Extremes

Maybel was lounging in the gardens, sucking up some of the last warmth this year had to offer. A few gardening tools were spread chaotically around her. She hated gardening, really. It was the only thing she did against her own will to please her father, and he didn't even knew about it. She was reading a small, shitty romance novel - written by a man, obviously - and sighed when the woman in the story threw herself at the man's feet like a desperate whore. That was all men dreamed about, apperantly. But nevertheless, she kept on reading, because even this was better than getting her nails dirty.

When she suddenly heard loud footsteps, she immediately threw the book aside and grabbed a shovel, of some sort and tried to look busy. But it was only her brother, who did not seem to notice her in the flower patches. He was angry. Oh boy, this was spicy. Her eyes lit up visably and she dropped the shovel as quickly as she had picked it up. Her half-brother took off his anger at a poor, innocent tree. Maybel sneaked up at the back of her ridiculously tall half-brother. He was clearly a son of their father in that regard. ‘‘Did that tree kill your cat or something?’’ she mused at him. She had never disliked Luca. It was more that she had disliked his mother. And well, therefore her dad seem to dislike Luca a bit and well... It sometimes felt a bit awkward between them. But Maybel would not be herself if she didn't grab the opportunity for some gossip. ‘‘What's wrong, my dearest brother?’’

Luca did not seem too overly excited to see her. Well, that was not going to stop her. She rolled her eyes when he talked about his dreams. ‘‘You can be so dramatic,’’ she replied. Their gazes crossed and she had to look up to be able to see his facial expressions. Her brows furrowed when he started talking. Well, he wasn’t wrong, her father did usually tell her everything. But also because she asked for it. If Luca just tried to step up and be assertive, maybe he wouldn’t be so miserable right now. But still, things could yet surprise her. For example, when he told her why he was so upset, she tilted her head. That’s it? That was his big future-shattering problem. Some girl?

‘‘He did not tell me that, actually,’’ she replied stiffly. He eventually would have, probably. ‘‘But I’m not surprised.’’ What did Luca expect? He was of age now. He had to carry on the family name, so his father probably just wanted to get on with it. That, and that it was marrying season right now, it seemed. Alison engaged, their father picking a new wife. Luca was just next in line. ‘‘But is that so bad? You probably have girls for the picking. You only have to pick the best one and.. job done.’’ That was just how things went in high society. Men from rich families like Luca, they could look like cows and even then the most pretty and filthy rich girls would stand in line.

Maybel sigh loudly when he continued to complain dramatically. What could be so terrible. And when he told her that it was about a marriage, she had scoffed at him. She could never understand boys. Their minds was a mysterious place. All they talked about were women, but when push came to shove, Luca would have none of it.

But when he admitted why he was so upset, Maybel could.. well she tried to understand, She had never thought about it that way because she, like he said, could do whatever she wanted. She furrowed her brows. Well, she supposed she had. Faolan was arranged for Alison, but that was Alison, heiress and whatever. Her life was supposed to be perfect. Maybel was just “one of the” Winters. She fidgeted with her hands for a moment, but barked a laugh when he told her he didn’t have girls for the picking. ‘‘Are you stupid, blind, or both, Luca? You are a Winter, we are trophies to them.’’ She pushed her shoulder into him for a moment, after which teasing eyes went up to his. ‘‘And are you going to let some girl ruin your life? So what if you have to get married, not some girl can stop you from doing what you want.’’ She threw a challenging look towards her half-brother. ‘‘Be a man, Luca.’’

Was he jealous of her? Because she wasn't going to say sorry for her good fortune, or her upbringing. Yes, she was spoiled. She knew that, she wasn't completely stupid. But their lives were just.. different. It started with her being a woman and he a man. He probably also didn't realize that he had some freedoms she would never possess. Was she moaning about that? She now started to fidget with her dress, not knowing how to respons to her brother. But at least she had been able to make him laugh, though it was still bitter.

Listening to him moan made her annoyed. ‘‘Why do you make it so hard for yourself? Instead of resisting so much, you could embrace what you are.’’ Didn't he realize what power he held with only mentioning his name? Did he never make use of that? She could make men drop down their coats so she wouldn't have to walk through a puddle if she wanted to. But at his next remark she had to swallow a laugh and chuckled behind a hand. ‘‘Don't let father hear that!’’ she snorted. She shook her head laughing. She couldn't help but agree with him. But, she didn't even know what her mother had looked like. She was just told she had been this angelic creature, so in her head she was some goddess of beauty and grace. Maybel studied her brother closely for a moment. He really was miserable about this. She almost felt sorry for him. ‘‘Okay, I could... try nudge father into the right direction.’’ She sharply raised a finger. ‘‘But don't expect miracles, and I expect eternal gratitude.’’

Something more than a Winter. Maybel tilted her head to the side while she pondered over this for a moment. She did relate to a bit. Because after all, she felt like "just another Winter". She was no heiress like Alison. She would never rule the country. The most she would rule was some rich lords household. She was not like her cousins. It was not wat she dreamed of doing for the rest of her life. But for now she enjoyed her freedom, the power that came from her name and how easy she could make the world turn around her. It was just some silly fun. She furrowed her brow and looked at him. ‘‘Then what do you want?’’ She rarely finished a sentence without a sarcastic joke, are a mean jab. But her brother maybe was on track of something here. She had all the recourses in the world. Maybe she had a responsibility not to waste them.

But his sour expression changed while he smiled and hugged her. Maybel laughed and pushed her hands against his chest. ‘‘Yes, yes! Of course, you big oaf,’’ she huffed at him. When he teased her with her demands, she stuck out her tongue at him. ‘‘You are right. I should raise my prices. Nothing good ever comes from charity.’’ She never expected him to be this happy about it. Ah well, family was most important, was it not? Maybe her father was being to tough on him. She knew he always had high expectations. Luca had to eventually carry on the family name. She was just supposed to.. whatever. She did not like to think about that.

And when suddenly Luca asked about her mom, she looked at him with a shocked expression. ‘‘Your mind works in a funny way,’’ she retorted. Why would he ask about this? She bit her lip and hugged her arms around her own body, after which she eventually shrugged. ‘I dunno,’’ she eventually murmured. ‘‘How can I miss someone I never met?’’ Her mother, Cecilia, died giving birth to her. She was the love of their father's life, angelic in every way possible. Why would Luca ask her this? She didn't feel like lying to him, but she also didn't feel like being vulnerable right now. ‘‘I know, that sounds heartless,’’ Maybel half-joked after it. But it was the truth. Maybe she used to miss her, the version of her they sketched of her in their stories.

Maybel gazed up at him in surprise for a few moments as he started to explain what he wanted. She was slightly jealous, because he knew so clearly what he wanted, as she was still drifting without heading through life. He had so much ambitions, dreaming big and great. ‘‘The army?!’’ she echoed. ‘‘Don't be silly now.’’ Why would he risk that? The army was like a last hope. He was smarter than that, right? But a shop.. well that sounded, noble she guessed.

Maybel looked up prissy when he just laughed and winked at her. She rolled her eyes and shoved his again. ‘‘Only because you ask me so sweetly, my dear darling brother.’’ She just hoped she did not get his hopes up too high. Maybel could make things happen with their father, she was sure. But if she would have to adres this carefully and first smudge out the creases in their relationship. She had been a bit of a bitch the last time she spoke to him. And she had failed to convince him to dump the Hyon girl. But Luca looked so happy now, almost relieved.

Maybe that was why he tried to stir around in her feelings. But he was amazingly sweet. He spoke and told about his mother. She bit her lip. She didn't know that he.. well she just expected that he would miss her? But perhaps, she had been a true bitch. But they had been just children. She looked up at him with watery eyes when he placed his arms around her again in leaned into the hug. ‘‘Look at us, two heartless children. Daddy would be proud,’’ she joked half-heartily. And when he whispered his apologies, she chuckled softly. ‘‘Just shut up already, or you really going to make me cry.’’

Maybel felt a tiny bit offended when he called her an idiot. Well, he was the big idiot that said he wanted to work for the army. How was she supposed to know it had to do with... whatever he was doing. But his intentions were good, she guessed. Maybel was wondering where he got this idea, because she didn't think the army was ever spoken of at home. ‘‘That sounds like a noble plan,’’ she responded eventually, for the lack of better words. And perhaps it was noble.

Maybel fiddled with her hands for a moment, while Luca said it was "nonsense" that their father was proud of him. Maybel found it a very tough statement, as it maybe felt unfair. She loved her father with al her heart. He was her hero, her role-model, her pride and joy. So okay, he was tougher on Luca. But could he blame him, really? He just had different expectation of his only son, that's all. ‘‘Oh, but he is, Luca. He might not show it, but I'm sure he is.’’ She forced a small smile on her lips. She chuckled softly when he told her that was his goal. ‘‘Heartless and cruel,’’ she said quasi-offended. She dabbed a finger underneath both her eyes, and he thanked her. ‘‘Oh, it's nothing, really. It's what a big sister should do,’’[b] she responded. [b]‘‘And I've been lacking a bit lately. I'm sorry.’’

Helping people. Hm, interesting. Maybel's interests usually stayed closed to home. To herself and her family. She rarely thought about the future. One day she would inherit the empire her dad had created and she would only have to sit back and let the accountants do the work. That was the future she saw herself in. Maybe a husband that would like to be the next "Matthew Winter". She twirled a curl of hair around her finger when Luca asked about her dreams and she laughed at the ground before looking up again at him. ‘‘I'm still in the market for a dream,’’ she told him, not even embarrassed about her lack of ambition. She was a woman after all, it was not her job to worry. ‘‘Ask me again in a few weeks, things change quickly in my life.’’

Total nonsense, hm? It was true, Luca was kindhearted and noble at the core. He just told her all about his big plans to help people. And then he told her about being the best sister ever. She smiled at the ground again, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. She was not, really. But she felt flattered anyway, because after all that was her duty in the family. Be a good daughter, be a good sister. ‘‘Thank you,’’ she whispered gratefully. It was just difficult for her to imagine what Luca was going through. Their father had been nothing but good with her all her life, so she found it tough to think that he was anything else to his other child. But she had felt the distance and dislike of her step-mother. Maybe Luca just reminded him of her, but he was also partly his father's son, surely Matthew knew that.

‘‘Want to do something fun?’’ Maybel then asked out of nowhere. She bit her lower lip in excitement. ‘‘We could go like crash a party. Or steal one of dad's most expensive bottles of wine? Or maybe.. I would even climb on a horse again for you.’’ Maybel hated riding ever since she fell of a pony when she was young. She sucked at it and only rode when it was absolutely necessary.

Luca asked again and she smugly turned her nose up. ‘‘No, I don't think I will,’’ she replied. There was so much her brother did not know about her and she would like to keep it that way. She shared a lot with her father, but even for him she kept some secrets. Her life outside Winter castle was her own. Maybe she would drag Luca along with her for a night.

Luca was very happy about her little plan. He agreed to everything and she giggled again. He proposed some very dangerous riding after a bottle of wine. She rolled her eyes and shook her head laughing. Well, baby she would be less scared of the horse if it she was blissfully drunk. ‘‘Okay, let's go then,’’ she said, dragging on his arm. She exactly knew where to look. She was maybe used to have served everything to her, but she was no stranger to steal some bottles of booze for her personal consumption. She lead the both of them down a path in the garden, back to the castle. They had to take some turns down narrow hallways where Luca probably had to duck his head for, but it was a wine cellar after all.

When she ascended the stairs into the grand cellar, the room brandished with pretty arches, dimly lit by a few torches, she immediately went past the big barrels to the single bottles. The sat down on her haunches and picked out a dusty looking bottle. That was the thing about wine, you always kept the most expensive ones for special occasions that never came. So.. nobody would miss one fancy bottle more or less. It was from their father's vineyard anyway. Dawnmire was written on the etiquette in curly writing. ‘‘This one is nice,’’ she mused and she handed over the bottle to her brother. ‘‘You do the honours,’’ she gestured to him. He could pop that bad boy open.

Maybel twirled around in the roomy cellar and looked for something to sit on. But it would most likely be the floor. Well, she was not made of paper. ‘‘We never do things like this together,’’ she noted to her brother when she turned back around. ‘‘It's nice,’’ she gave him a small smile. Luca and her did not differ that much in age, but sometimes she felt like she lived a lifetime more than him. Maybe it was because he was so taken up with his studies and she had more freedom to explore Alderrath's society.