𝐌𝐋𝐁𝐁: 𝐀 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥

𝟭𝟭 - 𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴'𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗹

Fanny's POV.

The great hall was filled with nothing but silence.

Fanny was sitting in front of him, avoiding her brother's glare. Her hands were on her thighs. Her legs were tight shut as if they were glued together, shaking lightly. There was nobody else except the siblings, the older one glaring at the younger. Everything was too intense not even the slightest air dared to pass between the two.

"Where did you run off to?" he interrogated.

"I told you before," Fanny said, though it almost sounded like a mumble. "A friendly forest, not far from the castle."

"You know what happens when you lie to me," Tigreal argued.

"But I didn't!" Fanny fought back, standing from her chair. She was barely keeping her anger at ease, even though she was trying to. Her mind told her to stay calm, yet her heart screamed the opposite.

"We've been searching for you for two days!" he shouted.

She was indeed gone for two days, lost in her way back, with nothing to eat and only a bottle of water to survive. She breathed, regaining her concentration, and spoke again. "I didn't mean to," Fanny said much calmer, but she felt her tears forming. "I swear."

"You didn't mean to," he repeated, his sweat now dripping from his forehead. "For the last two days, did you ever think of coming back?"

"Of course I did," she said. "I wanted to. I just... didn't think I deserve it." She inhaled unsteadily, trying to fight back her sadness—or frustration—that lingered inside her. She swallowed, trying to look calm, but failed miserably.

"You could've died." His voice was breaking.

"I—"

"You had nobody to protect you," he said, anger starting to fill him up again. "What help did your cables had to offer? Nothing. You had no sword or any weapon in your hands. You could've been killed and I—"

"Just because you're so much older than I am doesn't mean you can look down on me!" she boomed as she hit the table, suddenly on her feet. She shouted much louder than she expected. Much louder than she wanted to.

Tears were streaming down her red, flaming face. She pursed her shaking lips, trying her best to control her breathing.

She couldn't hold it anymore. Her heart was barely containing all the different emotions she was feeling, and she had no other choice but to let it out. She yelled one simple sentence that made her brother flinch as he heard it.

Fanny refused to think it was true, but sadly, it was. Her brother may not realize it, but she felt it was what he had always done to her in her life. She loved her brother with everything she had, and he paid her love back with nothing but his arrogance. She wanted to let everything out. She had to. She was sick of the constant underestimation she had received in her life.

"I understand," she said. "Older siblings would always want their younger ones far from any harm. They would do anything to keep them safe and sound, loved and secure."

"Fanny—" he started, but it was her turn to cut him off.

"But that only applies to little children," she went on. "Should I remind you again that I'm not a kid anymore? Or did you not know any of that? Or maybe you just didn't care? Or perhaps you spent too much time in this castle and everything that revolves around it to remember that your 'beloved' sister is no longer a five-year-old?" Her feet stayed in place, but she stood tall and her eyes were focused on his, having more anger than he did.