“Maeghaera.” The girl in question turned from where she was sitting on the floor to look up at her older brothers. Maeghaera was considered fairly pretty in her own right, but a moderate sort of pretty, golden hair and pale grey eyes set into unblemished but unassuming features that made one forget her amidst the crush of her ten other siblings. She was of average height and average build, and if anything was really memorable about her it was the calm perspicacity that seemed to inhabit her manner of holding herself and looking at others.
The eldest sons of House Whent were quite the opposite. They were tall, and looked taller than they were with their willowy figures and their graceful movement. Their features were suitably manly and refined, but held a hint of their mother’s delicate beauty. They were known for their perfect manners, unabashed kindness towards others, and for being accomplished dancers, fencers, and horsemen. Add to that, that there were two of them perfectly identical in every way, and there was a certain allure to the Whent twins that seemed to make them irresistible to women and the best of friends to all honorable men. They were also, however, the worst of overprotective older brothers, apparently unaware that they might be more beautiful than any of their sisters, and quite convinced that all men were wolves when it came to the Whent girls.
Everan reached down, stretching out his hand to gallantly help her up, as much of a gentleman with his sisters as with any other woman. “Don’t we always tell you not to sit on the floor? It can’t be good for your feet to be curled up that way.”
Maeghaera took the hand, but brushed her skirts off comfortably. “I enjoy everything much more when I’m closer to the floor.” She said, with a half-defiant smile. “Now what’s the matter? Everan. Wyllem.”
Wyllem tilted his head to the side, expression disapproving. “Lord Ryger.”
Maeghaera sighed and rolled her eyes. This was why they had intruded on her tea time in the sitting room. She supposed the interruption wasn’t entirely cumbersome, as she’d only been doing some light embroidery, but it was a silly reason for her elder brothers almost 10 years older than her to come especially to see her. “Wyllem! Lord Ryger was being a gentleman and danced with me to be polite. You know I don’t have many suitors, except the ones who really want to court Carlotta or Olivya.” She fluffed her skirts and put her shoes back on. “And that’s how I like it.”
Everan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Even as their sister, Maeghaera sometimes couldn’t tell them apart. “And you know it is only because we shoo away anyone you profess not to like, but Lord Ryger has sent a letter and asked father for your hand in marriage.” When their father was away, it was the twins’ jobs to take care of the estate and receive his correspondences.
“We haven’t sent a reply yet, of course. I don’t think father would have either, without speaking to you first, but you should have seen us when we read it. He declared his everlasting love. And by your accounts after a single dance. Without asking your opinion on the matter.”
“He should be flogged.” Everan said, with an odd sort of finality.
“He is certainly not handsome or courteous enough for you.” Wyllem declared with equal finality.
“He addressed you as ‘my dear Meg’ in his letter. As if that was a proper way of addressing you to our father.”
“Everan! Wyllem!” Maeghaera cried, though it was true she’d never given him leave to call her Meg, and the idea of it displeased her a little. “I have no intention of accepting his or any other suit at the moment, so there’s no need to come to me about this. A polite refusal will be sufficient, and if Lord Ryger doesn’t like that, it’s not as though he can do anything about it.” She gave half a laugh, and then grabbed one of their hands in each one of hers. “There really is no need to worry about me. Even supposing I never got married and was turned out of Harrenhal, I could probably live off of my embroidery. I love you both, but you worry too much.” She gave both of them a fond kiss on the cheek and left the parlor, leaving her brothers to look between them, wondering what was going to happen when their calm younger sibling actually found someone she’d consider, or came up against someone who wouldn’t so easily say no.