Hope Falls

“Shh.” Dagmar laughed weakly, pressing her hand to his mouth. “If anyone hears you even mention my name we’re in so much shit.”

Karina turned quickly, reaching her hand across to slap him across the face though as she made the contact she shared the vision. Her eyes rolling back to white and shoulders tensing as she dragged him in.

Lucian would of taken the perspective of one of Emmett's men, whom was a new recruit at the time. Fear coursing through their blood, and vision in one eye blurred as it was nearly swollen shut and a heaviness in his back right wing as he hung brokenly unable to be tucked away. Though, from his good eye, he could see a tall brunette woman with baby blue eyes - her mouth moving quickly with a curse and open palm reached out towards Dagmar as a sword was plunged into her heart.

---

"Dasha, Dasha, Dasha. Dagmar Blackwood. You'll have my last name one day though, I'll make it happen." Conan attempted a laugh, though it fell flat. "I have it all planned. We'll live on a farm somewhere no one will find us, we'll own goats and chickens. We'll have children, a girl and a boy. The girl will be head strong, she'll have your eyes and she'll give us a run for our money especially when she gets on a horse. Our little boy will be... he'll have this laugh, that makes you feel like the rest of the world melts away when you hear it. We'll be happy, we'll be bursting with love. No one will stop us from being together, not for the rest of eternity."

“Nice of you to assume I’ll be willing to bare your children.” Dagmar chuckled, moving her hand to brush affectionately across his cheek. “All of that sounds a wonderful fantasy. Especially the part where you’ve given me your name… no titles though. We don’t need titles, and you’ve done without yours so far… the idea of our happily ever after… I love you…”

---

Lucian let out a strangled scream as her hand connected with his face, letting go of Cassius’ hand as he dropped to his knees, and then down further to his hands as the soldiers pain with his wings triggered his own, muscles in his back involuntarily twitching and rippling as he struggled to gain his breath, the shock of it all - and the phantom weight of wings - crushing his ability to take in air.

Lynette barked a curse in the Eastern tongue, sweeping Cassius swiftly away from Lucian and pushing him more roughly then she had intended to ensure there was enough distance. Unsheathing the knife from it's binding and slashing it across Karina's knuckles to force her to retract her hand.

Karina almost yelped, dragging her hand in quickly as the vision ended and clutching it to her chest. Going to snap until she heard Cassius begin to cry, which shifted her attention. Picking the boy up into her arms and heading toward her own quarters quickly.

"Bitch." Lynette sneered, lowering to her knees beside Lucian after returning her weapon to its hiding place. Squeezing his nearest shoulder gently, "Lucian..."

---

Conan took in a sharp breath, managing to close his eyes just before tears escaped them. Tilting his head towards her hand and almost pleading; "Say it again."

“That I love you? You know I do, silly. I’ve done a poor job of hiding it all this time… I look forward to our ending Con… however long it takes. The cozy farm, the adorable kids - a name to share. I know we can make it happen somehow…”

---

“Maeve…” Lucian breathed out the name of his former lover as he completely collapsed onto the floor, struggling to suck in air as he tried to push himself back upright, his back still twitching.

"No, no. I was insulting the other bitch, though I suppose she counts too." Lynette snorted softly in amusement, pressing her palm down with more weight to keep him on the floor. "No moving until you can breath again. Take a few moments, you're okay."

---

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to bring a crying child back, it wasn't the intention." Karina grimaced as she entered hers and Emmett's quarters. Placing Cassius onto the sofa and going straight to the cupboard to pull out bandages.

---

"I know, I just want to hear it. Once more, please?"

“It’s Maeve… Kenna is the answer - Maeve was killed… They need Kenny…”

---

“I love you, Conan Zaretsky… I love you, I love you.” Dagmar laughed lightly, brushing her nose against his.

"Oh, well, we'll get to dealing with that in a moment." Lynette grimaced, moving her hand from his shoulder down his arm until she could take his hands. "You need to be able to breath before you try and move."

---

Conan wrapped his arms around her shoulders to bring her in properly, burying his face in her hair.

“You’re so sad, I can feel it.” Dagmar whispered as she curled into him, closing her eyes. “Me too… all this hiding…”

---

“Haven’t felt that kind of weight on my back in centuries…”

"She knew what that vision was, the bitch shouldn't have done it to you."

---

"I wish the happy ending wasn't a fantasy." Conan answered, voice cracking.

“Maybe one day… we can dream.”

---

“She hates me, it’s why she made up all the bullshit about thinking she was carrying my baby, telling everyone I forced myself on her when I got here… fuck knows if that was even a real vision and she hasn’t managed to find out about Maeve elsewhere and is using that against me. Conan told me she turned on Dagmar too… this is a way to get back at all of us for whatever perceived slights she’s feeling. Gives Conan and his mistress false hope, has me injure my daughter for the blood - has me feeling the effects of that vision…”

"I will reiterate once more; bitch." Lynette hummed with a warm grin. "Though I am sure your cousin is cursing you at the moment, you behaved like you adore his children with me, then threw them up in his face."

---

"In my dreams we are always together, that will be my dream forever."

“You’re making this sound like somethings ending…”

---

“I do adore his children, I don’t adore that he guilted me into staying here under the guise of taking on his responsibilities as King, not father of his children.” Lucian sighed, moving to sling his arm over Lynette’s shoulder to pull himself to standing, legs shaky under his weight. “Kenna… there’s… so much to unpack.”

"I am? Sorry." He mumbled, swallowing thickly.

---

"You don't have to act on anything straight away," Lynette whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist to keep his weight supported. "No one even needs to know that you recognise the woman who done it."

"I am? Sorry." He mumbled, swallowing thickly.

---

"You don't have to act on anything straight away," Lynette whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist to keep his weight supported. "No one even needs to know that you recognise the woman who done it."

“You’ve not… you’ve not found a wife have you? You’re - this isn’t you saying goodbye is it?”

---

“No… no. I can’t keep this when it’s someone’s life on the line…”

"No, no. You're mine, only you." Conan soothed softly, gently beginning to rock with her. "No one is going to ever come close."

---

"With Kenna so involved in it, you can. She isn't a walking cure, she is your daughter."

“How do I tell her… how do I tell Kenna she’s never going to get the answers she wanted from her mother?” Lucian swallowed thickly, leaning against Lynette.

---

“Good… that’s selfish of me isn’t it? To be happy about that…”

"Let us go to where you are sleeping," Lynette advised quietly, narrowing her eyes as a member of Conan's staff came around the corner. "It'll be more private there."

---

"No, no not at all." He laughed tiredly. "How are you feeling, hm? You must be tired."

Lucian nodded, grip tightening around her as he struggled to keep himself upright.

---

“I - yes. But I refuse to go back to my own room, my own bed. Not yet, I need a few more minutes at least.”

"It isn't far, is it? You'll have to guide me." Lynette frowned, tightening her own arms around his torso. Pressing herself into his side as she began to walk.

---

"Your bed sounds like a terrible idea, I think you are going to have to stay here with me."

“What if someone comes in and catches us?”

---

“We should… I should tell Conan…”

"Not yet, you need to rest first. Your back is going to be painful all night now, mm? It'll be sensitive and the muscles are going to spasm. You won't be moving from your bed."

---

"They haven't yet, have they?"

“Then we should get Conan to come to my room… this is the mother of his children we’re talking about…”

---

“No, they haven’t. We’ve been lucky.”

"You've had a stressful week, so rest." He encouraged, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

---

"We'll have it done, you aren't moving anything tonight though other than your massive mouth."