Dahlia found herself walking through the familiar streets towards the bar she used to frequent after leaving the church. The evening was setting in, casting a warm glow over the buildings. It wasn't exactly a picturesque scene - a young woman leaving a church only to head to a bar moments later. However, the conflicting emotions swirling within her left her feeling lost and seeking solace. The Father's words echoed in her mind, urging her to let go. In a moment of irony, she found herself seeking release through the act of drinking, a choice that seemed to defy the sanctity of the church she had just left.
"It's been a while, I thought your sins had finally caught up to you." Gerrick, Davina's foster brother, joked.
"They will... If not now, then sooner or later." Davina sighed. "A glass of beer please."
Gerrick scoffed, "Little miss, do you think you own the place? Walking in here, demanding I pour you a glass of beer without any payment." He complained, all the while pouring the glass she requested.
"My apologies." Davina sarcastically rolled her eyes and gave a half-assed bow before collecting the drink from him. "I'll pay you later." She raised her glass, clinking it with his own.
"So you always say." Gerrick too rolled his eyes as he took a sip of the cold rum. "When will you begin to act more ladylike and find a husband?" He asked the question Davina dreaded the most. "It's not proper to be chugging down bottles of beer like water in a bar filled with all sorts of men in the dead of night, Davina." He scolded her like a father would his child.
"I can hold my liquor and fight better than half the men here." She bragged, wiggling her eyebrows in the process which earned her a knock on the forehead from Gerrick.
"I know you can... Just remember, you can -"
"...never be too careful but you can always be too careless." She completed his sentence with a dramatic eye roll. After hearing it a million times over the years, she could recite it in her sleep at that point. "I'm always careful Gerrick."
"Then explain this?" He slammed down a wanted poster for an old man on the table.
"It's an old man, what does that have to do with me?" She tried lying her way out of the conversation.
Pulling her by the hair before she got a chance to run away, Gerrick continued. "You're not fooling me, young lady." He shoved the poster into her face. "This pathetic excuse of a disguise isn't as convincing as you think it is... I know it's you, Davina, and don't even try to deny it."
With no other option, Davina decided to come clean with the truth - or at least half the truth. "It was just a small job I had to do, nothing too serious."
"Nothing too serious!" Gerrick yelled, his eyes nearly bulging out of his eyes. "You robbed Lord Hasting's house!" He lowered his voice after being painfullymade aware that there were customers at the bar. "And caused him to fall down the stairs, leading to a few broken bones."
"That wasn't my fault-"
"Davina Rays!" Gerrick yelled once more, all the veins on his forehead prominently visible. "This could be risky if you were to get caught." He softened his tone this time.
"I know... I'm sorry." Davina had her head lowered. The one thing she hated the most was making her brother angry and disappointed and at that moment, she could tell he was both of those things.
"You... Did anyone see you?" Gerrick asked.
"No!" Davina violently shook her head causing Gerrick to look at her questioningly, "I made sure to be extra careful so no one saw me... I swear."
"Jesus Davina, you gave me quite the scare when I saw the poster," Gerrick heaved a sigh of relief after confirming no one saw her, "Now you're robbing Lords and Dukes, what next, will you rob the King then?"
"N-no."
Squinting his eyes at her suspicious response to his question, Gerrick asked. "Please tell me you haven't robbed the King... That's a suicide mission."
"I- I haven't... at least not yet." She whispered the last bit and flinched in fear when Gerrick slammed his cup on the table, causing some of the drink to spill out from it.
"You have three seconds to tell me whatever plan you're cooking up right now or else I'll take you to Lord Hastings myself and I'm sure he'll have a pleasant time dealing with you for your crimes."
Not wanting to face the wrath of her brother, Davina came clean and told him everything.
Gerrick was silent and she couldn't tell what level of anger he would expel at any moment. Without saying anything, he downed the entire glass of beer, including Davina's.
"Are you mad at me?" Davina quietly asked, trying to blink away the tears that threatened to fall down her face. She wished she could take back everything if it meant he wouldn't be disappointed in her.
Sighing, Gerrick patted Davina on the head with a painful smile. "I am mad alright, but not at you... I'm mad at myself more than anything."
"Why?" Davina croaked.
"If I had worked harder to give you the life you deserved then you wouldn't have any need to put yourself in dangerous situations like this... It's all my fault"
The tears rolled down Davina's face. She knew Gerrick blamed himself but she wasn't aware it was to this extent. "You do more than enough." She sniffed, wiping her tears away. "You already do so much - much more than I deserve... even taking me in with all my baggage is more than enough."
"Why wouldn't I take you in? You're my sister after all." Gerrick smiled at her warmly, "Now stop crying, you'll scare all the customers away." He pinched her cheeks.
"Ouch!" Davina shoved his hands away as she laughed, "I'm sorry for disappointing you."
"You've never disappointed me... I'm more proud of you than anything, I mean who else could say they managed to trick everyone in the castle, including the great Sir Martius?"
"What can I say? I guess I'm just a master at what I do." Davina bragged, feeling a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
Rolling his eyes at her comment, Gerrick flung an aproan at her. "If you have time to gloat then go serve the customers."
"How much is my pay?" She playfully asked.
Before Gerrick could land a slap on her shoulder, Davina quickly grabbed the apron and scurried out of there laughing.