24 - Are You Related?

Iris sat down on the opposite side of her. Taking her white hat down, she combed a hand through her black shoulder length hair. As Iris turned to look at her, she smiled happily. Anemone stared at the blue eyes back. It looked really similar to the boy. The boy had covered his face so she wasn't sure if they looked alike.

"Iris... Do you have any brothers?"

Iris tilted her head in thought. "I do. Are you interested in marrying one?"

Anemone shook her head and turned away, feeling her cheeks grow hot. "No... It's just that... I saw someone who looked similar to you and wondered if he was related to you."

"Similar to me?" Iris tapped her lower lip with her finger in thought. She smiled again as she pushed her bangs back behind her ear slowly. Her eyes had changed. The eerie glow in her eyes appeared. "I see... Do you want to meet him?"

"I..."

"Sister! I'm done now! Let's go home!" Cayden had come out and grabbed her arm.

"Cayden, wait. I'm still talking to Lady Iris," Anemone explained, trying to stop him from pulling her away. Cayden shook his head.

"We have to go now," he repeated firmly. Anemone looked back at Iris and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, Iris. I'll see about sending you an invitation to come visit sometimes," Anemone said as she waved. She handed the book back to the shopkeeper before Cayden pulled her out. "Cayden, stop! What is your hurry?" she asked as they were farther away.

"Sister, don't hang out with her anymore."

"Why?"

Cayden kept walking, his hand holding his older sister's hand tightly. "Just don't see her. She gives me a bad feeling." Anemone sighed exasperatedly. "Lady Iris has not done anything bad. You don't even talk to the other maidens so how do you know if they're bad?"

"It's just a feeling, sister! She was-!" Cayden stopped in his tracks and turned to her. "You didn't see it?"

"See what?" she asked, confused. "Did something happened? Calla? Did you see anything?"

"No, milady," Calla replied with a small bow. Cayden's lips thinned in a tight line with displeasure. They looked to Cayden's guard, Alus but he shook his head too.

"It's not something normal people can see!" he bursted out. "Sister, you shouldn't trust people so easily."

Anemone was perplexed at her brother's words. "Trust? I was being nice to Lady Iris! This is what you do as a Lady of the Court! Did you forget your lessons, future Duke of Castiano?" He flinched under the title. "Father wants us to make good social connections even if we don't like the person."

"Sis-!"

"Cayden, she is a high rank official's daughter. Higher than us. We can't insult her like we did. I will have to invite her over to make amends."

Cayden frowned. "How did we insult her?"

Anemone hit his head with her knuckles. He winced and rubbed his temples. "We left so hastily after she had just greeted me. This encounter will make her think that we see ourselves as above her rank. If not, we still should show some courtesy. Let's go home for now and plan how you will apologize to her."

"Sister!" he wailed as he followed her.