Origins of Peace

Chapter 2

Bri's POV

I smiled as I ran over to the throne room. Mother had summoned me, and Bryan to a meeting of some sort.

I was actually happy to be able to see my brother again. He tends to stay in his room most of the time. So I rarely ran into him at all anymore.

Speaking of which.

I collided with him as I round a corner. He stumbled back, before his bodyguard, Mario caught him. For about half a second, he glared at me, before recognizing me.

"Bryan! It's so good to see you!" I bounced on my feet, pulling him into a quick hug.

As I released him, he sighed, and gestured to Mario, who nodded. He looked me over, as if considering something, but shook his head, and waved at me.

"How are you? You look..." I trailed off, getting my first good look at his outfit.

It wasn't black, but it was a darker duller gray, closer to the color of the clothes of some common folk, and it was painfully simple, just a plain tunic, with a hood. I pursed my lips, glancing at up his face

It was always unnerving how is blind eye moved, just as much as his regular eye, but there was a hollowness to the stare it gave you, where in his right eye you could occasionally see reflections of his emotions, the left one was just... dead. It almost felt like it was challenging you to question it, or to voice your discomfort.

I shuddered.

"...Interesting! You look interesting, and uhm quaint!" I finished brightly as I could, forcing a smile on my face.

He looked over me, and shrugged. He started walking to the throne room, and gestured for me to follow. Mario instantly fell into step next to him, while I had to stumble to keep up with him.

"Do you know why Mom called us?" I asked looking at him. He glanced at me, a look of shock crossing his face, before vanishing as he shook his head.

He probably thought I knew. He probably thinks Mom tells me everything.

"Well. I hope it's interesting. Oh oh! Do you think that maybe we're having some sort of celebration?!" I proposed an idea, hoping he would join in, like we used to do when we were kids.

Before SilverBell came to stay for awhile. Before they broke him. I thought, hatred flowing through me at the mere thought of the barbaric kingdom.

No such luck, he merely shrugged and kept walking.

"Oh... ok." I said sadly, and for a brief second he seemed to hesitate, but quickly shook it off, and kept going.

I saw Mario glance at me apologetically, but only for a second.

We arrived at the throne room.

Our mother was standing in the middle, her light blue and pink gown complementing my own.

"Mom!" I cried, running forward and hugging her. She gasped, and turned, hugging me back.

"Oh sweetie! I didn't hear you come in! And... oh you're here too." She said, spotting Bryan, who shrugged again, and did some of his hands signals. Mario winced slightly was and said: "He says 'apparently'." Before whispering to Bryan "she's the queen I can't say that to her." He then stepped back to scan the room.

How does he keep his eyes moving? He never rests his eyes on one spot for more than a second. Come to think of it, why does he take his job so seriously?