Hiraeth

{2} News from the palace

NOTES: If you've made it this far, congratulations and thank you! You win my respect! I promise it only gets better (and gayer) from here so buckle in and enjoy the ride...

Imogen was sat on her brother's old chair with her feet placed firmly on the ground and a steaming cup of tea clutched in her hands. Dorian was sat on the floor, playing with his fingers on the rugged carpet while staring at her in anticipation.

His sister's dirty blonde hair fell limply on her shoulders, the lively curls lying dead still. Her pea green eyes, only slightly lighter than Dorian's, stared into the nothingness past her feet. The only thing signalling she was alive were the shallow breaths escaping her parted lips. Dorian continued staring at her, not sure what to do or how to react to her sudden visit.

"Immy?" he said lightly, sucking in a breath and adjusting his position.

"I know, I know," she breathed, cutting him off. She looked up to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry for not coming sooner."

"Nonsense. I know this must be hard," Dorian sympathised.

"Yeah, it is actually," she retaliated, venom laced in her statement. "You know, it's not every day your big brother gets banished from your home, leaving you alone to face your own scrutiny." Dorian looked at the ground. "Especially judging by the nature of your exile." Dorian sighed, cupping his hands.

"You have to understand-"

"No! No, I don't! Three fucking years, Dorian! Yet the looks don't stop!"

The pair sat in silence again. Imogen stared daggers at her brother, who was studying the tattered carpet, but she knew she had to be the bigger person this time.

"Anyway," she groaned, "I came with news from the palace." Dorian snapped his head up, intrigued. Imogen sighed, leaving an unsettling pause. "The prince is coming to visit you, sometime in the next week. I overheard the guards talking about it. They said he's bringing 'a few friends' with him so, interpret that how you will."

Dorian stared at the wall in silence, pondering reasons as to why his old frenemy would suddenly decide to pay a visit with his mates after 3 years.

"I just thought I'd let you know, make sure you're prepared and don't do anything... rash," She subconsciously held her breath on the last word. Dorian looked at her knowingly. "Also," she paused, the words seemed painful for her to say, "Also I... I really wanted to see you." She breathed a sigh of relief and looked empathetically at her brother, who looked back with just as much love.

"Well, here I am," he smiled, "I don't have a spare room, but you can sleep in my bed, and I'll make camp on the floor... if you want to stay of course."

He looked at her cautiously. His sister took a sip of her tea and allowed a smile to adorn her lips.

"I think... I think that would be really nice."

The two siblings grinned at one another, happy to have the chance to finally catch up.

Dorian told Immy all about his cottage: the process of finding it and making it a home, the supplies he had to get from the next kingdom over and the two-day horse ride to get to said kingdom. Then he led her to his garden and showed her around. She admired his handy work and unapologetically flattered him.

"I like how you've organised the green beans. 'Putting beans next to the fence is the work of a lazy gardener, good beans grow with proper support,'" she laughed fondly, "isn't that what Dad used to say?"

"I think so, yeah."

They stayed in the garden for a while, Immy looking at the flowers in awe and Dorian wondering how so much can change in three years. Her hair was longer, and she was styling it differently. Her face had stayed the same but the way she presented it and held her head was new. Her style had matured: long gone were the dungarees and bright colours instead, she wore black all over with designer shoes and a smart attitude. She seemed so confident, so sure, so... grown up. Immy had turned into a woman. And Dorian wasn't there to see it. For the first time in a long time, he regretted flying off the handle that day.

Immy's 'catch up session' was a lot more interesting than her brother's. She was working as a server in a small café near their home kingdom's palace and learned that you can hear so much gossip when you personally tend to customers. She heard about cheating partners, unsuccessful nephews throwing their lives away, venders from other kingdoms throwing tomatoes at stealing teens. Dorian laughed at every story. She spoke about her weekly routine with 'the café girls' where they would go to the bar and drink cocktails every Friday, going home tipsy and playing uno until they fell asleep.

The pair sat on a patch of grass just outside of the garden, looking over at a group of whispering trees being watched by the gradually retreating sun.

"What about in your free time? You know, when you aren't sticking to a routine?"

A blush creeped over the girls face as she looked at her hands and her brother leaned in giddily.

"I go to the library. Mainly."

"For the books?... Or for a person?" Dorian teased; Immy blushed harder and turned away from him, biting her lips.

"It's just... the librarian."

"Oh, is it now?" Dorian smirked wickedly and Imogen stood up, embarrassed.

"Yes! Okay? She's just..."

"She?"

Imogen snapped her head to look at her brother, fear flashing on her face.

"Yes?"

"Awwwww! Immy!! Is she pretty? What colour are her eyes? Have you stared deeply into them? How did you meet?" Immy rolled her eyes and walked away, leaving a questioning Dorian on the grass.

They didn't mention that topic again, but Immy kept catching the other looking at her knowingly, waiting to throw a question when she least expected it. Honestly, she thought he could have blown at any second by the end of the night.

Once the sun had set and they'd enjoyed a hot dinner of leftover lunch, Imogen was in a nightie she brought from home, fluffing up the pillows of her brother's bed with a book and a cup of tea on the dresser.

"Everything okay in here?" Dorian asked from the doorway. His sister nodded and he backed away, leaving the door ajar slightly.

Immy looked at it and followed an instinct, calling out to her brother. The door opened again. Without warning, she ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling his body hugging back.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"Being here."