68 A Sisters Secre (2/2)
Porras flopped her head to the side and, ”Is that all? Just the tea?”
Usoa frowned and considered tossing her current cup of tea at her sister. Of course that had not been all. There had been the fountain as well and the touch of his shadow on her skin, the memory fresh in her mind.
”You don't have to explain yourself to me, sister. I'm on your side! I say take the brave warrior and the handsome shadow-wielder as your consorts. Marry a rich noble and have fat babies for their auntie to enjoy.”
Have your own fat babies! And I told you, I don't like Ferran. I'll clear it up with father later, she pouted.
Porras' smile dropped, a look of pity in her eyes. ”I'm sorry little sister but it's not that simple. That's not what will happen.”
Usoa turned her head, reading the change in her sister's demeanor. A sadness had come over the woman and she bit at her own lip, worrying the skin of it for a moment before turning back to Usoa.
”Do you remember that boy from caravans? You would have been very young but from when I was about 16?”
Oddly, she did remember him. All lanky and tall with loose hair that fell down his back. He always smelled of heat and carried strange spice candies for the younger children. Ochoa followed him around for a week like a puppy until the boy was just gone. She nodded.
”Maber,” she supplied, resting her head against her knee. ”He was beautiful and kind. The son of a large merchant family. We were young and we fell in love fast, too fast. He asked for my hand and it happened much as it happened for you. Not in public, of course, Maber was smarter than that at least, but the same. But a week went by and my mother cried and begged, said I was too young to marry and convinced me to take it back. So I did. And father executed him for daring to reach above his station.”
Usoa stared wide eyed at her sister, the woman's pain evident.
”My mother must have known that would happen and now, she sends my sister only a bit older than me away to be married,” a dry laugh, Porras' eyes were wet and red with unshed tears. ”You can never make light of our father's gifts. If you tell him you don't want to be with that boy, he will have him killed, especially because he dared to demand you in such a public way.”
What am I supposed to do then, she asked slowly.
Her sister wiped at her eyes and when she looked again, her soft smile had returned, as if nothing of note had been said between them. ”Once you pass through the realms, our father's word holds no laws. Let him make a new way outside of these lands and write father and tell him he died. If father knows, he will hunt him and he will end just like Maber.”
Why would father do that, she asked. The man had always been giving. A well loved ruler.
”Because father is an Emperor and he will not be shamed.” She sipped at her tea for a moment and no talk passed between them.
The click of Porras setting down her glass pulled Usoa's attention back to her sister. Porras held out her hand, ”Come on sister, lets bathe together! You can wear one of my dresses. I think the pink, no, the black one. Tonight you'll match your secret lover!” she laughed as she stood, grabbing Usoa's hands and hauling her up.
”You really haven't been yourself. You should go out, visit the city, play some games! You really haven't been yourself since you found out you would be going to the Dark. The twins are starting to lose their reputations!”
She nodded and let herself be pulled along by her sister through the Garden to the bath house. A servant waited for there, she slipped off her dress and asked that it be returned to her room. As the woman left, Usoa slipped into the water.
I don't want any of this, she thought. But this if this is how things will go for me, I can't waste anymore time with being unsure. She picked up the soap, a different scent this time, and cleaned off the sweat from the day.