In Line

I returned home at once. Chasing the sun as it set, I made it before clouds were black. Santo had no comprehension of why I needed to leave so abruptly, and to protect him, I refused to tell him the truth. On my arrival back to the castle, I found Queen Mother sitting in the throne room in Father's seat. She was acting as his voice while he was incapacitated. To her side stood my sister with the castle guards.

"Mother, I need to speak with you," I pressed.

"I'm afraid it will have to wait Par," Mother said dismissively.

"This can not wait," I refused.

"Par, we are nearly done if you wait outside, I'm sure," Sky intervened.

I snapped at my sister, cutting her off as she attempted to come near and guide me out.

"I'm sure this can not wait," I said.

I'm sure my voice gathered the attention I required. Queen Mother waved the guards to escort those not a part of the family out of the room.

"She needs to leave as well," I said, gesturing to my adopted sibling.

"What is the meaning of this Par," Sky asked.

"What could be so threatening your sister need to leave, that you interrupt my long-held meeting with city diplomats?" mother added.

If she would not leave, then I had no choice.

"I have reason to believe Sky is to blame for the attempts on our family's life," I said.

"What nonsense is this," Sky exclaimed.

"Yes, these are damaging accusations, what proof have you that our Reeves have somehow missed Par," mother questioned.

"On the night of our birthday, the only cake served was to our family and of us, you and Father received poison in the mix, not Louis, Sky, or myself," I explained.

"Then it could just as easily be you who is the culprit," Sky argued.

"But after our father nearly died, my sister seemed to feel nothing. She retired to her training ring as usual," I added.

"So my lack of tears is now a show of disloyalty," she refuted.

"When assassins entered the castle and tried to kill me in my sleep and Louis by arrow through shattered glass, you were somehow the only one faced head-on, and you say you lost the battle, and they got away," I continued despite my discomfort.

"Par I have heard enough," Mother ended the conversation.

"But I haven't gotten to the important part, I searched your room," I said.

"You did what," Sky exclaimed yet again, ready to draw her blade, I'm sure.

She lunged at me, and the only thing keeping her from my person was the royal guards.

"You have a secret room behind a brick wall," I exposed.

"Par, don't do this," she cried.

"But the piece of evidence that made me believe you were capable of all of these things is," I started.

" I said enough," Queen Mother shouted over me.

She stood up from the throne.

"Par, what you have found, these accusations, I can't," Mother said as she held herself.

"Mother, this is all nothing more than," sky pleaded.

"I can not let this stand," Mother said.

There was silence.

"Take her away," Mother ordered the guards.

"Mother?!" Sky shrieked.

She cried out as the guards dragged her away. Never had I seen my sister in tears, and I could never imagine a person who tried to kill their family weep so heavy as she. My sister didn't fight. Why did she not fight? She could have left the room in blood-soaked ribbons and got away, but she allowed her self to be taken.

"You did the right thing. Bringing this to me was the only way to keep our family safe," Mother said as she came down the steps to close the space between us.

I wanted to believe her words, but a pit at my core told me I made a mistake.

"What will happen to her," I asked.

"For attempting the murder of a King and Queen as well as two heirs to the throne, Sky will face execution," she said.

"Execution?! But she is your daughter, my sister, a loyal member of our," I debated with myself and Mother.

"The moment she conspired to have your father and I killed is the moment your sister gave up on loyalty," she said, silencing my argument.

She hugged me and kissed my head like a pet before returning to her seat above me.

"Leave, Par, do not make this night harder than it need be by fighting what must be done," she ordered me.

She made it clear I would be unwise to make her speak again.

In despair, I needed someone to lean on, someone to tell me I did the right thing. I needed my brother. With night reaching its peak, I searched for my Louis. He wasn't in his room, nor any of the dining halls. He was not in the garden or the courtyard. I remembered where he enjoyed spending his time when not in the castle.

The Splint.

Late as it might have been, I needed my brother. The establishment was just as grimy as my first memory of it, if not more. Like before, I entered and approached the bar to speak with Frank, the barman.

"Look who decided to grace my fine establishment," the beast of a man announced my presence.

Before I could speak, he began mouthing off.

"You're here to pay your brother's tab, or you can take your monkey ass back to your ivory tower," he said.

"Now is not the time to speak to me this way," I said.

"That so? Well, the 100 pil your brother owes me, along with the door he broke, and the stairs he scuffed up are telling me to speak to you however I fucking feel, now pay me," he demanded.

"Broken door? And scuffed floor?" I questioned curiously.

"Is there something wrong with you and your brother, or are all royals shit customers," he added.

"You said he broke a door and scuffed a floor, how?"

"Some guards came by and picked him up. I guess he didn't wanna leave."

"Royal guards?"

I knew it was too soon for Louis to leave the castle, even if Mother was no longer targeting his people, it could take days for all of the royal guards to know.

"When did this all happen?" I asked, leaning over the bar impatiently.

"About an hour ago," Frank answered smugly.

I turned to be on my way.

"Where do you think you're going, you owe me," he yelled.

"Your right and I'll pay you by not having this place shut down for the many violations of Fae law that it seems to break daily," I countered.

"Fuck you," he said.

"Fuck you, Frank."