The Red King [Book II]

XIX

Mererid cried into Llwyd's chest like a child, bunching his clothes in her hands, slowly falling with weakened legs. With the stillness of a stranger, Llwyd stood there and made no effort to keep her upright. He watched her fingers slip from his kilt to a limp pile on the ground with the rest of her body.

ㅤHaving walked into the antechamber at this exact moment, Fletcher was a witness by chance. James was in the corner, his arms crossed in careful observation. Because it seemed there was something to discover, Fletcher came beside him.

ㅤLlwyd's frequent blinks, the straightened lips, his unfisted hands. He treated himself like a perplexed stranger in the wake of his younger sister's misery. Unreactive, as if absent.

ㅤ"How dare you!" she wailed, weakly punching his legs. "Have you even the faintest what the rest of us had to go through? We held a funeral for you, you stupid fucking bastard! We buried your shoes in a box!"

ㅤUncomfortable intruding, Fletcher hesitated to retreat into his study, when a smack pierced his intentions.

ㅤLlwyd's cheek remained turned from where it'd been slapped.

ㅤ"Riley looked everywhere for you before he died, did you know? And I'd been the one who'd eventually told him to give up! Do you even know how he looked at me when I said that? And, now-" the words got choked in her throat.

ㅤEven at Riley's name, nothing.

ㅤIf Fletcher was sharper he might've seen more and understood the thoughts behind those passive eyes. Beside him, James wasn't blinking-what was he seeing that Fletcher couldn't?

ㅤ"Why?" she begged. "Why did you do it?"

ㅤWithout her cries, the room was piercingly silent. It was difficult to listen to as it stretched on without an answer for her. Until, at last, Llwyd straightened his head and opened his mouth.

ㅤ"You need to go home."

ㅤMererid's face fell, heartbroken.

ㅤShe stepped back on wobbly legs, unable to process the first words he'd uttered to her in four years. Finding her dead brother alive after mourning for so long, she'd been disregarded and brushed aside.

ㅤ"You're involving yourself in things that don't concern you," he steadily continued. "Dad never should've let you out. You're unnecessary and burdensome here. Go home."

ㅤWith a face sheened with tears, her lip quirked up with a jittered huff. Her widened eyes were weighed by her revolted brows, too stunned to summon rage.

ㅤ"What a waste of my time you'd been," she realised. "And his. Why even come back if you'll be like this?"

ㅤHis stare was unyielding and she scoffed.

ㅤ"I'm not going to spare you a thought the next time you die, Llwyd. Be it tomorrow or fifty years time, I will only have ever gone to one of your funerals. Keel over and die. I won't be there."