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The moon shone high in the kingdom of gardens when Stirra pulled through what should have been an impenetrable barrier. Though the younger of her siblings, Stirra was a master at being in places that she shouldn’t be.
A lone man was waiting for her when she pulled herself inside through his window. It was quite the climb since this was the tallest tower of the castle. Stirra had expected him to either fearfully shout for the guards or angrily try to attack her himself.
Instead, the man stared at her in concern and said, “That was really reckless, you know? It could have been a nasty fall if you made the wrong move.”
Confused that he was more concerned about an intruder’s wellbeing than his own, Stirra took a moment to look at the man. He had no crown like the one King Nai often wore, but he was downed in a comfortable bright red robe made from silk. The bed he sat in was made of polished marble and decorated with magnificent gemstones, and the cushioning looked so soft, it must’ve been feathered.
For all his talk about equality of his people, King Nai certainly seemed to favor this plant, she thought.
The man motioned for her to sit on a comfortable looking armchair that was facing him. His eyes were so genuine and soft that they instantly gained her trust. She sat down.
Catching her breath and licking her lips, Stirra finally allowed herself to speak.
“Are you….the king’s twin?”
The man blinked with a frown. He lobbed his head to the side, as if trying to get a look at her from a different angle. Stirra allowed him to inspect her. It was only fair after she had spent the last few minutes doing the same to him.
Every plant had a twin. It was as certain as the sun rising every day. So naturally, rumors were bound to happen when the people always saw King Nai without one. No one dared ask him directly, but they always spoke behind his back. Who was his twin? Was it an older or a younger twin? A brother or a sister?
“Yes. What’s your name?” the man asked, seemingly wanting to take turns asking questions.
“Stirra, your highness.”
“Please don’t call me your highness.”
“But you are the prince, right?” she pressed.
The man closed his eyes, a bit annoyed, “That is what Nai always likes to tell me,” he then looked at her with a smile, “Just call me Vash.”
Stirra hitched a breath. No one else in the kingdom even knew what the king’s twin looked like, and now she had uncovered his name.
“Why are you here, Stirra? You know how much trouble you could get in if Nai catches you?” Vash frowned.
“I came to ask for advice.”
“Why from me? I know Nai has weekly sessions where he’ll listen and advised all the kingdom about their problems. He’s a good king like that. So why wouldn’t you wait for that?”
“Because this is a problem that he can’t understand, but maybe you can,” Stirra pointed out, “Since he’s the king, he must be older…..right?”
Vash stared at her for a moment, “That’s right,” he suddenly smiled even brighter than before, “Well, okay. What’s your situation? I don’t know if I can help, but I’ll try anyway, Stirra.”
She couldn’t believe what she heard. She had almost fallen from the chair and smashed her head against a small marble bookshelf next to her.
“Y-you…..you will really try to help me? You won’t call the guards?”
“Of course not. I don’t want you to get into trouble. Besides, you’re the first visitor I’ve had in a long time that didn’t require Nai’s permission first.”
He laughed, but his words confirmed her suspicions. Bracing herself, Stirra straightened in her seat, kept her head bowed as a sign of respect to royalty, and began her story.
“I am the younger twin too, Vash. My older sister has been acting strange. When we were growing up, we were always on equal footing, learning and playing like best friends. But as we matured, she started…..acting like my guardian. Telling me what I can and can’t do. Who I could or could not see. Look at me, Vash. I am a hundred and three and she treats me like a sapling. I wanted to move out, but it’s against the law to move out without your older twin’s approval. In fact, I had to resort to drugging her food tonight just to be able to see you. I made sure it was a safe dosage, of course. Just enough to knock her out into a heavy sleep.”
Vash frowned, “Looks like you just get into trouble with everyone, huh?”
“Vash,” Stirra looked him in the eye, hoping he could see the seriousness of this situation, “It’s not just me either. I had a childhood friend. He and I were always together. But….he tried running away from his older sister and now….now I can’t ever see him because she keeps him locked away at home. She refuses to let anyone so much as look at him, even though she knows I’m a friend. She….she treats him like she owns him. Like his feelings and thoughts don’t matter. And I’ve seen it with other twins too. So many cases of older twins ordering around the younger ones, keeping them on a tight leash like they’re little more than pets.”
Vash sighed sadly, “They’re just trying to protect you guys.”
“I know. But there’s being protective and then there’s being paranoid. Vash, King Nai has always talked about how the whole kingdom was on equal footing, because we are all plants. But if that’s the case….then why are there so many laws that favor the elder twins? So much we younger twins can’t do. Aren’t allowed to do without our older siblings’ permission. I don’t want to be babied by my sister forever. You….you understand….don’t you? King Nai is doing the same to you, isn’t he? That’s why you never leave the castle.”
“Yes, Stirra. I’m afraid it’s true,” the prince sighed sadly, “I still don’t know what advice I can offer you though.”
“You and the king were the first independents to walk this planet. So surely you know things that the rest of us don’t. I was hoping you knew how to snap them out of it. Or any way to get the elder twins to see reason.”
Vash stared at her, the light in his eyes suddenly gone. The smile wiped from his face.
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be stuck in here. I’m sorry, Stirra.”
No. She had come all this way for some sort of magic clue.
“There’s nothing? No way to get the elder twins to even think about our point of view?”
“I’m sorry, Stirra. But as far as I know, nothing can stop an elder twin’s love for their younger siblings. It’s like they’re programmed to protect and love their younger siblings, no matter how much they don’t want them to. Stirra……I wouldn’t advise trying to run away from your sister either. She’ll find you eventually. I promise. I know from experience.”
It was then that Stirra looked like she was staring at a broken man. Someone who had the beacon of hope swept from him one too many times. Vash had given up and now he was telling her to do the same.
Stirra couldn’t listen. If she went back know, after drugging her sister, she would certainly be locked at home forever. Despite the prince’s warning, she had to try.
Vash gasped, “My brother is coming. You have to leave. Now.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. Stirra went out the way she came in, then sprinted to the night in the opposite direction of her home, praying to whatever god there is that her sister wouldn’t find her.
Vash never moved from the bed, even as his older brother opened the door some few minutes after his visitor left. Nai waved at him, carrying a tray of food with one hand. Vash didn’t react to him setting the tray down and taking a seat beside him on the bed.
“Good evening, Vash. The council has been getting rowdy with all the talk of new laws. I’m sorry I’m so late. Will you eat for me tonight?”
Vash said nothing.
“Will you at least talk to me? You know if you’d only stopped pouting like this, you could have more freedoms here.”
“Is that right?” Vash asked out loud. He didn’t believe Nai’s words, especially after Stirra revealed to him about the laws favoring the elder twins.
“Vash. Look around you. You’re a prince living among people of our kind. We are far more superior than those spiders ever were. I made an Eden all for you and you won’t even let yourself enjoy it. Why aren’t you happy?”
Why? Why?
Vash glared at his brother, “You killed them all. Made them extinct. Made all of Rem’s efforts worth shit!”
SLAP.
Vash had expected the slap, but he still winced at the searing hot handprint on his face. Nai tsked at him, glaring down with icy blue eyes that could chill a fire.
“I told you never to mention her name again.”
Fresh tears poured down his face. Seeing Vash’s weakness, Nai immediately softened, then scooped his little brother up in his arms, forcing Vash to rest his head on his chest. Holding his head, Nai shushed him soothingly, rocking him back and forth like a newborn.
It was degrading. But it was also comforting. Vash allowed himself to be soothed. Allowed himself to be degraded. What choice was there left? He had failed to save the humans centuries ago.
“There, Vash. That’s much better. Will you eat for me, now? I had the cooks made some of your favorites.”
What choice was there? Vash looked up to face Nai’s eyes. Nai smiled, sensing that Vash was finally, finally starting to meld. He leaned forward to kiss Vash on the lips. Vash sank into the kiss, letting himself be lead. Letting his big brother make all the decisions for him. Nai won already anyway.
“Okay…..Nai.”
He was rewarded with his hair being petted.
“I love you, Vash. You have no idea how much.”