Page 32 of Song of the Heart Scale
“Jacob...”
“I know things have changed. You’ve changed. But I meant what I said. You’re my sister, and I’ll stand with you. Always.”
I looked down at our joined hands as guilt crawled up my throat like bile. He truly believed I was his sister. He believed I was Arya, even though I was nothing like the sister he’d last seen two years ago.
And here I was, a fraud. A woman from another world, spinning lies as easily as a spider spun silk.
“Thank you,” I whispered, because I couldn’t say the truth.
He smiled, warm and relieved. “We’ll get through this together.”
I nodded and squeezed his hand before pulling away. “I should get back. Maeve’s probably pacing a trench outside the stables.”
He opened the stall gate for me. “Be careful, Arya.”
“I always am.”
But as I stepped back into the daylight with a heart laden with guilt and my mind racing with secrets, I knew it was a lie.
A soft shuffling outside the stall drew our attention. Maeve stood there, her cheeks flushed crimson, eyes darting between Jacob and me before firmly settling on the hay-strewn floor. “M-my lady,” she stammered, fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. “I apologize for the interruption, but—” Her voice faltered when Jacob looked directly at her.
“It's alright, Maeve,” I said. “What is it?”
Maeve swallowed visibly. “Lady Gianna,” she whispered, still not meeting Jacob's eyes, though I could see her stealing glances at him. “She's headed this way. I saw her leaving the main house. She seems... determined.”
“Damn it,” I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. “That's all I need right now.”
“My lady?” Maeve's gaze remained fixed on the hay-strewn floor, though her eyes occasionally flickered toward Jacob. “Should I perhaps tell her you've gone to the gardens instead?”
“It’s no use.” I sighed and brushed straw from my skirts.
Jacob’s brow furrowed. “I don't understand why you two can't get along. You’ve always been at each other’s throats, but it seems like things have worsened. What happened between you sisters?”
The wordsistersmade something twist painfully inside me. I bit back a bitter laugh.Sister. The masquerade I'd been forced to maintain was becoming more suffocating by the day.
“It's complicated,” I finally replied, avoiding his gaze. How could I explain that Gianna wasn't actually my sister? That I wasn't Arya? And that Gianna was a total bitch?
“It’s always complicated, isn’t that right, Maeve?” Jacob asked.
Maeve immediately dropped her gaze, her hands and bottom lip trembling. Poor girl had it bad for Jacob, but she could barely speak when he was around. Jesus Christ.
“She's changed,” I said finally. “Gianna used to be so quiet and agreeable. Now it's like she's found her voice, but it's saying all the wrong things.”
“People change,” Jacob said, his voice gentle. “The last two years have been difficult for everyone.”
I snorted. “Doubtful, Jacob. While you were away fighting the good fight on the border, I’ve been working hard trying to make money to survive. Meanwhile, the rest of the family has been sitting idly by, twiddling their thumbs and hoping money would fall from the sky. Don’t feed me that bullshit.” I had to give Arya her props. She might have been into some shady shit, but she had been making money any way she knew how.
Jacob's mouth fell open and his expression shifted from confusion to shock. “Arya, that's not what I—”
Just then, the stable doors crashed open, cutting off the rest of his sentence. Lady Gianna stormed into the stables in a full-blown snit. Her usually immaculate appearance was slightly disheveled, with dark brown curls escaping her elegant updo. Her face was flushed with anger, her eyes narrowed to slits as they locked onto me.
“You!” she hissed, marching forward with her fists clenched at her sides. “Hiding in the stables. How fitting. I hope you're pleased with yourself!”
I crossed my arms and leaned against the stall post. “Good morning to you too, sister dearest. Lovely weather we're having.”
“Don't you dare mock me!” Gianna snapped, her voice trembling with rage. “The emperor is dead, and now everything is ruined!”
Jacob stepped between us. “Gianna, please. Whatever this is about—”
