzzled. Here, Jason’s future wife was agreeing that he loved another?

“I mean did you see how he told me that he was yours?” Claire swindled with a glass, not looking at Tiadora. “There wasn’t an ounce of sarcasm in his voice at all…his words were so…sincere.”

All of a sudden, Tiadora felt bad for her. Having someone you love, love another, can be heartbreaking. “I’m sorry,” she mentioned, dreading the words after that. “He is still your destined future husband, so I can’t interfere with that.”

Then the strangest happened. Claire laughed heinously out loud, and when she was done, a smile was plastered across her face. “Everyone doesn’t know this but…” Claire then lowered her voice till it was only a mere whisper. “…I don’t actually have any romantic feelings for Jason.”

“You…you don’t?” Tiadora stuttered.

“Nope!” she crossed her legs, careful not to ruin her dress, and talked. “I mean, who can fall in love with a guy that you meet only once a year?”

“Well…I…I…”

“Shush…” Claire put her finger to her lips. “I’m in love with someone else from my school. Does Phoenix Academy ring a bell?”

“The most prestigious academy in the world?” Tiadora recalled what Jason had told her many days before, in his airplane.

“Ahh!” Claire gasped in astonishment. “So you do know of my school. Rest assured that I, too, come from a respectable family whom are just as famous as Jason’s.”

“And!!!” Claire continued, interrupting any means of answering from Tiadora. “I am also just as committed to my family’s business just as Jason is.”

Tiadora had realized that Claire didn’t want to be interrupted so she just kept quiet and nodded diligently. “When I was about what; four years old? My father told me that I am to marry a man that will pull our business to greater success, and I take great pride in my business. Which means to say that I would do anything my father asks of me to improve my family’s business; any means at all,” that was when Claire looked up, gone with the cheery tone and back to the serious solemn tone as she had at Jason’s house.

“You can hog Jason all you want, Tiadora, but…” she folded her arms and stared coldly into Tiadora’s eyes. “He’s mine as of the moment he says ‘I Do’ on our wedding. That is the agreement between our fathers.”

An answer that was expected, Tiadora didn’t give it. She didn’t understand the psychology of it all. Claire had clearly stated that she desired Jason as her husband, but to not love him while doing that, and to even give him away to someone else, what was Claire thinking? Tiadora love Jason, but if Claire was supposed to be Jason’s predestined, then who was she to stop destiny from moving onto its supposed path?

“Now, let’s cast that Kingston boy away from our thoughts,” Claire put her smile back on and signaled to her driver. “What good has he done to you ever since you step foot here in Great Britain? Nothing, I presume. Ha-ha.”

“So let me, on my part as a British citizen…” the limousine stopped and Claire stepped out, pulling Tiadora behind her again. Tiadora’s eyes was blinded by the bright Sunday afternoon Sun, but as her vision recovered, she stared at a high golden tower with an analog clock on all four sides of its rectangular figure; as a sign showed ‘Big Ben’ “…show you around. Welcome to United Kingdom!”

★

Jason walked back and fro again, making Sephy dizzy as she trailed his footsteps over again from the opened balcony, all the way to his piano. No matter how many times Sephy whimpered and whined for her master’s attention, Jason continued to be in deep thought as he paced forward and back for hours as she gazed at the clock that showed eight o’clock in the night.

But as soon as the announcement boomed across all rooms that the respected Claire Tear Grenarde had entered the main compound, Jason raced out of his room, down across the hallways and skidded all the way to the main door. As the servants opened the door, Tiadora stepped inside, all smiles and radiance revolved around her beaming aura. Claire was walking behind her, while the driver took out boutique bags from the boot. Jason ran towards Tiadora and hugged her. “Tia. I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Pardon me!” Claire snarled and folded her arms. “Don’t make me sound like the bad guy. I’m not the one who made Tiadora bored. It was you. I did both of you a favour.”

“Jason,” Tiadora smiled wonderfully at him. “She even got me some new clothes!”

“Astounding,” Jason said ironically as he looked at Claire suspiciously. “Have you had your dinner?”

“Even if I didn’t, I don’t think you’ll be eating it with me since you’re always at your desk,” Tiadora teased, but meant what she said.

“Jay,” Claire spoke in a somewhat fierce voice. “I need to speak with you.”

Tiadora released from his embrace, took the bags from the driver’s hands and started walking towards the corridors before turning around and said, “Thanks, Claire! I had fun today! See you next time!”

As soon as the guardian of Energy was gone, Claire smiled and giggled at Jason. “What?” Jason blurted not seeing any joke.

“Your hair is in a complete mess!” Claire laughed and ruffled Jason’s blond hair, until he shrugs it off. “I’ve told her, Jason.”

“Told her what?”

“About us,” she flipped her caramel hair and tied it to the back. “About business.”

When Claire was done tying her hair, she signaled to her chauffeur to get the limo ready. “You can play along with her until our wedding day,” she turned around and headed for the car, “But do not fail to forget, Jason, I am still your fiancée. Good night.”

Jason didn’t bother to see her leave, so he quickly headed back into his room to find Tiadora patting Sephy gently behind her neck. “Tia?”

“Jason…I…” Tiadora sighed, not exactly knowing how to phrase her words properly. “I think that you should give Claire a chance. She is a nice person.”

He frowned, “What type of spell did she cast upon you?”

Tiadora giggled, but Jason didn’t expect this bubbly radiance from her at all. Where’s the anger? “She didn’t hypnotise me, Jason,” Tiadora stood up from her kneeling position and faced Jason. “In fact, she gave a tour around the country. Everything was so fascinating!”

“Tia,” Jason snapped, disappearing Tiadora’s smile. “What did she tell you?”

“She told me what you said,” she answered, but her light tone had now wavered. “That you and her are somewhat together.”

“Tia, that is actually…”

“True, isn’t it?” Tiadora smiled again, but Jason could see that it was a forced smile. “That is wonderful, Jason. You should be happy that you can get such a person as your wife. I am not going to intervene.”

“She is NOT going to be my wife,” Jason said with a firm harsh tone. “I already have you.”

Tiadora’s smile vanished. “It is not going to last, Jason. I’m going to leave anyway. So I think that it’s better if we just remain as friends.”

“I don’t want…” she hesitated sadly. “…to miss you too much when I return. It will be too painful for me to bear. So do me just this one favour, Jason.”

“Princess, I…” Jason reached out, but Tiadora held her hand to herself.

“I’m tired from today’s outing,” Tiadora started to turn around and head over to her side of the room. “So I’m going to retire for the night. Good night, Jason.”

But Jason didn’t wish her good night back. Instead, he just saw his beloved turn away from him and walked. How could he tell her that she was the only one for him? Why is she shunning herself away when all this hurts her and he is doing nothing about it? Jason pondered over it, suddenly feeling as if the end of Veex was like his death date. He wanted to overcome it; conquer over it…

Problem is… he doesn’t even know when is it, so how was he going to prepare?

An idea formed in his mind. Jason was always good at coming up with plans and solutions. It was one of the many incredible aspects that many big people have come to admire. But the plan required some planning to do. Jason still doesn’t know enough about Tiadora’s ring of magic for him to really conjure up a perfect plan.

Nevertheless, there was still one person, whom he had met before, who can help him in undoing all his problems. Now, he just needed to wait…for the right time.