Happy birthday
Goddess Blast it!” Melania snarl, she couldn’t help it. Never upon never had she been treated like this. Well, she wouldn’t stand for it another second longer.
“Mel?” Was she so angry she hadn’t even notice her brother walk up on her? Curse it! Wasn’t it wonderful, everyone felt the need to sneak surprise her today. At least this one was a pleasent one. Somewhat.
“Did you know about this?” she rounded on him so angry she could barely see straight.
“Know about what?” he said genuinely confused, for once, and so taken aback she could have laughed if she wasn’t so angry.
“Daddy sent you out here to calm me down!” she growl “didn’t he!” Not waiting for an answer she went on.“If that man thinks for a moment that I am gonna calm down he is sadly mistaken dear brother.”
What she loved about her brother was when he was thrown off stride he didn’t stay down for long. He pulled himself together quickly and fluently. He would make a great leader one day. Possibly sooner than later, Mel decided. If their father kept this up she wouldn’t be resonsible for her actions. He caught her in midpace by the waist swinging her around to face him.
“Melania, you are making no sense love.” he said sensibly “and to answer your earlier question, no father did not send me and neither did mother. I came down here because one of my men found you pacing out here and when he ask you a question you growled at him.”
Mel’s brows furrowed, she didn’t remember growling, or a guard for that matter.
“So, are you going to tell me what has you so riled up or are you going to continue to ware a hole in the ground while continuing this thing of snap and snarl at me some more?”
Mel’s head snapped up to glare at him.
“I didn’t snarl at you” she said hotly
“Oh but you did baby sister” he tugged at her braid at the same time gathering her into his arms walking to the only bench in her garden.
Just like old times, Melania thought. Her brother was always the one she went to to let out her emotions. Even when they were little, no one understood her like Phedre did. What was she going to do without him?
“Alright waif.” Phedre loosened his hold on her so she could pull back if she wanted but Mel didn’t want to. She sat nestled in her brother’s lap head against his shoulder. “tell me what has you so snarly today.”
There wasn’t a way to ease into it, no way to sound happy or optimistic either. She might as well say it the best way she knew how. Bluntly. “Father has found a husband for me.” her voice sounded dead of all emotion, even to her ears. Just like that she felt so tired.
Phedre tensed, she felt him do it for a moment, and secretly she hoped he would be as angry as she felt. It was wishful thinking. “you know him to dislike him so much?” he sounded confused “father wouldn’t marry his only little princess to someone she hated.”
Mel rolled her eyes, she was teased to no end about being daddy’s little princess. Which she was, her father was rarely surly or hard with her. That was why she couldn’t understand why he was doing this.
“that’s beside the point Dre” she snapped waving her hand airily
“It is the fact that he did it without my permission! I’m not property!” the last few words found her screeching. The silence came, stretching the time between them. Melania rocked back and forth trying to calm herself. I wasn’t working.
Goddess help her she needed to throw something, scream, or she was going to go mad.
“so” Phedre said at last “who is it?” her head snapped up.
ouch, Mel felt the bone in her neck pop with the suddenness of that move.
“are you ok?”
Mel nodded just to make sure she could “what does that matter though, Phedre, he gave me away!” wow. That last part stung to be said out loud.
“but to who?” Dre pushed curious.
Mel sigh there was no point in avoiding it any longer, she was getting married and her brother would see who.
“Rikash of Yretsym” she shut her eyes looking over his shoulder at her garden her flowers had just come into bloom.
He tensed again, but only for a moment, it was part of his training to hide his surprise. Almost nothing shocked Phedre, she wished she could say the same. Still he said nothing.
What could he say? Her father was marrying her into one of the most influential families on Tameran. Rikash, the youngest son of the Queen of Ashk. He and his brothers each held a throne. The eldest Ciaran was heir to Ashk, the second was Mican a master mage and heir to the K-Tarian hold. While Rikash held the Yretsym throne in his palm. Together they held the biggest alliance in history and now thanks her father with their marriage would assure that they could call on Nassuir and like wise. Not that it was an unknown thing that Ashk would help her people; this would assure it.
Melania sigh. If she didn’t have anything to do with this bargain she would admit to her brother that the proposal was brilliant. But since she didn’t have a say in the matter she would keep that little comment to herself.
Phedre’s shoulders started shaking slowly at first, raising and falling steadily then more forcefully, strangled sounds came from his throat.
“Dre?” she pulled back to look at him, startled to see tears in his eyes. . . Wait a second!
“It’s not funny!” Mel snarled, admitting that she did it this time, but couldn’t help it he was laughing at her. The bastard.
“Oh, but it is sister,” he wasn’t hiding his mirth anymore.
“how so?”
“you are going to make his life a living hell” he laughed even harder now. “ouch! what was that for?” she had lost it and pinched him.
being a smart ass
“accident” she said “and no I’m not,” Mel said, she actually thought in time she would make a decent wife to the right man, Rikash just couldn’t be that man. “if anything he’ll make my life horrible Phedre stop laughing, I’m serious” she punched his arm just to prove a point.
“I know love-” he stroked her curls once “ouch by the way”
She scowl at him, he was a big man like their father and able to take a punch with the best of them. He was also taller than most men in court he stood over her by at least a foot, and could intimidate with the best of them. Though he wasn’t scary looking; to most he was really handsome. Taking after both of their parents with his thick black curls from their father and dark brown eyes from mother he looked like pure mischief sent by the Goddess herself.
That reason alone had become a problem for both of them. Since Phedre had grown into his “manhood” girls and their mothers alike had sought her company out more than ever and it was all just to get close to her brother. It sicken her. That’s why she picked her friends so carefully and had so few. Maybe now that would be a good thing since she was leaving, goodbyes were so awkward.
“Melania he’s not that bad and you know it- for stars sake you’ve spent most of your summers with him”
“No, no, I’ve spent seasons with Mykka, Aine, and Dancia” she said “Rikash just happen to live there.” and she avoided him most the time as he seem to do her.
And on rare occasion when they did encounter, there was little to be said. Even then it was disaterous. She and Rikash had such different opinions in the way of the world. Mel blushed at her last encounter with the prince, two years ago, she could have died of embarrassment just from the memory.
