Ceri smiled brightly. Rinka still didn’t know whether to trust her—was this an intentional ploy to humiliate them, or was her suggestion to the king a genuine attempt to help the situation?
“Just what do you think you’re playing at?” hissed Idris, coming up alongside Rinka to face his sister. “Another one of your schemes? Another plot?”
“Idris, don’t—"
“Really? I’ve gone out of my way to help your friends, and this is the thanks I get?” Ceri was incensed. Rinka caught the smell of smoke on her breath.
Rinka gestured to Alison and the others to continue on. It was better if they weren’t a part of this.
“Can we just stop this, Ceri? I don’t know what I’ve done to you, but I just want this to end. I know what you told Rinka—” He looked around to check who was watching, and seeing that their argument had drawn the attention of quite a few onlookers, he stopped himself.
“I told her because I knew you wouldn’t. Because you’re a coward, and you only care about protecting yourself,” Ceri snarled under her breath.
“Stop it, both of you,” said Rinka. “This is ridiculous. You both care about each other—”
They turned to her and glared, the expression on their faces exactly the same.
Rinka couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re exactly alike,” she said.
Idris said, “I’m nothing like her,” at the exact same time Ceri said, “We’re nothing alike.”
“See?” said Rinka. “Pretty close.”
Idris sighed heavily. “I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t know what I have to say to convince you that I’m not out to get you, that I don’t want to take anything from you, that I’ve never tried to hurt you. I don’t care if you believe me or not; I just want you to leave me alone. Whatever game you’re playing, leave me out of it. Leave my friends out of it. Leave Rinka out of it.”
Ceri’s eyes were full of tears. “It’s not a game!”
People were turning to look at the princess getting upset.
“Come on,” said Rinka, “let’s go somewhere private.”
Rinka led them back to the drawing room of the manor, which was empty with everyone out at the regatta. She took a seat on a sofa and gestured for them to join her.
Ceri did so. Idris remained standing.
“I’ve lost everything this summer, and you didn’t even notice,” said Ceri, her reddening eyes focused on her brother. “Isaac is engaged. Deepa, Elise, Jerta—they’ve all stopped talking to me. Do you even know who they are? Where have you been, Idris? Why did you stop coming home?”
“It had nothing to do with you,” said Idris. “And the last time I saw you, you told me you hoped someone would break myother wing, so I didn’t think I needed to ask your permission to stop coming to visit.”
Rinka looked between them, shocked.
“I was hurt, Idris. You left me. You left me alone with Father.” Ceri started to cry. “I just wanted you to come back. You were supposed to go to university and come back, and you didn’t.”
Idris stood with his arms crossed, refusing to comfort Ceri. Rinka looked at him, nodding her head towards the princess.
“I didn’t mean the things I said,” said Ceri through her tears. “I never forgot what you did for me. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry.”
Rinka glared at Idris. If he didn’t do something soon…
Idris sighed. He pulled the handkerchief from his pocket and held it out to Ceri. “’Dris,” she said, her voice very small. “I miss you.”
That did it. That was the thing that melted the ice wall Idris had built around the place Ceri occupied in his heart. Rinka could see it on his face, could see his expression soften as he continued holding the handkerchief.
“Come here, you,” he said. He leaned down to hug her, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. “It’s alright,” he said. “I’m sorry too.”
He took a seat down next to her. “Tell me about what happened with Isaac.”
Rinka rubbed Idris’s shoulder, proud of him. “I’m going to go see if I can catch up with everyone else. I imagine they’re hard at work on a plan.”
