Tick Tock Goes The Clock

Tick tock. Tick tock. The clock hung on the wall, waiting for the arrival of the new coming year. Tick tock. Tick tock. In just a couple days, the annual New Year's festival would be held at the Kacen mansion. Tick tock. Tick tock. BAM!

I jolted, ramming my knee into the desk, and I let out a whine. Oh God. That hurt. The loud noise rang through the empty room, bright in the eve of silence. Sighing, I placed down the letter in my hands to calmly glance around my shoulder. The broken clock on the ground reminded me of my scattered thoughts at the moment.

Another suitor enquiry letter that made my head throb. And not in the good way. I tossed it in the waste-bin, taking a sip of the tea that has gone cold on the corner of my desk. The door swung open and I grinned at the arrival of my zealous uncle.

"Kendra!" he greeted, coming over to sit on my bed. "Your parents are threatening me. Can you believe it? They said that if they don't help out in preparation of the festival, I'll be thrown out."

A snicker bubbled out. "Uncle Aldric. This is the biggest event of the year here in Atmore. My parents have been going silly since a month ago."

There was also another reason that underlined that one, however. Atmore had been going into economic recline, and my family was slowly spinning into debt. My father, the viscount of Atmore, had been trying to figure out a solution, but things had been going out of hand lately.

The New Year's Festival was an annual one that my family took pride in. It usually was held in the town square, but since the county was short on money this year, my father decided to hold it in our mansion. And that was why, this year, the New Year's Festivals held much more importance than usual. We were hoping to rack in money this way, inviting guests from all over the land. Everything had to be perfect.

Another situation that I was not looking forward to was that fact that my parents were trying to marry me off. Luckily, I knew that they had my best interests in mind and were not just aiming to get a large profit off of a marriage alliance. Most young maidens could not say the same sadly. But still, my mother was pushing for I to catch the interests of higher ranking men.

Uncle Aldric took the teacup from my hands and took a sip, gagging.

"My goodness, poppet. This is disgusting. Are you too distraught to get your own cup of hot tea?"

I rolled my eyes at his term of endearment. His little poppet had grown to be the complete opposite of the little nickname. My uncle called me poppet as a young girl, because I was a petite, delicate girl growing up. Now eighteen winters, I was taller than most women, and sharper as well. In both the mind and tongue, I'd like to believe.

"Tea is tea, Uncle. Anyways, I am doing fine. These love letters are starting to drive me insane, however. How can someone declare their love without even meeting me? People these days are desperate and delusional."

Uncle Aldric clapped his hands. "Well said, Kendra. Well said. But still. How can men not be enamored by your beauty?"

"Ha! Good joke, Uncle. I'll believe when I see it."

He sat the cup down on my desk. "Come. Let's have dinner with your parents before they start to bicker like animals."

I laughed. "Ah yes. The bickering."

Uncle Aldric pulled me up from my chair, and I quickly brushed my hair up into a graceful up-do. He grabbed a nearby shawl and wrapped it around my shoulders before taking my arm and leading me down to the dining room.