In Which Leara's Anxiety Proves Unnecessary

May 7, 1163

"You know, you can go if you want," Leara sighed as her younger sister paced back and forth in front of her. Camaline had yet to complain, but in truth, she never had to--her cold manner alone never failed to betray her annoyance.

Suddenly turning around to face her, Camaline shot her a quick glare. "I think not! Papa will be furious if I leave you alone with Lorn!"

"So... who says he has to find out?"

"He will," insisted Camaline.

Leara raised an eyebrow. "Knowing Papa, I'm not so sure about that. Why doesn't he want me to be alone with Lorn, anyway?"

"Because he's a boy!" her sister groaned. "Everyone knows that boys only want one thing!"

She had to admit, she was somewhat confused. "What one thing?" asked Leara with a frown.

Camaline shrugged. "I don't know, but whatever it is, that's all they want!"

"Look, if it's anything too bad, Papa or Laralita would at least tell us what it was," Leara deduced; it seemed only common courtesy to warn one of any possible danger. "I think you're overreacting; now, run along and find something to do like a good girl, yes?"

In truth, she didn't really want Camaline around when Lorn came. While Leara was not yet sure as to whether or not she thought of her betrothed as anything more than a friend, she could not risk having her younger, prettier sister available for direct comparison when the boy came, even if said sister did have her own intended. If she were to have any more-than-diplomatic relationship with Lorn at any point in her life, she did not want it to be spoiled by the threat of Camaline's beauty.

And yet, it inevitably would be. Even with Camaline's huffy, off-putting demeanor, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that she was and would be by far the prettier of the two sisters--and so far as Leara was aware, Lorn still had eyes.

"Please, Camaline," she pressed with a grimace. "Papa won't find out; Papa never finds out about anything."

Camaline merely sniffed. "There's a first time for everything, you know. I'd rather not give him the opportunity here."

Leara opened her mouth to protest, but she was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"I suppose that's him," grumbled Camaline, trudging away from the couch and making her way to the door. "You just stay there, and I'll get it."

Resigned, Leara nodded. Her only hope now was that Camaline could possibly attain such an inconceivable level of grouchiness that even her looks could not redeem her in the eyes of the boy.

"Now you hurry it up, you hear?" ordered Camaline as she pulled open the door, hardly sending a glance Lorn's way before settling herself on the couch by the window. "Don't think I have nothing better to do with my time than babysit you children."

Lorn squinted, perhaps somewhat stunned by her blunt manner. "What does your father think I'm going to do?"

"I don't know," Camaline replied huffily. "All I know is that I have to stay here to make sure you don't do it."

Leara half-expected Lorn to question further, but instead, he simply shrugged and shifted his gaze her way. "Hello, Leara."

"Hello," she replied, pulling herself off the couch and making her way to meet him near the center of the room. "How are you doing?"

Lorn rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, waving his hands in neutral gesture. "All right, I suppose. Yourself?"

"Well enough," answered Leara. "I hope you weren't inconvenienced by this meeting."

"On the contrary, I can think of no better way to spend an afternoon."

She didn't know what to do with this. Did he truly mean that? Or was it perhaps just a gallantry? There was no way to be sure... well, unless she asked him, but even at her age, she knew that the way to impress a man was not to ask him to mince his words.

"I... I'm glad to hear that," she muttered at last, hoping her response was at least satisfactory.

"I'm glad to say it," he assured her. "It's the truth, you know--even if your sister does happen to be here as well."

Camaline's eyes narrowed. "I can hear, you know."

Lorn laughed. "Don't worry, Cam--at least you're better than your insufferable brother."

"It's Camaline, thank you very much," she spat.

"Po-tay-to, po-taw-to, to-may-to, to-maw-to," teased Leara's betrothed. "Anyway, Leara... uh... is that a new dress?"

She knew it was undignified, but she couldn't help but giggle. "No! Don't be stupid--you've seen this dress a thousand times!"

A reddish hue creeping onto his face, Lorn made a sound that seemed to her to be halfway between a cough and a chuckle. "Have I? Well, then I guess that is pretty stupid of me to comment, isn't it? Oh well, it looks nice."

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it."

"I'm glad I like it too."

"I'm glad."

"My God!" moaned Camaline from the couch. "I'll be glad when this is over!"

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