"Lina! There you are. Mother and Father are so worried. And upset, of course." Mira ran into the small room that Lakin had left the still quiet Lina. Dimly, Lina raised violet eyes to meet her sister's bright blue ones enough to recognize her before dropping them back to her folded hands and the bruises circling her wrists. Mira frowned, dropping gracefully next to her and trying to take those same hands. Her frown deepened as her usually lively sister just sat there, her hands lying limply in hers. "Lina? Talk to me, please. What happened?" she asked.
Lina whimpered and threw herself into her sister's arms, a sob welling up in her throat. "I've done something wrong and terrible Mira. And now an innocent man is going to die because of it," she whispered. Mira ran a soothing hand over her long curls, frowning as she tries to figure out her sister's words. "Is this about the Drow in the dungeon?" she finally ventured. Lina wailed louder and clung even tighter to her.
Mira let her go on in this vein for a few more moments before slowly drawing back and tilting her chin up. "Sister, you need to collect yourself. I can not help you if you do not tell me everything. And unfortunately, I don't know much more then that you are bruised all over and the person responsible is in the dungeon. Which, to my mind, is a good thing, but you are reduced to tears because of it," she said softly, her deep blue eyes meeting Lina's violet ones.
"He didn't give them to me like they are trying to make it out to be. I was a willing participant in everything Mira. I seduced him; I wanted him to take me. I fell in love with him," she finished, her voice dropping to a whisper. Despair filled her face, a look Mira had never seen from her normally happy, confident older sister. Comprehension slowly started to dawn on her, but she still didn't understand why the Drow had been sent to the dungeons and why Lina looked as if she was losing the whole world.
"There is more, yes?" she finally asked, when Lina looked as though she didn't want to continue. The older Fae nodded before drawing a deep breath and resting one hand on her belly.
"I'm pregnant by him. Lakin is going to have him put to death because of it. And he is probably going to find a way for me to miscarry. He can not have a tainted wife. And I do not foresee such a man allowing me to carry to term and 'taint' the Fae line with something so dark. I am losing everything," she said, her voice flat and emotionless. Mira noticed her dark eyes closing down, and realized that Lina was slipping into a state of shock.
Sitting back against the bed behind her, she gaped at her sister. She had dreamed of being with a non Fae. What girl hadn't? It wasn't expressly forbidden, but severely frowned upon. And never, in all the history of Karlin, had a Fae noble ever lingered with a lesser race. Much less bore their child, or professed love for it. And yet, here sat her older sister, the one who had always pushed the line and traditions, saying she loved a Drow, and was also with child by him. It all clicked into place, the horror of the situation leaving her speechless for many long moments. But she loved her sister to much to see the spark that was Lina die at the hands of an ancient lord who never understood the meaning of No before. Even if it meant seeing Lina disgraced, even possibly cast out, she would still help.
After a few minutes of trying to formulate a plan, she rose and fetched a cup of water from the bowl on the stand beside the bed. Gently, she forced her sister to drink, softly murmuring that she would help. Lina slowly started to focus again on the world around her with the cool water and Mira's words. "You're going to help me? But Mira, Mother and Father won't approve. And..." She trailed off, biting her lip to keep from saying the mean truth that Mira had always been the good daughter. She had strove to get attention and approval from their parents her whole life. And now, she was sitting there, about to throw all of that work down the drain.
"And I'm the good girl who doesn't do anything wrong," Mira finished, a wry grin curving her lips. Sighing softly, she shook her head, ebony curls swirling before falling back to frame her pixie-like face. "I could try to get their approval for the next century, or until I faded from this world. And I never would get it Lina. You and I both know that. All they care about is status in the Court. They want perfect daughters to parade and marry off. And I don't see how I could ever be perfect enough for them. I mean, if they ever thought to do to me what they did to you at dinner two nights ago, I would have done the same thing you did. And you are my sister, I love you, and I won't see them take happiness away from you," she finished, holding tightly to Lina's hands. The auburn beauty just shook her head in disbelief and resignation.