He leaned over, blocking out the spot of light Rin kept staring at, and smiled down at the boy.
Rin grunted, then turned his head to one side, blinking furiously. It was like he didn't want to meet the man's gaze.
Fortunately, the white-haired man didn't push for it. Nor did he bring up the tears that Rin was clearly trying to hide. Instead, he took a step back, seemingly to look for something he'd brought, and then returned to kneel by his side.
In the next moment, a lozenge of some kind was stuffed into his mouth. Rin immediately tried to cough it out, but the man tightly covered him mouth.
'It'll help you move again,' was all he said quietly.
Rin blinked, then quickly started biting it, crushing it with his teeth and swallowing it. It had a sweet, berry-like flavor. Almost as soon as it started dissolving on his tongue, he felt a welcome relaxation seep through his stiffly frozen limbs, followed by a rush of warm, comfortable energy that soothed the pain that had been radiating through his body. It didn't make it disappear, but was enough.
Arin, at least, was grateful for it.
In just about a handful of seconds, the boy felt well enough to sit up. He did just that, pushing himself slightly away, and then turning his body to face the ethereal-looking man before him.
'Was that the disgusting medicine they make at the House of Healing?' he asked, his voice rough and gritty.
The white-haired man raised a brow. 'Does that matter, crown prince?'
'Don't call me that…' Rin broke off, coughing. He then frowned, and looked up at the man again. 'I recognize you. Well, you needn't mask the flavor for me, lord Varyn. I am not a child.'
Arin almost didn't hear what the next words were.
Holy shit! That man's name!
He finally knew that damned white-haired man's name!
Thank you, Rin. What a bro.
Quickly, though, he refocused his attention.
'Oh?' The man had smiled, then dropped down to sit more comfortably on the forest floor. 'But I'd heard… hm. Never mind. Perhaps something more grown-up for the next time, then. Tea?'
Rin coughed again. He didn't respond immediately.
The man didn't force him to.
Rin worried his lower lip. His eyes were now fixed upon a small patch of sunlight on the forest floor. It fell directly onto an orange-brown leaf, picking out its form and making it glow like it was something special, different from the surrounding leaves.
It wasn't, of course. Like the others, it was just a fallen leaf, rotting on ground.
At last, he asked, 'How… how do you still correspond with them…? Do you… do you think I might…?'
He didn't finish his sentence.
There was a soft sigh, and he looked up to see the white-haired man – still smiling, of course – raise a hand to tap the forehead of the silvery-white rabbit that had hopped up to him. It flattened its body comfortably, its eyes half-shut. It must've been tired.
'When this little thing appeared at my doorstep, and sought my help,' he said, 'I'd already guessed the state I might find you in. You might not know this, but when I left, it was on my own two feet. And although my actions and magic are both severely restricted, the phrasing of my exile has allowed me to find ways around the constraints on my movement and correspondence. It is limited, but… enough.'
He shrugged, then looked into Rin's eyes with those strange, pale red irises. 'So, to give you an answer, I shall need to know exactly what your sister had said when she ousted you.'
'How did you know that it was…' Rin bit his lip, then shook his head. 'Of course you do. Never mind.'
His fists tightened, and he shut his eyes tightly, as though to force himself to remember something he'd rather forget.
'When I awoke, I learned that my… the Emperor, had attempted to fulfil… the requirements of…' he choked, then rephrased what he was saying. 'He'd attempted to do it himself. But his magic is too depleted, and he was not accepted. He, too, had collapsed.'
'The… Empress… was incensed. I was to be taken for… that, which I had already accepted. But when Sera learned of it, she – she –' He broke off into another coughing fit, and the man offered him another small lozenge.
Rin shook his head, then thought better of it and accepted. After a moment, he tightened his features into a mask of expressionlessness, and continued numbly.
'She arrived right before – with moments to spare – and she… she seemed angry. I've never seen her so angry. She said, 'Rin is forbidden from this family. He is forbidden from the rights and duties that bind it, and from this place that neither wants, nor needs him anymore.' I – I tried to stop her, but my magic was exhausted.'
His chest was heaving slightly now.
'She was right… to despise me. I was willful, and selfish, and had caused trouble. But, all along, I had meant to make up for it myself…' Rin suddenly took in a deep breath, and his voice rose with his next words. 'With that prohibition, how am I to take responsibility for what I have caused!? How am I to – to ever make things right!?'
He panted with emotion. A dull ache was forming in his chest again. He turned away and angrily wiped the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes again. He didn't turn back around.
The white-haired man was silent for a while. Then, he slowly started speaking. 'Indeed. The princess was willful, and selfish, and caused trouble with her words.' His voice was calm and pleasant. 'And all she did for you, was what you'd done for your brother.'