The other side of the bed was empty, with no temperature when Nuala woke up.
While knowing the Prince's habits so well, the Princess found him in the training room after she got dressed.
The figure in the training room moved with grace, each movement a sign of practice, exuded strength. The arms slashed through the air, extended a broadsword against an imaginary foe. Each parry and thrust resounded a faint echo in the chamber. His breathing was heavy but controlled, sweat ran down his pale bare-chested form, flew from his body as he twisted and moved. His leather boots and silken pants each made different sounds throughout the movement.
Nuala watched Nuada as he trained, the memory of a younger version of him flew out in her mind. Who trained in the same particular training room, with the similar movements, and a younger version of herself who watched the young prince trained. She admired him so much at that time, he always told her about his adventures, and that he would always protect her.
It's been a bit long, but nothing could separate them. A part of him lived in her, a part of her also lived in him, they are almost the same person.
After several more minutes, he ended his session with a vicious thrust that would have torn an opponent into two. Nuada then reached for the rest of his clothes, a matching silk and embroidered shirt and robes. He put them on his still-cooling body and adjusted the robe so it sat straight across his shoulders.
The Prince walked toward the Princess who stood by the door. Nuada recalled the softness of her lips last night when his gaze fell upon her face. The facial scar that located at the same place where his was, and her red lips. With a hesitation, his sinewy and calloused hand grabbed the Princess's.
"How do you feel?" Nuada asked.
"Better." She replied curtly as she gently wiped the sweat away from his face with her sleeve.
She suddenly giggled.
"What is it?" the Prince asked, in confusion.
"Do you remember the troubles we made when we were kids?" She giggled more as she thought of their childhood times.
He thought for a few seconds. "Yes..." A smirk emerged on the Prince's face. "You were naughty, even more than I was."
Memories became extremely flourish. They jested with each other along the way, reminded what they did before. How once Nuala climbed up the statue and broke it, then found Nuada as the scapegoat for the punishment, how she felt guilty and acknowledge the fact to their father, how Nuada playfully "threatened" the Chamberlain when he got his new sword…
Water dripped from the tip of the Prince's golden hair after the shower, he headed toward the dining hall where his sister awaited him to have breakfast together. There was not much lesson for this week, they were mostly rearranged since everybody needs to adjust, brew and rest from the ambience of the ended war.
The castle was quiet for the later half of the day, hot summer breeze played with the curtains in Nuada's room. The Prince's hand gently rubbed the handle of his dagger, pondered about the conditions of elves and the other magical creatures. Surely they've tasted the victory in this latest war, even so there were still many problems lying there, unsolved.
A piece of exquisite music drew Nuada's attention away from his thoughts. He clipped the dagger on his belt and headed toward the source of the music.
Nuala, who sats alone and quietly in the concert chamber, her soft, slim fingers swept over the strings of the lyre, performed graceful musics that almost matched to her own beauty.
"Brother?" Nuala looked up with astonishment. "What are you doing here?"
It was quite rare that Nuada would come to the concert room.
She put the lyre down to where it rested.
He didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked her if she wished to take a walk with him which he knew that she would consent.
The advent of summer nights were always late, their bare feet embedded into the sand as the sea breeze snatched their hair. Silence had been present from the start, Nuala felt the pressure within her, she knew where it came from. Something was troubling him, the huge burden that he carried even made her sense.
"Brother…" at last she started gingerly, "What is it that troubles you?"
A brittle smile hanged on his dark lips while he signed, released her hand gently, he walked a few steps toward the sea and sat down on the soft sand. She followed to do the same.
"Nothing has been solved, there will be another war, first or last." he replied slowly after a few minutes.
"Whatever it is, there must be other ways…war isn't the answer."
"The most unfortunate, sister, there isn't." He slightly brushed away the hair that blocked her face and continued: "That's too much for you to worry, Nuala."
She didn't say a thing, although she wanted to do something for him, so he won't be adjusting the mood by himself. They sat together quietly, watched the waves hit the rock and flushed their feet. Strangely, memories emerged in her brain ceaselessly these days, she remembered that they used to play together by the sea. The laughters that she missed echoed in her mind, which was contrary to the ambience now: heavy, and stifling. She stood up and moved more toward the water, she could feel his gaze on her back as she walked. Suddenly she turned back and splashed water right on his face quickly.
Nuada didn't expect that, he stood up and joined his sister as he wiped his face while the short astonishment was gone. The Prince stroked more water back at her, the princess shrieked with laughters and tried to block the water attack with her hands. They kicked and stroked the water at each other as how they did while they were younger, grinned and ran. Happiness replaced the stifled temperature before.
The Princess's gown became heavy and hauled her down while it's been soaked in the water for so long. Didn't want this problem to disturb their rarely fun time, she still tried to move, yet she failed to balance herself and fell before her brother could catch her. Worse, the failure of catching her tumbled Nuada down also.
They sat in the water, the smile that hadn't disappear still hanged on her face. He never noticed how beautiful she looked when her pale golden hair was moist, and plastered over her breasts, the water's glare reflected mottled lights on her face. Set his hands on her shoulders, he slightly lowered his head and slowly drew his face nearer to hers.
Nuala freezed when she realized of what he was doing. He tried to… kiss her… She had never cogitated too much about her love for him, which she assumed as a family love, ties of kinship. Even almost "purposely" avoided it when it came to the thoughts of the Prince's feelings: if he loved her more than a sister. And now, the unexpected action, the clear evidence of his affections left her in amazement, yet some part of her heart had always knew. Regardless of in which way she loved him, she was not ready for this.
Before his lips could touch hers, she turned her head to the side, without thinking.
Nuada paused, numbness ran through his veins, his heart quivered.
"We...we should probably go back." the Princess equivocates, sidetracked the condition as her gaze fell upon the setting sun behind the distant sky-water line.
"Nuala..." his next word came out as a whisper, pain evident. The voice was so light even became unnoticeable.
Author's note:
Well I feel like I need to explain this a bit, in my opinion (I say in my opinion because I think that everyone has different thoughts and understandings about the stories and the characters, I can't say definite even I'm the author. ), the prince thought that Nuala also has that incestuous feelings toward him, according to her reactions in chapter 2, even if she was drunk, she still responded to his actions. So he might be hurt for her action in this chapter. And I'll say that Nuala does indeed has some kind of more than sibling love for the prince too, maybe she just doesn't realize. ;)
