Rise of the Blood Empress

I: Welcome Home Part 3

The scent of breakfast wormed its way into Simone's unconscious. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the site of a tray laden with food and, most importantly of all, tea. Beau sat in an arm chair across from her, a low, rectangular table between them. He looked less thrilled to see her than she had expected him to be, which was unfortunate, because she was happy to be home.

The circumstances could have been better though.

"Before we have a talk," Beau started, his voice low, deep and soothing despite whatever emotion he was truly feeling, "And we will have a talk..." He sighed and nodded toward the tray, "Eat. You look hungry."

He meant she looked skinny, too skinny.

Without a second thought, Simone transported the tray to her lap and poured herself some tea from the small, tin kettle before shoveling a forkful of fluffy, yellow eggs into her mouth, quickly followed by a mammoth bite of toast with butter. It had taken her brother years to be able to cook something so simple without burning it, and she appreciated the effort he'd probably had to go through for her. When she felt his eyes on her still, she slowed down. Simone chewed slowly, mulling over the events that led to her sitting there with him, working out just what to say, trying to look less guilty than she felt.

After she had loaded everything on her tray into her stomach, she returned it to the table and sat up straight, hands folded neatly in her lap. Beau sat back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other. He sat slouched slightly to one side, casual, trying to make her feel more comfortable.

It was not working.

"So..." she drummed her fingers on her knees, looking everywhere except into his warm, knowing, brown eyes.

"You should not be back yet," he started, stating the obvious, "So, the way I see it, one of two things happened," he paused for effect and held up his index finger, "One; you've somehow managed to finished all of your studies two years in advance or," Beau raised a second finger, "Two; you were expelled."

She couldn't lie, he would know just as he always did, and it would only make him angrier if she tried. Simone sat without a word, letting her silence do the speaking.

"Alright," nodding slowly, Beau pressed his steepled fingers against his mouth, "Now, tell me what happened."

"I destroyed three rooms in the women's dormitory," Simone blurted, better to spit it out quickly than let the bitter taste of her folly sit on her tongue.

"How?"

"I started a fire."

"So, it was an accident then?" Beau shifted to the other side of his chair, uncrossing and re-crossing his legs. He rested his chin on his fist, patient, cool, collected.

"Yes," Simone looked down to where her slender fingers, wrapped to make them into thick sausages, clutched the soft fabric of her skirt. That much, at least, was true. "I don't know what happened...I...must have left a candle burning." The expression on her brother's face was not at all what she'd expected when she finally met his eyes.

Beau was clearly upset, but he didn't look angry, not with her at least, "I'm sorry, Simone," he offered softly.

She leaned away from him, startled and unused to this side of him. Age must have softened him, or maybe it was because he had realized that she wasn't a child any longer. "What?" Her voice was a timid whisper.

"I really am," he leaned forward and took both of her hands in his; she winced, and he quickly dropped them, "You've been working so hard for so long and, for it to end this way, because of some simple thing like that...well, that's just too bad."

For the first time, the thought that she would never be going back really sunk in. It was cold and unpleasant, and went down like iron ore to the pit of her belly. Simone tightened her jaw and looked away, feeling her chest constrict. Her eyes began to well up, and she pressed the heels of her palms against them. "I'm just so angry with myself," she admitted with a quivering voice.

The chair creaked as Beau stood and moved to sit beside her. She leaned against him, letting him take on some of her sadness, but stubbornly continued to fight her tears.

"It will be alright," he assured her, hugging her close, "You're home now, and we will figure everything out together."

She sniffled against his shoulder and nodded, though she couldn't see how even he could fix this. He shifted slightly and took one of her hands again.

"Simone, your hands," his voice held concern that only deepened when he removed her gloves, "Bandages? What happened to your hands?"

Before she could speak, a chorus of bells tolled thorough the manor, startling a small yelp from her.

Simone yanked her hand back.

Someone was at the front door.