Chapter 3: Older Brother

*Orlin*

"Orlin!" Artemia said as she ran toward me.

I had taken my sister to the hospital to get checked. Made sure to rent out the whole floor to avoid having the news of her attempted suicide leak out. Although, knowing the media of this country, the news will probably find its way to the press some day. I could already imagine what the ladies of the court would say. Stuff like 'she just did it for attention' and other stupidities like it.

I curled my hands into fists. Why was everyone so mean to my little sister? It wasn't like Rose asked to be born with a frail body.

"Thanks for coming, Mia," I said, smiling slightly at my fiancee.

She sat next to me. "How is Rose? Is she okay?"

I smiled slightly. "The doctors said she'll make it, but they're running a few tests just to make sure." I lowered my head. If not for that mystery man, my sister probably would've left us today.

Artemia leaned her head against me and gave me a tight hug. I hugged her back and cried into her shoulder. Was I a bad brother? Had my defending her only made things worse? The bullies still said mean stuff about her when I wasn't around. How would I make it stop? Could I even do so?

"Why are people so mean?" I whispered.

"They let evil take root in their hearts," Mia whispered back as she patted me in the back.

Evil take root? Was it the fault of the whispers of demons? Or was it just the very nature of people themselves that made them bad?

People didn't express it, but some believe that the Sky Father created evil alongside the good. Did he do so because good couldn't exist without a counter like how he made light to counter darkness?

Or was evil an unintended bug in the creation? Or maybe it existed in some shape or from before the genesis of the universe. Like how darkness existed before light. Then, did that mean that the primordial state of being was evil and darkness?

"Rose doesn't deserve it," I whispered. "She doesn't even hurt a fly. If anyone does, it's me."

"Why do you say that?" Mia said looking into my eyes.

"I mean, I have killed before on the battlefield." I glanced at my hands. They were calloused from training with a sword since I was five. Father made me train relentlessly. Mother would help me sneak out of my training whenever she felt I was too exhausted.

I missed her so much. Life without Mother got harder for all of us, but none experienced more hardship than Rose. Father held it against her that Mother died. Even if he would not outright say it, it was as obvious as day.

"True. But that you regret it means that you haven't lost your humanity."

"But I still did. Doesn't that make me worse? A person who still takes life despite knowing how precious it is?" I asked as I continued to stare at my hands.

Artemia put a hand over my right and interlaced her fingers with mine. "True, but you do it to protect the kingdom. If not us, then at least yourself."

I averted my gaze. "You have a point, but I wonder if there's another way."

She smiled slightly. "It would be nice if so."

"Do you think I should call Father?" I asked, pulling away from her.

Her brow furrowed. "He deserves the right to know."

"Yeah, but do you think he would care?"

She sighed. "Wished I could say yes, but I know he's not a loving man. He treats both of you more like tools than children."

I nodded. He'd always been harsh. How had he turned out that way? My grandparents weren't like that.

"Sire, your sister has awakened," a doctor said as he opened the door in front of us. I stood up from my seat and walked into the room.

"Orlin," Rose said, voice shaky. She pulled the covers her face. "I'm sorry, Ore."

I sighed. "It's okay. I am not angry at you." I sat by her bed side and patted her head.

"Y-you're not?"

I shook my head. "More sad than mad." I lowered my head and reclined my elbows against my knees. "I just wish you would've come to me instead." I reached out and patted her shoulder. "You know that I'm always there for you."

"If there's something you can't tell your brother, there's always me you can come to for help," Artemia said, smiling slightly.

"I know, but after Father said that it would've been better if I'd died, I lost my sense of reason."

"Don't listen to him!" I snapped.

She hid back into her blankets. "I know, but he's still my dad. I guess part of me still longs for his affection."

"Did you think he'll love you for this?" I asked.

Rose shook her head. "No. It's because of his lack of love that I felt unloved at the time." She covered her eyes. "I even began to doubt your affection."

"Rose," Artemia said, sitting on the other side of the bed.

"I know what I did was dumb! After I heard Ore call my name, I snapped out of the trance I'd found myself in. But it was already too late." She poked her head out from under the covers and smiled slightly. "Thankfully, you saved me."

I shook my head. "It was not I who saved you. A guy in a black hoodie did."

She gasped. "Then who did? I thought it might've been dad, but you would've recognized him."

I sighed. Father wouldn't do something like that. If he had regrets, he certainly didn't act on them.

"I'm not sure who he is, but I am grateful for life that he was in the right place, at the right time, and acted upon it. I did offer him a reward, but he rejected it. Saying he didn't expect stuff in return for saving the life of another."

Artemia smiled. "Sounds like whoever saved you is a real hero."

"Wonder who it was," Sis said, staring at the ceiling.