Withering Petals

Chapter 2: Brothers and Sisters

"A brother and sister may fight and argue, but in the end, they will always be there for each other."

You ran the events that would happen in this ball one more time as you made your way down to the ball room. If you recalled correctly, you would meet Finleigh, the Duke of the North (and your fiancé *wink*) in the gardens. After that, he would invite you to dance with him in the ballroom after greeting all the guests, and comfort you over something, but you couldn't remember what. For the rest of the night, nothing much happened. So for now, you just need to make sure you wouldn't make any mistakes, and hope that the night goes smoothly. You didn't want to die. However, as you turned the corner beside the grand staircase that leads to the first floor, you made your first mistake.

Bumping into someone, you lost your balance and fell backwards. Before your body collided with the hard ground, however, a hand slipped under your waist, breaking your fall. You gasped in shock, your mind still processing what had just happened when a face (a rather handsome one at that *wink*) focused into view. He frowned, not looking very pleased. You wanted to facepalm yourself right on the spot. This was one of the major events that had happened back then, and it hadn't ended well. It was the reason you bumped into Finleigh. the Duke of the North, back then. How could you not remember that?

"Ouch!" You yelped, massaging your temples, where the male's shoulder had collided. A whiff of cologne drifted to you, and you immediately recognized it. It was one that Frederick had worn. "Shouldn't you be receiving the guests with Father?" You queried, peering up at your brother, confused. He didn't look happy, which was rare. He always wore a smile around you, even when he was upset.

"Yes. So should you, [Name]. Didn't Father tell you to come down as soon as possible, since the guests may arrive early?" You furrowed your eyebrows. He only called you by your name if he was upset at you. Well, your father did say that. And you had done as he asked. "Brother...?" You called out uncertainly. "Some of the guests have already arrived, including the imperial family... they were asking where you were. Did you know how much of a disgrace it would be, if you weren't there to receive the imperial family?" He asked, his tone hard. You were taken aback. He had never used this tone on you before.

"I-I didn't know they would be here so soon!" You protest, but he didn't seem to care. "This is only the first ball you've ever attended, and you've already screwed up, being late to greet the other nobles. Who would want to invite you next time?" Frederick sneered. You couldn't believe that this was the same brother who had defended you and played with you. He would always be the first to rush to you when you were hurt. He was your older brother, your other half. Where did that brother go?

"WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS? WHAT DID I DO? I WASN'T LATE! I WAS ABOUT TO GO DOWN! IT WASN'T MY FAULT THAT THEY ARRIVEID EARLY! WHY DON'T YOU YELL AT THEM INSTEAD? YOU-" However, you didn't get to finish your sentence. Your brother raised a hand, and before you could react, it came flying towards you, colliding with your cheek. You staggered back from the force, shock engulfing you, as you stared at him, your hands tenderly holding your cheeks.

"[Name]..." He held a shaking hand out to you, panicking as realization hit him. Hearing your name coming out of his mouth sparked a new wave of anger in you. You stormed off angrily, not looking back to see whether he followed you or not. A small part of you hoped he did; he always did when you were upset. But it seemed that noble life had changed him, and you hated him for it. You went into the gardens near the ball room, tears streaking down your face as you crouched down behind a bush.

However, you weren't alone for long. The sound of footsteps were heard, getting louder and louder, until they came to a stop beside your small form. You looked up at the stranger, who had distinct features, and wore clothing more expensive-looking than yours. A sword was at his side, and on the hilt of it, a family emblem, featuring a horse. He held out a hand, and you took it, standing up with his help. Little did you know, he would be the cause of all your woes and misfortunes.

It was because of this that the close bond you once shared with Frederick had disappeared. After that, the two of you rarely talked, with him helping your father run errands, and you minding your own business and enjoying noble life. He wasn't there to see you off when you moved to the Fernsby dukedom, and that had carved a deep scar into your heart. If he had been there for you, you wouldn't have died.

"[Name]..." He began slowly, unease settling into his features when he saw how you were staring at him. What was that in your eyes? He tried to grasp at it, but however hard he tried, he couldn't wrap his head over what may have been causing you to look like that.

"I-I'm sorry, Brother," you stutter out, initiating the conversation. You didn't want this to end up like last time, but you couldn't believe that you're going out of your way to be nice to him. Well, it doesn't matter. You would do all you can to stay alive, even if that meant wounding your pride. "I should have came down to greet the guests earlier. I'm sorry, Brother. Please don't be mad at me." His eyebrows shot up immediately. How did you know what he was planning to do?

"I..." He hesitated, unsure of what to say. Yes, he is mad, but seeing your ashamed face that looked as if it was going to burst into tears any moment, he started to have second thoughts. "I'm not mad, princess. I-I was just worried about you...that's all," he stuttered. Liar. You were confused. That wasn't what how he had acted back then. You were sure it wasn't. Unless...your thoughts were muddled and somehow the events that happened were twisted. While you were debating on why he had acted this way, your about-to-burst-into-tears expression remained the same. That was what had melted your brother's heart.

"Erm, princess?" He began uneasily. You came back to your senses, half-forgetting that he was there. Your brother heaved a sigh of relief. He was starting to panic, afraid that he had scared you to death. "Well...if you're ready, we can make our way down to the ball room now." You nodded absent-mindedly. "Unless you want to take in some fresh air from the garden. I can-"

"NO NO NO IT'S FINE BROTHER!" You yelped, which earned you a few stares from nearby servants and maids. Your brother seemed startled by your sudden outburst. "Er, I mean, the ball room would do," you laugh nervously, your hands fiddling. He inclined his head, then proceeded to whisk down the grand staircase.

As you followed him down, a smile crept up your face. You had resolved the near-argument. Now you just had to distance yourself from Finleigh and his evil admirer (aka the woman who tried to stab you to death).