Shiar watched his sister shift uncomfortably for the thousandth time in the last ten minutes. Without realizing it, Lyana would wince, rub her arm or shoulder or back, then settle down to writing again for a couple seconds then start the process all over. She wouldn't complain, or ask to be excused, settled into her determination to help him settle accounts, run their estates and help the Prince with his diplomatic duties. 

Boring stuff that she had never seemed interested in before this. Not normally things that Sellexun women took part in but for some reason she was bent on helping, doing more than she had before. He had been surprised when she had asked two days ago and perhaps a little wary about the odd enthusiasm, but grudgingly agreed to teach her what he could, as long as she promised to not get in the way. 

So far, however, she had been more help than he had assumed, her mind being better at numbers than his was. And Lyana was a quick learner, able to remember things about meetings he had barely noticed during the heat of a negotiation.

Shiar grudgingly had to admit that she may be more suited for this kind of work than he was, despite her seemingly care free, angelic way of looking at the world. But now, as he sought to focus on the dry work of completing the day's paperwork, her fidgeting was catching his attention and was starting to grate on his nerves.

"Are you okay?" He asked finally, sitting up and putting his pen down.

She paused, sighing and shaking her head. "I'm ok, just a bit stiff, sore."

He frowned, knowing instantly that she was lying. Shiar  knew his sister well enough to know when she fibbed. Though, he was soon trying to fight back a smile as it finally dawned on him what it was that was bothering her. "Is your bed uncomfortable?"

"No, brother, it's not the bed." Lyana sighed and looked down at her papers, mumbling in that way she always did when she was trying to avoid a topic.

"Did you slip or something? Fall down?"

She shook her head slowly, looking down at her hands, which were covered in blisters. "No. I think I'm just doing more activity than I'm used to."

"Ah, would you like to take a break from helping me out?"

She shook her head vehemently. "No! No, that's not what I mean."

He gave her a dumb look, sitting back further in his chair, keeping his features schooled. "You spend most of your day with me, what other activity could be straining you?"

Lyana was a horrible liar, too honest for anything but the truth to play out on her features. And she was always the first one to admit to anything if given enough pressure. Finally, she let out a slow breath and steeled her jaw, tensing for a battle. "I've been learning how to sword fight."

"You have?" Shiar asked casually, pretending to inspect a paper, as if only barely listening.

"Yes. After that horrible night in the carriage and when Lady Nerini shoved the blade in my hand and I sat there waiting for all sorts of horrible things to come after me, with no idea what to do when that door was opened and then after seeing her fight, half dead and stand up to you. You, my brother who I've always thought was the best swordsman in the world..."

"I am the best swordsman in the world." He teased, smiling at her, but she barely noticed in her determination. Without pausing, she launched along her obviously rehearsed arguments, shaking her head against what she assumed were his objections.

"Well, I decided I wanted to learn and she's offered to teach me and its much nicer than anything I see you do. There's a beauty to it. And I didn't think it was really that hard, physically, but now I'm sore all over. But I'm not going to stop, I like it, and I thought they'd think I was a fool, but they seem to not mind me being there. And I enjoy it. And I'm not going to stop." She let out a deep breath, her nose angled up in that stubborn way of hers, bracing for battle.

"Ok." He smiled at her, shrugging.

She didn't seem to understand him, looking at him as if he had missed the whole point. "Ok?"

Shiar nodded slowly at that, letting out a slow breath as he mentally played out his own reasons for being alright with it. After a moment he presented his response as a lesson for her. "Understand that it's never going to make you indestructible, even I fight better with allies. And that as much as you study and learn and practice, you should never seek out a fight. But I agree. I think you should know how to fight. I also think learning from Nerini is a great idea, she's a brilliant fighter."

"Oh." She looked down at her hands, then back over to him suddenly smiling and running over to hug him tightly. "Ok. Thank you."

He offered her a smile as he hugged her in return, holding her for a long moment. "Lyana, you can make your own decisions. It's hard for me to admit I can't protect you all the time, but that's never going to change.  I think that you're stronger and smarter and more capable than I've let you be and for that, I'm sorry."

"What if it means that no one wants to marry me, because I fight and do things on my own?" She asked carefully, looking at him sadly.

"Why would you say that, little bird?" He kissed her forehead gently, rubbing her back to sooth her and hopefully work out some of the pain of her muscles.

"Well, even in Aupana, where they accept that of women, neither Lady Wyn, nor Lady Nerini have been married yet. One of the High lords the other day said it's because no one wants to marry a woman like them." Lyana said softly, shaking her head. "They're beautiful and wonderful and smart, and I wish I could be like one of them, but I know you want me to get married, eventually."

Shiar chuckled and shook his head, reaching up to gently pet her hair. "Only weak men wouldn't want to marry a woman as strong and capable as you, little bird. And I don't want my sister to fall in love with a man who's going to drag her down. If he's not able to accept you, then he's too weak for you and I wouldn't let him near you. Marriage shouldn't be a net, and it shouldn't be your only aspiration."

Lyana smiled brilliantly to him, kissing him firmly on his cheek before straightening up. "We need to go, we have to get ready for supper." And like that, her worries were gone, and she was dragging him out of the office, as if supper was the most important thing in the world.

***

"The Prince asked if you were feeling better, and if so, extended his invitation for tonight, for supper within his villa." Kannein said slowly, as he watched his sister stand from behind his desk, filing papers away. 

He was still surprised at her progress both in her healing as well in what she had done for him throughout the day. Somehow Nerini had caught him up on all the tasks from home while he hadn't even known she was up and about yet. For a moment he felt guilty for even suggesting the additional activities, watching her for any sign of fatigue.

"Ok." She smiled and nodded to him, handing off a folder of letters to be sent home to one of the servants, before brushing her hands off and offering him a shrug. "What time?"

Kannein hesitated in surprise, having already been bracing for her refusal and trying to figure out if he should force the issue. Her assent left him off balance, watching his sister as if she had two heads. "Soon?"

Rini nodded at that, moving towards the door. "Ok, I'll go get ready."

"You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, I had a nap, have kept solid food down all day, I think I'll be ok for a couple hours." Nerini grinned to him, amused at his apparent shock.

Kannein nodded slowly at that, still unable to understand what this new dynamic between them meant. "Ok, no one will be offended if you have to leave early."

She smiled and paused, giving him a look. "What's wrong?"

"Usually I bargain with you to go do these things, or argue, or order. Now today, you've barely been awake for, what, a day? You have a perfectly good excuse and you're just going?"

"I promised I'd play nice if you let me do what I needed to do. I think I owe you a great deal for the slack you've shown me lately, brother." Nerini gave him a soft smile. "I missed you, you know."

Kannein shook his head, biting back his emotions as best as he could while feeling his guard slip. "It's just nice to have you back. And alive."

His sister offered a shrug in response. "It's nice to be back, amongst people who care about me. I know you've carried the weight of a lot of everything on your own and I'll do my best to help you out. I'm in no shape to do anything other than this boring stuff but I know you need the help with it."

"I still think this is you being sick that's talking, you know. Remnants of the poison, I think I should get a healer to look at you again." He teased, shaking his head as she snorted and left the room.

He shuffled through papers, sitting at his desk, looking over her work until he realized that she had done it all and apparently quite well. Usually he would struggle to fit in all his demands in the brief spaces of time when he could. But now, he was caught up with nothing to squeeze in before rushing off to accomplish his next task. No meetings, no letters to write, or bills to manage, or imports to inspect.

Kannein leaned back in his chair and let out a slow breath, smiling up at the ceiling for a few moments, trying to enjoy the feeling of it all. His sister being back, his work being manageable, the world being completely right as it should be.