Chapter 26: His Mother
As the carriage pulled away from the house, Noel, who had not spoken to his brother, suddenly grabbed him by the collar. He pulled Riven close, their faces a few inches apart.
"What do you mean this good-for-nothing will be having a chance at the academy tryouts?" he asked, furiously turning his gaze to his father.
"Noel, let go of your brother," his mother said, but Noel ignored her.
"I have spent all my life training and trying to get better so that I can be there, but now you want to give him the resources that are mine as well to train?
I won't have it. I have accommodated this waste of space for far too long. He has done nothing other than bring disgrace to the family, yet he is somehow getting rewarded?" Noel asked in anger. He grabbed on the collar even harder.
Riven didn't move. He stared at his brother. He knew that his brother was pained, and he should be. After all, he just stepped out of the blue and wanted to take what had always belonged to his brother.
"Noel, no one is giving your resources to Riven. You worked hard from childhood to get those privileges, and so they belong to you," his father said.
Riven placed his hand on Noel's hand softly and spoke, "Brother Noel, father won't be giving me anything. My path to the academy relies solely on me. It is a battle that I'll have to take on myself.
You have already earned what you have, and I have no intention of trying to take them away from you," Riven said, his gaze soft and apologetic.