I nearly choked on my wine as I sipped, blinking several times in utter disbelief as I struggled to process what he just said. “Rhian?.....Flirting?” The idea of sweet, naive little Rhian flirting was absurd, the girl was far too shy for me to even think it possible for her to do such a thing. He isn’t serious. He couldn’t possibly be serious! This has to be some stupid joke! I could only stare with my mouth agape, still not quite seeing how this was even possible. “I...uh...flirting how, exactly?” I finally stammered, sorely hoping Bryn’s idea of flirting was different than mine.
“Flirting like the brainless, bored aristocrats of Perinthas, Carys. She was being all shy and blushing and sweet, but then a minute later turned all coy, making these comments about how she wanted to go off to be alone with him. It was the most disturbing thing I have ever seen.” Now Bryn just looked sick, and I couldn’t deny that I felt the same. This didn’t sound like Rhian at all, and I was suddenly worried that her adolescent rebellion might be more difficult to handle than I had thought only a few hours earlier.
“What in blazes is she thinking?” I muttered my thought aloud, fingertips pressing to my temple to ward off the headache that persisted. “Do you know who the man was? Did he look like he was about to take her up on the…offer?” She couldn’t possibly understand what it sounded like she was suggesting, and I couldn’t bear the thought of what might have happened if this man had taken her somewhere alone. She had found enough trouble already, and we couldn’t afford for her to find more.
Bryn shook his head quickly. “No, no, he didn’t have that look on his face like he...had expectations….of that kind. Uh, I didn’t get his name, but he said he just arrived in town and Rhi was giving him a few directions. I don’t know, though. The guy seemed like he might be a little shady, but that could be said about half the city.” He let out a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping as his hand ran through his hair again. “Gods, Carys. What the hell was she thinking, trying to flirt with a strange man twice her age?”
My bewilderment hit its peak as I struggled and failed to answer. “I will go speak with her.” I finally said, though I had no idea what to even say to her right now. Still, she needed to know how stupid that was, so I drained the rest of my liquid courage and headed into our shared bedroom with a determined step.
Rhian was sprawled out on her bed, face down with her face buried in her pillow, muffled sniffling the only sound. She hadn’t even bothered to take her coat or shoes off, road dust and mud now coloring her blankets. Bryn’s words about my sister simply trying to spread her wings echoed in my mind and I sat down on the edge of her bed with a sigh, running my fingers through my hair as I thought over what to say. “Tell me everything.” I finally said quietly.
She quieted when I didn’t sound angry, shaking her head into her pillow. “I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life, Carys. I think I might actually die.” I barely resisted the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes as she rolled over onto her back and sat up, her face red and splotchy and growing more so as tears spilled down her cheeks all over again. “I snuck out because I wanted to go to the Silver Stag, but I didn’t want a guard with me because nobody ever lets me do anything and then people are too nervous to talk to me when I have someone looming over me and being intimidating.” She began to explain, sniffling and wiping the tears from her face, though more quickly replaced them.
“I just wanted to sit and watch people.” She defended, staring up at the ceiling. “That man was sitting off alone so I just went to say hello and be friendly. He said he was new to town and just asked me a few questions, and he was handsome and pleasant and I didn’t see any harm in it. The room was starting to get louder and it was hard to hear each other, so I suggested we go somewhere else where it was quieter. Then stupid Bryn comes barging in and started yelling at me….gods, it was so humiliating!”
She buried her face in her arms and pulled her knees up to her chest, starting to sob all over again and I frowned with disbelief. While Rhian might have viewed the interaction as wholly innocent, that wasn’t how it appeared to Brynmor. Admittedly, his own feelings might have colored his version of the events also, and I decided the truth of the matter fell somewhere in the middle.
I grimaced, picturing how Brynmor might have charged in there like a bull on a rampage, and I couldn’t deny the humiliation that scene would have caused my sister, already one to whom appearances meant everything. “It might have seemed completely innocent to you, but what about this man? What would you think if some beautiful young woman approached you and started flirting, talking about going off alone?” I pointed out, hoping she had the capacity to put herself in someone else’s shoes, though at her young age, I had my doubts. She went completely still for a second before she sat up and twisted around to face me as swiftly as a viper. Her face was white and she snapped angrily. “So you think I’m a whore now?”
My eyebrows shot up as my jaw dropped a little, only able to stare at her in silent bewilderment as I tried to formulate an answer. No matter what I say now, it will be the wrong thing. “I didn’t say that.” I finally said hesitantly. “You are far from it, but I am just trying to point out what it might look like from his perspective.” I tried explaining without prompting another outburst.
I rose from her bed and went to sit on my own, adding with a little more firmness, needing her to understand the potential dangers. “He was a complete stranger, twice your age, and according to Brynmor, looked like the shady sort. You are only fifteen, Rhi, and you were alone. If you had run into trouble with this man, there wouldn’t have been anyone around to save you.” I pulled off my own shoes and stockings as I spoke, my bare feet finding the cold stone floor as I slowly began to get ready for bed. “You were just abducted and held for ransom, did you learn nothing from that?” I added bitterly.
She went still, and I searched her face, hoping the realization of how much trouble she might have found was reaching her. She huffed at me, eyes narrowed into slits as she tried to defend herself, “That wasn’t my fault!” She hissed at me before whirling over and throwing herself down onto her bed. “I’m not stupid, Carys. Just...leave me alone.” She snapped, finally pulled her blankets over her her head to ignore me completely.
I sat there in silence for what felt like an eternity, failing to comprehend what might be going on in my sister’s head. The fire in the room was only glowing embers by the time I was pulled from my thoughts and I rose, extinguishing the lamps and building up the fire to ensure it would last through the night. Rhian tossed and turned under her blankets for a few minutes more before she stilled, a gentle, muffled snoring emanating from beneath her blankets.
I heard Father and Madox return, their low voices intermingling with Brynmor’s as he reported the evening’s events. I was certain Father would come barging in, demanding an explanation and to holler at Rhian, but it seemed he chose to spare my sister the harsh reprimand, likely only due to the late hour. The house was silent by the time crawled under my thick blankets, burrowing into the warmth they provided as I waited for sleep to come.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
To say that Rhian was lectured was an understatement; her and Father’s “conversation” lasted most of the daylight hours the following day. She had been more than sufficiently humbled, though I could still see the occasional flash of defiance in her light blue eyes at Father’s lengthy preaching and comments to her foolishness. Her usual demure behavior was shifting into a less agreeable one in her adolescence, but she was not in a position to argue lest she earn herself another hour of chiding.
She behaved (or at least put on a good show of behaving) over the next few days, her overwhelming sweetness growing nauseating by the third day. Father was happy enough with her behavior, rolling his eyes only slightly at her exaggerated obedience but satisfied that he had succeeded in getting through to her. But as it is with any teenager and their turbulent emotional states, it was never that easy. I tried to explain this to Father, but he stated with t
he utmost certainty. “She wouldn’t dare sneak out again.”
Much to everyone’s chagrin, I was proven right on the fifth day. After dinner, everyone went about their evening business, Rhian excusing herself from our company saying she was retiring to our room to read for awhile. A little over an hour later, I went in to get my coat, intending to head into Lund with Madox for the evening only to be greeted by a cool breeze as I opened the door. The window was wide open and Rhian was gone, my shoulders slumping as I realized what she had done. “Not again…” I muttered under my breath with a growing irritation, then called to Madox.
He stepped into the room, a frown forming on his face when he saw the open window and he sighed, murmuring. “Perhaps I will nail that window shut before we go…” He headed to the cupboard near the front door in search of the small box of tools, giving me a quick sympathetic look before heading outside. He knew I was going to have to deal with another of Rhian’s scenes, and I suspected this one would be more unpleasant than the last one. What would Mother say to her? I wondered, wishing I understood how the woman had always managed my sister’s temperament so effortlessly.
Brynmor arrived while Madox was out with the window, the thumping of the hammer against the side of the house bringing a confused look to his face, but quickly turned to annoyance when I told him of Rhian’s escape. “Let Madox handle the window, let’s go find Rhi.” He grunted irritably as he headed straight back out the door. Madox was more than happy to remain behind, Rhian having a flair for the dramatic and tonight would likely be no different. Our swift ride to Lund was silent, Brynmor brooding while I tried to decide how best to handle my sister when we found her.
We headed straight to the Stag with the full expectation of finding her there, knowing well her love of lingering at its hearth and mingling with its patrons. The heavy door thudded shut behind us, the common room seeming the same as it always was: Dim and cozy with flickering firelight casting moving shadows on the wall, a few laughing patrons lounging at the counter and another young couple at a table, engrossed in each other and blissfully ignorant of anyone else. I did not see Rhian, however, and Brynmor frowned, stepping around me to move further into the large room with me following closely behind. I saw movement at the back of the room, two figures in the darkened area with one’s hair coiffed just like Rhian’s had been earlier in the day.
I knew the instant she saw us, my sister jumping to her feet, hardly taking the time to say farewell to the man before her hurried stride brought her right to us. She didn’t look all that shocked in seeing us there, likely knowing her little excursion would be discovered sooner rather than later. “Yes, you caught me. Let’s go home.” She said shortly as a crimson blush colored her cheeks, walking right past us without any argument. Her willingness to go made me curious, and it dawned on me that she was trying to draw us away from the Stag, likely trying to prevent us from seeing the reason she was sneaking out. I wasn’t so easily duped, however, and I turned back to study the man she had defied Father to meet.
It was dark in that corner, and I could not make out the details of his face, though I could tell even from this distance he was not one to be trifled with. His broad shoulders and the rigid way he sat were enough for me to know that he was familiar with trouble, though whether he was the one to cause it or prevent it was a mystery. While I could not see his eyes, I could feel him looking back at me, studying me with an equally intent gaze. It’s unfair, I thought, that he has the advantage of seeing me in the light while I struggle to see him in the shadows.
I started to walk over to speak to him with the intention of learning more of the man, but Brynmor caught my arm, fingers wrapping around my upper arm with a solid grip, holding me in place. “What are you doing? Let’s go.” He grunted at me, heading back towards the door where Rhian had already gone out, pulling me along with him. I pulled my arm free, annoyed at being prevented from trying to learn more of the man Rhian sought to protect. I cast a final glance over my shoulder to the man in the shadows, still feeling his gaze fixed on me.
Rhian stood at the fountain in the courtyard, arms crossed tightly over her chest indignantly, her scowl directed at the water trickling over the edge though it was most certainly meant for us. “I know I’m in trouble, and I don’t care.” She announced crisply, spinning around to take a seat on the nearby bench in a dramatic show of defiance. While getting her out of the Stag had been far easier than expected, getting her home was evidently going to be much more difficult.
“Was that the same man from the other day” I asked tightly, my lips drawing into a thin line. I knew if it was, then she was clearly growing attached to the man and peeling her away from him would prove all the more difficult, but if it was a different man, then she was putting herself in far more troublesome situations than I thought. Either way, it didn’t bode well for future rebellions.
Rhian looked up at me before rolling her eyes, then looking down to her hands with hesitation. “Yes.” She said, trying to sound self-assured, though I could hear the defensive hint of guilt in her voice. “He is new to town, just like us. We were just talking about what brought both of us to Lund. He was a guard for a wealthy nobleman, and is here looking for his Master.” She informed us, lifting her chin as though this man’s words were as good as gold, a faintly adoring smile appearing on her lips.
My brow lifted a little at her reaction, receiving an affronted frown from my sister when I wryly commented, “Well, he can’t be much of a guard if he lost his master.” Brynmor snorted and Rhian huffed in response. Until now, I had assumed he was a mercenary or someone with a less than desirable reputation, and now his story about being a House Guard and losing his charge seemed far-fetched, though admittedly, not impossible. Perhaps I had been wrong, or perhaps he was lying to put an innocent girl at ease. My distrustful nature being what it is led to my belief in the latter.
Rhian didn’t seem to find my comment all that amusing and she glared at me. “He’s not a bad person like you and Bryn think he is, you know.” She huffed defensively, and I had no response for her that didn’t involve assumptions and opinions based wholly on Brynmor’s less than stellar opinion of the fellow.
I glanced over to Brynmor, who had turned to take the reins of our horses from the stable-hand. “He’s exactly what we think, Rhi.” He growled at her with the conviction of a man who knew it as fact, but I was growing less certain. His opinion was based on a mere 10 seconds of observation and jealous assumptions, and while Rhian had spent more time with the man, her opinion couldn’t be trusted, either, for she saw everything through the naive and cheerful lens of an innocent mind. I would settle on being suspicious of the man, things not seeming wholly innocent like Rhian believed, but without Brynmor’s belief that her new “friend” was out to harm her.
Rhian’s arms tightened over her chest, purposely ignoring Bryn as he held out her mare’s reins. Obstinate, she remained seated though she clearly had no qualms about raising her voice. “You have never even spoken to him! You have no right to decide what kind of person he is!” Several people walking by turned to observe us with curious and perplexed looks, though I pretended not to notice. Gods, Rhian, stop making a scene! I wanted to shake sense into her, but that would only make this spectacle all the worse.
With that, I abruptly arrived at my limit for my sister’s theatrics and took hold of her upper arm, hauling her up to her feet with a strength greater than I knew I had. “Regardless, you snuck out again and we need to have another discussion about your idiotic behavior.” I saw tears welling up in her eyes and my frustration peaked. Oh gods, Why does she always have to cry? “And for the love of the gods, don’t you dare cry.” I added in a low hiss.
“All I want is to have some freedom, Carys, but nobody trusts me!” She burst into tears and I cursed under my breath, rubbing my forehead and closing my eyes with the utmost irritation and hoped I hadn’t been like this at her age. If I had, it was truly a credit to the patience of my family that nob
ody had smacked me out of sheer vexation.
It took a few deep breaths before I could respond with any semblance of calm. “Nobody trusts you because you do stupid things like sneaking out to meet strange men twice your age alone.” my voice was icy as I nearly thrust her mare’s reins towards her, watching Rhian fumble to catch them “You wish to have more freedom? Prove that you can actually be trusted by obeying the rules and not putting yourself into harm’s way!”
Brynmor rounded the mare to help Rhian, picking her up as easily as he might lift a puppy and lifting her onto her horse. He was eerily silent, his jaw working tightly as he ensured the embarrassed Rhian was settled and still fuming as he helped me up onto my horse. He only released an annoyed grunt as he mounted his own steed. “Let’s just go home,” he muttered, nudging his horse forward without bothering to make sure we followed. Rhian’s embarrassment turned into a glare when she looked back at me, and I knew she was very close to snapping back at me, though to her credit, she kept her mouth clamped tightly shut.
CHAPTER 17
The ride home was uncomfortably silent, and when we finally arrived, Rhian dismounted her horse quickly, not even giving Brynmor a chance to help before muttering. “Spare me the lecture, I’m sending myself to my room.” She whirled around to flounce up the steps and into the house, leaving Brynmor and I to stare after her in bewilderment. I let out a tired sigh as Brynmor quickly dismounted in order to help me down. “Whatever are we going to do with that girl?” My exasperation with my little sister was mounting, and I had no idea where to begin.
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