Innocence, or Lack Thereof ✔ [Completed]

Chapter 1: Strawberry Waltz

"You do know how incredibly improper it is for two, young, unmarried, innocent women to be sitting here in a pub after nightfall with all the drunken men and harlots about, don't you?" Vansh asked. But it was in jest, clearly, with the smile that was plastered across his bewitchingly handsome face. He was a young man, a quarter of a century under his belt, unmarried, with a career and two lovely sisters to whom he catered. Ishani and Sia were beautiful young women, twenty and nineteen respectively, and were already being perused by almost any man lucky enough to have lain their eyes upon the pair. And since their parents had died—their mother of a terrible fever, their father of grief not long after her—it had become Vansh's job as man of the house to keep an eye on them.

But try as he might, being only five years older than Ishani and six years older than Sia, he sometimes could not resist their pleas. On this particular night it had been their fancy to take a stroll about the shops as evening set in, and then into the pub for some supper. Vansh had a pint, in celebration under his sister's insistence after a particularly lucky day in the trade business. He had facilitated the trade of expensive antiques between brokers who meant to sell them, providing safe transportation for the cargo and a guarantee it would arrive to each party in the exact manner it left its owner. Each broker paid him handsomely, and with the money he had earned this final day of the dealings, Ishani and Sia insisted he buy himself a drink.

"If I become too intoxicated to care for my lovely sisters, however would I forgive myself?" he queried them before taking the first swig of his pint. They laughed.

"Do you think we would really allow you to become such a lush in the public eye?" Sia asked. "Between Ishani and I we have more pride than could be considered healthy, if you think you are going to make a fool of yourself and sully our good name before any of us are even married, you are quite mistaken."

And so the night began in laughter and goodwill, brought on by the turn of good fortune and a little more money to weigh down their pockets. Vansh drank his pint with care and he and his sisters sat and talked, enjoying the company of one another and the feeling of camaraderie. On most nights the pub would be filled to the brim and fights would interrupt the feeling of helpfulness. But not this night. Vansh would have been shocked to even hear unkind words between the fellows drinking down their ale. Although it was for good reason.

News had reached the town by way of messenger as Vansh was buying both Ishani and Sia a trinket at the shops that a major battle, one that could turn the war, had been won the day prior. The war was one that had been weighing on the minds of the soldier's families and dipping into most everyone's pockets in taxes for unending months. It was with utter joy and relief that most families received word that some of the soldiers would be moving through their small town on their way to rendezvous with larger forces. For some, that meant the return of loved ones, even if it was only for a short time. Because of the good news, there was not a single malignant word said through the night, not one aggressive gesture made nor fight started.

Festivities continued well into the night, much after Sia and Ishani confessed fatigue and wished to return to the home their parents had left them. Vansh walked with them, one linked into each of his arms.

When Vansh was certain the doors had all been locked and most the lanterns turned off, Sia and Ishani safely in bed, he retreated to their father's study, pulling one of the many familiar books from the shelves, forgetting the world in lieu of words the words, the reality created within its pages entrancing and engulfing him. He enjoyed his time there, in the realm of fiction, becoming a character, an observer of other worlds and finding himself, not for the first time, wishing he could live an adventure of the like he found himself reading so often in the small hours of night.

It was there at his desk that Ishani found him early the next morning when she woke to make breakfast for the three of them. They were self sufficient, each of them, time and good parents had raised them to be so, but it was with pleasure they found themselves helping each other. Ishani paused a moment to gaze upon the visage of her brother, hairs spilled upon his brow as he slept calmly, peace finally finding him if only in his dreams. He was young, and innocence was as much a part of him as the startlingly bright colour of his eyes. He had taken up the trade business Anubhav had begun before he and Uma passed away, beaten back suitors with all but branches as they vied for his sisters' hands in marriage, helped run a household, make money, be a supportive brother and attempt to care for his family, but he was still so young.