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“That’s because you don’t like anything to change,” Emana said, folding her arms. “It’s your birthday party today, remember?”
Oh, crap. Now I wished I hadn’t left the city until tomorrow. I cleared my throat.
“What’s the damage?” I said.
“The birthday party you agreed to,” Emana said. “And don’t give me that look.”
“Please tell me it’s a small party,” I whined.
“It’s a party that’s a fitting size for a lord of your stature.”
Emana’s smile faltered when she noticed Sirena. She recovered quickly but not fast enough for me to miss it. There was a flicker behind her eyes—from me to Sirena, and back again.
“And who’s this?” Emana said politely, extending her hand to Sirena.
“Sirena,” I said. “She’s a singer. She performed at the palace last night. I thought she could educate the locals about some different forms of music.”
Emana’s smile didn’t alter.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, all sweetness and light. She could be charming when she wanted—which wasn’t very often. “I’m Kal’s sister, Emana.”
They shook hands but it seemed a little awkward.
“Aunzika,” I said, motioning to the head of the household. “This is Sirena. She’s going to be staying with us for a few days. Please take her up to a room and bring her anything she wishes.”
Aunzika bowed and, as usual, didn’t utter a single word. He took Sirena’s bag and led the way up the stairs.
Sirena looked at me uncertainly before following.
I watched her shapely behind as it worked its way up the stairs and out of sight. I sighed and turned to leave.
Emana folded her arms and shook her head at me.
“What?” I said.
“I’ve seen that look before,” she said. “Never on you though. Except maybe once.”
“What look?” I said innocently.
“You can’t fool me, big brother,” Emana said. “Never forget that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said innocently, and shuffled off to my office, wishing Emana wasn’t my sister.
Except for the dining hall and ballroom, my office was the largest room in the castle. It needed to be. I often took meetings and there could be up to a dozen or more people arguing while we hammered out a solution to the problem.
Problems.
That was what my job was. Solving one problem after another. Sometimes they were small disagreements between local farmers about a purchase or land dispute. Other times, a brawl broke out and I had to administer justice before the courts got involved.
My entire life, I’d seen my father sitting behind that desk, amiably discussing issues and overcoming problems with the townspeople. He liked to lean back in his chair and toss a ball from one hand to the other. It helped him concentrate, he said.
I picked the ball up from the tabletop and squeezed it. I never thought I would be the one to sit behind this desk. That was my elder brother’s job. I was the younger brother. I was meant to support him when necessary. It was what I was good at.
We both benefited from the same level of education but that didn’t mean I had the same strengths he did. He was bred for war, a natural fighter and leader, a keen shooter, hunter, and swordsman. I was born to negotiate, better with the bow and subtle subterfuge. Most of all, I had a better temperament than him.
It was his temper that made him leave for the battlefront, his impatience that made him climb in that shuttlecraft.
It was his temper that defeated him.
