A gentleman
is one who never
hurts
anyone's feelings
UNintentionally.
- Oscar Wilde
- Mornings use to be such a grand time! It was in the early mornings that plans were made-executed and battles were won! That all changed. Life was peaceful, tranquil- boring. Aiden looked out the window of his apartment loft. He would have stayed in the mansion that had been provided for him, but he wanted some time alone. The servants constantly under foot could be a drag. It also made him feel as if he was being watched. The Sovereign Prince was a bit paranoid when it came to such things. Being in the military for so long came with its defaults, one of, those defaults was a lack of trust especially for those closest to him. It was true that the ones close to you were the ones that were best a betrayal. He’d read it over and over in history and seen it happen more than once. In fact, he had been the power behind orchestrating such betrayals more times than he’d like to remember. All in the name of justice and peace of course! That thought deserved a drink if none other did. Some would argue it was too early for whiskey, but that didn’t stop him from having some with the tea that sat on his desk. The spiked drink had yet to be touched. Which was unusual, by now the cup would have already been filled for the second time. But, there was something else on Aiden’s mind, something that kept him from the drink- his morning ritual. The hour it self was ghastly! Much too early to be engaging in a self search as it seemed he was inclined to do this morning. The night before, he had enjoyed himself, to the point of near exhaustion. The least he could have done, as a favor to him self, was stay in bed until at least noon. But, oh no! He hadn’t allowed himself that luxury. Instead, as early as it could, his conscience dragged him from sleep only to leave him in a stew of thoughts he could not sort out. If there was anything he disliked it was not having some clear direction in his mind. True! He was not one to have great plans to direct his actions, but he still liked to have an outline of some sort. What good did it do anyone to wonder around with no outlined plan of action? It was almost as ridiculous as planning every day ahead of time.
He was caught in foolish thoughts, women thoughts. And, this was what it was all boiling down to. Thoughts. Aiden wasn’t, nor had he ever been a man of thought. He had always lived, no existed by action. The lack thereof was killing him, slowly draining him. He needed a diversion a distraction. Obviously sparring was not enough to keep him busy. When one went from being engaged in battle daily, it was only logical that they would crave it when withdrawn from it. And, he was indeed suffering withdrawal. Combat had been his drug and now without it, he felt hopeless, helpless. Things were getting desperate on his behalf. He had been approached by an unnamed source for a bit of business that would not yet be named. That, at least, held his interest. But, it was not enough. There was a great difference between having your attention sparked and actually doing something. And, there was no guarantee he would agree to the proposal that would be placed before him. Sticky situation that. What was obvious to the Prince was this, at least. It was perhaps beyond time for him to get back on the field. He would be much better at directing men; training and preparing them for battle. There he would at least be of use; he would be using his body and skill. This sitting among others and listening to complaints about things that were obvious to fix gave him a headache at the end of every day. He was sure it was his place on the council, for a few countries, as well as his position in the court that was driving him to drink at such a young age. And, he was still young. At eight and twenty years, Aiden would say he wasn’t even yet at his prime. His family was known for their long lives. Some had lived even beyond four score and ten. He expected he would reach well beyond three decades. Already the third was almost upon him and beyond his skill as a fight/warrior, what did he truly has to show for it?
Aiden turned away from the window with a look of disgust. What was the point in searching for something more than what he was already? Didn’t he know himself? Indeed! He was a warrior, a man made for battle. There was no more and no less to him. This searching for more was not him. It was another influence that should not be. But, these things were so easy to slip into the barriers of a man if he was not careful to watch for it. It was these very thoughts that made a person restless. These very thoughts that caused a man to betray everything he had come to stand for. Turning from the window he walked over to the desk, and took a significant gulp of the tea that was laced with whiskey. It was the court and their talk that was turning him into a drunkard. Setting the cup down on the desk Aiden looked over at the papers that were spread across his desk. More treaties, more papers to read, more choices to help make; this whole ordeal was becoming tiresome-tedious at beast. Standing with his back to the window, allowed the sun to paint golden hues around his figure as he contemplated what he should dedicate his morning to. The prince was shaped much like the gods his family was said to hail from. His face chiseled by the goddess Aphrodite. And, the body that was his own bore the true form of a warrior. There was no bulging muscle but instead a hidden strength behind muscles that were agile and toned. He could not be called lean, nor could he label thick. Instead, he was that balance in between that many sought to achieve but very few obtained. There were some that were simply blessed, and the ‘gods’ did fair one of their own so much more than they did others. Or, so Aiden often told himself. Aiden was dressed in a pair of grey pleated slacks. The shirt he wore was a custom fit long sleeve polo shirt, the shade was some dark orange he couldn’t name, and they were all the same to him anyway. Out of habit he pushed the sleeves up until they were bunched below his elbows. And yes, darn it. His shirt was indeed tucked in his pants and his brown belt with the gold plated buckle was on display for all to see. Not that anyone could see him in the confines of his home, but if he were to go out, then people would see! But, while he was stuck in the small office that was placed as far from his bedroom as possible; he and his tucked shirt would have to focus on the papers before him.
A slight distraction might improve his mood. The internet….he was sure there would be some interesting gossip going on at this time in the morning. It was always in the morning gossip was most interesting and appealing! With that thought in mind, the man walked over to the large computer screen that was spread across the wall before him. Naturally, his computer operated through voice recognition, so there was no need for a mouse or any of those horrid contraptions used during the twentieth century. What an absolute hassle it must have been to work all those details out, especially when you could simply tell the computer just what you wanted of it. His voice was strong as he gave the order for the computer to bring up the local ‘rag’. The rag was the nick name he gave to the gossip columns that were sure to it the stands at 530 every morning with out fail. And, every morning there was sure to be at least one of his fellow, ‘court’ members on the front page. As the page quickly loaded Aiden found he was not disappointed. Though, this bit of news was indeed a bit to scandalous even for his taste. Or, perhaps it wasn’t the nature of the rumor but instead to whom the rumor was directed. Aiden looked at the bold words that were scribbled in a vibrant red across the front page. Friends or Lovers, the title read and there underneath were pictures of Bellivia and her friend Penolope. Aiden knew the queen in the making as he often called her, would be livid about this little rumor. He would not give much thought to Penolope. The woman was a stranger to him and he could not recall ever engaging in a conversation with her. They had no use for each other and had made that much known to each other on more than one occasion. And, this was rather astonishing as Aiden was often one moved by damsels. If ever there was a damsel in need it would indeed be Penolope. But, for some reason they had never connected, even though Aiden is a close correspondence with Demetri. Perhaps it was because he had a damsel in mind already. Two damsel’s were simply one too many. And, he knew it was his damsel indeed that was creating the havoc this morning. This rumor did indeed have her hand print all over it. He would have to say the woman was resourceful at least. She was at least a worthy opponent. The war stopped and men were now stifled to act as ‘gentlemen’ but it seemed the battle had only just begun for the women. He wished for a brief second, and rather foolishly, that he was a woman simply to be in the midst of the action. Truly things were not so bad. If he did feel himself tipping over the edge he could always call upon Noah for a bit of entertainment. He did wonder where his ‘friend’ would find himself waking up this morning. For as long as he has known Noah as a friend, he could recall the chap ever waking up alone. It has proven to be a source of amusement for Aiden. One would think he would also be like Noah. One would not be more wrong. Aiden had an aversion for sleeping in the bed of another person; worse, he had an aversion for others sleeping in his bed that he did not ‘know’. This proved a tiresome and taxing situation when his flesh nagged him for the most basic means of fulfillment.
There were far more interesting issues than his sexual endeavors, or lack thereof. Something along the lines of this rumor and the slap on the wrist that would possibly come about as a result of it; Aiden shook his head. There were some situations that could indeed be avoided. But, in the court no one ever wanted to avoid situations. In fact, it seemed they were all more interested in creating situations more so than dissolving them. Given the ‘high’ life they lived he could perhaps understand the need for the conflict. He was much like the others; he enjoyed sitting in his skyscraper pointing his sharp aristocratic nose down at the general public, even within the general court life. Especially among those that had no ‘true’ title. Yes, snob he was. Not by choice of course, but by birth. Now that he was done with all the wonders of the internet and the wonderful gossip columns that spoke of other people that were important for the general public, but honestly had no hold on his life. Celebrities and all these others weren’t even worth mentioning, not when you were ranked a level above them in the social chain of importance. And, he was indeed ranked higher them. Some would say he was the cream of the crop when it came to the very existence of media adoration. He and the others within the court were the names that were elusive but too popular to ignore. It was a contradiction indeed but it was the reality of life. Clicking off the large screen and disconnecting himself from the outside world once again he returned to the desk of doom. Taking his seat, Aiden set his cell phone on the desk turning it up to the loudest as if he could miss the sound of his phone ringing in a room filled with nothing but silence, save the subtle sound of his existence. Even as he put the phone down he willed someone to call him. He desired at least one more distraction before he buried his nose in papers that need to read and sorted through. Five minutes passed and he decided there would be no call. Letting out a sigh, he figured it was time then, “ let’s get down to it then. Productiveness….thy name is Aiden!.”
Seven rolled into eight with infinite slowness and nine was not an egger bedfellow, of eight fifty nine. His morning was trudging along, but he managed to keep himself awake as he read through with some diligence the papers that were before him. Someone was complaining about migration onto their land. They obviously didn’t get the fact that boundaries weren’t a big thing anymore. People were being given world travelling passes for Pete’s sake. Who cared if your neighbors wanted to be closer to you? Hell in a year give or take those neighbors would become family. It was the way things worked. Eventually, these people would realize those they considered outsiders were nothing more than people who lived off of the same basic things they did; air, food, love and fear. That was at least his mantra. At one point, it had been his job to encourage the fear that existed within societies. He had been responsible for ensuring the division remained; thrived. Now, he was one being called to merge the very societies he worked so hard to divide. Fate was she not a creature of whim and fickle amusements. And, was he not just another being caught within her web? Such admissions did not bother Aiden much. He knew that there was a role he had in life and that role was to ensure that the rules of the society were followed. It didn’t matter what rules; all that mattered was him enforcing the rules. Looking down at the letter before him, he wondered if he should make a visit to this country, perhaps knock some heads together the town down. The last thing they needed was for rebels to get whiff of yet another group of people that were unsatisfied with the way their lives were being organized. Or…. No, no no. He couldn’t. He wasn’t going to be the one that caused some great destruction simply because he was idle. Who knew the repercussions that would be a result if he allowed this information to slip into the wrong fingers! He was tempted, but he would manage to restrain himself in this matter. Perhaps the best thing for him to do would be to go on a hunt of these rebels. Maybe some more time away from court would serve him well. It had been some time since he worked in a team of men living off of nothing more than adrenaline and the possibility of what could be. It was the thrill he missed. It was the thrill he was addicted to. And it was a shame. That could prove to be more dangerous than any rumor that could be started by a woman wishing to upset the ‘throne’. Aiden would not label himself a trouble maker in such extremes. Instead, he would simply say that he was potentially unstable to any train or strain. He was indeed that spark that could go in either direction. And, so far he was simply blowing around waiting for the right place to settle before he revealed his true potential.
She take my money, well I'm in need
Yeah she's a triflin' friend indeed
Oh she's a gold digger way over time
That digs on me
He had been waiting on a phone call. But, this one he could do without. The song was a classic from the twenty-first century and it applied to the caller from beautiful head to foot. His old ‘flame’, as the rags called her, was worse than any vulture or parasite currently living on the planet. She used his own weakness to reel him in and then once she managed to get him there that was when her claws came out. Aiden now had a very healthy respect for women and their ability to seem, rather than to be. Unfortunately, for his concentration on the matter at hand, the phone continued to ring. That was truly all he needed to give him just the distraction he wanted to push away from the desk and leave the rest of the papers until a later date. These issues weren’t going anywhere. So there was time to address them, eventually. He was sure they would be a great topic of debate in a few weeks. There was bound to be someone else within the court that received these tedious groups of papers. They would not leave him to be the only person responsible for such issues. Reaching over he, against his better judgment answered his phone.
“ Aiden Kinsey here….”
“ Are we on formal terms with each other now then Aiden?”
“ Marissa…..it’s good to hear you’re alive and well.”
“ Yes, and by no interest of your own Aiden. I would think you truly were writing me out of your life. Which would be foolish Aiden and you know that as much as I do.”
“ Foolish has never been a word used when describing me.”
“ I’m glad to hear this Aiden. I do believe it’s time for us to get over this hurdle,” the woman’s voice changed to that soft cooing that always managed to wheel him in, “ I miss you. I don’t know what happened Aiden but I do wish you would tell me so we can get over this.”
Aiden had to grit his teeth against the will to simply give in to this woman’s pleading. It was always his weakness with her and he could only imagine the way she laughed over it. Here he was a warrior in all manners but in relationships. Aiden would not allow the woman to play him for a fool, not again. Once, had been more than enough for his ego. There would be no second time for her to do more damage. “ I’m afraid we’re far beyond repairing what was Marissa.”
“ You’re being unreasonable.”
“ I’m afraid I’m not. Though, I would ask something of you.”
“ What would you ask of me Aiden?”
“ Maintain some of the dignity that attracted me to you….and refrain from calling me,” he smirked. He could just envision the exact shade of red upon her cheeks. Her eyes would slant until her pupils were near invisible and she would stutter. Yup, the woman with such control stuttered. Funny, he never noticed that before. She had always been so in control so precise in her seduction of him. He realized now just how crafty the woman had been. And, now seeing her true colors there was no need for her in his life. “ As always, it’s been a pleasure speaking with you Marissa. I do hope you do well, in your endeavors.” The conversation was over for him and so he disconnected the call. Goodbye Ms. Parasite. Now that he was done with sorting her out and setting his papers aside he could get in a few hours of training. It had been a while since he did hand to hand combat at the military training camp. It was just fifteen minutes shy of ten am and so he knew they would by this time at least be engaged in some form of combat with each other. If he was lucky, he would find a worthy opponent and get to work out some of this restless tension that was built up inside of him.
It was that thought that separated Aiden from his office and plunged him into his room to change and then make his exit. Aiden found it foolish for him to have bodyguards and so most of them were dismissed, though his father did hire men to ‘melt’ into the background and see to his protection. One could not control the actions of one’s father no matter how one tried. These men at least gave him space. But, should anything happen about his person they were the first persons there. It made him proud of the skills of the people of his native land. They were effective and efficient. If he had to lead a country, he would rather it be made of men and women of this caliber. People of action! Grabbing his keys he made his exit without much fuss and flare. Slipping into one of the luxury vehicles parked in the garage below took about five minutes tops. The pants he wore now were mobile and accompanied with a white tee shirt. He wore a jacket to match the pants that he donned. Off to train he went and he was as happy as could be. The very idea of getting into a physical altercation bought him great pleasure! Hopefully there would be someone that was skilled in some form of hand to hand combat that would prove a challenge; give him a chance to improve his technique at least! Aiden barely kept his arse in the seat and wheels on the ground as he flew down the road from his house towards the military grounds. He got a thrill swerving in and out of traffic, creating a bit of traffic on a few intersections and highways. There could possibly be accidents in his wake but, this was life. There would always be causalities and as a possible leader one could not look to every one. Instead, it was his duty to focus on the group as a whole. And with that warped logic he pulled into the military base thrust his car in park and hopped out with a ridiculous grin on his face as he made his way towards the training complex.
I Am
That
Gentle Man
- Aiden Miles Kinsey
That
Gentle Man
- Aiden Miles Kinsey
