She was pissed at me last night, leaving me worried she would only get angrier with me, but here we are… hopefully making progress.
A distraction is what I needed this morning. After the heaviness of Clementine’s dramatics, I relented at my father’s insistence, and opted to take some time to be… me. Well, big sister me. Last night taught me a lot, but one of those things was how I’ve been letting Nora down. I spoke of good times and new opportunities, but that’s not even remotely what I’m offering her.
“How is it already so late?” Nora asks, pointing toward the dusk settling outside the kitchen windows, and I startle at the darkness.
My father doesn’t seem all that surprised, though. He simply chuckles, a knowing look flickering in his eyes. “Because we’ve been having so much fun.”
“You meanshehas,” I say with a snicker, cutting into my cake with the tip of my fork.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Nora retorts defensively, and I give her a pointed look. I may be soft on her—there’s no question about it, not after everything we’ve done today—but I refuse to let her play dumb.
Taking a bite of my cake, I aim my chocolate-coated fork toward her. “I followed you through every room while you tried every bed. We’ve been here for how long now? And you somehow convinced me that you were worth uprooting someone else if you thought their bed was better than yours.”
Every. Damn. One.
Even those that have two twin beds set up. Every mattress now has the imprint of her body nestled in the middle, the remnants evident in the slightly crumpled sheets.
“I had to check all the options before I made a final decision,” she retorts, avoiding my gaze as she stuffs her face with cake, and I shake my head at her.
“Thenwe had to go back through all of the bedrooms while you compared the en-suites available,” I add, a chuckle coming from my father, which he fails to hide behind his hand.
“Some have bathtubs and a rainfall shower,” she insists, looking at me with her innocent eyes that capture me under her spell like always.
“I’m now aware of the fact. Thanks for that,” I grumble, amusement softening my tone, and she winks at me. Glancing at my father, he says nothing, simply watches us with his full attention. “You’re not helping. Especially when she declared she already had the best room.”
He shrugs, making my eyes narrow, but that only makes his smile widen. “I’m enjoying my two favorite girls bickering like old times. I thought it might be strange being back in the castle and not being the king, but watching you two interact like you always have confirms it.”
“Confirms what?” I ask, my heart rate kicking up a little as his eyes grow watery.
“That everything is as it is meant to be, Addi. It confirms that you are everything I hoped you would be. That you are as resilient, fierce, compassionate, and true to yourself, just as I knew you to be.”
“Dad,” I grumble, dipping my head to focus on my cake to avoid his stare, hoping he’ll stop with the unnecessary compliments, but it seems he’s far from done.
“I think you need to hear it, darling,” he murmurs, reaching across the table, his hand encasing mine with a softness only he can offer. Pulling at my inner strength, I meet his gaze and find his watery stare remains. “I’m so proud of you, Addi. Queen or heir or not. I love both of you so much it hurts my old heart.”
“Your heart isn’t old,” Nora insists, and my father rolls his eyes at her.
“Maybe, maybe not, but I know the truth when I see it.”
My gut twists, like I know the words that are coming next are going to pain me.
“Which is what?” Nora asks, finding the words I can’t muster as my father swipes at the single tear that tracks down his face.
“I don’t truly know what happened all of those years ago. With your mother, I mean. She loved you so fiercely once. I don’t know what changed, but I know in my heart that how fiercely she cared for you wasn’t an act. Her love for me might have been, but that wasn’t. I know it,” he insists, his jaw ticking as his nostrils flare. “That woman doted on you with every breath. She would be so proud of you. So proud of the women you’ve both become, just like I am.”
I can sense Nora tremble beside me. He has never brought up our mother, not like this, and not without a push from one of us. But those words mean something, maybe too much. Especially now that there’s no possibility of a response from the woman herself to know for sure.
“As long as we’re proud of each other, that’s all that matters,” Nora breathes, a weak smile touching the corner of her lips as her gaze flits between our father and me, and I nod.
“I will always be proud of you, Nora,” I murmur, reaching for her hand as my father stretches for her other. The three of us are linked as one.
“If you’re proud of me, Addi, why didn’t you choose a role for me?” she asks, her eyes fixed on the table as my chest tightens and my heart freezes.
Shit. I hadn’t… fuck.
“If that’s what you want, I will find you a seat on my council in a heartbeat, Nora. I trust you with my life, but as much as this has been my birthright, it doesn’t mean it has to be yours.” Her eyes find mine, pain dancing in her orbs as her jaw opens, but before she can speak, I push on. “Every memory I have of us here, in these halls, in these rooms, out in the meadow, all involve a twirling Nora. You danced, and danced, and danced to your heart's content; humming and singing as you went. I want you to have the opportunity to be that girl again. The pain you’ve lived because of me will haunt me forever. For. Ever. But Kryll has given you this new possibility and now those distant dreams have the chance to be your reality again. I’ve already impacted your life enough as it is. It’s time for you to explore it for yourself.”
Tears stream down her face as two leak from my brimming eyes, and my hold on her hand tightens.