***

“Sister?!” Theodore cried out as Rishe fainted.

Arnold caught her the moment she went limp. Theodore jumped to his feet and wiped away his tears with the cuff of his sleeve, hurrying over.

“Is she okay?! She stumbled earlier, but—”

A guard had told him she’d fainted in captivity. He’d taken it for an act. The possibility that it hadn’t been filled him with horror. “Oh no. Don’t tell me it’s because I locked her up.”

“No, it’s not.” His brother seemed strangely calm as he looked down at Rishe in his arms and murmured, “She’s just sleeping.”

“Wait, really?” He took a closer look. It did indeed seem that she’d just fallen asleep. “Now of all times?!”

Who the heck could fall asleep in a situation like this? Theodore was stunned, but his brother just laughed. He’d never seen a look like that on Arnold’s face before, but it didn’t hurt as much as he’d expected it to. He found this change in his heart curious.

“Theodore.”

His brother’s voice pulled him out of his reverie.

“You have a carriage at the ready somewhere, right?”

“Of course I do.” He couldn’t help his curtness—he wasn’t used to speaking to Arnold. “It’s waiting for me not too far away. I’ll go fetch it if you carry her.”

“Thanks.” Arnold easily lifted Rishe in both arms. “I’ll bring her to rest downstairs until it arrives.”

“Um, okay.” Theodore nodded, wiping away fresh tears threatening to spill. It was so strange to watch his solemn brother hold someone in his arms.

Now alone on the rooftop, he murmured to himself, “My brother’s counting on me to do something.”

His cheek stung where Arnold had slapped him, but his chest was warm.

I can’t just keep standing around.

After all, he couldn’t squander this precious first.

Theodore stood up and moved for the stairs, chasing the hours until dawn.