Brother

Before me was a familiar sight. The King, princess, and prince, all sitting in their rightful thrones. A position atop a pedestal which perfectly makes anyone at the foot of the steps feel insignificant. I was the lucky person chosen to be that person today.

The royal family stared down at me, seeming to view me with their own thoughts and ideas. The prince particularly gave me a look as if he were a tiger staring down his prey. I stood in uncomfortable silence until the king spoke up.

"I apologize for interrupting your relaxation but I have to admit, I'm getting impatient."

A cold sweat ran down my back as I gulped hard fearing for my life. "Have I done something wrong your majesty?" The King seemed shocked at my words when he turned to face me suddenly. "Oh, heavens no! My apologies, I just meant I was getting impatient waiting for news of the princess's fated one! I did not mean to scare you." Hearing his words, I was finally able to breathe again. I seriously thought I was going to lose my head right then and there.

I bowed to him before speaking, "I apologize for not reporting on that matter. I have been slacking a bit on that and I ask you for forgiveness. I promise to be more proactive when dealing with this matter." The king let out his hearty laughter as he walked down the stairs and put his large hand on my shoulder.

"No hurry dear! It's just a parent's foolish wish! I understand that this process needs time to be accurate. My trust is in you."

I bowed once more before exiting the hall.

I couldn't even make it halfway before the prince grabbed my arm and pulled me into a hug. "Miss reader! Must you be so cruel to ignore me?" I broke free of his embrace as soon as I could and bowed quickly. "Your highness, I have no idea what you mean." The prince pouted at my obvious discontent.

"So, you mean that throwing away my flowers and giving me looks like a scared chick aren't your attempts to reject me?"

I met his gazed and was shocked to see him giving me a pouty yet menacing gaze from above me. I averted my gaze, unable to face the immense pressure he was putting on me. I took a deep breath and decided to speak my mind instead of giving in to him. Fearless, I stood up straight and faced him with a determined expression.

"I will admit, Your Highness, that my actions were out of discomfort for your actions, since I do not wish to engage in this kind of relationship with you, but I meant no harm by my actions."

The prince just stood there, still glaring at me, for a moment. All of a sudden, he stood up straight and a smile popped onto his face. "Well! As long as you don't hate me, I guess I can work my way into your heart slowly. I will win you over." After that threat, the prince walked away with a jump in his step, as if he reached some sort of conclusion.

Tired just thinking about what he was planning, I sighed and slowly trotted off to my room. Much to my surprise, Emeric came out of nowhere, scooped me up in a princess carry, and ran down the hall. I held on to him tightly, fearing I might fall off. After running for a while, he suddenly stopped and slowly let me down. As soon as i gathered myself, I started wailing on Emeric with my fists.

"WHY THE HECK DID YOU DO THAT? YOU SCARED THE HECK OUT OF ME! I DIDN'T KNO...."

I stopped hitting him as soon as I noticed my surroundings. We were suddenly in a place I never knew existed in the castle. I was surrounded by roses, every color of the rainbow, all surrounding a small siting area under a gazebo that was adorned in white roses. I silently went around the area, smelling the roses I saw in amazement.

"Where is this?"

"This is the place your brother loved to visit most. The rose patio. Nobody really comes here, as it was abandoned when the King's mother passed. Your brother always loved being among roses. In both senses."

"Both senses?"

"The young ladies, roses that all fell for him, or at least, that's how he described it."

The silly thought made me laugh. Emeric quickly pulled out a chair for me to sit down before he sat down himself.

"I'm so relieved."

"About what?"

"About you. You're such a lovely girl but lately you been sighing and frowning more. You're beautiful when you smile. You should do it more."

I smiled shyly in response. Emeric was always so sweet to me because I'm my brother's sister. I appreciated how he made me feel like I always had a brother, Since my actual brother was never around.

Without saying another word, I got up and threw my arms around him to give him a big hug. He seemed embarrassed as he tried to gently push me off of him. "Thank you, Big brother Em." Hearing me say this from behind him seemed to have calmed him down since he no longer tried to remove me. Instead, he also pulled me into a hug, making me fall into his lap. I released him enough to se his face as he laughed at me for falling. I could've stay mad for long and laughed with him.

I was more than happy to finally have a brother in my life.