Hope Falls

Wyatt nodded, getting up and heading over to sit by him.

Kael moved a pillow onto his lap, and rested his head upon it as he laid back down. Eyes fluttering closed once more, "Could I visit you, if you leave?"

“Of course, that was never not an option.”

"And when I am in charge, when my father opinon no longer matters much then you will come back..." He spoke slowly, sleep trying to pull him under. "It won't be long. Just stay alive until then."

“I intend to stay alive for a very long time.”

"So did everyone else."

“I can’t argue with that.”

Kael mumbled an inaudible word, the letters slurred together to sound being unidentifiable before his body became heavy. Breathing slowing as he lost the fight against exhaustion.

Wyatt remained where he was, a gentle hand rising up to rub Kael’s arm as he slept.

"Ka- Oh." Aodhän frowned, squinting into the darkness from the hallway as he peered into Kael's room. "Hawk?" He spoke quietly, voice a whisper, "I thought you would be keeping an eye on Prince Ishaan. Is everything okay?"

“Princess Indira is irritating him and she didn’t want him to be alone, so when he ordered her out she came and got me.”

"It is good to hear he has been lucid enough to become irritated, to order anyone out. Are you fine there? It is not your job to babysit, to comfort.. if you have other things you need to be doing then I can get someone else to sit with him."

“I’m here because I want to be, not because it’s my job.”

"Very well." Aodhän accepted quietly. "You've done... well, the past few months. If you would like time to be with your family then you are welcome to it, I spoke to Isolde yesterday and we have agreed the keys to the cottage in Redbay can be yours for a week. All the views of the summer palace, but more privacy."

“No thank you Aodhän. I cannot accept a gift from someone who thinks so lowly of me, it’ll be tainted.”

"Who thinks lowly of you?" One of Aodhän's brows raised with a puzzled expression. "Isolde values you highly, she has never implied anything other than that."

“So it is just you who thinks me a coward enough to proclaim it in the halls?”

"Cowa- oh." Aodhän laughed quietly, humourless as he shook his head. "That is why you have been so painstakingly formal with me since the siege ended? You hesitated in rallying the men, Hawk, they were words said in anger but they were not truthful."

“It was the word that came to mind when you thought of me.”

"I did not mean it. There is no one further than that word then you, I have more coward in my blood then you do." Aodhän scoffed. "You can not think I meant it, that is ridiculous."

“I would have died a thousand times over for your son. But the word that came to mind when you looked at me was coward.”

"Would have?"

“I told you - I am done with the job.”

"They were words I did not mean, Hawk. I am sorry that I upset you, deeply sorry. You can have whatever you wish as an apology to that, but you are too experienced for us to lose you. The men respect you, your way of workings works."

Wyatt just sighed deeply, shaking his head as he glanced down at Kael