A Little Tip

Two days left.

Two days before she would forever remain the wife of Tiel Brightwell, the sacrificed daughter of the Everhart. The girl who had stupidly agreed to be married off to a man she didn't know in the name of saving a family who didn't love her.

These thoughts ran through Celeste's mind over and over again as she faced her reflection. A face she had spent countless times ignoring, hoping to avoid the feeling of shame and disgust every time she saw herself. But recently, as the days approached her wedding day, a strange, bubbling feeling inside her screamed for her attention.

Look at me. Mina knows, and she doesn't care. You're not her daughter, she's not your mom. Your mom died when you were ten. You saw her die, and along with her, your mother's love. So don't think she will fight or care for you when her lifestyle is in danger.

"She doesn't care," Celeste told herself in the mirror, finally acknowledging the person she had abandoned long ago. The look of sleepless nights, the paleness of her skin, and the gauntness of her features. Celeste no longer recognized the girl she saw.

"Celeste?" Orion's voice came from the door. It was as if she were in a trance. Celeste snapped out of her dark thoughts.

"Yes?" Celeste mouthed as she opened the door, revealing her sister standing in the doorway. Her wide eyes stared with excitement.

"Can I come in?" she asked, a question Celeste hadn't heard in years.

Celeste stepped aside, letting Orion enter. As Orion passed her, Celeste noticed her little sister was holding a small box hidden behind her back.

"Is everything alright?" Celeste asked through a pre-made speech card. She took a seat in her favorite armchair, observing Orion as she sat at the foot of her bed. There were many nights like this in their past, long before they had grown apart.

"Is everything alright? You tell me. Are you alright? How's Tiel? I heard he's a workaholic. How's your wrist?" Orion asked, setting the card back on a stack of other cards sitting on the now-empty shelves.

Celeste shrugged. She felt as if a mountain of weight had been on her back for so long, she didn't have the energy to explain. Besides, Orion had echoed the same answers as Mina. What was the point of saying anything?

"Come on, you look so drained. Are you sick?" Orion quickly shortened the distance between them, putting the back of her hand on Celeste's forehead. Celeste didn't move away. Instead, she looked at her half-sister, wondering whether Orion truly cared or if this was just a mask she put on.

"Celeste. What's wrong with you? Speak to me." Orion demanded, kneeling in front of Celeste. From where she sat, she could clearly see the beauty of Orion's delicate features and siren eyes. The way her lips seemed to hold a slight smile, and how her cheeks were naturally rosy. There was a time when Celeste loved these features as her older sister, a time when she didn't always compare her own face and feel so plain.

"Celeste, TALK TO ME!" Orion wrote on a piece of paper.

"I'm sorry, I'm just tired. I'm stressing a lot over the wedding. Tiel is a bad man, Orion. He's a horrible man." Celeste wrote, handing the paper over to Orion.

"Well, of course, he's a bad man. Just look at what he does for a living. He's the heir to the Brightwell throne. You know Avond, right?" Orion asked, giving back her notebook.

Celeste had been deeply disappointed by her sister's dismissal of her words—or lack of curiosity—but the mention of what they did for a living, especially Avond, caught her attention. She could never quite figure out what they did, and all she knew about them came from what she'd heard.

Celeste nodded.

"He's the eldest son and the head of the city's sharks. You know, those people who chase after others in debt. He has eyes everywhere, keeps the streets in check, making sure everything runs smoothly. He does the dirty work the Brightwells are responsible for." Orion explained, painting a faint picture of what Avond did for a living. Celeste couldn't fathom what that job looked like, but now she understood what Tiel meant when he said 'field worker.'

"Dirty work doesn't sound good. But that's not what I meant! I'm telling you that Tiel is not a good man. He is a dangerous man TO ME. He will kill me, he will beat me to the ground!" Celeste insisted, trying to convey urgency through her eyes. If Orion saw it, she wasn't concerned.

"That's why you have to behave. Don't do anything stupid. As I said, Tiel might be the younger son of the Brightwells, but he's the heir to the throne. Do you know what that means? You'll be the queen of the shadows." The way Orion said it made it sound extremely cool and fancy. However, it didn't change the dread Celeste felt—it made it even worse.

Celeste shook her head. "He has hurt me already."

"I know. The wrist and arm thing, right? Tiel has a highly demanding job. I'm sure he's just frustrated." Orion said, standing from her kneeling position. She sat at the end of the bed again, unaware of the look Celeste was throwing her way.

"What are you doing here? What do you want?" Celeste demanded, upset that she had even entertained Orion for a second. Orion read the notebook and looked hurt. She shrugged.

"We stopped spending time together years ago. I wanted to talk to you again, like the old times. And also show you this!" Orion exclaimed, excited to reveal a tear-shaped blue diamond. It was expensive, for sure—Celeste knew that much.

"Why did we stop hanging out?" Celeste demanded. Orion's lips parted, staring at the paper for a moment too long before closing the box.

Celeste knew well enough the girl felt disappointed that she didn't react enthusiastically at the sight of the necklace. She hated hurting Orion's feelings, but these were the feelings Celeste needed tending to.

"I don't know. It's complicated. With you being an affair child and a sore spot for my mom, I think you should know this by now, honestly. It's amazing how you have no self-awareness." Orion said.

It stung.

Celeste knew well what she was. It had haunted her all her life—knowing the only person who could ever love her had died because of her. All that aside, Celeste always felt it was unfair how she was punished for something she had no control over. Deep down, she had hoped Orion could see that and could be her sister through it all.

"Anyway, just for your information, the necklace is from Gen. He bought it for me. Can you believe that? I mentioned it once, and he bought it for me? He's so in love. It's funny." Orion said as she walked around her bed and toward the door.

Before she left, she looked over her shoulder.

"Here's my wedding gift for you. My mom tells Dad whatever she wants him to know. Maybe you'll get a different answer from him. He's at the library right now." Orion said, then left without waiting for her answer, leaving the door wide open behind her.

Celeste stared at the open door, the sting of confusion and betrayal gnawing at her as the minutes ticked by. Mina couldn't have kept everything to herself, could she? So Dad doesn't know anything about what happened? He still thinks everything is well and fine. 

She stood from the armchair, unconsciously moving toward the door. If her dad knows about it, he can at least speak to Erickson about it, Celeste thought, hope blooming in her chest like a drop of cold water on a hot day.

It was indeed a beautiful gift.