Trails of Intertwined Stars: Chapter 74 {Part 1}

~Chapter 73: Henry's Claim~

Jiu followed Henry out of the room. Henry did not stop there, however. He took the general to a small parlour room, a distance away from Leora's resting room, and slumped down onto the divan. He gestured for Jiu to sit on the other side. He obliged, carefully lowering himself onto the seat. The lord grabbed a bottle of some sort of alcohol, pouring himself a glass. He did not bother to offer Jiu one.
"You have greatly upset me, Jiu," Henry stated, his tone clipped and cool.
Jiu frowned. Surely HE should be the one upset with Henry?
Jiu raised an eyebrow," Sorry? I don't quite understand."
"You've upset me!" Henry raised his voice, angrily slamming the bottle back onto the table.
"I've upset you?" Jiu scoffed," You're lying through your teeth, and it's fucking obvious."
"Do not speak to me like that!" Henry jabbed a finger at him," Do not EVER speak to me like that! You have no clue, do you? No clue of how much you've torn apart this home."
Torn apart? What much more was there to tear apart when its history had already ripped it to shreds. Henry took a shuddering breath, swinging back his glass and gulping down the alcohol.

"You're the reason my little sister is bedridden, Jiu," Henry growled," I'm surprised you haven't realised it yet!"
"And how, pray tell, is it my fault Leora caught tuberculosis?"
Henry stared at Jiu, with the coldest eyes Jiu had ever seen on a man," Why do you think I kept her in this house, Jiu? Sick pleasure? Tormenting her? Making her depressed?"
Jiu fell silent.
"Yes, you see it now, don't you?" Henry uttered, like it was some vicious curse," I knew she was susceptible, Jiu. I knew that the air would kill her! When it was just me and her, she was in perfect health. But then you came into the picture and had to ruin it all. You went against my rules. You broke them many times. You took her across England, and now look at her. Look at her, and tell me it was all worth it!"
Jiu stared at Henry with wide eyes, gripping his clothes in shock.
"W...Why didn't you...say something...?"
Henry scoffed," Are you purposely ignorant? If Leora knew, it would break her heart. She'd live in fear. I don't wish that for her, Jiu. Not for a moment."
Jiu stared at his lap, trembling. Was he the reason she was ill? Surely not. But then again, Henry's points did all seem to make sense. It disturbed him. Henry let out a long sigh.

"Listen, I know I'm not exactly what you'd call 'the kindest brother', heck, in honesty she pisses me off frequently," Henry rubbed his hand over his temples," But, I do care about her. Truly. Ever since Duncan and my parents passed, I've had a lot of pressure on me. A suffocating amount, to say the very least. My grandparents are dying, slowly, and once they're gone; I should take ownership of the home. I don't want it. I don't want it, because I care about Leora. I know she needs to stay in this manor, it will keep her safe. So, yes, I've suited her to Lord Bramston. I've done it so she can be safe, because she's all I have left..."
Suddenly, Jiu felt bad for Henry. He watched as the man took another swig of alcohol, looking quite distraught.
"So...when I received news my sister had tuberculosis; it scared me, Jiu," Henry whispered," Scared me, more than I can ever explain."
He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand.
"You could have made me an only child, Jiu," Henry's voice broke slightly," My sister could die...and for what? Freedom? Honestly, there's no freedom in this world, even if she had the chance to escape."
Jiu was speechless. He hated it but...Henry had brought up a valid argument. And seeing it from his perspective, he could somehow... understand, and even sympathise with the man.

"I'm sorry, Henry," Jiu muttered.
Henry stared at the floor, his expression solemn and somewhat softer than usual.
"I know you are," Henry spoke," I know you'd never make her ill, intentionally. I know you love her."
Jiu glanced up in shock. He most likely was aware he and Leora had been secretly dating. Why hadn't he yelled at Leora for it? Why hadn't he told Lord Bramston? Did Henry recognise his sister's suffering and perhaps show her sympathy? After their talk, it started to seem much more possible. Henry let out a shaky laugh, burying his face in his hands; quite possibly crying.
"God...you should have seen her as a little girl, Jiu," Henry murmured," She was so sweet. So kind. So...pure. When they all died, I couldn't stand the idea of the world taking that purity from her. But, in inviting people over to our home, I'm afraid I inadvertently had. She was the cutest kid, though. She could light up a room. All the guests I invited loved her, she was like one of those friendly little lap dogs. It's heartbreaking for me to know that little girl is now...dying. Like everyone else in my life."
Jiu's gaze softened slightly, remembering the portraits he'd seen of young Leora. She did have a friendly face, that much was certain. In some respects, he wished he had known what she was like then; healthy and innocent. Yet now look at her. Dying.

But, then again, he remembered how Dorian had accused Leora of killing Duncan. If Henry truly thought her to be the reason for Duncan's death, then why did he remember her as an innocent, lovely girl. It made no sense.