A Case of Catastrophes

V. a. Mea culpa

Silvie looked happy in her sleep, like she had a problem-free life. I felt sorry for her, having so many bad thoughts of her father and awful memories as a child. I couldn't imagine hating my father... My heart ached at the thought of it.  

Ty carefully closed the door to Silvie's room, careful not to wake her up.  

As Ty and I walked the halls of the fortress in search of Cane, I became conscious. The words that the king said in the dining room rung in my head.  

"Hey, Ty..." I started.  

"Yes?" He said as he intently searched one of the corridors we happened to pass by.  

"Was your father serious, you know... About the whole... betrothal situation?" I asked awkwardly. 

Ty immediately faced me in surprise of what I had just said.  

"Perr-haps not... I-I s-suppose." He told me nervously. 

"Really?" I said as my heart almost felt like a weight has lifted up after hours of crushing it.  

Ty didn't look at me at first and hesitated to answer but he sighed and came to say, "okay, I'm sorry. I lied. I'm absolutely sure he's serious. He never joked before but I just hope it dies down." 

The weight came back and squished my heart into a pancake. "What?! We can't!  I mean, I can't- You and I- We're just... too..." I sighed after trying to think of the right words to say, but I see Ty not looking at me yet raising his eyebrows and looking up.  

"Oh, that's not what I meant..." 

"It's okay. I get it. Cane saw you first and-" 

"No! Don't say it like that! Cane and I, we're just-" 

"He has dibs after all."  

"What dibs? Is that how you treat me? Like an obje-" 

"Not literally dibs, but you know-" 

"I can't believe you guys!" 

"Spark!!" Ty yelled, maybe getting annoyed by our own bickering.  

"What?" I said as I snapped out of it. 

"I don't want to be betrothed either. But I do like you, although, not the same as the way Cane likes you." He said and smiled serenely. 

I smile back and said, "I like you too, Ty, but you know, not the sa-."  

Apparently, as I uttered those words, Cane was a few meters behind us. The both of us were shocked to see a person there in the hall with us.  

"Oh so you do, huh?" Cane asked in a surprisingly calm tone.  

I flinched at the sight of him.  

"Oh! Cane... uhh... It's not what it looks like." I tried to explain.  

He came closer to us and just looked at me and Ty. Ty didn't say a word, but looked at his brother intently.  

Hold up. I'm sorry for letting you bear all this drama so early in the story, but, as I would say, this part of the story is merely one important stroke in the whole painting. Please do understand.  

It was awkward for a while. The three of us stood there in the dark silence, waiting for someone to say something. I wanted to tell Cane so bad what we were really talking about, but I somehow couldn't put it into words.  

As the syllables lodged in my throat, Cane started to walk away. I tried to go after him, but Ty held me back.  

"Why do you always do this?" He yelled and his voice echoed throughout the hall.