Brother

Written by Charlie
"Brother..." Mara called curiously from the doorway.

"Hm?" Rylon's reply as he looked up only quickly from the maps laid out on the table.

"Brother," she repeated, this time in a more conversational tone.

"Yes?" Rylon's green eyes narrowing in on his eldest sister, discarding the small rod he had been using to measure distances in mild irritation at her interruptions.

"I was just wondering why you had our little sister spying on Lady Marzia and Lann?" The question portrayed as one of innocent interest while Mara watched his expression closely for any betrayal of her brother's familiar tells.

"I don't have an idea of what you're talking about," There was a frown, much like their father's and a stiffening of the jaw. Mara smiled, she was right, she was sure of it. Her brother's look turned darker and she tried to hide her face with a glance away.

"Brother..." she purred placatingly when she dared look back.

"Mara..." His mood shifted to apparent disinterest as he took back up the small tool and returned to the maps.

"She told Marzia she was there, wanted to know if our new sister liked Lann," she approached the table trying to draw her brother back out and into conversation.

"Is that relevant, to anything?" The response was terse.

"You're in a bad mood," Mara commented flatly.

"Lord Peake sent a letter to father on behalf of the King. I am figuring out how to get a reply to him quickly without a raven." He leant back in his seat, now looking tired and he pinched the bridge of his nose blinking, before refocusing on the parchments.

"Oh," Mara felt the descent of a familiar gloom into her stomach. The rebellion. "Can I help?" The fifteen year old girl looked at the maps on the table and Rylon. "Please, brother?"