Chapter Four: An Excuse
(Disclaimer: Most of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce as well as the settings.)
Alan's booming voice lingered a little in our silence. Everyone just stared at him with surprise; we weren't expecting him until later that day. No one was prepared for his presence yet, not even my parents. It wasn't as if my brother was a terrible person or anything, he could be a bit difficult at times. He always has to do something for someone even when they don't need the help.
"What?" he asked, shoulders sagging by our lack of response.
"We are all just surprised," my mother said. "No one was expecting you until later." Alan beamed at us all again flashing his strangely white teeth. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming early?"
"I wanted to surprise you," Alan said. My eyebrow twitched at the way he spoke. It sounded like an overly innocent child trying to get away with something. "I see I succeeded." From child, to pompous, only my brother could pull it off as fast as a heartbeat. Everyone could see that he was getting a little smug – which usually wasn't his personality. Maybe being a knight has been going to his head. He was well known in the country because of the status of our parents and our godfather; the could have been a possibility.
"It's good to see you," I said, crossing my eyes and glaring at him. The sight of him made me angry. I didn't understand why. It was possible his absence when I came still bothered me, or it might have been because he hadn't written me – ever! There was something else I noticed about him, he changed. It wasn't a physical trait; it was more of a personality thing. He was different. Alan wasn't the Alan I knew.
"Aly," he said, coming around the table. I stood before he could lift me off of my chair as we hugged. He may have been different but he was still my brother. "Where are you children?"
"They are back home with Nawat," I told him. "They can't miss their studies and their tutors wouldn't come."
"That's too bad," Alan replied, looking a bit disappointed. He appeared to be attached to my children yet he never wrote them any letters or sent them and sign that he was still around – yeah, very attached. "I wanted to see them."
"Yes," was all I said and released him to sit back down to resume my breakfast. I caught sight of my father looking at me with raised eyebrows. He knew that something was wrong. Alan looked confused by my cold actions. He stood there looking slightly hurt.
"Are you going to join us for breakfast?" Celine asked, trying to clear up the chill in the air that was produced by me alone. It did make me feel a little bad, but not too much to make me stop. "There is plenty for you to have."
"Uh, sure," he said, wounded by his twin's rejection. Alan sat next to me uncertain on whether or not he should sit next to me. The rest of the meal was awkward. I could feel everyone in the room shift uncomfortably in their seats while averting their eyes to me.
I ignored them.
When the meal finished, I was the first to leave, my father followed soon after. He brought me into the study and sat me down. He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms, looking at me with a disapproving expression. "What just happened?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked as though I were blameless.
"Don't even give me that," my father said. "You know what I'm talking about. Why are you being rude to your brother?"
"I'm just very upset at him," I told him with all the honesty I could manage. "He claims that he wanted to see them yet where were the letters to them? Why hadn't he gave any acknowledgment that he was still alive. I know there is no war going on and from what I know he has time to write even the simplest of letters." My father didn't say anything. That was George Cooper, he waited until one was finished ranting before he decided to say anything. "Alan is different."
"People change," my father said coming over to me and putting an arm around me.
I shook my head. Gods, I felt like I was ten again. "It's not the same," I told him. "I know people change but not the way that he has changed. It's almost as if it were forced." I looked into my father hazel eyes and saw the knowledge he stored in his mind. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened a little, he was giving me a sad smile.
"I know there are things I won't understand about twins because I never was one, but you could ask your mother about these changes. Not does she present great advice, she was also a twin once." I nodded, though I wasn't going to say anything to mother. "Oh by the way Aly," my father stopped me before I could leave the room. "Did you find any interesting information this morning?" I glanced at him with a small smile. He knew. "My birdies are still with me."
"It's good to have such a loyal companion, isn't it?" I asked. As I said it, Trick vibrated around my neck feeling almost like a purring cat.
"Indeed," my father replied. "Find me tonight, I have something for you."
"Why not now?"
"Because it isn't here right now," my father said. "Now go away," he shooed me away with his hand. "I have some work to do."
I left the study, shutting the door behind me. I didn't realize that Alan was coming down the very same hall I was at. He looked at me and waved, though it was half hearted. "Alan," I said approaching him. I might as well get it over with now, I thought to myself. "Can I talk to you?"
"About what?" he asked, eyeing me with suspicion. I was suddenly being nice to him – it was a noticeable difference.
"Just come with me," I demanded grabbing him by the wrists and pulling him. He followed me, making it easier on myself. I knew I wouldn't be able to drag him down the hall like I could when we were younger. "Okay, I'm sorry about this morning, I was just upset," I told him when we got into my room. "The mentioning of my children is making me a little homesick." Well, that plan failed. I meant to just yell at him for being a pompous bastard but it seems that lying was one thing I couldn't stop myself from doing to people that was currently part of my schemes. There was only one person I never really lied to and that was Nawat. I've lied to him – yes, but they were petty.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said putting a large hand on my slender shoulder, covering it with just his palm. "I didn't know." I held back my glare.
I could feel that everything was being sprinkled with sugar. Between him and me, I was the one who could tell a lie from the truth. It wasn't because of my gift nor was it because we were twins. It was because I was the one who spent half my time lying and finding common grounds amongst other liars. Alan had to be the worst liar in the history of the world. Whenever he'd lie, his forehead would sweat and his biceps would twitch three times. There were times, when the lie was to cover up something terrible, he would avert his eyes to the floor or scratch the nap of his neck.
Everything he was doing was a lie and it made my anger flare. What was he hiding from me anyway? That was another mystery I needed to dig my hands in. My brother was going to have to try harder than that to slip passed me. I was going to have to be nice, to see if he'd warm up to me and suddenly spill but there was still a chance where I would have to be the one person he feared the most.
"Aly," he said. It had just occurred to me that we hadn't spoken in awhile. "Jonathan and the King are both awaiting to hear from you," he said. He looked down at his feet and his face reddened. "They wish for you to visit them at the palace tomorrow when I return. Would you like to come with me. You don't need to stay, I don't believe, but if you want to, then they have a room ready."
"I would love to stay, but not for too long," I told him. Staying too long at the palace might look suspicious; I was a spymaster after all. "I'll have to come back here and continue to catch up with our parents." In truth, I just wanted to talk to my father more about everything that was going on. He seemed to know a lot more than anyone else. I touched Trick, who rested silently on my neck. I might need him after all.
"That's great!" he said with a genuine smile. He kissed me on both cheeks then ran off like a merry child.
I smiled at myself.
Alan just gave me an excuse to spy on the palace. Though it was a good thing, I still felt something in the pit of my stomach, telling me to beware.