All too soon, the footman announced their arrival and I stood as the doors swung open. Drake entered first on the arm of his wife, wearing a wide and relieved grin.
“Gemma!” He immediately scooped me into an enthusiastic hug that lifted me off the ground. “Thank goodness you’re finally home safe. It’s been quite the adventure trying to find you.” He gave me a brotherly squeeze before suddenly remembering himself and releasing me with a remorseful look. “My apologies, in my excitement I forgot—”
He said nothing more, but I immediately understood his reservations—in some of my worst sicknesses, breathing had been a struggle. I forced a smile. “I appreciate your concern, but there’s no need for it; I’m perfectly well.”
He didn’t appear convinced; if anything, he lookedprotective. I bit the inside of my lip to suppress the sigh aching to escape. Our reunion hadn’t even lasted a minute and already my illness was the central focus, causing my siblings to revert to the roles they’d always embodied: guardians of health for the fragile sister in need of constant coddling.
The only way to convince them would be to show them I was no longer the sickly girl they remembered. So I lifted my chin and greeted Drake’s wife, Rheanna, with extra energy, but it faltered when I was forced to turn to Reve, dressed not poorly but far more plainly than she used to. She’d quietly followed Drake inside and had been watching us with unmistakable wariness, no sign of the indifference that had haunted me for three years ever since her abandonment.
Now that I was seeing her again, I wasn’t quite ready to face the moment she’d let Mother trap me in the tower…or rather, the day she’dhelpedMother trap me.
Reve stepped forward with a look like she was about to speak, but I turned to face the man she’d entered with. “Might I have an introduction?”
She blinked, startled. “Of course. Forgive me for forgetting. This is my husband, Archer.” I waited for her to give his title, and upon realizing this she hastily added, “He’s a common man.”
My eyebrows lifted in disbelief. Of all the changes that had occurred while I’d been away, this one was the most startling. “Youmarried acommon man?” It wasn’t as if I opposed the match, only that the sister I remembered never would have made such a union.
She flinched, and too late I realized my words had come out more harshly than I’d intended. I internally cringed that our first interaction in three years was already going as poorly as I’d feared. The walls around my emotions cracked, allowing the resentment I’d fought to bury to escape—that my sister had simplyabandoned me.
She appeared nervous by my outburst but lifted her chin. “I did.” She gave me a look daring me to challenge her choice. I sensed the tension growing and ached to dispel it, even as I felt helpless on how to actually do so. As hurt as I’d been by my sister’s actions, I still wanted to be friends with her.
“I’m not opposed to the match,” I said hastily, hoping to smooth things over before they escalated further. “It’s just…I never would have expectedyouto approve of it. You never do anything to upset Mother, no matter the cost.” I gave her a pointed look. As much as I wanted to avoid this confrontation, years of resentment seemed to have taken control of my tongue.
She hastily looked away…only for her gaze to settle on Quinn, frowning at her in disapproval. She lowered her eyes. “I know.” Her voice was very small, and I instantly felt remorseful for my accusation.
An awkward and tense silence followed, broken up by Briar. “We have a feast prepared in honor of Gemma’s homecoming.”
He started to lead us from the parlor, but Reve brushed his arm. “Before we eat…” She turned resolutely back to me. “Might I have a private word with you, Gemma?”
No one appeared confused by her request, which meant they must have known of what had transpired between us. My heart pounded wildly as Reve led me to the window alcove, tucked away from the others. Quinn turned his attention in the direction of our receding footsteps with a look like he very much wanted to follow in order to shield me from what promised to be a difficult conversation. But despite not feeling brave enough to face it, I knew this was something I needed to do on my own.
The moment we were alone she faced me. “Gemma…” She said nothing more, as if she’d already run out of words.
I remained silent. Despite knowing this conversation was necessary, I wasn’t in any hurry to have it. Reve waited an anxious moment, wringing her hands with a look like she hoped I’d supply the words she couldn’t speak. When my silence continued, she took a wavering breath.
“I’m so sorry, Gemma.” Just saying the words made her appear lighter, as if the apology had been enough to lift the burden from her shoulders and give her the courage to continue. “I can’t even convey the guilt that has haunted me all these years, ever since I—” She took another shaky breath. “I shouldn’t have gone along with Mother’s plan. I swear I had no idea what she was plotting until we were at the tower, but even then I never should have…I was just afraid to go against her wishes.”
Reve had always been Mother’s favorite, the proper princess who did everything expected of her…everything I wasn’t. In the rare moments I’d thought back to the day I’d become trapped, I’d been unsurprised my sister had sacrificed my well-being for her own.
I stared at her now, searching for a glimpse of that same unfeeling sister. She watched me anxiously, her entire body taut with tension and her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “Please say something.”
It took me a moment to find my voice. “I understand how Mother can be, but I still don’t understand why you’d do such a horrible thing to your own sister.” My voice wavered with emotion.
Tears filled her eyes. “Because the old Reve was selfish and cruel,” she said in a rush. “I wanted her approval and would pay any price to get it, and I’m absolutely disgusted with myself. I regretted helping her the moment I did so, and my decision has haunted me ever since. My desperation to do anything to forget that moment led me down a path that almost destroyed me. But through the journey, I learned I must face my mistakes and grow from them. I’m no longer the woman I used to be. I hope that you can forgive me and give me another chance to be a better sister.”
She clenched her hands together and waited with bated breath, her eyes wide with her silent plea for me to forgive her. As if a single apology could erase all the pain her mistake had caused me.
Yet I too had recently been caught up in Mother’s schemes and made mistakes that had almost hurt those I loved. How could I condemn my sister for her choices when my own weaknesses had led me to make similar ones? How could I willingly choose to taint the future I wanted by holding on to a grudge from the past, one that had no more bearing now that I was free from the tower?
Despite many difficult moments, I cherished my time in the tower. If not for my imprisonment, I might never have overcome my fears, discovered my passion for herbology, or realized my true feelings for Quinn. I didn’t want my unforgiving heart to become a new prison that would hold me back from a future with my sister. I wanted nothing more than to be free of the past princess everyone knew, which meant I needed to extend that same mercy to my sister.
This desire allowed my heart to soften. Searching her eyes, I saw her sincerity, her desperate need for my forgiveness. I remembered all the times she’d been a good a sister. We’d shared so many happy memories together, not to mention Briar had mentioned how she’d tried to atone for her mistake by showing him the tower’s initial location. Perhaps she really had changed.
“Of course I forgive you.” I stepped forward to embrace her and she held me tightly back. Tears glistened in her eyes when she pulled away.
“Thank you, Gemma. The moment I remembered where your tower was, I told Briar and Drake, but they still couldn’t find you. I’ve been agonizing over it ever since. I’m truly relieved you’re home and alright, and I look forward to becoming reacquainted.”
I did too. The worry burdening me at the thought of this confrontation faded, leaving me light. Despite my initial fears, my time out of the tower was already proving to be freeing.