The Queen, the Murderer, and the Governor's Wife

Chapter 11

The first thing they did when they arrived at the Font was get York something to drink. Susannah was used to his need for alcohol by that point and just used it as a chance to get herself something to eat. York took her to his father's dining hall, where Royce was entertaining guests. He always had loved his son, however, and was very receptive towards him.

"How was battle for you?" Royce asked as he had two places set for York and his wife. "Boy?"

"Excellent," he told his father with a smile. "Had few injuries."

"You're back soon," one of the other men at the table observed.

"Solovet has taken to a different plan of attack, I hear," York said with a shrug of his shoulders. Susannah kept glancing at him, but he would only smile at her to let her know it was okay. He knew that she was no doubt nervous around all the people at the table and figured it was best if he deflected attention away from her.

"Which would be what?" Royce asked, glancing at Susannah for the first time.

"They say she's going to kill King Deadblood all on her own, with some of her generals."

"Ha-ah!" one of the men at the table exclaimed. "Solovet always had a flare for the dramatic."

"And she is quite the glory hog," another mumbled.

The men at the table were all retired soldiers, some high ranking and some not. The Fount was more or less the place for those too old for battle, as it was highly unlikely to ever be under siege. The entire atmosphere was different down in the Fount than it was Regalia. That was why it took the brunt of the resentment when Regalia went through problems. Most children that grew up in the capital learned to hate the Fount for what it wasn't; a war-torn waste land.

At least that was how York saw it. He had grown up in the Fount, which he was very proud of. Yet when he moved to Regalia to begin his military career, he was berated for the fact that he came from the place of filth, as they all said. When he asked others from the Fount of this, they merely told him that the Regalians were jealous, which he could understand. The Fount was a beautiful city, with many delicacies that the capital would never possess.

He would be jealous of it, had he lived in Regalia.

For the first time, York looked around the table to realize Susannah was the only woman. Not that that was odd. Royce had never been too fond of inviting women to dinner. He told him that that was when men were to talk. Honestly, York hadn't been allowed to eat with his father most of the time. He would eat his meals alone, or with servants if he ate at home. He usually found a friend's house to eat at.

Until he became a soldier, that is. Then his father thought that he was suitable for most social activities. Whenever he came to visit, he would allow him to eat with the other men in the dining hall, though York mostly just got stuck telling the men all of the things Solovet was doing.

It was a different breed of men, a different age, that spent time with his father, something that York had to constantly tell himself. If one was to ask someone from York's generation of soldier something about Solovet, she would receive the utmost respect. If you went back another generation, you would begin to hear the distrust sprout its head. By the time one got to the last generation of retired soldier left alive, they would hear pure resentment. And York was nearly certain that her gender had most everything to do with it. Her pretentious attitude was the cause of the rest.

"Introduce your wife then, York," his father responded as he continued to stare at his new daughter-in-law. "It would be rude for you to just ignore her."

York made a face at his father though he didn't notice. Royce had a problem with younger women. And if Susannah was young for York, she was decades too young for his father. Not only that, but Susannah belonged to his son by that point and he knew it. It wouldn't stop him from looking, however.

"Of course," he said, nodding his head before going around the table and introducing Susannah to each man. Even though he knew that she did not like touching, or rather it made her nervous, he felt the need to lay a hand on her shoulder then. He knew that his father would not cross the line on their short stay, but he was not so trusting of others.

"What are you doing here then, York?" one of the men asked after he had finished.

"I am actually here to fish."

"And drink, I observe," his father commented as, once again, his mug of ale was refilled.

"Aye, but I would have done that in the capital, if that was my main goal."

"Why fish here?" one of the men asked him with a frown. He knew if he said it was for Susannah's benefit that that would only cause her more embarrassment, so he merely shrugged.

"I have no poles in Regalia. They are quite expensive, too."

Royce snorted, shaking his head. "Admit it was another drunken decision."

Grinning, York merely went to sling back some more ale. "All of my best decisions are."


"I am worried for Susannah."

Vikus frowned, glancing over at his wife from his desk. She was laying in their bed and he thought she had been sleeping, but apparently not.

"You are?"

"I sent another to her home, before I retired for the night, but to no avail. And Hamnet went to the mess hall, but York is not there."

Vikus hadn't known all that and paused for a moment before saying, "I am sure she is fine. She is grown now, Solovet. Married. We cannot control all of her life, can we?"

"Then you are not concerned?"

He sighed before saying, "Susannah is quite…taken by York at the moment."

"Meaning?"

"While he was away, she was very upset by his absence. And since he has returned, I am told by Hamnet that they spend nearly the entire day together. York even takes her to the hospital, instead of having her walk alone. They are beginning to care for one another. I do not-"

"Tell me there is a point to your endless babble."

Sighing, he said, "York would not hurt her, is my point."

"You have told me things that I already know about my daughter, Vikus. That she has found a friend and now spends endless amounts of time with them is nothing new. What you have told me does not strike me as her being…love struck. She has merely found someone that she thinks is likeminded and wishes to…I don't know, play with them, I suppose. She does not know York. But York knows her. She is like a child and he is merely manipulating her emotions."

"Even if he is, it is her marriage," Vikus said simply. "We are not involved with Judith and Lucien's marriage. Why would we-"

"Judith can take care of herself. Susannah cannot. She is-"

"You almost sound as if you regret your decision, Solovet, to marry her off."

"I do not. I only-"

"Second thoughts, dear?"

"No. We are getting the Fount. That was the plan from the beginning. And if Susannah was truly happy, I would be happy for her. But she-"

"You do regret it," he accused then, looking back at her. "Who would you rather her have married now?"

"I-"

"You cannot lie to me. You never have been able to."

Solovet only laid on the bed thinking for a moment before saying slowly, "There might be a general who I-"

"Oh, Solovet."

"I have seen the light. I already have the Fount. I do not need her with York, I need her with-"

"It is too late. Unless you have another daughter I do not know about, you burned all other family unions."

"Not if I could manage to get it annulled. Then-"

"Then you would have Royce and the entire Fount upset with you."

She snorted, rolling onto her other side. "The Fount belongs to my oldest daughter, above all. I fear no one there."

"Your oldest daughter is not too pleased with you, currently. Not to mention, Solovet, on what grounds would you annul the marriage?"

"I do not know. And if I could not get it annulled, then I would have them divorce."

"That is not…" He groaned. "That would not be good for Susannah. Divorce is-"

"It is a new age, Vikus. She can get divorced if she wishes."

"A new age," he remarked with a long sigh. "You do not think that she will always be looked down on for-"

"She should not care. She-"

"You are also forgetting that Susannah might not wish to be divorced, Solovet. She-"

"Why would she not?" his wife asked with an air of confidence. "She begged us not to marry this man. It's been, what? A few weeks? She will thank us."

"I told you, Solovet, that she and York are-"

"Friends. They can continue to be friends. I do not care. But I do not need this marriage to continue."

Sighing, he stood up from his desk before going over to the bed. "Sometimes, Solovet, you do not get what you want. Shocking, I know."

"Susannah will thank me, I am telling you."

"I will believe it when I see it."


"Early in the morning, we will get up and I shall teach you to fish. Then we shall spend the day fishing, yes?"

Susannah nodded, following York down the hall. The Fount had it's own palace, for lack of a better term. It was much smaller, of course, as the entire Fount was smaller than Regalia. York was good and drunk by the time they made it to their room, but he could still tell how excited Susannah was.

"It is so big," she commented, giggling as she stared at the bed before around the room. "And nice."

"Aye," he agreed with a groan as he put the torch in his hand in its holder by the door. "It is."

"Is this where we will stay?" She stared at him with gleefully. "When we move here?"

"If you would like," he told her slowly. "I have no preference."

She was quick to go lay down on the bed, as if to test out its bounciness. York only shook his head as he began to undo his sword belt, setting it up against one wall. When he glanced at Susannah though, he was suddenly forced to realize that their night would be different than those past.

At his home, the bed was rather small. It hardly fit both of them comfortably, honestly, meaning that they had to stay close to one another. Now though, with all that room, he had no doubt that Susannah would keep to one side, far away from him. Sighing, he went to sit down on the edge of the bed.

"We will stay the night as well," York told her as he pulled the shirt over his head. "Tomorrow. And then head back in the morning. You will make it to your duties in time, I am certain. Less you wish to go back tomorrow. We can decide tomorrow, of course."

She only stared at his back. "Are you happy to be home?"

"I love the Fount," he told her. "It's always nice to come back."

He stood then, to slip his pants off, before getting back into bed. Susannah had stood to undress to, and slid back into her previous spot. She kept looking at him though, as if expectantly.

"What?" he whispered, rolling onto his side to look at her.

She moved closer to him then, still staring at him. When he realized what she wanted, he smiled, scooting closer to her as well.

"Why do you like the bed if you are only going to sleep so close to me?" He grinned at her. "Are you cold?"

"No," she told him, giggling slightly. "I will not sleep so close if you-"

"I was only asking," he told her, resting his head next to hers. "I like you close."

She looked off from him then before asking, "Are you going to tell me something tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have been telling me of your adventures in battle every night. Are you not going to now?"

"I have told you many, many tales," he said slowly, thinking. "What if you tell me something tonight instead?"

"M-Me?"

"Y-You," he mocked, making her blush. "Come now, Susannah. There has to be some story that you wish to tell me."

"No," she told him. "Nothing like what you tell me."

"You have to have something, Susannah. Your life is not just a completely boring existence, is it?"

"No, but-"

"What about today?"

She giggled again. "York. I spent all day with you."

"What part was your favorite?"

She only stared at him for awhile before saying, "I liked when you kissed me."

He honestly had been expecting her to say when they went flying, mainly because he had been so entertaining on the flight over to the Fount. Honest, he threw down some of his best material.

Then he processed what she had said.

"Did you?"

"Is that okay?"

He leaned forward then, kissing her gently. Resting his forehead against hers, he said, "Of course."

She was blushing, she was always blushing, but did smile at him. "York…"

"I'll kiss you from now on then," he whispered to her. "That is all you had to say."

Unable to meet his eyes, she finally said, "I wish you'd still tell me a story."

"Not a story, Susannah," he told her. "A retelling of a magnificent tale."

She only stared at him. "You would be good at watching young children. You make everything sound so interesting."

"Do I? I think I may only have that affect on you." He shifted on the bed to get more comfortable. "What do you wish to hear about? No more from this war. I have tired of this war."

"What was the first battle you fought in?"

"Mmmm. Now there's a tale." He grinned at her. "I fought under your mother's direction, of course."

"Of course." She got comfortable too. Because as much as she loved York's stories, she also knew that they felt never-ending at times.


"Now am I allowed to be worried?"

"Solovet, if they disappeared together, clearly they went somewhere. Maybe they went on a trip to-"

"To where?"

"I do not know," Vikus sighed as he and his wife walked into the dining hall. Lucien and Judith were both already there, her apparently not having a good day as she was already drinking. Lucien hardly looked up at them as he picked at the food on his plate.

"Your sister has still not turned up," Solovet told Judith as she went to take a seat at the table. "Her husband either."

"Does she have class today?"

"No," Lucien answered for them all. When they looked at him, he only said, "She never does on this day. It is Wednesday."

"Who else knows dates?" Solovet remarked with a frown. "You know her schedule then? When does she usually do on these days?"

"I do not know," Lucien said with annoyance. "I just know that she has no training on days such as these. Honestly, have none of you noticed this before? You are her family. Not I."

Vikus only sighed as he sat down. "I am certain that York just took her somewhere, Solovet. Do not stress yourself over it. If she does not turn up by tomorrow, then I will-"

"Perhaps he took her to the Fount," Judith spoke up then. When everyone looked to her, she only glared and took another sip of wine. "He is no doubt off as well, due to just coming home from battle. Why is it unlikely that he took her to the Fount for a…a…vacation of sorts? Just because Lucien is horrible to me-"

"Do to start," he warned. "When I send you off, it shall be the Fire Lands and you will not be coming back."

"Lucien-"

"Are we late to breakfast?"

Judith shut her eyes tightly at the sound of Edward's voice. It would not have been bad, had he not said we. We implied that-

"Ed, do not be so loud," Valeria reprimanded.

"I am a loud person," he told her as they came into the room. "And everyone is here. Except for Hamnet, but we all know where he is."

"We all know where he is," Solovet repeated. "Where do we all know that he is?"

"With that woman. The one from…" Edward stared hard at her for a moment before laughing loudly. "Lucien?"

"Yes?"

"Kill me."

Valeria sighed as she took her place at the table. "Sit down, Edward, and be quiet."

"If you know where one of my children is, do you know where Susannah is?" Solovet asked. "I need to speak with her."

"You mean you are worried about her safety," Vikus corrected.

"Well, if she is not safe, I will never get to speak with her, will I, Vikus?"

"She has you there," Lucien said sarcastically.

"I am telling you, she is in the Fount. His bond is missing as well, yes?" Judith took another sip of wine. "If they really wished to fish, they would head up there. It is best for fishing, I would assume."

"I still do not understand this talk of fishing. For what reason would she need to fish?"

"Some people find it relaxing, Solovet," Vikus told her with a sigh.

"York kills for a living. You think that pulling fish out of the water with a pole relaxes him?"

"I believe we all know what relaxes him," Judith remarked.

"You have had more than enough to drink," Lucien told her with a frown. "For the time being. Your vulgarity annoys me to no end. You-"

"And you in general annoy me to no end and yet I make no demands of you," she retorted with a frown.

Vikus only sighed as a plate was placed in front of him. "When do you leave, Solovet?"

"Leave?"

"Are you not going to lead more men into battle?" he asked.

She paused before saying, "I do not wish to discuss it currently."

Lucien made a noise at that, but did not speak. Solovet did not take that well, however.

"Is there something you wish to speak about then, Lucien?" she asked him.

"Actually, yes," he said, glancing at his wife before speaking. "I have been lax on it before, but I prefer you refer to me as your king from now on. By my title."

"You can not be serious," Solovet said, glaring at him.

"I cannot be serious, what?"

"You-"

"King Lucien," he said, drawling out his name. "Surely you can handle that, yes?"

"Lucien, stop it," Judith told him, frowning. "Honestly."

Edward stood up then, downing a glass of water before reaching for Valeria's hand. "Think it is time we make our departure, dear."

"Yes," she agreed, taking his hand when it was offered. With her other hand, however, she grabbed a biscuit. "Before you say something else foolish."

"I do not know what you speak of."

"Mmmm."

It was not until they were out of the dining hall that either the Prince nor his wife spoke. Once they were slightly down the hall, she leaned closer to him with a smile.

"I do not know who is worse. Her or her mother."

Edward shook his head at his wife. "Judith is not so bad."

"You have always liked her. Even though she does not like you."

"She does care for me," he said with a frown. "She thinks of me as a brother."

"Oh, Eddie-"

"She does."

She only patted his arm. "If you think so, then I think so."

"I'm serious, Val."

"If she thinks of you as a brother, how can she hate your wife so much?"

"I have pondered this."

"Have you?"

"Aye. I think it's you."

"Ed-"

"I mean, she is clearly just downright lovely to everyone else, yes? So the logical conclusion is-"

"You are full of it."

He only released her hand so that he could hug her to him. "I do not know why she is so horrible to you other than she is in love with me."

"Is that your conclusion?"

"I believe that everyone is in love with me. Is it not obvious?"

"Oh, Ed."

"It will get better. She is only at the pinnacle of her hatred now, because she is jealous that you are with child, yes? Once we have our child, she will calm down some, I am sure."

"She was horrible before I was pregnant. She is worse while I am pregnant. To any normal person, that would make it appear as if she will only get worse."

"Yes, my dear, but I am not normal."

"I know. That is why I do not get upset with you."

"I thank you for that. My brother? He does not have that same mindset."

"I think he is very nice to you, considering his wife hates you."

"Hate you. Remember? We already established that she loves me like a brother."

"Not a brother, no," Valeria said slowly. "But most definitely like her brother."

"Eh. I will take it."


"York, are you sure this is how you fish?"

"What do you mean?"

"Only that it has been hours and we still have not-"

"Aye, but the time will come soon enough."

"I have tried to feel angry with the fish, but come off as calm, but it does not seem to be helping."

"Maybe the fish are just not biting."

"But that man that was out here before, he caught ten fish."

York let out a long sigh, glancing down at Susannah, who was sitting next to him. "Who is the fisherman here, Susannah?"

"S-Sorry."

He was starting to get annoyed. Not with her, necessarily, but more due to the fact that he was unable to catch any fish. They had been out there for some time and others had come and gone, getting their own fish. It was embarrassing to him, that his wife was watching him fail at something that he had bragged about so loudly.

"I did not mean to…" York sighed before knocking elbows with her. When she looked up at him, he leaned down to kiss her, which made her giggle and look away. He was learning that that would just be a quick fix to immediate problems for the time being.

Now content again, if not a little flustered, Susannah shifted slightly, still holding the fishing pole in her hands. "Do you think maybe it is you that is not calm on the surface?"

"Hmmm?"

"You seem rather tense."

"I am not."

"Oh. Sorry. I only thought-"

"Do I need to kiss you again?"

"I-"

"You are cute," he told her with shake of his head.

"What?"

"You are." He shook his head, staring out at the Waterway. The light from the city was behind them, casting a pretty glow on the water in front of them. Everyone else that had been out fishing had headed back at that point, leaving only the two of them out there. Really, they were running out of things to talk about.

"Like a child," she finished for him, but he only elbowed her again. She wouldn't look up though.

"Why can I not just compliment you then, Susannah? Sometimes, people are just nice. I know that your sister likes to bother you, but-"

"You really should stop saying things about my family," she told him softly then. "My father, he says that you are only trying to…to…"

"Manipulate you?"

She glanced up then. "Yes. But then you say the same thing about them. I have tired of trying to figure it all out, York. They are my family. They always have been. No matter what you say, nothing takes away from that fact."

"I am your family now," he told her. "Eventually you are must accept that. They-"

"I know I should not cut you off, as you are my husband, but York, I do not wish to talk about it any longer."

He sat there for a moment, staring out at the water, before saying, "That was very unlike you."

"W-What was?"

"You stood up to me. See? You told me, not very forcibly, but we shall have to work on that, that you did not wish to speak on the matter anymore."

"I did not mean to be-"

"But do you not understand, Susannah? You would not have said that to me when we first got married."

She looked up at him then and nodded. "Well, yes, but that does not make a difference."

"Why not?"

"I am…comfortable around you," she said, struggling with the word. "I could not tell someone else that. Hamnet or my father, maybe. Or Fae-"

"Fae? Who is that?"

She smiled then. "She and I are friends. We-"

"Susannah," he sighed then. "We have been married a number of weeks now. I was honestly under the impression that you did not really have friends."

"W-Why would you think that?"

"You never have anyone over," he said.

"Neither do you, York."

"Aye. That is because I know that you are not comfortable around others." And more importantly, he knew mostly males. There was no way he wanted any of them thinking that they were allowed to become friendly with his wife. He had made that mistake once and would not again.

"I have many friends, York," she told him with a frown. "I just do not…associate with them very often now that you are around so much. I did not think that you would-"

"I do not care if you spend time with others, Susannah." Then he paused. "Women. I do not care if you spend time with other women."

"That is good."

"Why would I mind?"

"I only thought it would be good to make a habit of never telling you no when you wished to spend time together."

He looked down at her then for the thousandth time, but that time only stared. Then, slowly, he said, "You know, Susannah, you are quite lucky you ended up with me."

"W-Why?"

"You are too nice," he told her. "Too kind. Too-"

"Trusting." He had told her that one enough.

"Aye, that too." Shaking his head, he said, "Another would have torn you apart by now."

They fell quiet again and York began to think he would never catch a fish. The plan was originally for him to catch a few, scale them, and then cook them for Susannah. He would eat his raw, as he always preferred them that way, but he knew there was very little chance of him convincing her that it truly was best that way considering she was from Regalia. They never found raw fish as those of the Fount did.

Now though, he was going to have to eat back at the palace. With his father. Not that that was such a bad thing. He really did wish to spend some time with his father. Just not with Susannah around. York was trying his hardest not to become possessive, but he was finding that he rather did not like the way his father's friends spoke to his new wife.

"York, look. It is bobbing. See? See?"

Sure enough, he had hooked something. Skillfully pulling his line back in, York was dismayed to find it to be, possibly, the tiniest fish alive. Ever. In existence.

"Look, look." Susannah was most pleased, however, and even clapped her hands. "You caught a fish. I told Judith that you knew many things, but she doubted you."

Making a face, he stared at his tiny fish for a long moment before looking at his wife. She wad down right giddy and she had not even been the one to catch the fish. It was more of a pet than anything else.

Still, something about Susannah's attitude over the whole thing left him in high spirits as well. She was so happy over hardly nothing that he could not be too upset over the situation.

"I think we will release this one," York said, going to do so. "He is so tiny."

"If you are certain." Susannah did not care one way or another as she continued to smile at him. "Now that we have caught one fish, I am sure that there will be many more to come."

There were not. They ended up having to eat in the palace. Needless to say, York did not plan to take her fishing again any time soon.


"I just do not get it, Hamnet."

"Do not get what?"

"When those men attacked you, why did you not just, you know."

"I know what?"

Edward, who was with his wife on one couch, punched the air. "Hiya!"

Hamnet made a face as Judith almost fell over with laughter. She was seated next to Lucien on one couch, rather close to him considering they normally would not even sit near each other, much less share a couch, while Hamnet was left to stand.

"It is not that simple," he hissed at Edward who only put up his hand in mock defense. Valeria shook her head at her husband.

"I am certain that you did all you could do, Hamnet," she assured him. "We should all just be thankful that York was there to-"

"I would have gotten out okay without him though, is what everyone seems to forget."

"Sure," Judith agreed while Lucien just sat there, stone-faced, staring straight ahead. She elbowed him gently in the side, but he only shook his head at her.

"What is bothering you, brother?" Edward asked, glancing at the King.

When Lucien would not answer, Judith said, "Leave him alone, Edward. He is pouting."

"I am not pouting, Judith," he told her, his tone coming off as clipped. "I-"

"He is upset that Mother berated him for his lack of knowledge on the gnawers' movements, that is all," Judith said. "He-"

"Enough, Judith."

"Lucien-"

When he got up to walk off, Edward was quick to jump up and follow him. Judith only sat there for a moment, glaring at Valeria even though the woman really had not done anything to warrant it, before taking a long sip from the glass of wine she had in her hand.

Knowing that there was no way she would come out well in a room with only Hamnet and Judith, Valeria easily got to her feet before walking out, not saying anything to either of them. It was just as well, as Hamnet currently had his eyes on his sister and paid the other woman no mind.

"My, he's quite touchy today, no?"

Judith shrugged slightly, hardly looking at her brother. "Little boys and their pride, as they say. You would understand quite well, yes?"

Staring hard at her the entire time, Hamnet crossed the room slowly before going to sit down on the couch opposite the one she was on. She only glared right back, taking a long sip of wine while she was at it.

"If you are going for constantly inebriated, sister, I think you should rethink your decision. You are much colder sober."

When she said nothing to that, he only continued to stare. She seemed to be focused on something else, however, as she turned to stare at the doorway. Listening hard, Hamnet could hear the sound of Lucien and Edward arguing, somewhere else in the royal wing. That must be what she was concerned with.

"You and Lucien seem to be getting along well," Hamnet remarked then, more to get her attention back to him.

"As oppose to what?" She glanced at him before back at the doorway.

"How you usually are."

"I am afraid that I do not quite understand," she told him. "Lucien and I have been married for some time. I am certain that we have acted the same way for many years."

"You go through changes. Sometimes you are worse to one another than other times."

"That is true enough," she told him, too distracted to think of where he was leading the conversation. "We go through months when we hate each other more than usual, yes."

Rolling his eyes, he said, "Yet recently, you seem to be getting along better than you ever have."

"Do we?"

"Aye."

"Well, we are simply-"

"And I think I know why."

That got her attention. Staring openly at him once more, she said slowly, "You do?"

Nodding, Hamnet said, "I am most certain that I do."

She almost looked stricken as she stared at him. "Hamnet, you cannot tell-"

"You are pregnant."

She blinked then. Slowly, she repeated his words. "I am pregnant. That is what you think-'

"That is why you are both getting along better. Because you are with child, yes?" Hamnet nodded. "I used my own skills of deduction-"

"I fear they are much like your hand-to-hand combat skills, brother, because-"

"-to figure it all out, yes? That is why he did not strike you back, when you elbowed him last night, as he usually would. He does not wish to harm his child. And that is why you have not been as terrible to him, but terrible to the rest of us. Yes?"

"Hamnet-"

"You did not tell anyone because you wish to be more certain? In case you…lose it? Well, do not worry, Judith, your secret is safe with-"

"I am not pregnant, idiot!"

He blinked. Then he winked. "Okay."

"I am not, Hamnet."

"I-"

"Honestly." She glanced back down at her cup of wine. "I most certainly, completely and utterly am not. So do not tell anyone otherwise, for it will be a lie."

Then he felt so horrible for his twin that he could not even look at her. Not that she could look at him either. So they both just sat there for some time, not speaking.

"I am…sorry, Judith," he said finally before getting to his feet. He knew she would not speak to him again and figured it best to leave it on that.

After he was gone, she just sat her empty cup on the ground before curling up on the couch. "I am too."