I’m Done Letting My Sister Take It All Chapter 02
The basement was dreadfully quiet and cold. As I knelt upon the hard floor, the sheer injustice of it all pressed down on me, filling my chest with a bitter ache.
Things hadn’t been like this five years ago.
Back then, the Queen Dowager, Lauren Benton, was preparing to travel to St. Crathie Kirk. An astrologer had declared that both Katherine and I possessed auspicious fortunes and that one of us should accompany Her Majesty as part of the royal entourage. But Katherine dreaded the thought of a bleak, tedious mountain life that would consume five whole years of her youth. Feigning a sudden illness, she gracefully backed out.
I was only twelve at the time, naive and utterly oblivious to the world, so my family pushed me forward to take her place.
I stayed on that secluded mountain for five years, returning home only when I turned seventeen.
Once, while accompanying the kirk session clerk down the mountain to purchase some sweets, I stumbled upon Christopher Hinchcliffe. He was gravely wounded then. Covered in blood and lying by the roadside, he looked as though he were on the verge of death.
I fished out the medicine I always carried with me and tended to his wounds.
Afterward, he made frequent trips up the mountain to see me, bringing small tokens of affection like fresh wild berries or rouge. Before I realized it, he had quietly taken root in my heart.
When I finally returned home, he immediately sent a formal proposal to my family. Back then, I had truly believed it was the dawn of a beautiful marriage.
Yet now, even Mom wanted me to hand my marriage over to Katherine.
Seeing my silence, displeasure flickered across Mom’s face.
“When you were a child, you fell into the river,” she reminded me coldly. “If Kate hadn’t risked her own life to drag you out, you would have drowned long ago. You owe your very life to Kate.”
I lowered my eyes, my voice barely a whisper. “Did Christopher agree to this?”
“Why would he not?” she replied. “Even his parents have given their consent.”
Swallowing the bitter lump rising in my throat, I nodded slowly. “Then let’s do as you said.”
Mom let out a sigh of relief and reached out to caress my hair, but I tilted my head away from her touch.
She retracted her hand, her tone shifting to one of patient comfort. “Don’t harbor resentment against me, Clare. I only wish to spare you from an unhappy marriage. There are plenty of good men in this world. I can find a better match for you.”
The world was indeed full of good men, so why did they have to force me to give up Christopher?
Returning to my room, I bolted the door and wept bitterly until my eyes were so swollen I could barely open them.
My maid, Jenna Loftus, gently applied a cold compress to my eyes, whispering softly, “Miss Guzman, if you truly cannot bear to lose Christopher, why not write a letter to Her Majesty? She’s always adored you. Do you remember? Before you parted, she promised to grant you one wish someday.”
I shook my head wearily. “There is no need. His parents have given their blessings. This is surely what Christopher wants as well.”
I knew then that for tomorrow’s horse archery competition, I would likely have to compete alone. In all the years past, Christopher and I had always been partners.
Every year, the King himself provided a grand prize for the victors. Last year, the prize was a flawless, translucent cabochon gem. I had cherished it deeply. But shortly after receiving it, I ran into Katherine. She had admired it, saying, “What an exquisite piece. It’s really beautiful.”
Hearing her admiration, Christopher had immediately snatched the gem from my hand and offered it to her.
He had laughed, telling me, “I shall win you a far better one next year, Clare. It would only be wasted on you anyway. If you accidentally chip or break it, that would be a real shame.”
Back then, I’d looked down at my empty hands and said nothing at all.
At dawn, I dressed in my riding habit. When I entered the front hall, Katherine was dining on a breakfast that Christopher had sent over.
The moment she saw me, she waved cheerfully. “Come here, Clare! Christopher sent us breakfast. There’s your favorite cake.”
My steps faltered. “I have already eaten.”
Just as I turned to leave, Christopher stepped forward, holding a plate with the cake. “Clare, usually you can always find room for a piece of cake, no matter how much you’ve eaten. Why have you lost your appetite today? Are you feeling unwell?”
With that, he reached out, intending to check my forehead for a fever.
Instinctively, I took a step back to avoid his touch.
He froze, his hand hanging awkwardly in the air.
Staring at me with clear confusion, he asked, “What is the matter? You don’t seem to have a fever.”
“It’s not appropriate,” I said quietly.
Soon, he would be Katherine’s fiancé.
Christopher blinked in surprise, then let out a lighthearted chuckle. “Well, since when did our Clare care for propriety? Weren’t you the same girl who once fell flat on her face after climbing a tree for peaches?”
I remembered that day vividly. I had been bursting with joy, scaling the highest branches to pick the largest, ripest peach for him. In my haste to deliver it, I tripped and fell hard. Even as I scraped my knees, I rejoiced that the peach remained perfect. Yet the moment he took it from my hands, he immediately handed it to Katherine.
Sensing my heavy silence, Katherine asked in her gentle voice. “Are you nervous about the competition, Clare?”
She smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. You and Christopher coordinate so beautifully, and your skill with the bow is unmatched. The grand prize will surely belong to the two of you.” I looked up. Christopher and Katherine were dressed in matching riding habits, standing side by side.
They looked perfectly suited for one another.
Christopher turned to her. “Katherine, who is your partner?”
Katherine frowned slightly, looking troubled. “Well, Miss Bennett has fallen ill, and I haven’t been able to find a replacement. So, I suppose I’ll have to compete alone.”
Hearing this, Matthew immediately intervened. “In that case, why doesn’t Christopher partner with Katherine while I team up with Clare?”
Katherine quickly shook her head. “No, Christopher always partners with Clare. How could he team up with me? Clare, please, just ignore Matt.”
Matthew dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. “Nonsense, Clare. My riding and archery skills are exemplary as well. Together, we stand just as good a chance at winning.”
He then turned to Christopher, adding with a knowing smile, “Christopher, I’ll leave Katherine in your care.”
Every eye in the room turned to me, waiting for my response. I swallowed the refusal that rose to my lips and forced a quiet reply. “Very well. We shall do as Matt suggests.”
Katherine still appeared hesitant. “But Christopher and Clare have always worked so well together. If I partner with him, I fear I might only hold him back…”
Before she could finish, Christopher cut her off with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Katherine. My skills will not fail us. Just place your trust in me.” As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed entirely upon Katherine, soft and devoted.
I stood there in silence. Within a matter of moments, the three of them had settled everything. Not once did anyone bother to ask what I wanted or how I felt about the arrangement. It was painfully clear that my feelings were of no consequence to them.
Matthew suddenly glanced over at me, his brow furrowing with irritation. “Clare, you aren’t sullen about this, are you? Why do you have such a long face?”
I forced a tight smile, offering a quick excuse. “I’m fine. It’s only a toothache.”
He let out a mocking scoff. “Just the other day, you were throwing a tantrum for honey. Christopher indulged you by bringing you that sweet candy, and now look at you, complaining of a toothache. I suppose we are bound to lose today.”
Could a single piece of hard candy truly cause a toothache?
Besides, I hadn’t eaten that piece of candy. I held onto it for a long time before finally crushing it and feeding it to the ants by the roadside.