A Fairytale In The Making

38. THE RICH BROTHER AND THE POOR BROTHER

Jane Eyre

Isolde's POV

The world of the rich and noble was less sparkly than I had imagined it to be. It almost seemed normal.

I will be honest that I had expected crystal chandeliers, large beds with posts on each corner and shady servants straight out of the murder-mystery books I had read. Oh and let's not forget about the mentally unstable first wife in the secret attic.

But the room given to me was plain yet elegantly decorated. The king-sized bed adorned with a red bedspread looked inviting. A small bookshelf fully stocked with novels and a small reading table occupied the space next to it.

Large windows took almost half of the southern wall, adorned in white soft yellow curtains. I hurriedly open them to take in the magnificent view of the mountains behind.

 However, instead of the breathtaking view, what caught my eyes was Akira and the white-haired man's presence in the front garden. 

 They were arguing about something by the looks of how Akira was shouting at the man. The older man to his credit, looked to be unfazed. He quietly listens without replying. After a few moments, Akira covers his face with his palms and falls to his knees. I could tell he was crying by the way his shoulders were shaking. The man wraps his arms around Akira's sobbing frame. He tries to resist at first but eventually gives in. The man softly caresses his head and says something to him.

What happened? Why was he crying like that?

What had the man said to him for him to crumple like this?

Is it about his father?

I know loosing a parent is hard. It was and still is so difficult for me. We never had anything but each other to begin with. So when she left, I didn't even have enough to fill the void left behind. 

It's still empty and I am afraid, it will always be empty. Will I live with this emptiness all my life?

I wonder how loss feels to someone like Akira who has so much? Does a family and all these luxury sooth the pain, maybe a bit? 

This world of his is so different from me. It has so much going on in it. Friends, families, politics, conspiracies and so much more. 

It was a world with a whirlwind of colors and warmth; so unlike mine which was just.....cold.

Sometimes I feel like one day I might freeze in this cold and no one will ever notice.

"So you are Akira's new friend?" A voice startles me out of my reverie. I close the window on instinct. Being caught eavesdropping on nobles is never a good thing.

I look to the source of the voice. It was a young girl with her hair tied in two buns. With her white hair and green eyes, she looks exactly like the woman downstairs. 

"I am asking you something," she emphasizes on her question again.

"I am Isolde, Akira's friend, I guess," I say in an unsure tone.

Were we friends? He did say we were that one time.

 I wasn't very sure.

"You guess?" she laughs at that. "Well then, I am Hikari, his sister, I guess," she says, mimicking my nervous tone.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Hikari," I say politely to the girl dressed in yellow.

"So Isolde, where is brother dearest? I couldn't find him in his room. I thought he was here," she asks with a frown.