𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 ✦ 𝘳𝘦𝘻𝘦𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭

-11

"What happened?" Olivia asked as you walked into the guest room. She was reclining on the settee with a magazine- as usual. "You look as if you've been run over by a horse"
"Except it was an impolite pig this time." Olivia smiled and set aside the magazine. "Who would that be?"
"I wasn't speaking in metaphor. It really was a pig." Sitting in a nearby chair,
You told her about the misadventure, casting it in a humorous light.
"Are you really fine?" Olivia asked in concern.
"Perfectly," You assured her. "And Hubert was fine as well. He arrived at the stables at the same time that Magnus and I did."
"That was lucky."
"Yes, it was clever of Hubert to find his way home- "
"No, not the deuced pony. I'm talking about riding home with the duke.
Not that I'm encouraging you to set your cap for him, but on the other hand- "
"He wasn't the one I wanted to ride back with." You stared down at the dirt-
stained fabric of your skirts and concentrated on the bird that landed on the tree outside.
"One can't blame you for that," Olivia said. "Magnus with his crappy attitude. I'm sure you would have preferred to ride back with anyone other than him."
"No," You said. "The one I really wanted to ride home with was- "
Olivia paused staring blankly at you as she covered her ears "Oh no. Don't say it. I don't want to hear it!"
You stared at her gravely. "Do you really mean that?"

Olivia scrubbed the heels of her hands over her weary eyes. "Since the only choice left was Rezef," she said grumpily, "I assume he was the one you wanted to ride back with."
"Yes. Because...I'm intrigued." It was a relief to say it out loud. Your throat, which had felt pinched and tight, finally dilated to allow you a long, slow
breath.

"In a physical sense, you mean?"
"In other ways as well."
Olivia rested her cheek on her hand, which was balled into a sharp-knuckled fist. "Oh my dear.." she asked. "Is it that bad? Is it because you're opposed to Father? To the idea that he wants to marry you to someone you don't like? At this point i'd prefer you go back to Magnus."
"Well, it doesn't matter to me anyways that it. And i don't give a-fig about what father wants or thinks"
"Then I don't understand why you would want a man who is so obviously wrong for you. You're not a fool, Y/n. Impulsive, yes. Romantic, of a
certainty. But you're also practical and intelligent enough to understand the
consequences of being involved with that kind of man . I think the problem is that you're desperate. and then Father delivered that idiotic ultimatum, and- "
"I'm not desperate!"
"If you're considering Rezef as a potential partner then I'd say that's a mark of extreme desperation."
Indignation filled your chest like the blast from a steam kettle, and you had to fight to keep from exploding.
Glancing at the curve of your sister's stomach helped you to calm down. Of course she was dealing with many new discomforts and uncertainties. And you were adding to the problem.

"I said nothing about being his partner." You replied. "I merely want to find out more about him. About what kind of man he is. I don't see the harm in that."
"But you won't," Olivia argued with forceful conviction. "That's the point. He won't show you who he really is, he'll deceive you. His skill in life is to find out what people want and manufacture it for them, all for his own benefit. He would do anything to get what he desires. Look at how he made himself into the son the emperor wanted the most. Now he's going to pretend to be the kind of man you've always wanted."

"He couldn't know that- " You tried to say, but Olivia interrupted in a heedless rush, inflamed beyond the ability to have a rational exchange.
"Oh my innocent little sister...He has no interest in you, your heart and mind, the person you are. He's not the prince charming of your novels. He wants to keep our house under check, he wants to control the graces-our family through you, and he sees you as the way to get them. Of course he's trying to make you like him...he'll charm you out of your knickers until the day after your wedding when you find out that it was all an illusion. He's just like any man, y/n! He'll crush you. Is that the life you want?"
"No... You've been talking with Ethel too much it seems..."
For the first time ever you realized you could not talk to your older sister about something important.
There were so many things she wanted to say...that not everything Rezef had said and done could have been calculated. That he could have insisted
that she ride back with him to the manor and instead he had handed her over to Magnus without a protest. You also wanted to confide that Rezef had kissed you, and that it had been glorious, and how much that had worried her.
But there was no point arguing when Olivia was in this mood. You would just chase in circles.
The silence unfolded in a smothering blanket. "Well?" Olivia demanded. "What are you going to do?"

Standing, you rubbed at a spot of dirt on your arms and said ruefully, "To start
with, I think I had better take a bath. Then i'll go to the temple first thing in the morning."
"You know what I meant!"
"What would you like me to do?" You asked with a politeness that caused her to scowl.
"Tell that prince of yours he's a loathsome toad and there's no chance in hell you would ever consider him!"

"What is happening here? Why are you fighting again?" Ophelia asked entering the room upon hearing your shouting
"Please attend to her..." you requested as you left shutting the door behind you

"...and then she left," Olivia said vehemently, "without telling me what she was going to do or what she really thought, and damn it all, I know there were things she left out- "
"I see..." Ophelia interrupted gently, "are you certain you gave her the opportunity to tell you everything?"
"What do you mean? I was sitting right in front of her. I was conscious and I had two ears. What more opportunity did she need?"
Somehow Ophelias calm presence was
invariably soothing.
"What I mean," Ophelia said, "is that you may have been so intent on telling her how you felt that you forgot to ask how she felt."
Olivia spluttered indignantly, "But she- but I- " She stopped and considered
the point. "You're right," she admitted gruffly. "I didn't. I was so appalled by the idea of y/n being attracted to the prince that I suppose I didn't really want
to discuss it. I wanted to tell her what to do and then be finished with it."
"Do you think there has been something between them?" Ophelia asked.
Seeing Olivia's alarm, she clarified, "Such as a kiss...an embrace..."
"Oh God." Olivia shook her head. "I don't know. She's so innocent. It would
be so easy for that snake to seduce her."

"He is genuinely enchanted by her, in my opinion. What young man wouldn't
be? She's my friend i know it, but she is surely a charming young lady"
"And she's a grace," Olivia said darkly.
Ophelia smiled. "Belonging to a powerful family never hurts," she allowed. "But in this case, I think there is more to it than that."
"How can you be so sure?"
"It's obvious. You've seen the way they look at each other...at the ball the other day"
"I'm going to be honest with her about my opinions," she said abruptly. "I see him for what he is. even if she doesn't."
"I think she knows your opinions already," Ophelia said dryly. "But ultimately it's her decision to make. I'll hazard a guess that when you were trying to decide your feelings for Ethel, Y/N didn't try to influence you one way or the other."
"This situation is entirely different," Olivia protested. "Furthermore, if Y/n married him, he would eventually take her away and I would hardly ever see her again."
"And you'd like her to stay with you forever," Ophelia murmured.
Olivia turned to give her a baleful stare. "Are you suggesting I'm selfish enough
to keep her from leading her own life just so I can keep her near me?"

Unruffled by her ire, Olivia smiled sympathetically. "It's always been the
two of you, hasn't it? You've always been each other's sole source of love and
companionship. But it's all changing, my sweet Olivia. You have your own family now, a husband and a child- and you should want nothing less for my Y/n"
Olivia's nose began to sting. She looked away from Ophelia, and to her mortification, her eyes turned hot and blurry. "I promise I will like the next man she's interested in. No matter who he is. Just as long as he's not the prince."
"You wouldn't like any man she was interested in." Ophelia's arm slipped
around her shoulders as she added affectionately, "You are somewhat
possessive, dear."
"And you are incredibly annoying," Olivia said, laying her head on Ophelia's soft shoulder. She continued to sniffle while she held her in a comforting embrace that Olivia's own mother had never been capable of. It was a relief to cry, but a bit embarrassing as well. "I hate being a watering pot," she mumbled.
"It's because of your condition," Ophelia soothed. "It's perfectly natural. "
"I'll have a talk with you later about Lord Kidrey" Olivia told her, wiping her eyes with her fingers.
"I thought you liked him."
"I don't trust him yet, i suppose"
"I have an idea," Ophelia said. "Let's go to the kitchen and peek in the larder.
I'll bet there's still some pie left from dessert. Not to mention the
strawberry jam trifle."
Olivia lifted her head and blotted her wet nose on her sleeve. "Let's go...but don't you ever think i forgot about our conversation"
"of course; mylady" they both chukled together as they made their way to the kitchen