Thanks to everyone who has come back to read more and thank you to those who favourited or followed :) Particular thanks to Sophia the Scribe for your review. It's good to know I'm on the right track. Anyway, I hope you all enjoying reading this :)

Lonely Souls

The rain came in droves, pattering against the glass panes of the castle. It was a sudden onslaught, as though the heavens had broken.

Cor stood on the stairway in silence. A servant passed him, also in silence. The stone walls were grey and morose this evening, flickering with candlelight like a vigil for the late king. From where he stood, Cor could see down to the main entrance of the castle, the stone courtyard where his father greeted foreign dignitaries. Beyond that, an orchard of snake-branched trees and the soggy grey-green grass stretched away into the distance.

"Still looking?"

Cor turned. Aravis stood at the top of the stairs. She tucked her hair behind her ear and came down to him. Pausing on the step above his, she leant against the windowsill.

"I don't know why he hasn't come back yet," said Cor. "It's been nearly six hours since the funeral. Surely he wouldn't be foolish enough to stay out in rain like this."

"Grief does funny things to people," said Aravis. "I sat in the cellar for hours when my father died."

"Your father died?" Cor turned to look more closely at her expression. "You never told me your father died. When did this happen?"

"Three years ago," she said quietly, inspecting her nails, instead of looking him in the eye. "I didn't want to feel anything for him, but when I heard the news, I felt empty and cold. I couldn't stop it, so I went and sat in a dark, bitter place and thought about everything that had happened between us."

"You could have come to me," said Cor. He placed a hand awkwardly on her arm, imagining a sixteen-year-old Aravis sitting in a windowless room, crying.

It seemed almost impossible to him. She was always so strong, or maybe she just seemed strong, because when she was weak, she hid it. His heart grew heavier.

"I know," she sighed. "But I didn't want to. I felt like I had given up everything that I had, everyone that I knew to come here."

"So did I," said Cor.

"I know, but it was a dark time for me, Shasta. You and Corin were my only friends. I felt isolated, on the outside of some family bond. For a while, I thought I was just a charity case. My whole life seemed to revolve around this castle and you two, my only two friends. I struggled with not having the freedom that I wanted."

"And now?"

"I'm older now," she said, standing straighter. Cor's hand fell from her arm. "For freedom, I could ask. As for friends, I began to appreciate the value of one good friend compared to many shallow friendships."

"And what about your father?"

Her expression clouded again.

"I sent my respects, with help from the late King. I don't know if my family cared or if they were too angry to pay any attention to my words, but I sent them. That's all that matters," she shook her head. "Anyway, how are you? You spend all this time worrying about your brother and now about me. I worry that you're not looking for comfort yourself."

"I'm okay," said Cor. His throat tightened, threatening to close up, but he wouldn't burden Aravis with it. He could handle it. He had to handle it. He would be the King soon and the King had to be strong. Swallowing, he forced himself to keep speaking. "I'm fine."

She pursed her lips. "Double reassurance?"

"Honestly Aravis," he said. "I'm sad, of course I'm sad, but I know he's in a better place."

She searched his eyes. She doesn't believe me, he thought. But she turned back to the window and peered out at the darkening sky.

"Alright," she said. "But I'm here, if you need me."

"I do nee–" he jumped suddenly. A lone figure strode into the courtyard, bright yellow and red in sheets of rain. "Corin? That's his regalia. Quick, we must open the door."

Cor ran down the stairs, Aravis following closely behind, their footsteps echoing around the walls.

"Open the doors, please," said Cor as they walked towards the main entrance.

The two men standing on opposite sides of the entrance bowed their heads and drew back the doors.

Heavy wood creaked on iron hinges and a cold gust of air whipped into the castle. The sound of rain grew louder. Heavy droplets splashed against the stone steps and trickled down to the pathway, like a stream. His brother's red and yellow figure walked slowly towards him, cloak pulled tight around him, shoulders hunched.

"I'll be back in a second," said Cor and before anyone could stop him, he threw the hood of his cloak over his head and rushed into the rain.

The fabric grew darker almost immediately. Rain pattered onto his hood and the wind blew some of the droplets inside his cloak so that his blonde hair flopped over his eyes. He brushed it out of the way with his hand.

"Corin?" he called out when his brother was only five metres away.

The boy looked up, as though broken from a trance.

"Cor?"

Cor ran the last few steps and threw his arm and cloak, around his brother. "Come on, let's get you inside."

Corin tried to shrug the arm away, and Cor let it fall from Corin's shoulder to a light touch on his back, pressing him forwards towards the castle. They ducked into the archway over the entrance and the rain stopped pattering on their hoods.

It was then that Cor realised Corin was shaking.

"Blankets," he ordered the nearest guard. "And fresh clothes." Then he turned back to Corin, patting him gently. "Come, sit down. Let's take you to your bedroom, the servants have already set a fire in the grate."

Their cloaks dripped onto the stone floor, forming a widening puddle around them. Droplets broke the surface every second, like tears on a lake. Aravis stood over by the bottom of the stairs watching them, the skin between her eyebrows creasing as though she were thinking hard.

Cor smiled at her and rubbed his brother's back to keep him warm. Why do you have to be so reckless all the time? But it was fine, Corin was safe now. Cor rubbed his brother's back again.

"Stop it," said Corin. He pulled away, hands balled into fists. "Stop treating me like a child. We're the same age. I'm sick of everyone acting like you know better and you are the responsible one. And now you will be King and I'll always be the younger one. The brother who walks around doing as you say. Maybe I don't want to be Commander General or any other stupid title they hand out for second place."

"You're not second place," said Cor. "Where is this coming from? I thought you didn't want to be King."

"I don't."

Cor threw his hands up. "Then what are you saying?"

"I don't want to be a hanger-on Cor. You want to grow up so fast and sooner or later you'll decide you want to fall in love and then I'll be left behind."

"Nobody is leaving you behind," said Cor. "You are still my brother and my best-friend, and the most important person in my life."

A shuffle of movement from the edge of the hall caught Cor's eye. Aravis, long black hair trailing down her back, disappeared around the bend in the staircase. Cor's chest ached.

"Am I?" asked Corin, catching the line of his brother's gaze. "Am I?" the older boy did not reply. "When father was still alive, everything made sense. We were equals, but now I'm not sure that's what you want."

"Of course it is," said Cor. "I want nothing else. You have been out in the rain and the cold too long and father's death has left you in a vulnerable state. You are not thinking clearly."

"Because it's my fault, isn't it Cor?" snapped Corin. "It's never you."

"Corin–"

"No, I don't want to hear it." And still dripping rain onto the stone, Corin trudged over to the staircase and followed Aravis' exit to the higher levels of the castle.

Ah the heartache. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter :)