The Royal Invitation
Chapter 16
Alex’s POV:
"Hey, Garry, how's the King's tour going?" I asked, closing the door behind me, leaving the serenaded of punk music behind. As it goes, the group and I were spending our free night partying, Garry most likely calling to check in. With the tour almost finished, we'd be back in Dalewin in no time at all.
"As good as expected, how's America holding up?" He replied, shooting me a knowing look via facetime.
"As good as expected," I countered with a smirk.
"And Aerowyn?"
"A completely different person." I laughed, almost jumping out of my skin as her way too familiar voice perked up behind me.
"Hey, I'm not that different!" She defended, nudging my arm lightly.
"For someone used to Aerowyn, adjusting to Matilde is a process."
She snorted, "you're just boring, Gaskarth."
"Says you." I bit back, scrunching my face as I turned to look at her. She stared back, sticking her tongue out as if to taunt me.
"I see you two are getting on just fine," Garry chuckled, the both of us turning to face him as we remembered he was there. With Aerowyn it was easy to get lost in the moment; too easy.
"She's tolerable," I replied almost matter-of-factly.
"And you're not," she giggled, shooting a playful glance at me.
"I'm your favourite person, just admit it."
"Sorry, Mr Ego, but Augustus holds that spot."
I rolled my eyes, deciding against calling her bluff, part of me insisting her favourite was neither me or Augustus.
"Well I'm glad you're enjoying the break. You'll be happy to know that Augustus is fitting into his new roles just fine," Garry explained with an ardent grin, "and your father is loved by the country almost as much as your grandfather was."
"That's good to hear. I was concerned it would be too much for the both of them."
"Of course not, I just hope it's not too much for you," Garry opposed, each word oozing with sympathy.
"I'm practically on vacation," Aerowyn laughed.
“Yes, of course. I’m happy you’re taking the time to relax,” Garry added, grinning, “well I’ll leave the two of you to it. By the sounds of it you’ve got quite the night ahead.”
“Okay, I’ll speak to you later,” I assured, waving alongside Aerowyn before he ended the call.
“Well I’m glad everything’s going well in Dalewin,” Aerowyn declared, dancing a little as we made our way into the club.
“I’ll try to keep you updated if anything changes. Just let me know if there’s anything else you do need. I know living on a tour bus can be a bit much at times.”
"I'm already thankful for everything, Alex. Truly."
I nodded, the feeling returning to the pit of my stomach. I opened the door, Aerowyn half hugging me before running off and joining Jack on the dance floor. Deciding against dancing, I joined the rest of the group at the table, necking my current drink upon sitting.
The rest of the evening faded away with the music and drinks, reminding me of how much I enjoyed this lifestyle. Sure, I wasn’t drinking with the intention to meet a girl for the night, like usual, but I was still able to have fun.
“She is one hell of a dancer,” Mark huffed, taking a gulp of his drink as he slumped down beside me. He and Aerowyn had just danced their way through a battle, one of which I found amusing. Mark had some moves, but Aerowyn was twenty two with a history of ballroom dance classes and night clubs.
“Isn’t she just,” I chuckled, smiling as I watched her move to the beat of the music.
“For someone who works in a stable, yes.”
I watched him closely, noting his perfectly logical perception. Aerowyn had been stepping well out of her personality for the tour, and it seemed others were getting suspicious. Well, Mark was. Rian and Zack seemed to have assumed it was all in the readjusting from Dalewinian customs.
I turned my attention back to the crowd, attempting to spot Aerowyn in the mix. She had been dancing with Jack only moments before, though it seemed the two had disappeared.
"Did you see where Matilde and Jack got to?" I asked Mark, necking the last of my drink as I stood up. Despite having slowed down on my drinking tonight, I was still drifting between tipsy and drunk with no intention of stopping.
"They probably went for a refill," Mark shrugged it off, turning back to his conversation with Tom. I nodded, trudging my way over to the bar, not so nonchalantly.
"Alex, hey," Matt slurred, beckoning me over as he finished another drink of what appeared to be some form of vodka. Flyzik was, as you could say, my usual drinking buddy. Only I had deserted him tonight for literally everyone else I knew here.
"You, my friend, are going to regret everything in the morning," I chuckled, sliding into the chair beside him.
"Not if I leave with one of these fine women," he stated openly, spinning in his chair so the dance floor was in view.
"I wish you luck," I taunted, to which he glared back at me.
"You're not exactly on top of your game either, Gaskarth. I haven't seen you with a single girl yet."
"I've been busy," I affirmed.
"What, running around after your work friend?"
I furrowed my brows, unsure of what he was getting at.
"Come on Alex, we're not idiots. If anything, you're the idiot for not realising how obvious your crush is."
"Crush?" I snorted, shaking my head.
"Okay then," Matt shrugged, holding his hands up in defense, "tell yourself what you will."
I rolled my eyes, sliding out of the chair before making my way over to the door leading to the hallway. The bar was useless so maybe I'd have a little more luck with the toilets.
"Jack?" I shouted into the bathroom, awaiting a reply amongst the sound of flushing toilets and hand dryers. Though, as always, nothing.
After confirming that I wasn't drunk enough to even think about entering the girl's bathroom, I carried on down the hall.
About half a metre before the hallway ended there was a small alcove holding the entrance to what I assumed was a closet.
I caught a glimpse of Jack's hair and maybe even his lips connecting with another's before the door slammed shut in my face. The female figure was unrecognizable from the angle she was at, but her familiar green converse were more than enough of a clue.
I trudged back into the night club, stealing Matt's drink and necking it before he could say anything. He looked at me in a strange mixture of concern and sympathy, but I shrugged it off. With only one thing on my mind, I made it my mission to drink till I passed out hoping that all recollection of the night would fade away.
"Hey, Garry, how's the King's tour going?" I asked, closing the door behind me, leaving the serenaded of punk music behind. As it goes, the group and I were spending our free night partying, Garry most likely calling to check in. With the tour almost finished, we'd be back in Dalewin in no time at all.
"As good as expected, how's America holding up?" He replied, shooting me a knowing look via facetime.
"As good as expected," I countered with a smirk.
"And Aerowyn?"
"A completely different person." I laughed, almost jumping out of my skin as her way too familiar voice perked up behind me.
"Hey, I'm not that different!" She defended, nudging my arm lightly.
"For someone used to Aerowyn, adjusting to Matilde is a process."
She snorted, "you're just boring, Gaskarth."
"Says you." I bit back, scrunching my face as I turned to look at her. She stared back, sticking her tongue out as if to taunt me.
"I see you two are getting on just fine," Garry chuckled, the both of us turning to face him as we remembered he was there. With Aerowyn it was easy to get lost in the moment; too easy.
"She's tolerable," I replied almost matter-of-factly.
"And you're not," she giggled, shooting a playful glance at me.
"I'm your favourite person, just admit it."
"Sorry, Mr Ego, but Augustus holds that spot."
I rolled my eyes, deciding against calling her bluff, part of me insisting her favourite was neither me or Augustus.
"Well I'm glad you're enjoying the break. You'll be happy to know that Augustus is fitting into his new roles just fine," Garry explained with an ardent grin, "and your father is loved by the country almost as much as your grandfather was."
"That's good to hear. I was concerned it would be too much for the both of them."
"Of course not, I just hope it's not too much for you," Garry opposed, each word oozing with sympathy.
"I'm practically on vacation," Aerowyn laughed.
“Yes, of course. I’m happy you’re taking the time to relax,” Garry added, grinning, “well I’ll leave the two of you to it. By the sounds of it you’ve got quite the night ahead.”
“Okay, I’ll speak to you later,” I assured, waving alongside Aerowyn before he ended the call.
“Well I’m glad everything’s going well in Dalewin,” Aerowyn declared, dancing a little as we made our way into the club.
“I’ll try to keep you updated if anything changes. Just let me know if there’s anything else you do need. I know living on a tour bus can be a bit much at times.”
"I'm already thankful for everything, Alex. Truly."
I nodded, the feeling returning to the pit of my stomach. I opened the door, Aerowyn half hugging me before running off and joining Jack on the dance floor. Deciding against dancing, I joined the rest of the group at the table, necking my current drink upon sitting.
The rest of the evening faded away with the music and drinks, reminding me of how much I enjoyed this lifestyle. Sure, I wasn’t drinking with the intention to meet a girl for the night, like usual, but I was still able to have fun.
“She is one hell of a dancer,” Mark huffed, taking a gulp of his drink as he slumped down beside me. He and Aerowyn had just danced their way through a battle, one of which I found amusing. Mark had some moves, but Aerowyn was twenty two with a history of ballroom dance classes and night clubs.
“Isn’t she just,” I chuckled, smiling as I watched her move to the beat of the music.
“For someone who works in a stable, yes.”
I watched him closely, noting his perfectly logical perception. Aerowyn had been stepping well out of her personality for the tour, and it seemed others were getting suspicious. Well, Mark was. Rian and Zack seemed to have assumed it was all in the readjusting from Dalewinian customs.
I turned my attention back to the crowd, attempting to spot Aerowyn in the mix. She had been dancing with Jack only moments before, though it seemed the two had disappeared.
"Did you see where Matilde and Jack got to?" I asked Mark, necking the last of my drink as I stood up. Despite having slowed down on my drinking tonight, I was still drifting between tipsy and drunk with no intention of stopping.
"They probably went for a refill," Mark shrugged it off, turning back to his conversation with Tom. I nodded, trudging my way over to the bar, not so nonchalantly.
"Alex, hey," Matt slurred, beckoning me over as he finished another drink of what appeared to be some form of vodka. Flyzik was, as you could say, my usual drinking buddy. Only I had deserted him tonight for literally everyone else I knew here.
"You, my friend, are going to regret everything in the morning," I chuckled, sliding into the chair beside him.
"Not if I leave with one of these fine women," he stated openly, spinning in his chair so the dance floor was in view.
"I wish you luck," I taunted, to which he glared back at me.
"You're not exactly on top of your game either, Gaskarth. I haven't seen you with a single girl yet."
"I've been busy," I affirmed.
"What, running around after your work friend?"
I furrowed my brows, unsure of what he was getting at.
"Come on Alex, we're not idiots. If anything, you're the idiot for not realising how obvious your crush is."
"Crush?" I snorted, shaking my head.
"Okay then," Matt shrugged, holding his hands up in defense, "tell yourself what you will."
I rolled my eyes, sliding out of the chair before making my way over to the door leading to the hallway. The bar was useless so maybe I'd have a little more luck with the toilets.
"Jack?" I shouted into the bathroom, awaiting a reply amongst the sound of flushing toilets and hand dryers. Though, as always, nothing.
After confirming that I wasn't drunk enough to even think about entering the girl's bathroom, I carried on down the hall.
About half a metre before the hallway ended there was a small alcove holding the entrance to what I assumed was a closet.
I caught a glimpse of Jack's hair and maybe even his lips connecting with another's before the door slammed shut in my face. The female figure was unrecognizable from the angle she was at, but her familiar green converse were more than enough of a clue.
I trudged back into the night club, stealing Matt's drink and necking it before he could say anything. He looked at me in a strange mixture of concern and sympathy, but I shrugged it off. With only one thing on my mind, I made it my mission to drink till I passed out hoping that all recollection of the night would fade away.
