Leading Thayet out of the room, Buri gestured to her brother, indicating she wished him to accompany them. As they walked, Pathom chatted with the princess, talking of court gossip, horses and anything else that came to mind. He carefully avoided the subject of where he had been, or why Kalasin had sent for the princess. Buri walked in total silence.
When they arrived Pathom nodded for Thayet to go in, but remained outside with Buri. "Please don't be angry with me, Buri," he said softly, "I know you must feel left out, but we simply couldn't tell you. You cannot hide your feelings from Thayet, and Kalasin didn't want her to know until all was ready."
Buri flushed, "I'm not that easy to read, am I?"
"Only to those who love you," he assured her.
That was all it took, the young woman was in tears again. "I hate this," she muttered, and allowed herself to be enfolded in Pathom's strong arms.
"I know you do. But it must be this way." He murmured.
Buri sighed and said nothing, knowing it to be the truth. She returned his embrace with strength born of desperation. She studied her brother, trying to etch every detail of this, the last time she would see her brother. His usually merry hazel eyes were pools of sadness. His strong, proud face was a mirror of her father who had died in Kalasin's service several years back. She ran unsteady fingers over the dark moustache covering his upper lip. 'I've always hated that thing,' she thought, 'but I think I shall miss even that.'
Buri was startled out of her musings by the sound of the door opening. She turned to see Thayet step out on unsteady legs, her skin ghastly white. The K'mir rushed forward, to support the older girl.
"You knew?" Thayet asks, her dark eyes searching Buri's.
"No. Well, not before that is. They just told me before they sent for you."
"Oh."
"I'm sorry Princess," Pathom said, coming to stand beside his sister.
"No, no Pathom, there is nothing to be sorry for," Thayet assured him, forcing herself to smile, "No regrets. I understand."
Thayet threw her arms around Pathom's neck and places a quick kiss upon the young man's cheek. Buri studies the floor in an attempt to give the two privacy to say their goodbyes. A soft touch on her shoulder and Buri finds herself staring into Thayet's cheerless eyes. A thousand thoughts race though her mind, "Come on, we need to go," she choked.
With a nod to Pathom, Thayet laced her arm through Buri's and the pair returned somberly to Thayet's chambers. Buri watched as Thayet threw herself onto the larger bed, slender hands griping the down coverlet. The girl's thin shoulders shook, wracked by sobs. Sitting down beside her friend she placed a tentative hand on Thayet's shoulder. "Please, Thayet, don't cry," she murmured.
Thayet turned her head to stare up at the K'mir. "How? How can you be so… so cold? So detached?" She demanded, her watery eyes flashing, "It's like you don't…"
Biting her lower lip Buri sighs, "You think this is easy for me?" Buri ran a hand through her short cropped hair "But we can't… we can just…"
A brisk knocking interrupted the girl. "Milady?" Buri yanked open the door to see the cowering form of Alynn, Thayet's personal maid. "Excuse me, Mistress Buri, I didn't mean to interrupt."
"It's alright, Alynn," Thayet called from her bed, "Buri let the poor girl in!"
With a glance back to see that Thayet was on her feet and wiping away the last traces of her tears, Buri stepped back, admitting the maid. As Alynn assisted Thayet to dress, Buri donned her clothing. She wore sturdy, simple garments, a padded leather vest and an assortment of daggers concealed on her body completed the outfit. Absently she ran a bone comb through her dark hair as she waited for Alynn to finish dressing Thayet.
When at last the maid departed, Buri asked, "So what's the plan for today?"
"After breakfast I have lessons with Masters Roshar and Pegran, and then I promised Aunt Leysa I would visit her." At Buri's groan Thayet simply smiled, "I swear, you hate my lessons more than I do."
"Of course I do," Buri groused, "They're boring!"