Her peaceful slumber was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door. When she opened her eyes, she felt nothing but confusion. How did she end up in her brother’s room? But then all the events the previous day came pouring through. It sent a weight on her heavy enough to not want to get up. How could she feel so heavy yet so empty inside? The knocking continued. No. She wouldn’t get up. Not now. All she wanted to do was lie there. Her brother was dead. She didn’t want to survive anymore. More knocking. This time louder. “Alright!” It was starting to give her a headache. She hated mornings. Why did they have to bother her on this one of all ones? She ran and grabbed the silk robe from her room and covered herself up. She ran some fingers through her red hair and answered the door just as they were knocking again.
“What do you want?” She scoffed at the visitor. She didn’t want to see Devlin this morning. He was an old love. A once in a while love if she wanted to be honest with herself. But more importantly he was her brother’s best friend. She cried enough the night before. She didn’t want him to see her cry anymore.
Devlin gave her the smile that always made her melt. But it had no effect on her that morning. “Morning left hours ago, princess. You are not entitled to a foul mood now. You cannot tell me I woke you.” Hours? She slept all day? She decided not to think about that. She never saw a point to sleeping all day and always tried to get her brother to change those habits. Days always seemed so much shorter, and there was more to life to live when being awake longer. She wished her brother would’ve listened to her. It didn’t matter now. She didn’t even care that she slept so long. “Alright, scowl at me if you wish. I’m just here for Arland.”
Aphria’s heart sank even lower. Devlin didn’t know. She had forgotten he was up north visiting cousins. He must’ve just returned that morning. “Oh Gods, Devlin.” She put a palm to her forehead. The tears she told herself she didn’t want him to see started to appear. She wanted to claw her eyes out.
His beautiful smile slowly dropped when he realized that something was really wrong. “Where’s your brother, Fri?”
Aphria swallowed back that uncontrol and poised herself. Her heart would contain all the misery it wanted, but she couldn’t show it on her face. “He was caught yesterday.”
His face was blank, but his eyes were staring at her in confusion. “So we will free him. We just have to sneak into the guard’s prison, find some keys..”
“Devlin!” She had to interrupt before he said anymore. “He’s dead.” There. She said it. Those words. Out loud. “Arland is dead.” She stunned herself at first, then lost all the control she attempted to show. More crying. She hated crying.
Before she knew it, Devlin took her in his arms and embraced her tightly. “Oh Gods.” He whispered. “Oh, princess. Forgive my rude behavior.” She could hear his voice start to crack. She loved when he called her princess. He’d been doing it since they first matched up years ago. Even when they weren’t being a pair, the nickname still carried on. She was annoyed with it at first until it grew on her. “Arland did not deserve this fate.”
Aphria shrugged and wiped her eyes. She motioned for him to enter in the cabin. No use creating a scene outdoors. She still had to represent something to the townsfolk. They ventured into the living quarters and each took a chair. “It is a fate destined for every member of my family. I’m the next and last to go.”
“Aphria. Do not speak like that.” She’d never seen those eyes so stern. She just shrugged at him again. “The King will be dead someday.” He seemed to want to reassure her.
Aphria smirked. “Yes and there will be another to take his place. He does have a son you know.”
“That’s just a rumour.” Devlin rolled his eyes. She was always paying attention to his eyes. They were never as dead now before this. He just found out his best friend was gone. She hated herself for being the one to give him that news. “And if it was true, what makes you so sure this mysterious son of his carries the same views?”
“I am not sure of anything.” She just hung her head low. “It will be a long while before the King is dead anyway.”
“Not if we kill him first.” Devlin blurted out.
Aphria looked up quickly. Did he just say what she thought he said? She hadn’t heard talk like that for years. Her brother gave up that notion when he almost got caught sneaking into the castle. When he traveled back home, he told her that the castle was very heavily guarded and there would be no way to get to the king. Still she wouldn’t mind trying. “Are you just venting anger or do you really mean that statement?”
It was Devlin’s turn to shrug. “Both, I guess.” He drew a deep breath in. “But just in case it’s mostly anger, I’ll wait to plan later.” He closed those eyes of his and slowly slumped forward to hold his face with his hands. She could see that he was trying not to lose control of his emotions. Good. If he started up with the crying, she probably wouldn’t be able to stop herself. And she hated seeing him in grief. “Why Arland? What happened?”
She cleared her throat so her voice wouldn’t crack. “He was at the guards’ part of town collecting back those wheat bags they taxed last week.” She shook her head. “I told him to go the previous night. The guards were out in town and those who were there would’ve been too drunk to notice. But he didn’t. The one time he awakens at dawn to work..” She quickly gained control of her anger. “It only took one of them being awake to just happen to walk in on him.” She couldn’t imagine what happened next. She refuse to let him explain when she visited him in the prison. The cuts and bruises explained themselves. She didn’t want that mental image for the rest of her life. She just knew the rest would have to go unsaid. Devlin seemed to understand.
He then let out a laugh that shocked her. “Out out of all the money and jewels and animals your brother took, he got caught thieving wheat bags. You cannot tell me he would not have laughed at that irony.”
She couldn’t help but smile a little back. “I suppose your right.” She nodded then buried her face in her hands. “I can’t believe he’s gone, Dev. What am I going to do?”
“Live.” He answered quickly. He always had those wise moments. It was the foolish ones that kept her from being with him. He acted like such a young boy at times. She wanted to be a lover, not a mother to him. “Carry on the oath your family made to the people. That they would never be alone as long as your family lives. Arland would’ve wanted you to do that. He worked so hard for them his whole life. You both have.”
“I’m not giving up on my people.” She was immediately taking back. “They need me. I can’t let them down.”
He started gazing at her with those eyes of his. They were a beautiful chocolate brown, and he had the brown hair to match. It was always in a mess on the top of his head. His skin was so fair that his eyes always seemed more enhanced. She loved them. She loved that smile too. The one that always made her melt. The one that he was wearing now. “You really love this land don’t you?”
“Of course.” She put boldness in that statement. “I would die for them if I have to. Like my father and Arland.”
Devlin got up from his chair and embraced her again. “You are not going to die like them, princess.” He put his forehead to hers and looked into her eyes. “You are the strongest woman I know. And the smartest.” Her heart fluttered. “You are too intelligent to get yourself caught.” He kissed her cheek and moved back into his chair. She was left stunned by those actions. They’ve always had close moments when they were apart. She tried not to analyze them when they happen. Some actions just come naturally. If her brother were in the room, he’d be rolling his eyes in annoyance and letting them know his impatience of the hypocritical actions to their plans or lack there of to be together. But they knew all he wanted was for them to be happy.
“I’m going to miss him.” She found herself saying out loud.
Devlin nodded. “He was a good man. And my best friend.” He got up and went to their pantry taking out a liquor bottle Arland must’ve stashed. Aphria always got on him for drinking. Dev took out two small glasses and poured the clear liquid into both. He took the glasses, brought them over, and handed one to her. Aphria didn’t even feel like objecting. “To Arland. One of the strongest souls we knew.”
She held up her glass. “To Arland. My brother and our best friend.”
“Best friend.” Devlin agreed. They clinked their glasses and downed the alcohol. It burned going down, but somehow felt really good. She hated when she had to rely on liquor for comfort, but this seemed like the best idea at that moment.
“Another?” Dev broke the moment of silence. |
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