Clare Of Utopia

CHAPTER 5: Sibling bond

Clare heard a knock on her door. She didn't wish to answer it. She just sat there on her bed, staring outside the window. There was another knock. She didn't do as much as flinch.

"For heaven's sake, open up!" She heard her brother's mumbled voice.

Clare sighed.

"It's open!" Clare yelled out.

She heard the turn of the knob and soon could feel her brother's presence. The door was shut again and the bed slacked as her brother sat beside her.

"So..," Alex dragged, "Lord Ben."

"What about him?" Clare asked while her eyes were focused on the wall right in front.

"You met him today," he stated.

"Yes I did." It is a known fact that it was hard to pull information out of Clare, but Alex felt it to be even tougher this time.

"Did something happen?" He enquired slowly.

Clare just sighed.

"Tell me your part of the story first," Clare said with closed eyes.

Alex didn't know how to respond. He was caught off guard. Why couldn't she just tell the information straight?

"Come on. I know you have a story. Or else you wouldn't have been here this fast," Clare said lying down, with her eyes trained to her ceiling now. Alex turned sideways to look at her.

"I met Ben."

Clare just nodded, urging him to continue.

"He said the ride was 'interesting'."

"That's my part of the story. Get to yours." There was certainly no way to manipulate Clare.

Alex sighed.

"Mom walked out of the room, looking all casual, but once she looked at me, I could feel her state changing. It looked like she was—"

"—scared?"

Alex thought about it.

"I wouldn't say scared, but she looked more... nervous," Alex said.

Clare just nodded.

"Did you receive only lord Ben and lady Sofia?" Alex enquired.

"And Duke Benjamin. He was the only one that mother stated. I didn't even know that the other two were coming," Clare said as she lay on her side with her head propped up by her hand, finally facing her brother.

"I've never met Duke Benjamin," Alex said in a low voice.

"He must have probably been inside the room or the neighboring one. He's really old," Clare stated, as if this should explain everything to her brother. But he didn't know why she was telling him that. He simply nodded for the sake of the information. Clare understood her brother's state clearly.

"He was a very close friend of dad. Personal advisor too. Since the time of the great war," Clare said in a low and steady voice.

"Oh," was all Alex could bring himself to say. His head dropped down almost immediately.

Clare didn't know what to do except stare at him with pity. This extended for a few minutes.

"Now. Tell me your side of the story," Alex finally said, looking directly at his sister.

"Can I lie down on your lap?" Clare asked, startling Alex with the sudden question.

"Yeah, sure," he said as he positioned himself in a comfortable posture for his sister. Clare crawled towards him and laid her cheek on his lap and hugged his knees delicately.

"I don't like Ben," she said straight.

"Big shocker," her brother rolled his eyes.

"What really happened?" Alex asked when his sister remained silent.

"I— I don't know. The conversations were frustrating. They said Duke Benjamin was losing his mind due to old age," she started.

Silence.

"What made them think that?" Alex enquired.

"He looks delusional most of the time and he keeps thinking that the coronation is for the princess," Clare murmured against his knees.

"Ben yelled at him for repeatedly getting the heir wrong and...," she trailed off.

"You felt...," Alex tried to finish the sentence but he himself trailed off. The word was just hanging around there and both of them knew what it was, but neither of them could tell it out loud.

"Yeah," Clare finally said, acknowledging that both of them were on the same page.

Alex took his hand and started to gently patt his sister's back.

"What else?" Alex asked, slightly pushing Clare to speak.

"Ben asked me why he never saw me before or why I wasn't seen at school," she said.

"It got personal," Alex simply stated.

"Yeah," Clare said again.

After that neither of them felt like speaking. They just sat there, comforting each other off their demons.

Clare wanted to lighten up the mood. She knew she wasn't the jolly type, but she always felt like a different person when around her brother, in a good way, of course.

"Did you know Ben has a fiancée?" She asked, looking straight at her brother from his lap. There was a smile on her face. A mischievous smile. It isn't something that one sees very often.

"Yes?" Alex said, dragging the word while letting out a nervous laugh.

"He's the same age as you, yes?" She stated again.

"Where are you going with this?" he asked nervously, still laughing, cause he knew exactly where she was going with this.

"I'm just curious. When will I be able to see you with a fiancée," she said with a teasing tone.

Alex threw his head back and laughed. Clare kept looking at him with a smile, still waiting for his answer.

Alex looked at his sister again, both of them just smiling with that evil sibling smile.

"I haven't found the right person yet," he admitted.

"Don't tell me you don't have eyes on any of the maidens in the kingdom. Almost everyone swoons for you," Clare said, sitting upright and hugging her knees close to her chest.

"Honestly. No one feels right to me. Give me time. I'm sure I'll find someone," he said with a smile. Clare just smiled at him.

"What about you? Should I be expecting you to bring out someone as your fiancée?" He joked back.

Clare couldn't help but laugh at that silly thought.

"Marriage isn't something for me," she said, leaning back on her arms.

"Come on! I'm sure there's a lucky man waiting for you," Alex said calmly.

"I'm not one for dreams either. You keep dreaming. I'm going to just forget whatever you said," she said.

"Whatever you wish, princess," Alex smirked.

Clare let out a small chuckle. She rubbed her eyes and Alex couldn't help but ask, "did you get a proper sleep yesterday?"

She shook her head a no.

"Come here," Alex said leaning against the bedpost with Clare in hand and made her lie on his lap again. As soon as her face hit his lap, she could feel herself drifting off to sleep. She held his knees tightly, wanting something to anchor herself to reality, for she really was scared of dreaming.

Alex looked at his sister's sleeping face with kindness, gently brushing her hair with his hand once in a while. Today was a rough day and they haven't even passed afternoon. Alex felt his eyes droop too, so he left himself to feel relaxed and went to sleep in the same position.