Page 49 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 2
FIVE
It's strange to think that my days coming into the House Rothorne dining room for breakfast are numbered. And even more so because I keep having breakfast with Linc rather than returning here for it. Maybe I shouldn't be doing that, but it's hard to leave Linc behind, especially when my afternoons are currently being taken up by lessons rather than spending time with him in the library.
I push open the door and take my seat while Pip scrambles into position so the servants will bring her food.
Bella raises an eyebrow. "It's unusual to see you at this time."
"It's not been that long," I counter.
"Mmhmm. Well, clearly you've been putting some of my advice to good use."
My cheeks flame red at the implication that Linc and I have been using the book she gave me. Which we have, I'm just not sure how to have that conversation with her about it.
I'm saved from answering by the servants entering with our food. They set mine down in front of me along with a goblet of blood and turn their attention to Pip, who is already thumping her tail impatiently and almost to the point of whining.
Neither Bella or I say anything as we eat. I drink my blood and think about the upcoming day. I've got a history lesson I need to prepare for, which I'm both looking forward to and dreading at the same time. I love being able to learn about the history of the Houses living in Castle Sanulieon, but it's also frustrating to have to deal with Bastian's constant asides about how pointless he finds it all.
Maybe if he paid more attention, he'd realise why it isn't pointless, but I know better than to point that out to him. He doesn't like it and just mutters something about feeling uneducated. Apparently, he doesn't like to face the reality that we are uneducated, especially compared to people who have had centuries more time to accrue their knowledge than we have.
Pip finishes her breakfast and pops her head on my knee. I scratch her without thinking about it, enjoying having her around. She's the one thing I miss about spending so much time in the royal apartments, and I'm looking forward to having her there with me. I'm sure Linc is too, he's mentioned it a couple of times already.
The door opens and I look up as Pip scampers under my chair.
"You're actually here this morning," Bastian says as he enters the room with his wife on his arm.
I smile. "Good morning, brother."
"Where have you been the last couple of mornings?" he demands.
"You don't want the answer to that question," Bella mutters under her breath.
"I had breakfast with Prince Lincoln yesterday," I respond. "And the day before."
"I didn't realise the Prince was such an early riser," Bella says, the expression on her face saying that she's teasing me.
"Neither is Beatrice," Bastian responds.
"What are you talking about?" I snap at him. "I was always up before dawn to make sure you had everything you needed before you went to work."
A strange silence descends over the table. Bastian mostly looks shocked, while Bella leans back and is clearly waiting for my brother to explode at me. I'm not sure I blame her, I'm waiting for that myself.
Lady Ermentrude clears her throat. "I'm sure all of that is in the past. We shouldn't talk about it."
"Or maybe we should," I reply sharply. "If Bastian is going to go around saying things about me that have no basis in fact. What else have you been telling people? That I never fed you? That I didn't bleed my hands raw in the winter because we could only afford one set of gloves and I let you have them so you could work outside? That I held you back by being a burden when all I ever did was try to make sure we both survived?" My voice cracks as I say the words, and I find myself wishing that Linc were here so I could have some support.
At least Bella's amusement seems to have passed.
Bastian's mouth has all but disappeared as he looks at me with barely restrained anger. I'm not sure what I was thinking saying all of that out loud, especially in front of witnesses.
"I had no idea you felt that way," Bastian says eventually.
"Have you ever asked me? Or should I be asking if you ever cared?"
His hand balls into a fist. "Of course I care. I brought you here, didn't I?"
A small part of my resolve softens, because he's right. He did bring me here and he didn't have to. "All right, yes. You brought me here. But you can't keep saying that absolves everything else," I say firmly. "Doing one good thing doesn't make you a saint." And in his case, it certainly doesn't, especially with everything he's done since he got here.
"You've changed." Bitterness comes through his words.
