Daily Write - To hear those words

She wasn't sure what woke her up. There was no sounds, no lights. She simply opened her eyes and was staring at the dark ceiling above her. It was still dark outside of her window, everyone lulled into comfortable slumbers that would only end with the coming of the morning. She sat up and let the covers fall onto her waist. Slowly the fog around her previously sleeping brain started to lift as she become more awake and alert. She sat there quietly, doing nothing but looking at the darkness.

"I guess I should quit pretending that you don't know that I'm here."

The voice came from the shadows in the far corner of the room and was soon followed by a tall, thin figure showing himself in the grey light of the night. She couldn't see the face, but she didn't need to. She already knew who it was. And was not surprised that he was there.

"How did you get here?" she asked, staring at the man standing in front of her.

"That's not the actual question you want to ask," the man answered, taking several steps forward, "Ask me what you really want to know."

She pulled the covers back and swung her legs over the side of the bed. He was right. She didn't care how he had gotten into her room. So she changed her question.

"Why did you leave? Father could have protected you. You didn't have to run."

"Did it ever cross your mind that I ran because I did exactly what they said I did. Perhaps I am guilty and I didn't want to be locked away from the rest of my life or worse, lose my head."

"Then why come back here? Why risk coming into the Capitol? You of all people should know with excruciating detail what will happen if they find you here."

There was silence, nothing moving, nothing spoke. She knew that he had the words that he wanted to say. He always did. So why wasn't he saying them.

"All these years...you and Father..."

Then the silence returned again. He didn't need to say anything else. She knew the question. She got up from her bed and walked over to the shadows. She could see the contours of face. Time had chiseled that juvenile countenance he had left with and replaced it with a more manly visage. However, it was still the same familiar face. The same familiar eyes.

"You are our blood, Brother. You share our pride and honor. We never believed. I never believed."

"Those words," he replied, "That is why I came back. I just wanted to hear someone say those words. I wanted to hear you say those words."