>>5228188You stamp down the desire to shout at your sister. It would be unbecoming of the head of the family after all. Luckily Alys does the job for you. She pounds on the table and jumps to her feet. “Eleyse! How dare you! You dishonor your brother and myself with such talk! I may be your friend, but I am the Emperor's sister and I demand respect!” Eleyse's face droops and reddens as she looks despondently at her collection of empty glasses. Alys storms from the hall in a huff. “I am retiring!” She sounded so like a real noblewoman there, quite unlike the Alys you know. You'll have to find her later, for your sake as much as your sibling's.
“Perhaps you had too much wine, sister.” You say, with some effort to keep your tone kind.
“Perhaps.” She pouts, twirling the thimbles worth of remaining wine in her last glass around and around.
“I made a promise, Eleyse. To the mother. I would see to the child. She died, you see. When he was born, she didn't make it. What else was I to do? He's my responsibility now. More than that, as long as he is at the hold, he is your responsibility too. Can I trust you with that, dear sister?” This lie comes easier. It should, as it's mostly true. You gave Vera your word, and that you never break. Eleyse looks positively shamed, like when she was little and you or Mother caught her sneaking sweets out of the kitchen.
She puts her head between her crossed arms on the feast table, and lets out a sigh that sounds more a sob. “Of course you can, brother. And I'm sorry. About the mother, whoever she was.” You get the feeling she may be more sober than she was acting. So you get up from your seat and take the one next to her, putting your arm around her. She leans into you, just like when she was just a girl.
“Are you okay, Eleyse?” You whisper. While you've been gone a long time, this is absolutely out of character for your eldest sister. She may have had a mischievous streak, but was always responsible and dutiful in the end.
“... no, I'm not.” She whimpers. “I'm bored, Uilleam, Mother wants me to marry off but I have no interest in it. The other northern lords send their sons, and I give them the time of day, but they're all pigs.” She spits the word. “I wish I could do what you and Alys do. Travel around, having adventures. That's why I admire her so much. D-do you think she hates me now?”
You stroke her back soothingly. “Alys doesn't hate you. She's a caring person. You just made her mad. If it makes you feel better, she slapped me in the face only a couple weeks ago.”
OP being dumb: The Alys slap was before the Smith slap, but I couldn't resist. 