Chapter 2
When we arrived at the castle I had forgotten I was still holding onto Kairen's hand, it was only until he let go that I realized.
"Go on, he's waiting." Kairen gently pushed my back and I stumbled towards the large double doors.
I looked behind me worriedly searching Kairen's face for some sort of consolation. When father wanted to see me, it usually was never a good sign. I rarely even saw father since he was so busy tending to Kairen and his succession to the family. Because of this, I usually learned by watching Kairen train, I was never especially given special attention to, well by my parents anyway. Kairen gave a small smile and waved. That alone was enough to give be a small burst of confidence to push the doors open. I stepped into the large hall immediately feeling so so small. I heard father call for me, my name echoing throughout the hall.
"Aerei."
"Yes father." I approached him with steps that appeared to be confident, but they were steps that were just barely faltering. I stood before him and bowed, I raised my head and looked up at him.
"Take this to your mother."
"Yes." I took the envelope out of his hand. "Is that all?"
My father had stared at me long and hard. I resisted the urge to look away or fidget under his scrutinizing glare. His gaze softened ever so slightly. "Well done."
I widened my eyes in surprise. I almost believed that my ears were playing a trick on me. I had not heard my father praise me in many years. "For…?"
"I noticed how hard you've been training these past years." I could have believed my eyes almost fooled me as well, seeing the corner of his lips just barely turn upwards, though the slight smile was gone just as quickly as it appeared. "I also noticed how your behaviour has changed as well. Very unlike you, being unhappy. I'm sorry your mother and I could not have been with you more. Kairen as well. Your mother and I, we know that you are quite close to Kairen."
"I'd never be close to that bumbling idiot. Plus he stinks-" I muttered under my breath, my cheeks turning a rosy pink. Though that was the complete opposite of what I felt. Expressing emotions like these were too embarrassing and I'd deny them quite often when someone spoke of them. I relied on Kairen quite a bit in all honesty. The two of us were considered quite strange in the Skyel family, even among the nobles, since us two had expressed our emotions all the time and usually never had trouble showing them to others, though Kairen had more control over his compared to me.
"Aerei," he sternly pronounced as his gaze hardened once again.
I bowed my head in apology, slightly fearful, "I sincerely apologize. I did not mean that."
He sighed outwardly and shook his head with a small smile. "Though that does sound much more like you."
I looked up and smiled in return.
"We all hope you understand the situation. Kairen had also personally asked me to speak with you. I know most of the times we have spoken were not pleasant, especially regarding your reckless behaviour- That is besides the point."
I grumbled at that last sentence, but was still surprised that Kairen had asked father to speak with me. Kairen knew I had rocky meetings with father and I hadn't been myself as of late, but I hadn't expected him the speak to father personally.
"Your mother and I are proud of you. I hope you know that."
I had never thought I'd hear those words directly come from my father's mouth, especially with how our relationship had been going. I bowed my head to hide my teary eyes. In truth, I felt touched beyond words, not only because my father was saying this, but due to the nature of the Skyel family as well. I knew this would be very difficult for him to express. I squeezed my eyes shut and my breath quivered ever so slightly. "Thank you father, mother." I whispered to my father and to myself.
My father reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. I look up and wrapped my arms around my father to show my appreciation. I sniffled slightly and grinned, letting the tears fall freely down my face.
These past few years had been extremely difficult for me, I had felt like I was outcasted in the family. No one looked at me, not even then person who was closest to me, my own brother, Kairen. I knew he was busy, but it was painful. I did of course see him from time to time, very briefly. Slowly I became much colder towards him, and snapped at him more often than I'd like. The loneliness and frustration slowly taking a toll on me. It was so very difficult and painful. Nobles should be able to live even without contact from others in theory, but to me, it was torture. Rarely anyone spoke back to me when I attempted to have a conversation with them. Even mother and father would dismiss my words. I buried myself in training in response. Training harder than I had ever done so before. It helped me to release the frustrations no one had an ear for. I studied and learned from those most skilled in the family since my parents were busy with Kairen. As a result, the only contact and interactions I had with other nobles were those who were helping me train. I had let out a lot of my feelings and anger towards them, and one by one they would avoid me and drift away. I'd watch from the sidelines, watching father train Kairen, and that was how I'd been learning these past years. I had never felt so alone in my life.
My father was dumbfounded with what to do at first. He had gently rested his hands on my shoulders in response and smiled down at me.
I pulled away from him quickly and looked down, wiping my tears away. "I apologize father." I looked up at him, eyes still watery as my smile trembled slightly.
"No need to apologize." That was the first time I had seen a full on smile on my father's face. " Remember to take that envelope to your mother, and do not be too hard on yourself."
I nodded in response since it was difficult to produce any audible words.
Several knocks were heard at the door all of a sudden and the lord's resounding voice. "You may enter."
I bowed quickly to my father and rushed out in order to let the person entering meet the lord. I glanced over to the person who had just knocked on the door prior to entering. He had long blonde hair and bright cerulean eyes, and in front of him I realized another person had also entered with the man with blonde locks. The other person I felt immense power from, a noble. He had jet black hair, similar to the lord, and his hair was much shorter compared to the blonde. I stepped out of the large auditorium and sighed a breath of relief. I began to wonder if that guy with blonde hair could be the human everyone called "Frankenstein". I stood with my back to the door, eyes closed to comprehend the events that had just taken place. My mind was still reeling, I was so happy, I fought to keep my tears from falling again and continuously breathed deeply to calm myself down, until I felt someone blowing air on my face. My eyebrow twitched in automatic response, since I knew it was Kairen.
I opened one eye to look at him. "What are you doing." It was more of a statement rather than a question.
"Is that how you should be treating me after so long? We haven't spent any quality time together for a long time." He pouted and leaned back.
I moved away from the doors and looked at him in disgust while walking. "Stop acting like that, it's creepy."
He just laughed in response. "So how'd it go?" He asked while he walked alongside me with his arms behind his head.
"Better than expected…" I mumbled quietly, my cheeks immediately flushing. "Thanks…" I whispered reluctantly.
Kairen turned towards me in curiosity. "Hmm, what was that, I couldn't hear you." He sang playfully.
"N-Nothing!" I whacked him in the face with the envelope and walked faster. "Jeez, you've been acting a lot more playful than normal."
He slowed down until he eventually stopped walking, letting his arms rest at his side. "I'm sorry it took a long time for me to notice and that I've been so busy."
I continued to walk a few steps forward until I heard his voice behind me. I turned my head back to look at him. Kairen had a serious expression on his face, I peered into his eyes and could sense guilt dancing among his ruby irises. I turned to fully face him and looked down. "It's not your fault."
"I knew you'd say that." I heard a hint of sadness in his voice. "The two of us, even for siblings as nobles, we're quite close, almost like twins. Everyone thinks we're strange since we're similar and don't really act like nobles. Especially of the Skyel family." He shrugged his shoulders chuckled lightly.
I lifted my head slightly to examine his expression. He had hidden his emotions well, in terms of facial expressions. Kairen and I had grown up together, we knew about each other more than anyone else and could usually sense what the other was feeling.
"I guess that's true." I pondered. "Though you've gotten better at concealing or controlling your emotions. Makes you seem more like a noble." I grinned at him.
He strode up to me and we continued to walk together. "Hey, don't say 'makes me seem like', I am a noble and one that's going to become a family leader at that. If anyone here isn't a noble, it's got to be you." He retorted matter-of-factly. "And actually, it seems you haven't improved in that aspect at all."
I could feel Kairen's side glance burning into my head. "Yeah, yeah. Controlling emotions. Skyel family. Hmph."
"It helps when training or fighting you know."
"I'll work on it."
"I'll spar with you if you'd like." As repayment for leaving you alone for so long, was the unsaid thought that hung so clearly in the air.
I felt a twinge of sadness run through me. How long had it been since I had last sparred with Kairen. Most likely more than fifty years. Fifty years was nothing to a noble, but I had spent all that time away from someone who I was close to. Yes I got along with the nobles who were my age but because of my strange personality it was hard to get close to any of them, and they were obviously closer to those whom they had grown up with.
"You sure you won't lose?" I challenged him.
"Ohh, we're doing that now? I'll take you on." His confidence and ego surrounded him like a blanket, and he pulled that cocky smile he always had gazing directly at me.
"Fine, you better not cry when you lose." I jabbed his waist and dashed off to deliver the envelope.
"Pssh," was all he said as he took off after me.
