Pearls in the Rain
“Who cares if someone else’s lips turn purple or green!”
Thalia hurled his clothes to the floor and raised her voice, only to be answered by another weary sigh. Her eyes burned. He smiled for Aila, yet all she ever received were sighs. The sight of him disgusted her.
“Even if I freeze to death here, I’ll make sure it brings no trouble to you. So go—attend the grand birthday banquet of your precious twin siblings. Go and flatter them to your heart’s content!”
“Even if you spend the night here, Your Highness will not freeze to death. At worst, you might catch a cold.”
“Then I’ll just die of that cold!”
She shouted at the top of her lungs. Barcas ran a rough hand through the hair clinging to his face. The irritated gesture made Thalia flinch, yet his voice remained as flat and even as ever.
“What must I do to make you stop playing the tragic heroine?”
The cutting tone made Thalia’s eyes narrow again. He was always courteous to Aila, but with her he never missed a chance to mock. She glared at him, then reached up and yanked the pearl ornament from her intricately braided hair. Without hesitation, she flung it into the rippling lake.
“Go fetch it. Then I’ll stop.”
Barcas’s eyes narrowed. Thalia expected him to erupt in cold fury or simply turn and walk away. If he did, she would stay here all night until she collapsed. Let him feel the sting of guilt when he saw her body.
But Barcas never did what she expected. He began, deliberately, to unbutton his uniform jacket right in front of her. Thalia’s eyes widened, then she snorted. He was only bluffing, certain she would stop him. He would never actually jump into the water.
She watched with feigned nonchalance as he stripped off the knight’s uniform, laid it beneath the tree, and removed his boots that reached to his calves. So he really meant to go through with it?
Barcas even unbuckled his sword belt, leaving him in a thin, nearly translucent shirt and light trousers. He walked to the water’s edge and gazed silently at the lake as fine rain began to fall.
He’s only acting this way because he thinks I’ll give in first, she thought with a sneer. Then, without warning, he dove in.
Thalia shot to her feet. The gray surface swallowed him in an instant. Stunned, she rushed to the edge and peered into the dark water.
“Barcas?”
The lake remained still. No trace remained of the tall eighteen-year-old who had grown so strikingly since he turned sixteen. She raised her voice.
“Barcas!”
Only her own cry echoed through the drizzling rain. Panic seized her. She began to scream in earnest.
“Stop fooling around!”
A gust of wind skimmed the surface. The water rippled once, then settled again. No sign of him. Suddenly she could not breathe. Without thinking, Thalia plunged into the lake. After only a few steps the water reached her waist. She thrashed her arms across the surface and shouted.
“Barcas! Barcas! Where are you?”
Her feet sank into slippery mud and tangled branches. She waded deeper; the water rose to her chest. She clawed through the icy depths, sobbing hoarsely.
“I—I was wrong! So come out now!”
She cried out in desperation. Nearby, the surface heaved violently. A long shape burst from the water. Thalia froze, staring.
Barcas shook his head, flinging water from his hair, and turned toward her. Beneath lashes heavy with water, his blue eyes glimmered faintly.
“Here.”
One hand resting lightly on her shoulder, he held out the pearl ornament. Thalia stared at it blankly.
“Are we done now?”
A hollow laugh escaped her. She pressed a hand to her forehead and giggled helplessly. Then, as if possessed, she snatched the ornament and hurled it away again. Barcas showed no reaction. She glared at his calm face and struck him across the cheek.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you? To frighten me!”
He remained silent even after the blow. Somehow his composure only enraged her further. Thalia began pummeling him with her fists.
“You waited until I said I was wrong! You awful bastard! I hate you!”
“That’s enough.”
Barcas suddenly seized both her wrists, his voice low. She looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears, her expression one of utter injustice. A disbelieving sigh left him.
“You’ve filled today’s quota of tantrums. Stop sulking and come out.”
“No. I won’t listen to a word you say. I’m staying here until I drown, so you go on without me!”
He dragged her, still shrieking, onto the shore. Even then she kept striking his back. Barcas shook his head, picked up the coat he had left behind, and wrapped it snugly around her. He tied the sleeves tightly so she could no longer swing her fists. Thalia struggled against the restraint, then kicked his shin.
“Tying up a princess? Have you lost your mind, you thug?”
“Look who’s talking.”
Barcas exhaled a long breath, then hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of grain. Thalia screeched like an enraged duck.
“I’m royalty, you idiot! No knight treats a princess this way!”
Barcas gathered his sword and clothes in silence and strode through the rain. Thalia thrashed and cursed like a wild animal until, at last, she went limp. He did not set her down until they reached the detached palace. She glared at him, panting, but soon collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
That evening, just as she had predicted, she came down with a vicious cold. Barcas pulled a chair beside her feverish bed and sat quietly reading. How infuriating he looked, so peaceful. Burning with resentment, she accused him of wishing she were always ill. He turned a page and replied that it was not entirely unpleasant. Staring at him through fever-bright eyes, Thalia thought, not entirely unpleasant indeed, and buried her face in the blankets.
Secretly she was glad he had stayed with her instead of attending Aila’s birthday banquet. She could forgive a little ill temper for that. Hiding a smile, she tried to sleep. Despite the misery of the fever, laughter kept bubbling up. It was always this way when she was with Barcas—miserable, suffocating, infuriating, and yet her heart swelled until it ached. Sometimes he felt like someone very close.
Are we… almost friends?
In that shameless illusion, the years they shared piled up like layers of precious stone. For him it must have been torment, but for her those days had been jewels. Because he existed, she had been able to endure the crushing loneliness of each day. Now, however, those memories were no longer comfort. They had become an unbreakable chain that bound her fast.