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Lahat ng Kabanata ng An Unroyal Alliance: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

105 Kabanata

1.

As the sun warmed away the chill of the night, Ayesha threw open her windows and leaned on the sill to watch the town below her. Her new home. Well, what she hoped she could turn to home. Every other place she had been before always felt like home at first, until she became restless, bored, lost, and then, moving would feel like the best reprieve for a place she believed would be more permanent. She didn't want that to happen here. Watford felt different.And to start her day, she had an entire list of items to pick up from the market. So she brushed her teeth, showered under bone-chilling water--she needed to get the heater fixed--and ran a comb through her hair. As she dressed, and hurried out of her room, she snatched her keys from the bowl she usually kept them in, and pulled the shopping list off the fridge, reading it briefly before stuffing it in her bag and heading out.A few appraising eyes swung her way as she stepped out, one of them she recognised as the man who had helped

2.

Dimitri walked into his parents’ mansion. He stripped out of his jacket and handed it to the maid who stood by the door. When she offered to inform his mom that he had arrived, he promptly stopped her. His flight had landed in Watford the previous night. After an eight-hour flight, he opted to sleep in a hotel for the night. As soon as he woke up, he prepared everything he needed and left for the family home. He had been away for seven years. It was not his intention to be away that long. One thing led to another, and he got too busy for his usual travels home. A lot had changed since the last time he visited. It didn’t surprise him much. His mother liked to remodel the house, once in a while. This time, she didn't only change the furniture but also the paint. Their mansion used to be red. It was blue now. The glasses for the windows were no longer plain but etched with flowery patterns. Fracturing the lights that broke through and giving off colour in a few places. Dimitri raised

3.

Dimitri steered the car into the driveway of the apartment complex. It was still early in the evening, so he hoped to get one more errand run before his party. Dimitri was more than glad he had insisted on driving her home the day they met. It would have been a difficult process, combing through her purse for ID and making calls to find out where she lived.He parked in a decent spot and got out of the car, grabbing her bag from the passenger seat."Good evening." He said to the man at the desk. "I am looking for someone who lives in this building. Ayesha Hansley. Average height, shoulder-length dark hair, tanned, has an accent. I believe she shares the apartment with someone."He searched for the details on his computer. "Yes. She is a resident here. Are you family?""No. We met sometime back, but she left some personal items with me. I want to return them to her.""Can I see some ID, please?"Dimitri reached into his pocket to dig out his wallet. He handed over his driver's license.

4.

The hard ground was cold, and her teeth chattered violently while she tried to get warm. She could see the shadows of the guards that walked along the door but didn't bother to call out. She lay, curled around herself in the centre of the room as she prayed for the sun to rise. There would be a little warmth then. A reprieve from the cold night. She needed it. Her body was breaking down a little more each second. Ayesha woke up from her nightmare to the sound of Joseph bustling around the apartment. Her eyes searched for the clock. It was 8:12. She must have fallen asleep while scrolling through her phone. When she got out of bed, she walked out of her dark room and into the lit living room."Joseph?""Hey, sorry. I woke you."“It's alright. What are you doing?”“Did you forget? I am working a party tonight. The one I told you about, in the big house up in High Elm Lane?”“Right. Sorry, my sleepy brain isn’t cooperating with me.” She sat on the high stool and watched him pack up his b

5.

The party started winding down around one, and by two, it was over. Guests trickled out of the house in small numbers, saying their goodbyes and complimenting his mother on the party.Dimitri left his sisters and Sofia conversing by the fire and went to look for his mother. He found her speaking with the staff they hired and stood by the door, watching until she was done. One by one, the workers began to leave, returning inside to finish the work that was left. Dimitri stepped aside to let them pass and walked over to the counter.“The party was lovely, mother.”She basked in the praise, smiling at him. “I am glad you liked it. As soon as this place is cleared, we can all get some sleep. I can’t believe it went on for as long as it did.”“You underestimate the power of gossip and alcohol. It’s typically what people go to parties for. At least, I think it is.”“It most certainly is not."His younger sister walked into the kitchen, waving her phone in the air. He lifted his arm and she c

6.

Note to self. If you stopped practising a skill for more than a few years, there is a good chance you could forget the basics.Ayesha's fingers were muddied by wet clay. She had started her pottery class a week before. At first, she went out to buy a wheel, intending to practise in her apartment to kill time. After three failed attempts and a mess to clean up, she decided it was best to sign up for a class. She found a few cheap classes online, then settled for the one that best suited her. An hour thirty minutes a day for three days a week.She enjoyed her classes, but everything was more difficult than when she was a kid. Her teacher, Daniela, was also the owner of a well-known pottery shop called Made for Homes. The class was held in a spacious room behind the store. It held fifteen students at a time. The pottery wheels for students were arranged in front of the teachers. Ayesha sat in the middle, looking on as Daniela demonstrated how to centre for the umpteenth time.When the cla

7.

After three hours of working, Ayesha still found herself smiling. Into the industrial trawler, she sorted out the next batch of towels and sheets she had as part of her quota for the day. She had her headphones over her ears, listening to music while she worked.Her mind travelled once in a while to the conversation she had with Dimitri earlier in the morning. In truth, it left her flustered as well as anxious. There was no doubt that she liked being around him. Three times they had met, and each time left her giddy and dosed with excitement. This time, she wondered if he thought or felt the same about her. Worse, today, when she asked to take him out for a drink.A drink!The simple invitation to go out for drinks brought about many facts. Facts that came to mind after he had left. Ayesha barely knew anything about the man apart from his name. What did she know about his life, that she was allowing herself to sink deeper and deeper into a hole of unknown depth? She had never considere

8.

Dimitri drove into Ayesha's apartment complex on Saturday evening before calling her phone. He had been on his way to the cafe when he remembered that it was also the same route to her place. He didn't want to seem presumptuous but summed that it wouldn't be too strange for him to pick her up. At least that's what he told himself as he listened to the caller tune. "Hello?""Hi." He paused, wondering if she was even ready. He didn't want it to seem like she needed to hurry. "So, I am at your place.""Hmm?" He heard metal clink and looked up at the building before realizing he couldn't make out which one was hers. "I wanted to pick you up since it was down the same road. I am at your place.""You didn't have to.""I know. Couldn't help myself.""Give me five minutes and I'll be down.""Sure. Take your time."He glanced up at the building as the call dropped. He could go in, but he decided it was better to stay by his car, so he leaned against it and began scrolling the internet for so

9.

Dimitri drove her back to the apartment building after their night out ended. He walked her to the door, and they stood outside for a few minutes talking until he had to leave. This time, tucking away any awkwardness she felt, Ayesha perked up and asked for his number. With little hesitation, Dimitri typed it into her phone and made her call so she could see it ring, and he saved her name on his phone.They said goodbye, and he returned to his car. Ayesha remained outside, waved goodbye and only went in after his car took the turn and disappeared.Ayesha breezed past through the hall, not paying attention to anyone as she got into the elevator. Though they had not made plans to go out some other time, she was content with how the night went.No, it had not been a date. Yes, she was developing a bit of a crush on someone she had only met a handful of times. One of those times was when he ran her over, but she didn’t think much about those things. Dimitri was an easy person to like. At l

10.

The clouds were partially darkening in some areas around town, and there seemed to be a storm looming, but it was taking its time getting here. He had been hiking for over a week, finding new spots to take as often as possible. It was refreshing to walk out early in the morning and enjoy a walk among the trees. Leaves crunched underneath his sports shoes while he trekked along the patched trail that meandered around the forest floor. There were others on the trail. A few joggers, some walkers, cyclists and couples exercising together. Trees towered above him, their shadows creating patterns on the floor with what little light hit them. After the hike, he sat on the hood of his car, watching the clouds while music played over his headphones. His phone vibrated beside him, and he answered the call after peeking at the caller ID. “Hey.” Sofia greeted, sounding chirpy, but a little out of breath. “Hi.” “I just left your parents' house. She told me you finally moved into your new place

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