Reprimand her for her grammar

Walter sighed and rapped her on her head. “What were you thinking about, if you please.”

The young woman smiled at him impishly. “I asked first, brother mine.”

With a groan, Walter slumped into his seat. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I? Don’t answer, that was a rhetorical question?” He straightened in the slightly worn leather seat that he had been dozing in and looked at the girl. “Really, sister mine, I do believe that you’ve been spending too much time around that boy. Arthur, was it? His lack of manners and grammar seem to be contagious.”

“And you’ve been spending too much time around Mother and Father. Their lack of fun seems to be contagious,” his sister shot back, impish grin still plastered on her face. Then she frowned. “You never answered by question, Walter.”

Walter shrugged. “Oh, I was thinking of little of value. Just about Mother and Father’s old argument about where my place was, be it inside learning or outside playing. You should be glad that your place is at least set it stone, Charlotte.”

“Ha! I remember that argument, though just barely. They finally chose fencing as an acceptable middle ground, and I suppose you’re quite good at it. Perhaps too good. Teacher Zanna was quite embarrassed when you cut her clothes to pieces after she only called you average in skill.” Walter nodded, remembering the incident. The Spanish Fencing Instructor had blushed a wonderfully vivid colour. Then Charlotte frowned and made a sound of disgust. “But really, I hate having to learn how to stitch or make myself pretty. I’d much rather be outside with you.”

“Perhaps,” Walter allowed. “Though you’re a fine hand at the job. Making yourself pretty, that is.”

His sister smiled at him. “Oh, you think I’m pretty, do you? Then, would you like that I embroider a handkerchief with your name? I am not spoken for, as of yet.”

“On the first count, I speak the truth. On the second, I must decline, having seen your stitching little sister. I can honestly say that you have about as much lack of skill with a needle as I possess skill with a blade. And on the third? As is I shall say no, though if it comes down to you leaving with some other young man or me taking you for myself…” Walter shrugged carelessly. “The lines become somewhat blurred.”

Charlotte’s cheeks flushed at her brother’s words. “Ah… such embarrassing words to your sister of all things! That is entirely inappropriate, brother mine. You take the joke too far, don’t you think?”

“Hardly.” Walter waved Charlotte’s embarrassed words away. “You are my sister, you are family, you are my blood, and thus you are mine. And nobody, save Mother and Father, and perhaps the Royals and the Clocktower shall take what is mine, unless they have a very good reason. And ignoring that, you are quite the fetching young lady, I will have you know.”

Charlotte gave a cute sound of annoyance, her cheeks flushing with more color. “Are you claiming me as yours?”

“Not as such yet,” Walter denied, though his expression was cheery. “Still, what is mine shall remain mine until my dying breath. As it was, as it is now, as it shall be. And besides, it’s not as if Father would actually bother too much.”

“He cares, just in his own way,” Charlotte pointed out, the last vestiges of embarrassment fading from her face.

Walter reached over and rubbed her on her head, to which she huffed in annoyance. “Well,” he said, “I would agree on that. I care for what I have because it is mine; Father cares as well, but he gives in a bit too much to his own whimsies to be reliable. But when push comes to shove, family always matters more. Father would protect you, for what fleeting dream matters more than one’s daughter? I would give everything for you, for what amount of worldly goods could possibly match the worth of my little sister?”

His sister sighed. “I suppose I cannot fault you on that. And I would be lying if I said I did not appreciate your words. Though,” and she frowned, “if you could please stop messing up my hair, I would appreciate that. I’m not a lost puppy for you to fawn over.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Walter chuckled, removing his hand from her head and letting the golden curls fall back down onto her sky blue dress. “It’s just that it seems like it was only yesterday that you were following me around going ‘Brother, brother,’ with your innocent blue eyes. You seemed so much like that just now, I just couldn’t help myself. But, if you really don’t want me to, I’ll stop.”

“...I didn’t say I didn’t like the attention,” the girl muttered. “Just that it would be nice if you stopped treating me like a child. I’m eighteen and a half, after all!”

“Hmm. I suppose you’re right. Though I would rather you keep that innocence for as long as you can, we all have to grow up eventually.”

“So you say, brother mine.” The impish grin was back on Charlotte’s face. “And yet for all your acting like a grown-up, you are no more experienced in the real world than I am. You may be well read, and that is all well and good, but this world is not so kind to arrogant older brothers who think they know more than they truly do.”

“And neither is it kind to mouthy little sisters,” Walter shot back, though there was no heat in it. “And yet we are headed to the thick of it. Oh, and if you think I’m annoying, you’ll love Marianna.”

Charlotte shuddered. “Perish the thought! I have read the letters her family sends every Yule. You may have your flaws, but at least your arrogance is rooted in the fact that you do know more than most people. Hers is rooted in sheer ego.”

“Hmm.” Walter nodded in agreement and closed his eyes, leaning back into the cool leather of the seats. The two siblings sat in silence as the train began to pull away with the groaning of cast iron wheels and hiss of steam powered pistons. The wooden houses of the small village faded into green hills and forests of the same, all painted in golden radiance beneath the setting sun.

“Hey, Walter?” Charlotte asked, tugging on the young man’s jacket.

“Yes?” her brother asked, turning towards her.

His sister looked away and poked her fingers together before asking her question. “How long until we get there?”

Walter sighed, though a grin still wormed its way onto his face. “You just couldn’t hold it any longer, could you? At least you’re not as bad as Father. I swear, he is the most impatient person I have ever had the fortune of knowing.”

“And you’re almost as bad as Mother when it comes to giving straight answers. I swear, she is the most vague person I have ever had the fortune of knowing,” Charlotte said, imitating her brother’s tone.

“They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; I am flattered. Though,” Walter added, poking his sister’s forehead as he spoke, “don’t swear. It is unbecoming of one such as you.”

Charlotte frowned at him, though there was no heat in it. “You still have not answered the question, brother mine.”

“Well, the sun is just setting. Based on Father’s almanac, the sun should set around 9:15 PM or so. I would suppose that it’s around nine then. The train takes about, what, 12 hours? We have been traveling since noon, so it will take us another only another three hours, give or take.” Walter leaned back and closed his eyes.

“You know,” Charlotte said, “you could have just checked your watch. Speaking of, did you get a new one?”

Her brother shrugged. “It was a gift. But then, where would the fun be in checking a watch? Besides, I would rather not take it out. It is a strange thing. You would certainly not like it if I took it out. Ah well, you should get some sleep, sister dear. I will wake you when we draw near, so that you do not miss your first view of London.”

Charlotte nodded and curled up on the leather seat next to him, resting her head on his lap. Walter ran his fingers softly through her long locks, and this time she did not complain. Soon enough, the girl was asleep. Walter pulled a small book from under his seat and settled down to read it in the flickering light of the newly installed electrical lights. The night slipped past as the train rushed through the night towards their destination. Though he really should be getting some sleep, such a thing was almost impossible for Walter. He just couldn’t sleep on trains. For no real reason, as far as he could tell, but it was what always happened.

Finally the two neared their destination. Seeing the city in the distance, Walter looked over at his sleeping sister.