Betrayed [Raakshyan Series Book 2]

Chapter 32

It was that year long departure that had changed the relationship between Thara and I.

      What I mean by that is… now that we hadn’t seen each other for so long, it seemed a little easier to talk to her.

      There was so much that had happened in both of our lives that year and it seemed so abnormal. We both began to realize how much we knew about each other… and how close we were.

      When she had returned, we would often sit together under this large oak tree in my front yard and just talk, which was something we had never done before. Because there was never a need too, there was nothing to talk about.

      “I like it better here.” She told me.

      “Here?”

      She nodded.

      “Why? I thought your aunt’s home was—”

      “No, silly.” She said, cutting me off. “I mean here, under this tree. Home seems so… strange now.”

      “Why?” I asked, leaning against the tree.

      She was sitting, cross legged, in front of me, plucking grass from the ground and making no eye contact whatsoever.

      I watched her carefully. “Why?” I asked again.

      She shrugged. “It feels like they threw me away because I wasn’t good enough, and now that I’m… better… they took me back.” A frown was slowly growing on her face. “I feel like an object when I’m around my family.”

      I continued to watch her.

      She looked at me. “And did you hear… my father asked me to come with him to meet the king.”

      “Why do you seem so disappointed? You should be honored.”

      “Because he would never have done that a year ago!” She said. “Remember when he would leave me behind every time they went?”

      “I think you’re taking this too seriously.”

      “He never did that to Sestra.” She said, looking back at the floor. “He takes her all the time… he takes all my other sisters all the time too. Just not me. I bet the king doesn’t even know that I exist.”

      “That’s not true. The King is too close with your father to not know you exist.”

      She sighed.

      “Why does this tree make you feel better?” I asked.

      “Not just the tree.” She said. “This whole place in general. It’s so nice and quiet.”

      I snorted. “A little too quiet. And empty.”

      “Well it’s better than—”

      “It’s a good way to remind you every morning you wake up that you’re an orphan and have no family.” I said, bluntly.

      She frowned at me. “That’s not true.”

      “What’s not true?” I smiled, trying to make it look like I didn’t care too much about this. “I assure you, I am an orphan with no family.”

      “Then who are we?” She asked, looking a little upset.

      “We?”

      “Darius, Cliathon, Odysson and I? And my father treats you more like his child then he does me.”