When Rin was finally alone in his chambers, he stood by the window for a long while, staring out at the expanse of the palace grounds.
After some time, his shoulders eased.
The stiffness left his posture.
And then, to Arin's quiet astonishment, Rin smiled.
…
…
Rin sat at one of the low reading tables in a large library of some sort, with several scrolls carefully unrolled before him. Another small stack sat by his elbow, the words on the topmost one glistening with still-wet ink.
Across from him, Sera leaned back slightly in her chair, turning the pages of a thick, heavy manuscript that Ami had just brought from the upper shelves.
'Ah, you're still writing?' Ami asked, glancing between the siblings. 'I thought this was supposed to be an hour for leisure.'
'It is,' Sera replied mildly. 'For this strange little brother of mine, it is. Even as that poor little squire awaits him at the training grounds, he chooses to come here instead, and intrude upon us. He finds learning things relaxing, you see.'
Rin let out a soft huff of amusement, and did not deny her words.
A moment later, the faint creak of a door sounded behind them.
At the sound, all three of them looked up to see that Ralen had stepped inside, though only just past the threshold. The pale-haired boy paused there, as though uncertain whether he had actually meant to come in. He didn't look their way.
There was an awkward silence, as Ami bowed in greeting while Sera buried her nose deeper into the book she was holding. Then,
'Ralen, come join us for a moment,' said Rin.
He swept aside the scroll he'd been working on, and invited his younger brother to sit beside him. A small, scuttling sensation from within his sleeve told of a small, hidden creature whose sleep had been disturbed by the motion.
Ralen's gaze moved quickly across the room before settling on him.
'Oh,' he said after a moment. 'You're here.'
There's no way he hadn't noticed them earlier.
'Were you looking for us?' Rin asked. He then stood up, and started approaching the boy with slow steps.
Huh. Looks like he wasn't going to let the kid ignore him this time around.
The pale-haired boy gaped at him in shock, and took a small, barely perceptible step back. However, he ultimately stood his ground.
Clearing his throat, he said, 'I wasn't. I wasn't looking for you, I mean. But sir Ilevn was. Well, I heard that he was. You shouldn't keep him waiting.'
Rin continued walking towards him. 'He's waiting? Then, why don't you keep him company while I finish my business here? Aren't the two of you close? I'd told him to help you with your training if I'm not there.'
'Huh? Sir Ilven was your playmate! He is your squire!' Ralen exclaimed. 'Why must I keep him company while you – you –'
'It's not as though you have a companion, or any attendants of your own, Ralen,' Rin pointed out. He came to a stop in front of his brother, who was bristling, and reached out to place a hand on his stiff shoulder. It was then that Arin realized how much taller Rin himself had gotten over these past couple of years' memories.
'Ralen,' he said. 'If you do not wish to train, then listen to me and come join us.'
So saying, he as good as steered the younger boy back to the table.
Sera had been watching their whole interaction from afar, face impassive and mouth sealed shut. Upon their approach, her eyes snapped back to the pages of the manuscript before her.
This time, Ralen ignored her too. He silently acknowledged Ami, sank down into the seat she had pulled out, and glowered at Rin as he returned to his chair next to him.
'Studying again,' he muttered.
'Not studying,' Rin corrected lightly. 'Relaxing.'
Ralen gave a short breath that might have been laughter, or an expression of anger, or a response to some dust getting into his nose.
'Dull.'
Rin only smiled faintly.
He pointed to one of the papers before him. 'Have you studied this with the tutors yet?' he asked.
Ralen glanced down at it, before sullenly turning away. That was enough to tell Rin his answer. He pulled the sheets close, and immediately launched into elaborating on some of the more important points.
But instead of listening, Ralen leaned slightly over the table, glancing at the lines Rin had already copied.
'Indecipherable. Your letters lean too much,' he muttered under his breath.
There was a pause.
'Is that so? Then I'll have to trouble you to copy it all down for me,' Rin said quietly. 'With your writing that does not lean as much, little brother.'
'What? And why must I -?'
'It's either that, or you go train with Ilven, Ralen. I'll allow you the choice.' Rin's voice was firm.
Ralen's chest heaved. He jumped to his feet and swept the scrolls right off the table. Ami yelped, and immediately started gathering them from where they had fallen and scattered. Sera slammed her book shut, her jaw tight.
'I shouldn't have come,' Ralen huffed. He spun around and started making for the door again.
'If you do not report to the training grounds,' Rin called out after him, 'Then you will have to train with me, personally, for the rest of the week, little brother. I shall arrange for it myself. And I know you want that far less than you want to copy these documents for me.'
With a curse, Ralen slammed the door to the library shut.
Sera immediately got up to help Ami with the scrolls, and Rin joined them after a moment. He opened his mouth to speak to his sister, when he noticed a suspicious sheen in her eyes. She seemed to have realized it too, and quickly dabbed at her eyes before ducking her head and resuming what she was doing.
Rin paused, then shut his mouth without saying a single word.
…
…