Princess Thief [✔]

22. The Siblings

Despite my aching body, I still snuck inside the family's mausoleum.

Color drained from my face upon seeing the man with luminous blonde hair. I stepped back from horror but when the man turned, I released the breath I was holding. To my relief, it was only Yves. 

He was holding lavenders while I had yellow roses. It interminably made me puzzled. I knew that there was an abundance of lavenders in the secret garden but Mother herself told me her favorite was the yellow roses that surrounded the pavilion.

I laid the flowers and lit a candle in front of the concrete slab with Mother's name engraved on it. The burning flame of the wick brightened the room as I was blankly staring at it. 

No words passed between me and Yves as images of Mother raced in my mind. We had a lot of fond memories but it could not erase the day she sacrificed herself.

I stayed a couple more minutes and endured the awkward silence with my brother. After the candle had melted half of its original size, I left without saying anything.

***

I was going back but stopped right in my tracks when I crossed by Lian who was standing right in the entrance of the secret garden.

As if feeling my presence, she spun towards me. Her green eyes were a shade darker with the deep emotions within and spoke, "I hate you."

I actually thought she was different from usual with her austere expression but it appeared I was just assuming.

"No. It's wrong. I despised you especially after Father told us you were the reason Mother died."

I decided to ignore her but she blocked me. Her gaze fixed on me and continued.

"Mother died because of you but to my surprise, Father doted on you more. I became curious. One time I came across you. The West Wing was regularly heavily guarded but I had stumbled on the passage. I saw you there... there at the... at the..."

A place came to mind that could explain the terrified look on her face.

"The Oubliette," I dragged the words she could not finish.

"Father was strict on us after Mother died. We were allowed to go out but you are stuck here. I thought that was your punishment but it contradicted how he acted towards you. That made me jealous too. I thought you made Mother die yet why was Father treating you preciously?"

I couldn't comprehend why she was telling me this but I remained placid and listened to her unprecedented confessions.

"I was far but I heard all the cries and sound of the whips. I heard you beg but I could not do anything. That day still haunted me. I told our brother about what was happening. I hated you but I am not that vindictive. You are still our youngest sister. But then, Yves warned me not to get involved."

"He knew?"

But he said he doesn't believe me? I thought as I recalled the time I told him the truth which he had ignored. It was also the day he began acting cold towards me.

"Yes. He is aware of the danger. Father is doing something none of us had the power to oppose. He told me to just help Erodessa and don't let Father be suspicious I knew something."

I had many things to ask but there was one thing I badly needed to know first and foremost.

"Why are you telling me all of this now?"

She looked away, her eyes distant and it was the most humane emotion I had seen from her ever since Mother's death.

"Erodessa visited today and she revealed to me that she knew about your circumstance some time ago. I just... I just can't comprehend it. She was the last one to know and I expected her to sympathize even just a little but she relished the thought like she was...