WINDOWS: A BROKEN FAIRY TALE (33 page)

“If you step foot
inside my store I’ll give you a sword alright.
 
I promise that you won’t like where I stick it though.”
 
Sarah hadn’t forgotten, and never would, the
pain she experienced at the hands of the Protectorate.
 
Now their leader was trying to hold a polite
conversation with her.

Richard shook his
head as Raven and Bekah offered to do it for her.
 
“It’s a shame to see a beautiful daughter of
Vestavia become so crass.
 
I suspect that
it’s their influence.”
 
The man nodded to
Bekah and Raven.

Sarah started to
say something else but Elspeth’s voice interrupted, low and commanding.
 
“A rose cannot decide where it will bloom
Richard, as you well know.
 
Felicity,
Branwyen please go and bring back the accused.
 
Let the Protectorate handle it however they see fit.”

Raven started to
argue but after a brief, whispered conversation with Bekah, trudged up the
steps.

Amanda Tully
giggled when Liz and Raven entered the cramped cell.
 
The prisoner’s hands were cuffed behind her,
attached by a chain to hooks in the wall.
 
She was dirty and worn looking from the incarceration but there was a
maniacal glint in her eyes.
 
“So they
finally came to get me, huh?”

“What are you
talking about?”
 
Liz demanded as she
unlocked the chain from the wall.

“Isn’t it law that
all members of the nobility have to be tried in Vestavia?”
 
Mandy crowed as Liz and Raven led the prisoner
out.
 
Liz silently wondered exactly how
long they had been planning this attack.

Back outside the
castle, Amanda blinked.
 
The sun, though
hazy in the late afternoon, was still far too bright for eyes accustomed to the
darkness.
 
She shuffled ungainly down the
steps towards the waiting Protectorate.
 
Richard hugged her then turned to Elspeth.
 
“I’m certain that these shackles aren’t
necessary.”

An eyebrow arched
on Elspeth’s face.
 
“I’m certain that I
am the law in this land and she will remain in shackles until aboard your
ship.”

“Very well, may I
at least have the key?”
 
Richard asked.

Liz made a show of
stuffing something small and metal into her pocket. “Sorry,” she said with a
wry smile, “I must have misplaced it.”

Raven’s heavy
heart showed in her eyes and she gently held Mandy’s arm.

“Will you tell us
now why you did it?”
 
She needed an
answer.
 
Amanda spat in her face.

“Like you
care.
 
Like you care about anything but
Bekah.”
 
Amanda’s head recoiled to spit
again but Sarah’s fist crushed her jaw.
 
The traitor collapsed in a heap.

As everyone turned
to stare at her, Sarah said, “That’s twice I’ve knocked you down.
 
The next time you won’t get up.”

The Protectorate
guards moved towards Sarah, but Stephen’s sword shoved itself under Richard’s
throat and his voice boomed.
 
“One more
inch and he’ll die on these steps.
 
Do
you understand?”

Slowly the
Protectorate guards sheathed their weapons.
 
Then they escorted Amanda back to the airship and departed.

           
“Liz,
can we talk for a second?”

           
Felicity
looked up from her work to find Raven standing in the door.

           
“Sure,
what’s on your mind?”
 
Liz closed the
case file she was looking over and motioned for Raven to have a seat on the
bed.
 
Ever since the attack their mother
had put them all under house arrest.
 
It
was annoying but fun since they got to spend more time together than they
normally would.

           
The
redhead sat down and bit at her lower lip.
 
“It’s about what Amanda said, you know.”
 
Raven spoke haltingly, unsure how she should proceed.

           
Liz
chuckled.
 
It was a very rare thing to
see Raven at a loss for words.
 
“Which
part?”

           
Feeling
flustered because she couldn’t think of how to broach the subject, Raven hemmed
and hawed.
 
  

Thankfully Liz
knew what this was about and prodded her in the right direction.
 
“You mean about you not caring for the rest
of us.”

           
“Yeah,
that.”
 
Raven kept staring at her
hands.
 
“Do you think-- have you ever
thought-- that I don’t love any of you?”

           
Felicity
laughed, not rudely but with love.
 
“Raven, you’ve always been my little sister.
 
You sacrificed yourself for Valentria and
this family, plus you saved Mom’s life.
 
I know that you love us, all of us.”

           
Raven
nodded, her lower lip trembling.
 
“But
have you ever been jealous of how close I am to Sis?”

           
Another
laugh from Liz and Raven had to smile.
 
The older sister sat down next to her sibling and wrapped a comforting
arm around her back.
 
“Jealous?
 
No, but thankful if that makes any sense.”

           
“None
what so ever, actually.”
 
Raven rested
her head on Felicity’s shoulder.

           
“Well,
it’s no surprise you two are tight.
 
Remember I was there the first day you met and it was obvious that you
two formed an instant bond.
 
It was why
Mom let you stay with us.”

           
Raven
remained silent as Liz continued, giving her little sister an affectionate
squeeze, “And I’m very glad she did.
 
But
I’ve never been jealous of how close you two are.
 
It’s just that I’ve never had someone like
that and I don’t think very many people have.
 
You two are closer than sisters, closer than best friends.
 
Do you remember what happened the first night
after you showed up?”

           
Raven
pointed out that she was too young to remember much of anything back then so
Liz told her.
 
“You both cried so long
that Mom was forced to carry you into Bekah’s room.
 
Then the two of you went right to sleep.
 
Even after putting your beds in the same room
we’d find you snuggled under the blankets side by side.”

           
“You
were thankful we were so gosh darned adorable, right?”
 
Raven primped her hair, preening.
  

           
Liz
smirked, “Sort of.
 
You see, every so
often you’ll give someone else a peek into that little world you share.
 
It’s brief but it shows how close two people
can be.
 
I’m thankful to you and her for
that.”

           
With
happy tears in her eyes, Raven hugged Felicity tightly, “Thank you so much,
sis.”

           
“I
have a question for you too, about Sarah.”
 
This was something that Liz had noticed and needed to confirm.

           
Raven
cocked her head to the side.
 
She was a
tad perplexed how Sarah figured into anything they just discussed.
 
“About Lil’bit?
 
What do you want to know?”

           
“Are
you in love with her?”