Chapter 4: The Forest

Marcus 3.
The forest smelt of fresh pine. The leaves crumpled under my feet as I walked along. I love this place, it’s the most calming place on the estate. I make sure to walk this path daily to clear my head, especially after a conversation with Cass. It seems I wasn’t meant to be alone long today. I hear rustling behind me, and as I turn around I'm all but tackled by all 80 lbs of tyx flying at me at speeds bullets would be envious of.

"Marcus!" she exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Can I join you today?"

"Always, tyx. You know I love your company." I reply, holding her tight to me as she tries to smother me with her embrace. "Where have you been?"

"Picking wildflowers for momma," she said, holding up a bouquet to my nose. "do you like them?"

"You have the best taste, I'm sure your mother will adore them, Amica." I hold them closer to smell their sweet scent, letting her loose to ruffle her curls. We walk for a few minutes in silence which I'm sure felt like ages for her. After a while, she just can't keep quiet anymore and starts bombarding me with questions about everything and nothing all at once.

Eventually, we come to a small stream. This stream, if I'm not mistaken, feeds into the river where my friends and I were playing yesterday. Tyx immediately runs in, kicking off her shoes and splashing around in the cool water. I decide to sit and watch for a while on the embankment, content to soak in her joy from afar.

"Come on, Marcus!" she shouts, beckoning me in to play with her. "It's perfect!"

I shake my head, laughing at her antics. Tyx was always the more carefree of the siblings, unconsciously relishing in the fact she never had to be groomed to rule or serve or anything really. Noticing my hesitation, she broke out the eyes. Those same eyes she learned from aria. Those eyes no one can resist. I crumble inside like a house of cards. Damnit Aria. Can't a man have any backbone around here?

In seconds I found myself at her side, splashing along with her in the water.

I'm lucky to have a sister like Tyx. She may be younger than me, but she's my equal in so many ways, and my superior in many more. She never judged me, never looked down on me for being a bastard, in fact I'm not sure the word is in her vocabulary. In her eyes, I'm her big brother, and that's all that will ever matter.

With her at my side, I never feel out of place. I belong here. I'm part of something, part of a family. For that briefest of moments, there's nothing between me and her, nothing weighing me down. Not my parentage, not my duties, nothing.

Tyx noticed as I fell in thought, and poked me on the cheek to snap me out of it. "what's going on, brother?" she asked, nothing but innocence in her eyes.

I don’t respond. I don’t dare burden her with my problems. I simply pull her into my arms again, and plant a small kiss on her cheek before throwing her back into the water. She lets out the sweetest little giggles. I know now that I love this girl with all my heart, and would to anything she would ever ask of me with a smile on my face and joy in my soul.