Amber Memories, Forgotten

-Memories Seems so Painful Now-

"Dark matter has a gravitational effect on other objects.

You can't see it, you can't feel it, but you can watch something being pulled in its direction."

Did you, my lady, even know what you had been talking about at that time?

Was this what they called fatal attraction?


The crowd applauded when the curtains rose spectacularly up once again, revealing slowly but steady the new actors that would present another arc of the story. The stage background had changed from a formal setting of Athens royal court to a mischievous setting of dark woods. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare is a romance comedy that sets to present the fine line that sets apart illusion and reality, dark and light, dreaming and waking. What one might see at a certain moment might not really be the actual full view of the truth.

In other words, it was all about lying to get something and lying to prevent someone from getting hurt- or yourself. This was how the world worked, wasn't it? How this peaceful world is all just a deception that had been done so to prevent people from discovering the truth- that they were under the constant attack from the dark side, while the good side- if you even chose to believe them- was trying hard to defend them- its hard work done without much appreciation.

Kaeda Amber applauded politely along with the rest of the audience after shooting a stern warning at her older sister. She had agreed on coming out to watch this play with her sibling but the latter only seem to be interested in trying to engage meaningless conversation with her. Really, Shakespeare would turn in his grave to have someone appreciating his work in such a… verbal way.

"Seriously, I really don't know what has happened to you," gushed the older lady as she waved a turquoise fan at herself then at her sister. "But the change in you, it's really great to see you welcoming society the way I always do."

Kaeda ignored her sister as she laughed at the affable character yet to be changed into an ass. It was a good thing that they had a balcony view to themselves- how embarrassing it would have been if others would to shoot disapproving look at her inconsiderate sister.

"I mean, look at the eager way those men fluttered around you, beaming at you, vying for your…"

"They were not beaming as brilliantly as you, my dear sister," said Kaeda acidly as she cut off the latter.

The older Lady Amber only laughed. "The Duke was especially…"

"You were smiling more at Lord Mikk," Kaeda looked up as she mentioned that name in particular, stunning her sister for a brief second. "Lord Tyki Mikk."

Cocking her head to an angle, her sister gave her a bewildered look before bursting into laughter. "So you do adore Lord Mikk after all. I had been thinking of matching you with the Duke. However, if it's his young lordship that you prefer, it's fine with me too. That young man, I would admit, is irresistibly dashing-"

"Did I know him from somewhere somehow?" queried Kaeda as she ignored what nonsense her sister was regurgitating again. The audience was now indulged in the monologue by the young lovesick lady- Helena. "He mentioned that we had danced before."

"Of course you did," cheered the older lady as her eyes beamed with enthusiasm. Kaeda noticed that her sister had picked her turquoise fan so that it could compliment her clear blue eyes well. "He was the young man at the mask party whom you had thought was Mr. Camelot! Boy, it must have been fate…"

Kaeda frowned a little at her sister's exclamation. The thoughts in her head did not seem to connect much with the latter's words. She decided to ignore that particular incident which she could not recall and allowed her sister to continue.

"Well, Lord Mikk's would be a really good catch, I would say," commented the older Amber lady before pausing to ponder. "Not as good as my sweet husband, but the young man comes from a reputable family. His brother, Mr. Sheryl Camelot, is the minister, while his uncle is an Earl too. This family holds a lot of power, it seems, and I remembered Honey did mention that many major military decisions were made by his brother."

"So the whole family is in this town?"

"Yes," nodded Kaeda's sister as her pretty brows furrowed in deep thoughts. "But the Earl is often out these few days. Lord Mikk comes in replacement for the latter. Then again, it's explainable with that pretty face of his… I heard he's quite a Casanova too; but that source's not really reliable. Furthermore, I'm pretty certain that my dear sister here would be able to tie him down. Wouldn't you? "

Kaeda rolled her eyes before bringing her binoculars up to them so that she could take a closer look at the ass-head the poor man had just been transferred to. "That is not what I would be interested in. Why did you say that your dear honey is not here again?"

A sigh escaped from the young lady as she listened on to her sister's mindless rattle about her husband once again. She knew that it was the only way to divert her attention and was about to tune out her words when she realized that the curtains had fallen for an interval.

"It's the interval now, Sis, let's take a break from your verbal appreciation of Shakespearian work and… Sis?" asked Kaeda in surprise to find the seat next to her pretty much empty. It seemed that the chatterbox had exited from the balcony faster than she did realize. Really, her husband must have a real job controlling her; she thought as the aristocrat walked out to the society once again with a fixed smile.

"Hope you enjoyed the interval, my ladyship."

Kaeda nodded her head politely as the male attendant lifted the curtains for her to get back to her viewing gallery. Her head spun a little from the champagne the other ladies had been piling her on but still managed to keep her consciousness. The show was just another cover for the society to mingle and gossip in; a fact she had long realized since attending the first theatre performance. She would have enjoyed it well if not for the socializing involved.

Sighing as she propped herself back onto the well-cushioned seat, she raised an eyebrow at the still-empty seat next to her. Seriously, she grumbled silently, why did her sister even bothered asking her along for accompany when she would be abandoning her halfway through? Never mind then, I would now be able to enjoy the play in peace. A small satisfied smile played on her lips as her eyes allowed themselves to transfix on the infatuation the fairy queen exhibited on the nonchalant ass-head: Titania and Bottom.

"People of different class can never be together, can they?"

Kaeda turned around immediately, stunned at the sudden intrusion of another voice, one that was both graceful and teasing. She stiffened suddenly and tried to keep her composure before smiling at the rude man. "If it isn't Lord Mikk," she greeted courteously at the lean man dressed in the height of fashion. Was that a new jewel pinned to his neck-cloth?

"Sorry for the intrusion. May I have a seat?" He asked amusedly, taking the seat when his female companion nodded her head. Her sister must have been sitting really close to her, he noted, when he realized that his thigh would be touching hers if he were to sit the full capacity of the chair. Feeling charitable, he decided to maintain some distance between them. "I'm glad that you have not forgotten me like the way you did previously. You'd alone?"

Kaeda nodded her head and explained. Smiling, Tyki listened and nodded his head too. He knew, of course, that her sister had abandoned her all of the sudden and had seen the younger lady from the Amber family bustling around, chattered and turned and twisted as she entertained the superficial talks of the gentry, giving a smile on one and a smirk on the other. "Enjoying the play?"

"Pretty much, but I do send my pity to that ass-head down there," answered Kaeda, her eyes not leaving the sight of the stage.

Tyki mused and peered down at the actor. "Why, because he has to wear such a heavy prop for a long duration?"

"No," said the young lady good-mannerly as she sighed and sent a sympathetic face to Tyki. "I pity that an ass-head cannot help but be one." She smiled weakly, allowing the corners of her lips to curve up a little. "Look, Hippolyta and Theseus are out."

Tyki clenched his jaws for control. She enjoys playing with her words, he reminded himself, sending a silent curse to no one in particular. "A good match, aren't they? I woo'd thee with my sword and won thy love doing thee injuries. Romantic huh."

Kaeda felt her eyes rolling imaginary at that. Instead, she smiled back. "I prefer non-violent stories."

"Is that a hint?" mocked Tyki before chuckling lightly when he saw that the latter's face was now folding into lines of disapproval and irritation that quickly smoothened out again. He decided to e nice and changed the subject. "Violent, wars. It's sad that we are watching plays about love here while the men at war now are pining for their own love."

Cocking a sarcastic brow up while still fixing her eyes on the performers, Kaeda's voice came out monotonous as she replied him. "It's sad; war that is. But there's no choice when we're under threat, ain't it? We have to fight," she said flatly. "That's what they all said."

"Yes, our war seems inevitable at the moment. Of course, our government would always have taken an alternative option if there was one, but in this case…"

"There was none right," finished the young lady for the lordship as her eyes hardened with a glaze- like a coat to protect her. "Oh, the ass-head is making a fool of himself again," she mocked gently and glanced at Tyki for a brief moment. A smirk slid on her lips when she noticed Lord Mikk's fist clenching tighter. Did his jaw just twitch from anger or something?

"Yes," swallowed Tyki as if that would prevent his irritation from erupting. "It had really been a humorous comedy indeed."

Just you wait, young lady.


"My lovely brother is home again," chirped the minister as he fluttered around the younger man like a starving butterfly around a newfound flower. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yo," greeted the latter sarcastically as he waved his brother off and propped himself onto a chair next to the Earl. He could hear the gentle chinking of china again each other and soft rustling of newspaper when it was flipped. "Certainly."

"I heard Shakespearean works are very entertaining," said Sheryl Camelot excitably as he stood behind the Earl, peering at the newspaper the latter was reading. The latest military news bored him, but there was a little advertisement about matchmaking that interested him. So this was what the society had been indulging in during these times of war- really, humans.

"Nothing but a bunch of superficial love stories," Tyki replied before a yawn caught his words.

"You shouldn't say that. He is one of the greatest-"

"Hey Earl," greet Tyki as he ignored his older brother who was infamously a fan of drama arts. Such a man would even be moved into tears by music and paintings. An irony; considering what he did for a living- or for entertainment to be more exact. On the other hand, the older Earl only gave a slight nod to indicate his interest.

"You remember that offer you two wanted me to make?"

"What-?" disrupted Sheryl as he cut himself in between the two men. Then it struck him and he burst out laughing. "Oh, that," he teased.

"I already have someone in my mind for-"

Sheryl forged a serious expression and mocked his younger brother. "It isn't all that easy, you know. This time it must be different from the other women you-"

"And wanted to seek your-"

"You need to woo and court her slowly, seeking for acceptance before-"

"Consent about-"

"Of course, I know who you have in mind, my dear brother. Quite a tough nut to crack but I would say that she would be a good choice. She's after all the-"

"If you agree, then I would-"

"Youngest daughter left to her father. Nonetheless, her immense fortune would go well with our power and-"

"Shut up, Bro," snapped Tyki as he glared at the latter before returning back to his calm composure. By now, Sheryl had decided to tune down and shut up for once to allow his cute brother to make his big decision. Even the Earl had decided to place his Herald Times down for once.

The birds hiding in the shades of the trees continued to chirp while the butterflies around the bushes of flowers continued to flutter despite the decision made by the young man that would affect all their life drastically. The cool afternoon wind, it was spring after all, blew gently at the three, caressing their hair as it did so. Tyki took a sip of English Afternoon tea which one of the maids just offered. It tasted just right on his tongue, the way her name, no matter what it would be, often did.

"I will be asking for Lady Kaeda Amber's hand."

I will be accomplishing that.


A/N: A Midsummer Night's Dream is really a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare and all the quotes here were taken from the text itself. The characters includes Bottom the craftsman who was transformed into an ass-head by some magic, Titania the fairy queen who under influence of some love potion fall for the former when he was in his bestial form, resulting in much comedy. Hermia is one of the four lovers in the play where she falls crazily for a man whom loved her not so much so that she was willing to risk anything, while Hippolyta and Theseus are kinda minor characters in the play taken from history. I hope that would solve much doubt. Herald Times is a newspaper popular in the Victorian Times. I don't know what post Sheryl holds, but am pretty certain that it involves the control of troops. Yep, hope you enjoyed this chapter. btw, if the conversation btw Sheryl and Tyki gets confusing, just read them by alternate lines