"Perhaps we should continue discussing this over breakfast," he suggested, his voice calm yet inviting. "It would give us a chance to go over everything more thoroughly."
Both of them looked at Adrian and agreed to his suggestion. It was probably best to take a little break for now, before moving onto negotiations.
"Alright, I will have breakfast be prepared, Countess and Lady Lira can rest for a while, I will send soone to fetch you both after breakfast is ready."
With that Adrian stood up and walked towards the door to leave the room. As he moved out of the room, he briefly paused, glancing over his shoulder to the two sisters.
Lira was still rigid, her chest heaving slightly as her emotions simred beneath the surface.
Mira stood composed, her hands clasped loosely in front of her, the picture of noble grace. With a slight bow, Adrian exited the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
The mont the door clicked shut, Mira's calm deanor shifted. With a wave of her hand, she cast a sound isolation spell over the room.
The soft hum of magic filled the air as an invisible barrier sealed them inside. She knew what was coming next—Lira's anger, the outburst she had been holding in, and the sharp words her younger sister would inevitably hurl at her.
No sooner had the barrier ford than Lira erupted.
"What the hell, Mira?!" she scread, her voice cracking with frustration and disbelief. Tears welled in her eyes, her body trembling as she whirled on her older sister.
"What gives you the right to decide sothing so important—my entire life—without even asking ? You're not my mother or my father, so why do you think you can just—" Her words broke off as she choked back a sob, her fists clenching at her sides.
Mira remained calm, though she could feel the tension rising within her. She had expected this, of course.
Lira had always been emotional, prone to these outbursts when things didn't go her way.
The younger girl had never truly understood the responsibilities that ca with the Blackthorn na—the burden they both carried.
"You're always like this!" Lira shouted, her voice hoarse now, her face red from the strain of holding back her emotions. "You can't just make decisions about my life like this. It's not fair!"
Mira sighed inwardly, suppressing the rising anger she felt. Lira was still so naive. She had been sheltered all her life, protected from the harsh realities of noble politics by the very people she now lashed out against.
Mira, their parents, even their uncle had worked to shield Lira from the worst of it. But now, when it was ti for Lira to step up and fulfill her duties, she was throwing a tantrum like a spoiled child.
Mira's voice, however, remained gentle, even soothing. "Lira," she said softly, her eyes narrowing slightly as she spoke.
"This is not about love or about what you want. This is about survival—our family's survival. You know as well as I do that alliances are necessary to keep our position strong. Marriages aren't about romance in this world; they're about power and security. This is how it's always been, and you know that."
Lira's body shook as she stared at Mira, her chest heaving with emotion.
"I don't care about alliances!" she spat, her voice a mix of fury and desperation. "You're trying to trade away like so object, like I'm nothing more than a tool to be used for your sches. You're manipulating , Mira! You've always done this—always tried to control ."
Mira's lips tightened at that, but she forced herself to stay calm. This was not the ti for her own emotions to get the better of her.
Lira was lashing out, but beneath her anger, she was scared. The thought of marriage—especially to soone she didn't know well—was overwhelming for her.
"Lira," Mira said again, this ti with a touch more firmness in her voice. "You're not being traded. I chose Adrian Everhart for a reason. He's powerful, influential, and he will protect you. He's young, closer to your age than most suitors would be, and unlike many of them, he's honorable. Do you dislike him so much that you can't even consider this?"
Lira's eyes flashed with defiance. "It's not about whether I like him or not," she snapped. "This is my life! My whole future. You can't just throw into a marriage like this without even asking ."
Mira stepped forward, her own patience starting to fray. "Do you think I enjoy this, Lira?" she asked, her voice low, tinged with the frustration she'd been holding back.
"Do you think I want to force you into sothing against your will? I've spent my whole life protecting you—giving you everything you've ever wanted, shielding you from the burdens I've had to carry as the heir of our family. But now it's ti for you to step up. You're not a child anymore."
Lira flinched at Mira's words, her tears flowing freely now as she backed away from her sister. "You don't care about ," she whispered, her voice broken.
"Not really. You're just like them—like our parents. All you care about is power and keeping the family strong. You don't care what this does to ."
Mira clenched her jaw, fighting back her own emotions. This was harder than she had anticipated.
Lira had always been difficult when it ca to matters of responsibility, but this level of resistance was new.
She had thought Lira would at least understand the necessity of what was being proposed, even if she didn't like it.
"You think I don't care about you?" Mira asked quietly, stepping closer. "Do you really believe that after everything I've done for you?"
Lira didn't answer, her body trembling as she wiped at her tears, unable to et her sister's gaze.
Mira sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. She had always been the one to shield Lira from the harshness of their world, but perhaps she had protected her too well.
Lira didn't understand the stakes. She had never had to make the hard choices, never had to sacrifice for the sake of their family.
Mira moved forward, closing the distance between them.
Gently, she reached out and wiped the tears from Lira's cheeks with a soft brush of her fingers, then with a wave of her hand, cast a cleaning spell to freshen her sister's tear-streaked face.
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