Re: Who needs a prince when you're a queen?

Chapter Twenty: The schemer on emotions and handkerchiefs

And just like that, my eyes opened to four years later.

Just kidding.

But it did seem like it was four years later given how haggard the appearance of the person in front of me had. Why four years? Beats me. I simply just came to from a coma. People tend to have their minds jumbled after doing so.

"You're awake!"

The one to witness my dramatic eye opening was my brother, Myron. His dark brown locks fell messily on his face as if he had not even had the time nor the care to fix his appearance. "Oh, Cella. Finally you're awake." His hands were trembling as he caressed my face. "Martinique! Please fetch the doctor."

He looked extremely distressed and as I scanned my gaze around the room, I noticed that Martinique was there who also looked distraught. She stared at me in relief and nodded at Myron, before running outside to get the physician.

My gaze trailed on Martinique's disappearing figure before looking back at my brother. There was silence between us and I felt as if I had to break that. However, as I was about to utter a word, I noticed that tears are starting to well up in his eyes. His face looked as if he was trying his hardest to keep them from falling.

"Myron?"

He pursed his lips stubbornly, afraid that if he uttered a word, the tears may just come crashing down.

I sighed. "Hey, are you okay?"

Finally, he whispered ever so softly. "I-is it okay if your brother cries?"

I gave him a gentle smile and opened my arms to invite him for a hug. "I do not see a reason as to why not."

He sniffed and looked at me, hesitating whether he should go for a hug. "I do not want to be soft."

"Does that mean you think I am soft whenever I cry?"

He shook his head hurriedly. "No! I . . . It's just, I am a boy. I'm your older brother. I should be strong and stoic like father and Augustus. Crying is not-"

Without letting him finish, I tackled him into a bear hug. "Oh, Myron. Crying does not make you less of a man." I whispered. "Being strong can be expressed in many ways. If anything, I think you are brave for showing me your emotions."

I paused to stare at him and patted his head. "So, brother, it is okay to cry. You are human and you can feel. That's just what it is- there's neither male nor female when it comes to emotions."

I felt Myron's body relax as he finally accepted my hug. His warm tears dripped on my shoulder and I lightly smoothed his hair as he sobbed even more.

This sudden outburst of Myron was unexpected yet I understood it. In a strict patriarchal society as this game's setting, men were usually devoid of "weak" emotions. They must always be stoic and crying was viewed as something that was feminine. I could not even remember an instance in the game where a capture target shed tears. Even in the bad ending routes where the supposed female lead dies, they just kept a face that was sorrowful but never to the point of crying.

Myron must have felt the pressure of keeping up with his older role models- father and Augustus. Both of them were too calm and collected- never ones to be swayed by emotions. This must be the reason that even when my mother knew had enough charm and allure to make the Duke look her way and even got him to marry her, she never really pushed beyond the boundary that he set. My mother, even with her craftiness, knew that the Duke was not a man to be bound by feelings. Sure, he could fancy a woman but he will never surrender what was beyond his stoic façade to just anyone- his wives included. Augustus, being the heir-in-training, seemed to be the same way and I could not help but sigh.