There was still an hour left before their flight so they checked in for their flight, after which they joined the long queue to get they lugganges through the carry-on to have it checked. After getting it on the carry-on, they went through the security checkpoint where a thorough search was conducted, after the check at the checkpoint, they were allowed through the gate to pick their luggages at the other side and get a ticket of clearance.
Iris sighed and whispered to her mom, "isn't there a way a human could just walk around without having to deal with all these stare down?" Her mom only chuckled lightly, they were bound to attract attention of course, it was a rare bloodline they had after all, one you don't get to see everyday at that. "You'd get used to it. Or do you wish you were less beautiful?" Her mom teased.
After Iris felt a little bit off edge, the next process was to go through immigration. It went on smoothly too, the passport and visa check, stamping and confirmation and all that. Iris hated it, even domestic flights was a headache to her. It passes soon and before they knew it, it was over. They now had to do one last thing find their gate and board the flight.
It took a little longer than expected with all the hassle and bustle at the airport. It was mid April after all, and a Friday at that. They found their gate and waited to board the flight, their names were called shortly after and they boarded.
Her mom had booked a window seat for them, oooosite each other which was a good thing, she always took the littlest minutiae into consideration at all times. She knew how nervous Iris always got during flights so she wanted to be there to hold her hand during it all, very sweet and considerate.
"Are you nervous?" She asked her daughter opposite her but surprisingly, she said she wasn't, not even the slightest bit. In fact, she was suddenly giddy thinking about te prospect. Somewhere new to practice karate? Who wouldn't live the prospect. Beast in the beauty. No one would suspect. She g e a devilish grin.
At this point, an announcement came on in the plane, "please fasten your seatbelts and to prevent any aerial interference, we advice that you put your phones on flight mode, don't use te internet while we are in the end, after all is said and done, we're clear for takeoff so please hold steady. Enjoy your flights everyone.
At that point, the frigid atmosphere was replaced with a sense of relief as the plane moved on slowly, after about a hundred meters, it lifted gently off the ground and leaving the city behind.
The man sitting adjacent Crystal was on TikTok, scrolling and laughing hysterically. Nobody paid him any heed so he continued, disturbing the peace of the people aboard. It went on for quite a while and it got to a point where it could not be tolerated any longer.
Another passenger drew the attention of the flight attendant and she came over immediately, "ma'am with all due respect…" He rudely cut the attendant off with a wave of his finger, a lift of his lips and and a ruthless predatory death stare that intimidated her. She quivered. A dash of mischief or even the faintest trace of evil on an unapologetic ugly face was enough to make a cold shiver go down the spine of meek people like her after all.
Realizing he was creating pretty much a spectacle, he looked around and picked the easiest target, or so he thought. "And what do you think you're looking at, you imp?" Crystal stiffened, he knew Iris was an easy target to pick on at first glance but he didn't know the man would be so blatant.
Crystal gave her daughter a slight shake of her head, the 'stay put, don't react' kind of shake. Iris only nodded and looked at the man again. Squarely in the eyes this time, the latter noticing that his intimidating death stare didn't work on the little girl, he tried something else, "keep staring and I will give you something to cry about, little imp." He bellowed, his jaw quivering with rage. Of course Iris was not moved.
She smiled slightly, "I wonder how you got past security, people like you belong in a pigsty after all." After delivering her message, she looked away from the man and fished for a book in her bag. It was a novel. The haggard looking man was enraged beyond words.
He unbuckled his safety belt and tried to get up but suddenly he felt a hand, a tree trunk sized hand that looked too big to belong to anyone human. He looked over his shoulder and noticed the goliath of a man looming above him, bald headed with a beard that looked like it had never been trimmed and a stern look on his face, the man furrowed and asked him, "do we have a problem, sir?"
Funny enough, bro was so intimidated that he lost the ability to speak for a few seconds, "errh, no brother, I was just trying to go to the washroom." He said. Everyone erupted into laughter. Amidst the laughter, the pilots put a message across, "okay Sam and Sam, enough drama, I think they've had enough, thank you."
Confusion washed over everyone on board, then as they saw the two men smile and hug each other, it all suddenly made sense, the whole thing was a prank! "They fell for it again, brother! Haha!" The smug, haggard looking man said into the taller, burlier man's chest and they laughed harder.
Iris didn't laugh, though Crystal was. She tried to get her daughter to lighten up but she didn't. She didn't like being called an imp after all. "Young miss, sorry for what I did earlier." The man, after genuflecting, addressed Iris directly.
She looked away but the smile that crossed her face, though vanishing a split second later was painfully not lost on the onlookers.
"Look at me baby girl, I'm sorry. You're the one I love, she's just a friend. I promise nothing happened between us" The man just wanted to make her feel a little less offended that he called her an imp earlier. She turned to him with a shy smile and hit him playfully on the chest.
The man's face changed, "those are the hands of a warrior, young lady. What do you do? Do you lumber timber?" She said karate practice is her favorite time of the day. Her mom added from the sidelines, drawing the man's attention.
"You got yourself a soldier ma'am, keep her safe." He said to her and patted Iris on the shoulder then went back to his seat and fastened his safety belt, the other man did the same and soon, everyone went back to dealing with their own business.
Iris reopened her novel and immediately became immersed, her mom looked at her with keen interest. Feeling someone's unwavering gaze on her, Iris looked up to meet her mom's gaze, she smiled. That motherly smile that hides her true intentions, Iris knew her all too well. "Spill, mom. What is it?"
"I didn't know you packed your novels too. I don't remember getting this one for you either. It looks interesting though, 'the whisperer'. What is it anout?. After carefully reading the title, she was certain she didn't buy that for Iris.
Iris cleared her throat, " it's about twins that were separated from birth. Born to the royal family but since one was stolen and sold to a peasant who manages a circus. He grew up with other kids who apparently help the keeper manage the circus and earn their keep doing rigorous works too tedious for their young muscles. Sometimes even having to face wild animals in the jungle just to look for monkeys and other tamable creatures that could be put on display during shows for money while his brother lived lavish as the crown prince. Both totally oblivious to the prospect that there could be and in fact, is a brother somewhere living in eternal distress or lavish.
The prince was kidnapped on one bright morning while riding on his horse, accompanied by two guards who were overpowered by bandits. He managed to run from them and found a safe spot to hide, stranded without food or water because he couldn't risk looking for food and blowing his cover in the process. In distress, he cried and whispered to the wind for help.
Unbeknownst to them, the bracelet each of them wore carried telepathic messages and therefore they realized that they could communicate through it. That's how they communicated and the circus boy gathered his friends to save the stranded prince. The friends looked from face to face, pointing out the striking resemblance between the two, bringing up the prospect of brotherhood into light. Plotting for so long to run from Zach the circus master, they thought of a way to turn the situation into a beneficial one. They decided that since the prince's images were posted all around town, they fabricated a believable story; the four friends would turn him in and pretend they were farmers just going about their business when they saw the bandits take him.
They chased them away and rescued the prince. After that, they would get the prize for bringing the prince safely back home and along the line, when the truth about there being a prodigal brother all along comes out, they could possibly be allowed to stay in the palace in case of a reunion." Iris paused for breath. "Continue!" Someone grumbled from across and mother and daughter became aware for the first time that at least twenty passengers were listening in on her daughter's narration, Iris blasted scarlet, suddenly shy.
"That's where I've gotten to, I haven't finished it yet. There are still about three pages left. I'll finish and keep you posted, I guess." She said and very one clapped, "we can't wait!" Someone yelled. "I never thought there could be so much fun thousands of feet in the air! This might be the most fun I've had on a flight in my twenty years of experience." The copilot did through the PA system and everyone laughed.