Re: Hope Falls

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 11:31

"He's safe." Kael breathed his relief. "Good."

Aodhän went to speak, though bit his tongue to stop himself before the words came out. Resting his head on top of Isolde's as he held her.

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 13:04

“Mm, threatening to have my head because I had him taken backs we shall see if I am alive when I next speak to him.”

“Just a few more minutes like this… I have needed this all night…”

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 13:33

"I reckon he'll break an eye socket, at the very least." Kael snorted with humourless chuckle. Brushing his arm into Wyatt as they walked; seeking the comfort of his presence.

"Move quicker." Lynette snapped, casting a glance over her shoulder as she heard the hooves of the Baldruun calabary behind them "Hurry up!"

Aodhän presses his lips to the top of her head, whispering, "I love you. If this is the end, know that."

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 14:14

“He best hope he doesn’t do it in front of Florence. I’ll accept the hit but she won’t.” Wyatt murmured, quickly pushing Kael along when he heard Lynette. “We must hurry.”

“Of course I know that, and I you.” Isolde reached up and gently brushed her thumb across his cheek. “These last few years… I thank you for everything.”

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 16:02

"It has been an honour, from your advisor, to your consort and husband." Aodhän closed his eyes, leaning towards her touch. His own hand raising to rest his palm to her cheek in return. "The ancestors blessed me."

Kael chuckled, opening his mouth to respond though changing his mind at the encouragement. Picking up the pace, whistling to get the guards attention as the gates of the palace came into sight.

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 20:12

“I’m sorry we didn’t have more time - “ Isolde shook her head as she swallowed back a sob

“Come on, not too much further to go!”

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 20:23

"Use those legs." Lynette encouraged nastily, resting her hand on Kael's lower back and pushing him forward. "If Kenna dies because you were too slow to get her medical attention then Azren is going to be the least of your worries."

"If I go any faster I will jar her too much," Kael twisted away from her touch, words hissed through teeth as Lynette's hand touched an injury.

Lynette just gulped, glancing over her shoulder as the Baldruun army came into sight. Her ehes scanning the league for the Prince's. "Go, go, go!"

Aodhän let out a shaky breath, lips pressing to her forehead. Dropping onto his knees a moment later to touch his forehead to her stomach, "We'll meet, little one. When we have all joined the ancestors, we will meet."

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 20:28

Isolde’s resolve broke then as she moved to rest her hand on the back of Aodhän’s head, silent tears beginning to fall.

“Kael run.” Wyatt ordered, stopping mid stride and pulling Kenna from his arms. “You have less weight now run for the doors Kael!” He shouted as he began to pick up his pace.

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 20:38

"Never. Retreating at a walk is humiliating enough, I will not run.." Kael answered icily, keeping stride with Wyatt. His shoulders tensing as he heard the metallic of swords being pulled from their scabbards.

"Which one would you like to have the killing blow for?" Ishaan asked his brother in their native tongue, teeth stained red and face peppered in blood from others. His arm folded across his chest, stance relaxed as he lounged at the front of the wall of their men.

Aodhän kept his gaze low, shoulders raising jade falling with a jagged tremble. His own tears beginning to stain his face.

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 20:46

“Then I will drop this woman on the ground and take you with me - and do not dare think I wouldn’t. I’ll suffer your wrath later but you’ll be alive to display it. Now fucking run!” Wyatt seethed, hand reaching toward Kael to grab him.

“You failed with father’s plan to execute the royals the first time round. I’ll make sure it happens this time.” Arzen replied, his eyes barely shifting to his brother as he spoke.

The door burst open, the violence of the motion causing Isolde to jump, heart almost bursting from her chest. “They are saying they have spotted Kael from the ramparts. He is almost within the castle walls but they have Baldruunians nipping at their heels - he is with my Kenna!” Farah breathed the words out, barely able to make noise with his winded she was from running down from the lookouts where she had been tending to soldiers. “They may make it!”

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 20:56

Aodhän moved to his feet swiftly at the suddenness of the door opening, uninjured arm reaching outward to push Isolde behind his back. Breathing uneven, and arm stagnant even as Farrah approached, it taking seconds for the words to sink in. "K- Kael is alive? Kael is alive. We must meet him at the gates."

Ishaan's eyes flashed, the only indicator of frustration to his brothers words. Rolling his shoulders back as he rested a hand on the hilt of his sword.

Lynette slowed to a stop, waiting until Kael and Wyatt were yards ahead before turning and taking several paces towards the army. Calling, in a sing-song tone, in his native language when she knew Azren could recognise her features. "This is a very extreme reaction to losing a bet, Renny. We could have just organised another game, I got under your skin that much, mm, sweetheart?"

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 21:03

Arzen smirked at the taunt, turning to his brother; “If she is here you know who else is here, don’t you? Captain Luca, or as he’s known over here, Prince Zaretsky.” He chuckled. “She just revealed that we have even more to gain here, brother. If we take him alive we can bankrupt his King in ransom negotiations. This has turned out better than I expected.”

“If they make it. They are preparing to close. They cannot keep them open for much longer or else Baldruun will get within the walls - will take the castle.”

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 21:22

"They will not lock Kael out. They can not."

"'We will be walking away from here with a land for us to build up from, and an opportunity to fleece the other Kingdoms." Ishaan nodded, his own lips tugging up into a smirk.

"She is being idiotic." Kael mumbled to Wyatt, casting a glance over his shoulder when he heard Lynette. Though, quickened his pace to jog the rest of the way inside.

Lynette cast a brief glance over her shoulder to see how close they were to safety, before her attention went back to the Prince's. Standing her ground, blabbering to try and buy them time, "Silent now? I am not used to that. Normally you are begging for more, another game, another drink, another... what did you call it? How long did it take for you to climb back into daddy's good graces after he caught us up against that wall?"

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 21:31

“Captain Kovalsky, his pet bitch, and I imagine his bastard and his healer are here with him too… And I’ll bet the rest of his crew are around this island somewhere. We can check the docks down south for his ships” Arzen’s grin widened as he faced Ishaan fully. “We ransom the Captain, you take the heads of the crew to father and I say he may just forgive you for what happened here.”

“If the gates close on you I hope this taunt was worth it you silly mare!” Wyatt called over his shoulder, not slowing one iota. Practically pushing Kael over the threshold of the entrance to the castle courtyard as the gates and trellis began to fall from where they were stored, close to sealing.

Isolde nodded, wiping her eyes before quickly moving to the door to head out towards the watchmens tower.

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 21:41

"Let us start with the head of the pet first then," Ishaan nodded his agreement. "It is you she taunts, would you like to do the honours?"

Lynette let out a breath, gave another glance over her shoulder and turned on her heel to break into a sprint towards the gates.

Kael stumbled as he was pushed, exhaustion having set in enough for it to be all it took for him to go tumbling. Hitting the floor with a thud against the stones of the courtyard.

Aodhän followed a pace behind.

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 21:47

“No… no. Not now.” Arzen shook his head. “We realised around an hour ago that this would be a siege. And now look, the castle is closing, and even with my Witches we cannot get past the wards. We will starve them out… until they all die or come to their senses. Hopefully the former but… we shall see mm?”

“Hurry up!” Wyatt screamed at Lynette, bending down to check Kael. “You are in, you are safe. R wee safe for now. Up Kael, come on. You are home, you got her home.”

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 21:54

Kael moved to press his forehead against the ground, panting as he struggled to breath. "G- Get her to th- the healers Wyatt. I'll be there now.. g- go."

Lynette ducked beneath the gate, making it inside by a hair breathe as it closed. Still not skipping a pace as she walked on, shoving her palm between Wyatt's shoulders to push him up the stairs, "Kenna isn't out of the woods yet. Your Prince has more then enough people to fuss over him."

"He made it inside." Aodhän breathed his relief, slowing to a stop when his son came into sight. Reaching his hand forward to rest on Isolde's shoulder and squeeze it. Laugh of relief coming with the repeated, "He's okay, he made it inside."

"It won't take long once they get through their resources." Ishaan agreed. "We must get Indira out though. We can not allow them to let her starve."

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 22:02

“Kael!” Isolde ran toward her son, dropping to her knees and pulling him into a tight hug, moving to hold him as close as she possibly could. A sob of relief leaving her lips.

“Your ego is far too big for your own good. If Kael had to spend weeks feeling guilty over your death because you got yourself killed then I would have told him you deserved it!” Wyatt snapped as he carried on forward, heading toward the healing wing.

“I’m sure she has it in her to survive a little starvation.”

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 22:11

"Your lack of care for her infuriates me. I believe you were born without a heart."

"It got him talking, even if not to me. If the Prince's are talking they could not give the order to attack, my priority was making sure you got Kenna past those gates. If it would have killed me, it would have been worth thr sacrifice." Lynette answered sharply. "Just as you pushed your Prince through the gates before you stepped in."

"I told you I'd get her back, we don't have to fight eith the Zaretsky's now." Kael chuckled weakly, groaning at the aching in his bones, the pulling of his skin and muscles. Eyes closing when his fathers arm joined his mother's hold of him. "I'm fine. I'm okay."

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 22:15

“It was a personal taunt, you pretending it was anything other is frankly quite insulting to everyone’s intelligence.” Wyatt rolled his eyes before gently placing Kenna down onto one of the beds. “Please refrain from talking to me again. The last few hours I have had more than enough of your company.” He added, before glancing round the room to find Florence.

“We got you back… that’s all that counts. That’s all that matters.” Isolde sobbed into his shoulder, pulling him closer and closer. “Oh Kael… we were so worried.”

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 22:26

Florence stepped in from one of the side room, placing her satchel bag of salves and herbs into the pocket of her dress as she done so. Stopping in her tracks as her eyes found Wyatt's, letting out a slow sigh of relief.

"It was multi-purpose." Lynette scoffed, grabbing a chair to pull up beside Kenna's bed. Taking a hold of the girls hand and squeezing it tightly.

"Don't- don't cry." Kael swallowed, wrapping his arms around her to return the hug. "I wasn't out there alone, I- I had Wyatt for... for some of it. It was fine, I am fine."

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 22:41

“We could have lost you.” Isolde shook her head. “Come on, l-let’s get you inside son. Get you seen to. Get updates… get you inside…”

“Kenna!” Lucian called out, quickly wheeling himself over to his daughter’s side. “Lynette what happened?! Where have you - what happened?!”

“I told you I’d be back.” Wyatt walked over to her, hardly being mindful of the door and grime he was covered in as he swept her into his arms. “Sullivan is okay?”

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 22:55

"Sullivan is fine, sleeping again as if the world wasn't collapsing outside." Florence answered voice shaking, wrapping an arm around his torso whilst the other reached up to tangle fingers in his hair and pull him into her. "H- How much of this blood is yours? You need to be cleaned up, checked over."

"I knew Farrah would get you here safe," Lynette breathed her relief, letting go of Kenna's hand to move on her seat. Leaning across and pulling Lucian into a hug. "We went drinking, the first explosion came from the building next to us. Every way we tried to get back to you was intercepted by fires, or soldiers or explosives."

"You need to make sure it is Aoife that sees to Kenna, that it is Aoife that assists Zaretsky's healer. She can't be allowed to die, not after that." Kael slowly pulled back from the hug. Palms laying flat on the ground to try and push himself up to his feet, rather ungracious, wobbling legs making it hard to hold his weight.

Phoenix Mon 1 Jan - 23:02

“What happened to you both? How have you ended up like this? What happened? What happened to Kenna?!” Lucian pulled away, looking Lynette up and down to see if she were also injured.

“It’s… it doesn’t matter. I can cope. I need to see what else I can do to fortify the castle. If they aren’t trying to beat down the gates and the walls it means they wish to turn this into a siege.”

“We can check on her later after we have got you seen to.” Isolde shook her head, taking her son’s arm as she headed back inside.

**BestNameEva** Mon 1 Jan - 23:14

"You are no good for your job if you are bleeding," She reprimanded, her hand sliding from his hair to his cheek as she leant back to look him over with furrowed brows. "You are no good if your wounds become infected. You can take half an hour, the room to our right was empty the last I checked, go in there and take off your clothes. I'll be in with warm water, clothes... everything and anything else."

She told me it was a cut, stupid girl." Lynette let her hand fall down to take a hold of Lucian's hand and squeeze it tightly. "The fighting has all blurred, they got her across her thigh though. I found the curtain from a fallen carriage to tie it with, to try and stop the bleeding but... She couldn't stand, I went to find help and by the time I got back with it Kael was with her."

"Th- they killed my horse."

"We will find you another, one just as powerful. One just as-"

"N- no. It was the horse Ada and Dmitri helped me choose, it was the only stallion that got along with Fiadh gelding. It was - he was..."

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