Chapter 12: A Weeping Iris (pt 2)

Catherine peeked out curiously from her room, having heard shouts and loud cries, spying Judith scuttle down the stairs. Swiftly crossing the hallway to her daughter's room, she stood surveying the scene at the doorway. Curled in a ball on her pillow, Iris looked up and saw her there. Her tears had dried by now but a sullen face still stood. In a soft motion, Catherine gathered her in a loving embrace, hugging her close.

"Aww my sweetheart, what happened? I heard that disgusting girl Cinderella shout at you and then you call for Judith."

Iris looked down at her hands, quietly muttering.

"She isn't disgusting mother, Laila's very sweet."

However, she didn't push her away, leaning against her mother with a sigh.

"We just had a fight, nothing that is too unnormal for sisters."

Humming as she began to gently rock Iris's body, Catherine purred sweetly.

"Yes, but she isn't really your sister is she?"

Startled by the accusation, Iris looked at her with furrowed brows and wide eyes.

"What do you mean? Of course she's my sister- step sisters are not excluded from the category!"

Stroking her cheek, her mother innocently concluded.

"But if she saw you as a sister, would she not stop wearing that vulgar-"

"Not 'vulgar thing', mother, a 'niqab.'"

"-that… niqab of hers that she hides her face with? I'm sure she wouldn't normally keep it on for family."

Hurt reoccured on Iris's face, fear seeping in. Catherine felt her lips curl in a smile but hid it under concern.

"That… no, I don't think that…"

"Dear, I heard what she said to you. She said she still feels uns-"

"Mother she didn't mean it! I- Judith said so! I'm certain she didn't mean it, I didn't mean what I said either."

Her voice was shaking, tilting erratically like a wobbling vase about to break. Catherine cocked her head to the side.

"But sweetie, how can you be so sure? Plus would you have fought so badly if you were meant to be friends? You and Judith have never gone so far…"

Struggling to defend her, Iris stuttered, refusing to give in.

"It's our first big fight! This always happens, I've fought with Judith before. I just said things I regretted again. Things will work out again."

She repeated it, more to herself than to her mother.

"Things will work out."

Humming again, Catherine softly ran her palm over her daughter's brown braids.

"Dear you aren't planning on talking to her first are you? It's best to let her realise what she did wrong and apologise to you."

Furrowing her brows, Iris pushed her off, holding onto her elbows as she edged away. Catherine was stunned, freezing as her daughter eyed her with a half glare.

"Laila isn't the only one who did something wrong! I did too!"

Sweetening her smile again, her mother shook her head.

"I doubt you did, you had the right to know and she refused to let you in! Isn't that wrong?"

Iris shuddered, eyes widening with realisation as she softly muttered in horror.

"Oh dear lord, do I sound like that? Do I really sound like you?"

Cocking her head, her mother questioned.

"Of course you do my love, you're just like me. You have my eyes… such pretty beautiful eyes. It's a shame you couldn't have inherited my hair and fair skin but you, unlike your sister who insists in partaking in such vulgar clothing expressions, at least act like you should."

She stroked Iris's cheek, ignoring the slighter shiver as she gazed deeply into her eyes. Deep ocean blue trumping over the shallower light pair.

"N-No. No, I don't want to-"

"Aw, my sweet, don't worry. Mother's here to protect you from that girl," Catherine wrapped her arms around the girl, bringing her close, "And Mother knows best."

Fighting back a whimper, Iris merely nodded, silent as her mother smiled and left.

...Was she really like that woman. Was she seriously taking after her? Shutting the door, she crawled into bed and under her covers, tugging on her braids. She didn't want to be like that. Why did her words have to repeat so similarly. Why did she have to sound like that. Why couldn't she have turned out more like Judith, rebellious yet kind. Why couldn't she have turned out like Laila, bruised yet strong. Why couldn't she have just learnt to control her mouth. She hated this, it felt awful to see so blatantly just how terrible her words sounded. She hated this. She hated how Judith changed for Laila and not for her. She hated how Laila turned out better than her. She hated her witch of a mother. And most of all, she hated herself for turning out like her. Weeping again, she closed her eyes and attempted to sleep, angry at everything in the world.

Not too soon after she started to rest, the door was flung open abruptly, Judith's loud voice ringing clearly.

"Iris~ We need to have a talk real quick."

Hearing her sister's voice, Iris sat up quickly, rubbing her eyes.

"Judith? You came back? You came back! What do-"

Blurrily spotting Laila, she paused. The last face she wanted to see right now. With a groan, she leaned back onto the bed.

"What is it?"

Dragging Laila over, Judith plopped her on the bed and stood with her hands on her hips.

"You two need to talk and make up! Say sorry to each other right now!"

Iris huffed and Laila crossed her arms in silent defiance. Judith sighed exasperatedly.

"Come ON! Ok know what, I'm leaving. You two better talk this out with each other and hug and make up. It'll ruin your relationship if you don't."

From underneath the fabric, Iris mumbled loud enough to hear.

"Judith we're sisters, that's immoral."

Laila cracked a smile.

After Judith left, an awkward, subtle silence swooped down and settled over the two. Uncomfortable, Laila fidgeted with her niqab, unsure what to do. Indirectly avoiding eye contact, Iris buried her face a little deeper into the duvet, thinking over everything. She slowly got up. Laila turned as the blanket opened up to the tear sodden face that had dried up. The first thing she noted was that Iris seemed to be shaking and tired. Sighing, Iris looked over to her, her eyes half staring, half regretful.

"I'm… I admit to a lack of politeness with my behaviour, I was not in any place to ask you such things or say such comments."

Laila deadpanned at her.

"Really? You can't just come out and say sorry?"

Scrunching up her nose, Iris's stare shifted into a glare.

"I didn't do anything wrong! I'm sorry for saying what I did about your niqab, I regrey that deeply and I never meant it."

Their voice began to rise.

"Really? Nothing else? What about all the other things you-"

"What about you then? Aren't you sorry for anything?"

"I stand by everything I said, you can't just expect me to always have the time for you and Judith-"

"FINE I'M SORRY I WAS SO BAD AT SAYING I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU."

Laila paused, surprised by the outburst. Taking in a deep shaky breath, Iris firmly straightened up and gripped the ends of her braids.

"I… I am very bad with words. I am not like Judith, I don't know how to be social or to think through my words. I say what I think and forget to think more. What I had MEANT by everything I said was… you seem so closed off to us. We are trying SO HARD to get you to trust us but you don't give a single sign saying if we're succeeding or not. And we just keep trying, we talk to you, we tell you our problems, we ask for your advice and we just want you to know that you can do the same with us."

She looked at Laila, eyes brimming with hope rather than tears.

"But you always shoulder your problem by yourself, even when we arent destroying you. Even when we're there to help you. Even if doing so, is harming you."

She took a breath.

"We view you as our sister ukhti, but you treat us like strangers sometimes. And as much as it doesn't bother us normally, the niqab just seems to close us off. It's like our fear that you'll never feel safe with us is coming true…"

Her words led off into the distance as Laila furrowed her brows.

"Why didn't you just say any of that? I would've understood, I could change for the better."

Iris nodded, looking up to the ceiling.

"I suppose my jealousy for you got in the way of my rage."

"Jealousy??,

"Yes, I'm quite envious of you" Iris laughed, "you handled all the abuse we dealt you so maturely and was willing to forgive us depite it. You became stronger and helped us both stand against out mother. You changed us for the better. Whereas I… when it happened to me, I just ran and hid all the time.,

Laia frowned, gently placing her hand atoo Iris's.

"Hey that's okay. I'm only like this because I'm fueled with spite. You don't need to feel like you're handling it worse than me."

"I feel like I will anyway."

"Believe me, it's not worth your time. Just don't."

Iris raised an eyebrow at her.

"That's much harder that meets the eye."

Shrugging, the other laughed.

"Still possible though! Also… I don't wear the veil because I feel unsafe around you guys, you're the people im most comfortable with in fact! But I'm often outside and theres a chance the male servants wil see me so I need to wear it for them. But you're right, I should let others in a little more."

Iris smiled, opening her arms for a hug.

"I'm sorry for what I said, it was mean of me but I was just angry and didn't know what I was saying."

Laila smiled back, leaning forward with her arms open too.

"I'm sorry for everything I said too. I was angry and salty, I was being mean to hurt you on purpose."

Hugging each other tightly, they made up with smiles.

Judith peeked in with a beam as she saw the scene.

A few days later, Laila asked amidst the sister's hanging out together

"Is it me, or is hot in here?"

Before the others coukd answer, she ckosed the door to Judith's room and took off her niqab, shooting her sisters a beam. Their jaws fell open, hanging aghast at the woman they barely recognised. Her brown eyes were the same but her face had aged and her dark hair was lengthier, slicked back in a tight bun.

"...YOU HAVE HAIR!"

Laila laughed, twirling a strand.

"Yes Judith, I'm not bald."