Chapter 6

The three ladies narrowed their eyes a little. The last name sounded familiar. Seeing as he was still pushing the box to her, she looked at her girls and they just shrugged. She took the box. 

"Thank you." She thanked him and bowed but Austin stopped her from doing so.

"You don't have to. I mean we hold the same title." He wasn't speaking very detailedly and Alexandra was trying to understand, "I'm the son of Duke Joshua McCartney of the South."

He said and the girls eyes widened. Son of the Southern Duke? That meant... He was Kiara's brother!! The girls were really surprised, they really didn't expect this. Moreover, what is the Southern Duke's son doing in the East? The carnival was to take place in the Midland. Where the Castle of Caestria was built.

"Ah, did that surprise you? You don't really have to introduce yourself. I know you're the daughter of the Eastern Duke." He said and looked at his wristwatch. "I'll see you some other time." He waved at her, but Alexandra was too stunned to return the action.

The three ladies sat in the carriage and the coachman continued the journey back home. Alexandra was still shocked and still couldn't speak.

"I didn't even know Kiara had a brother. Is he older or younger, though?" It was Cloe who spoke.

"What I don't understand, is why he actually got the sword for you. Are you sure he's not already taking a liking to you, love at first sight?" She scoffed. "He should back off, you're already taken by the prince." She rolled her eyes. She didn't like Kiara, it was obvious that she wouldn't like her brother. "By the way, I and Keiran are going on a date, tomorrow." She smiled, talking about her lover. 

That was when Alexandra looked up and smiled. "Aw, that's sweet. The time of evening?" She asked and Cleo nodded like a rattle.

Cleo talking about Keiran made Cloe remember Keith, and then she unknowingly blushed with a little smile.

"Woah, Cloe. Did you just blush?!" Cleo was surprised. She saw her twin sister and Anita's son talking with eachother but she didn't really see anything to it as then, she was still looking for gowns. "You like him already, don't you? Come to think of it, he's actually handsome. His brown hair and metal eyes, that is exactly your type! Alex, you remember when we were describing how we want our man to look like, and Cloe gave the exact description of Aunty Anita's son!!" At this point, Cloe's ears were bleeding, 'cause she was literally sitting beside Cleo.

"We just talked. Nothing more or less. Don't take things too far, Cleo." She rolled her eyes and the two other ladies just laughed.

Alexandra watched the twins bicker with eachother and she just wanted to paint this moment. It was beautiful to have such bestfriends who would always have your back no matter what. 

It was clocking the hour of seven in the evening when the three ladies came back to the Carmarthen's mansion. The twins didn't enter inside and only bid Alexandra goodbye and left with their own carriage.

Brione was sitting in her study room,reading a book about magic, when she heard the squeak of the door, she looked up. "You're back?"

"Yes, mama." She said and sat down on the couch at the leftside of the room.

"How did shopping go?" Brione closed the book and put back in the shelf behind her.

Alexandra recollected all that had happened for the day. "It went well, I guess. I met the son of Duke McCartney." She said and her mother raised a brow.

"Kiara's brother?" Brione stood up to go and sit with her daughter on the couch.

Alexandra's eyes followed her mother's action, "You knew she had a brother?" She asked.

Brione chuckled and looked at her daughter as though she had lost a part of her sense in the market. "I'm a Duchess, my love. Of course I'd know." Ah, that's true. Alexandra thought. "The Crown Prince is coming back from war, in the week to come." She notified her. "We'll travel to the Midland a day before the carnival." 

Alexandra nodded at the information. "Do you know exactly the day of the Prince's return?"

"He'll return on the Tuesday. So we'll have to leave on Monday." Brione answered. 

Alexandra counted how many days that were left before the carnival as it was a Wednesday. "Is papa coming too?" She asked and Brione nodded. Of course her father would come. He is a Duke.

Alexandra rested her head on her mother's shoulder. She was tired out because of the activities of the day.