They Would Be Married

***

As soon as Alexander stormed into his room, he marched furiously to the table and swept everything off it, sending books, papers, inkpots, trinkets and an empty brandy glass crashing to the ground in a chaotic heap. Unsatisfied with the destruction, he kicked the nearby chair, watching as the pitiable furniture flew across the room and hit the wall with a loud thud. Seething with anger, he grabbed a bottle of wine from the side table and hurled it into the fireplace. The bottle shattered into a thousand pieces, and for a brief moment, the flames roared angrily before settling back to their normal flicker. Yet, the fire within Alexander did not dimmer.