"You poor thing," he said, smiling now as he moved toward a wide lounge several feet away. He sank onto its plush surface and beckoned for her to join him; she didn't budge, but far from offending him, that only seemed to amuse him more. "Have your sisters told you nothing? Does he govern their tongues, as well?"
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."
"And I'm sure he's delighted by that."
Sparrow eyed him warily, now wondering if she'd truly made a mistake in coming here. Perhaps there was a reason her father hadn't wanted her to meet his brothers, after all. "What are you saying?" she asked him, and she feared what answer she would hear.
"What I am saying, dear girl, is that your sisters have been keeping secrets from you. Very important secrets. Secrets that I suggest you ferret out of them if you know what's good for you."
"What secrets?" she pressed him. Whether he was talking about anything real, she didn't know; but he was speaking obliquely for some reason she couldn't discern, and if these secrets were truly so important, why in creation wasn't he simply telling her?
"Would you believe me if I told you?" he asked her, smiling wryly. "Forgive me if I suspect you would not. Now, sweet thing, is there something you wanted of me? I fear you're risking quite a bit if you're truly defying your father just for a meeting."
"I--" Sparrow's words fell short. "Father doesn't have to know. I certainly don't intend for him to find out; do you, uncle?"
There was a discomforting amusement in his eyes as he surveyed her. "I wouldn't dream of telling yours secrets, little Sparrow." Finally glancing away from her, he patted the empty seat beside him. "Won't you join me?"
The sound of warning bells rang in her mind as she lingered in the center of the room. Everything tonight was strange, from the unfriendly behavior of Idris to the now over-friendly attitude of Frost, and she found a part of her mind still preoccupied with whatever secret about her father it seemed they were all keeping from her. She could try, she reasoned, to wring the truth from her uncle, to accept his invitation to sit and linger here until she had the answers she wanted from him. But she didn't trust him now, not after he'd decided to withhold the truth from her in the first place; and there was something uncomfortable in the way he was looking at her.
And the more she thought about the glitter she could see in this man's eyes as he watched her, the more convinced she became that it was something she'd seen before. Something she'd seen in her father's eyes when he looked at his daughters. When he looked at her.
"I..." she tried again, finding herself once more unable to find the words to guide her through her fears. "I don't think so, no."
Frost leaned back, reclining leisurely against the cushioned back of the sofa, and he raised a brow. But his surprise didn't ring true even to her, and she frowned as he spoke. "I thought you wished to get to know your family?"
"I said I wanted to meet my family," she reminded him, and he offered her a quiet laugh in response.
"Then you've gotten what you wanted from me, I take it? You're ready to run back to the pretty little cage your father tried to lock you into?"
She wasn't, not at all, but this had gone so far from how she'd imagined it that she didn't know what the alternative was. She had hoped her uncles would welcome her like the family she was, that they would offer her the kind of love her father and her sisters did, and that wasn't at all what had happened. But she didn't want to go back.
When she didn't answer, Frost continued. "And what of my desires?" he asked softly. "Perhaps I wish to get to know you?"
"There's nothing to know."
"Life must be dull for you, then. What, at least, is your domain?"
Sparrow hesitated. "I... have taken none."
"You have no title?"
"Kore."
Sparrow jumped, horribly startled by the sound of Frost's laughter, sudden and loud. "The Maiden. I should have guessed," he said. "My brother's sweet, naive little virgin girl. What would he title you if you were taken, I wonder? Would it condemn you, perhaps, for failing to protect your precious virtue, or would he paint you the victim, even if you'd been seduced?"
The Rape of Persephone [4/?]
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."
"And I'm sure he's delighted by that."
Sparrow eyed him warily, now wondering if she'd truly made a mistake in coming here. Perhaps there was a reason her father hadn't wanted her to meet his brothers, after all. "What are you saying?" she asked him, and she feared what answer she would hear.
"What I am saying, dear girl, is that your sisters have been keeping secrets from you. Very important secrets. Secrets that I suggest you ferret out of them if you know what's good for you."
"What secrets?" she pressed him. Whether he was talking about anything real, she didn't know; but he was speaking obliquely for some reason she couldn't discern, and if these secrets were truly so important, why in creation wasn't he simply telling her?
"Would you believe me if I told you?" he asked her, smiling wryly. "Forgive me if I suspect you would not. Now, sweet thing, is there something you wanted of me? I fear you're risking quite a bit if you're truly defying your father just for a meeting."
"I--" Sparrow's words fell short. "Father doesn't have to know. I certainly don't intend for him to find out; do you, uncle?"
There was a discomforting amusement in his eyes as he surveyed her. "I wouldn't dream of telling yours secrets, little Sparrow." Finally glancing away from her, he patted the empty seat beside him. "Won't you join me?"
The sound of warning bells rang in her mind as she lingered in the center of the room. Everything tonight was strange, from the unfriendly behavior of Idris to the now over-friendly attitude of Frost, and she found a part of her mind still preoccupied with whatever secret about her father it seemed they were all keeping from her. She could try, she reasoned, to wring the truth from her uncle, to accept his invitation to sit and linger here until she had the answers she wanted from him. But she didn't trust him now, not after he'd decided to withhold the truth from her in the first place; and there was something uncomfortable in the way he was looking at her.
And the more she thought about the glitter she could see in this man's eyes as he watched her, the more convinced she became that it was something she'd seen before. Something she'd seen in her father's eyes when he looked at his daughters. When he looked at her.
"I..." she tried again, finding herself once more unable to find the words to guide her through her fears. "I don't think so, no."
Frost leaned back, reclining leisurely against the cushioned back of the sofa, and he raised a brow. But his surprise didn't ring true even to her, and she frowned as he spoke. "I thought you wished to get to know your family?"
"I said I wanted to meet my family," she reminded him, and he offered her a quiet laugh in response.
"Then you've gotten what you wanted from me, I take it? You're ready to run back to the pretty little cage your father tried to lock you into?"
She wasn't, not at all, but this had gone so far from how she'd imagined it that she didn't know what the alternative was. She had hoped her uncles would welcome her like the family she was, that they would offer her the kind of love her father and her sisters did, and that wasn't at all what had happened. But she didn't want to go back.
When she didn't answer, Frost continued. "And what of my desires?" he asked softly. "Perhaps I wish to get to know you?"
"There's nothing to know."
"Life must be dull for you, then. What, at least, is your domain?"
Sparrow hesitated. "I... have taken none."
"You have no title?"
"Kore."
Sparrow jumped, horribly startled by the sound of Frost's laughter, sudden and loud. "The Maiden. I should have guessed," he said. "My brother's sweet, naive little virgin girl. What would he title you if you were taken, I wonder? Would it condemn you, perhaps, for failing to protect your precious virtue, or would he paint you the victim, even if you'd been seduced?"