The moonlight drifts through the curtains of Tana's bedroom who lay sleeping. Her soft breaths indicate a calm steady sleep. If you were to look in through her window, it would almost look like a tapestry. She had only just arrived back in the castle after a long skirmish to scout the Frelia wilderness as Innes had suggested. Her clothes were scattered all over the foot of her bed, unlike the more common neat pile on her drawing desk. She must of been exhausted.
A light approaches her door, as it bleeds in through the frame of her doorway. It opens noiselessly as Innes enters, his white cape flowing behind him. putting the oil lamp down on the mahogany table he tuts to himself as he notices how lax his sister has been with keeping the room tidy. Papers were scattered around the room, along with quills and research books. Innes pulls a chair over to the side of the bed where Tana had gotten in. He had come to visit her at this hour because he needed to leave early tomorrow morning and needed to know what she had found. From what the guards told him, she didnt want to discuss the results of the mission with anyone but him. He reached over to wake him but seemed indecisive, the warm candle light bought life to her soft lips and he caught himself staring.
'Theres no harm in looking, right?' he told himself withdrawing his hand for a minute, admiring how her silky blue hair sprawled across both pillows of the queen sized bed.
He leans forward this time more committed, he nudges her arm. "Tana?" He whispers, not wanting to scare or surprise her.
Tana's eyes open to a much brighter room than she expected, a little bit startled she looks around to see Innes smiling at her beside her bed.
"Innes? what are you doing here, its long after midnight." Says a sleepy Tana as she rubs her eyes, as they adjust to the light.
"I needed to talk to you..." he paused and quickly realising that this doesnt explain his situation "... tonight. since you've been gone, things have escalated and ive got to leave the castle tomorrow morning. The reason im here is to find out what you know. The guards say that you wouldnt discuss anything with them, which had me a little concerned as to the severity of the situation."
Tana listens, still half asleep as she rubs the last remaining sand from her eyes. "Oh, well... I see." she says, sitting up in bed against the backrest. "Well, on my skirmish we encountered..." Innes had leaned closer at this point as she paused. She appeared to be smiling. "We encounter nothing." she said bluntly.
"What?" Innes felt as if Tana had just slapped him with a cold fish
"Yeah, nothing. Not even roaming bandits. It was awefully quiet for the most part, almost peaceful."
Innes leant back and put his head in his hands. Now speaking into them he askes "And why couldnt you tell that to the guards?"
"Well, i remember when you helped me with my training you mentioned that in a time of war i shouldnt trust anyone but my closest realtives. Knowing that i found nothing could of helped a spy in knowing that their camp wasnt found." Tana says explaining herself as best as she could, seeing that her brother is annoyed but unsure at what exactly.
"I said that? how long ago was this?" Innes blurted out. "I thought you had found something since you never mentioned to the guard that you couldnt reveal any infomation. The fact that you found nothing..." Innes paused. knowing what he was about to say would probably make Tana cry. "The fact that you found nothing... wouldnt of been a surprise to me, or the guard." He leant back in his chair feeling defeated.
"What are you on about?" Tana asks, a confused expression on her face she pulled the duvet closer to her bunching it up against her chest.
looking into the shimmering oceans that were her eyes Innes confessed. "The reason you found nothing where I sent you is because I knew there was nothing there. You think id send my own sister on a blind skirmish? and then your prudence cost me alot of time, and some much needed sleep for the mission tomorrow morning. Even when i send you out the way of trouble, you still somehow bring some back with you." He finally breaks eye contact with her, as he noticed the forming of tears.
"Y-you lied to me?" Tana says, a solitary tear streaking down her left cheek.
"I did what I saw fit to our situation, we cant have you running around the battlefield, Tana you're a princess not a warrior." Innes says, sticking as much to his guns as he can.
Tana wiped the tear from her chin as she swallowed her anger. Speaking to the wall she begins "You know, i thought that you had changed. You always used to bully me infront of the others, especially Ephraim." taking in a deep breath, she continues. "But now i realise, you're never going to change. You will always be the kind of person who would rather see his sister in tears than-" Tana stopped as she felt Innes's hand on her sholder, pulling her around to face him. He was kneeling on the bedside next to her. staring intently into her eyes.
"I just want to prove to you that tears are the last thing i want to see in my sisters eyes." Innes said, using the same hand he used to turn her around to stroke away a runaway tear, and in one smooth motion he guided her chin upwards, leaning in and kissing Tana softly on the lips. Although shocked at the initial contact, Tana didnt try to pull away. Noticing this Innes leant closer, wrestling her tongue with his. Finally parting from that passionate kiss, Tana looks up at Innes confused, yet her heart thumped against her chest.
"Do not think the things i do are meant to harm you, in any way. I just want whats best for my little sister."