CHAPTER 256: IT WASN’T EASY TO HAVE A SISTER [BONUS CHAPTER]

(Alaric experiences the woes of being a brother.)

Alaric was happy to be traveling to the East for a number of reasons.

First, their cousins and friends wouldn’t be able to visit easily.

Second, he could spend time with his sister alone.

Third, he could spend time with his sister alone.

Even though a few of the Pure noble families also had Fiefs in the East, he wasn’t too worried because Ian Winston was away at the Academy and even if he wasn’t they weren’t close enough to visit.

If Duchess Winston visited, that wouldn’t concern him or his sister since Duchess Winston had no business with them.

None of the other nobles from minor nobility were important enough to worry about.

The other person that could visit was Wade.

Thinking of him made Alaric grit his little teeth.

That boy that always wanted to involve his sister in everything that he did.

Thinking of Wade reminded him of the person that had tried to hurt his sister.

Alaric felt like the man didn’t deserve to die like that.

Being made to consume the poison wasn’t enough. Alaric was secretly unsatisfied with what happened.

But it wasn’t like anything else could have been done at that moment.

The only way was if the antidote had been available. Then they would have given the man the antidote to keep him alive, and then take care of him later.

He didn’t tell his sister though because he knew she wouldn’t be happy to hear him say such a thing. She always talked about how sweet and adorable he was.

He decided to unwilling let go of his anger towards the man and focus on the more important things.

His sister had met the Kendall sisters and the children who lived with them.

Because of that, she somehow became attached to Leilani, that girl that seemed like she wanted Aristia to be her sister instead!

He then thought of how his sister had brought back a boy. It wasn’t enough that Owen was here, but now she had added another.

He prayed she would stop there.

To make matters worse, the two boys couldn’t leave his sister alone.

Alaric wished to yell at all of them that she was his sister, not theirs, his cousins and friends included.

Why couldn’t they just leave his sister alone?!

Yes. She was smart, and amazing, and kind and everything good, and deserved to have people revolve around her. But that didn’t mean everyone was allowed to buzz around her like unwanted insects!

So when his uncle, the king instructed all the Fief Lords to make a trip to their Fiefs, he had been overjoyed.

He didn’t want to choose the north, because Aristia would become preoccupied.

Not only with Artsy, but also with Valen. She would be able to visit that little baby and guah over him.

Alaric had been jealous of her carrying Valen and treating him like a baby.

Because of that, he made it his responsibility to carry Valen and gush over him, so that Aristia wouldn’t have the chance to.

There was also that Vivian Quentin. That girl that had had a bit of interaction with his sister and was overreacting.

Alaric didn’t think his sister had done anything wrong. She had just stated the plain truth.

But suddenly, his sister began to reach out to that girl, and the next thing he knew, everyone said they were ’friends’. If they stayed in the North, either Vivian Quentin or his sister would visit because that was what friends did.

The thought frustrated Alaric to no end.

Luckily for him, his father had decided to stay in the East for reasons best known to him. Alaric didn’t care. It worked in his favor.

Since it was snowing, they couldn’t leave the Estate. He secretly enjoyed it. Even though she had a daemon sharing her with him, Alaric felt like he could accept that since the daemon was a part of his sister. It was just like having an animal Tia, so he also liked the daemon.

He and Tia and sometimes Millie would play around inside and outside the mansion. It made him wish for winter to never end because he knew if it did, they would leave the Estate which meant more distractions.

Who knows, his sister might even meet another child and take him in.

A month later, and it was Spring. Alaric dreaded it. On the day they were supposed to leave for a tour of their father’s Fief, Alaric secretly said a prayer to Lord Nerin, asking him to not let Aristia meet a child and take him home.

He left with his sister, mother and her lady-in-waiting, keeping his eyes open for any potential distractions.

But everything moved seamlessly.

He was about to relax when all of a sudden, a feeling of dread enveloped him.

He heard someone greet them.

He turned in horror to see a girl his sister’s age.

When his sister began her speech, he as both flabbergasted and amused. He didn’t know his sister had such a side to her.

Hearing the conversation between her and his sister, Alaric felt himself sinking into despair. Lord Nerin hadn’t answered his prayer! Wasn’t this worse?

But he supposed this was still better than her bringing a child back. He could tolerate this.

But he felt like crying. Just when he thought that finally, all distractions were gone, there came another distraction. And there were eleven of them!

He couldn’t even find joy when he came back from the festival the next day and heard that mage boy telling his sister that that he wouldn’t be around most of the time.

Why did he even need to tell his sister that? Was she his mother? Alaric thought, glaring at the boy.

Not like it mattered anymore. One was out of the picture and now there were eleven more?

Inside him, the tears flowed freely. Just why couldn’t they leave his sister alone? It really wasn’t easy to have a sister!