Hope Falls

“He’s not the only man you’ve ever killed Kael… his death seems to have affected you more so though…”

"I took his head off of his neck and paraded it like a trophy." He shook his head. "I need to go and speak to Indira."

“A symbol of the end of the siege. That it was over and we were free. That there would be no more death and suffering. It was a trophy, Kael.” Isolde sighed softly before, nodding. “You’re dismissed, then.”

"It was Indira's brother." Kael swallowed, the door clicking close a moment later as he pulled it behind himself.

"Any makings he had, of a future King, if he can't recover from his conscious then it'll all be gone." Aodhän observed softly. "Offerimg extra mercy because he feels terrible in himself is dangerous."

---

Kael stopped in front of Indira's room, only moments later, knocking silently on the door.

“He’s still… he’s not a boy but he’s only just a man. We must give him time to harden against such things. I have faith in him. That he did it at all shows he’s no longer as soft as he once was.”

---

“Who is it?” Indira asked softly from inside the room, her voice barely carrying.

"Me." Kael spoke softly, resting a palm against the door of her room. "Just me, I - Indie." He tested the nickname on his tongue, physically shuddering at how forced it sounded. "I have news for you. Not bad, not - not exactly what I'd hoped for either though. Can I come in?"

---

"How much time are you willing to give him? He has already had more than you, more than any ruler from the past."

“And perhaps that is why I made the mistakes I did. Why mistakes have been made by all. I had nobody to guide me with the crown, I was not the one raised for it. Neither was my father. Kael being afforded all the time he needs may make him the best ruler this country has ever had.”

---

“I cannot say no to you when it’s your own home, can I?” Indira mused softly. Inside the room she was sat at the window nook, allowing the sun to hit her skin through the glass. Where it had once been a deep golden brown, her skin had now grown considerably paler in her time away from home, and overall her appearance hadn’t begun to recover from the starvation of the siege. The opaque covering sitting far back enough on her head to reveal her hair thinning overall but thick with grease from where she’d completely abandoned any care. “Come in…” she added, though didn’t bother looking toward the door, fixated on the view from her window.

"I can't agree with you diminishing your own accomplishments to account for Kael's... softness of character." Aodhän reached across to try and take Isolde's hand. "I believe our son to be good, and just and... brave when he must be but as I said, the amount this is bothering him is concerning."

---

"You have every right to say no to me, whenever you wish to." Kael whispered, only taking a half step inside. Allowing silence, for several minutes, before whispering, "There will be no more death. Prince Ishaan may return to your home, as can Lady Mehan and your guard. When I return to the Summer Palace, you may come with me, if you wish to or you may stay here under the care of my parents."

Indira was silent for a long while before exhaling shakily. “I continue to be the cause of my own pain, by failing to think ahead. Of course you are sending them home. Of course I am to be kept as a hostage to make sure my father behaves. It all makes sense, it’s what he would do too. And yet I didn’t even think about what would happen when this all ended. I suppose I was that sure I was to die that I didn’t consider what would happen…” she whispered, moving to rest her chin on her knees. “When do I lose Zoya?”

---

“He will harden… he will have to…”

"I fought for you to keep her, I did." Kael stammered his response, trembling hand reaching out to touch her shoulder when he finally crossed the room. "They played a - a hard game though. They are treating me... differently now. Making bigger points, harder lessons. I tried to bargain the three of you come with me to the Summer Palace, argued you all had skills that would be beneficial but - but Zoya's wealth and Ayaz's loyalties to Ishaan were things that I couldn't counter argue. After that, it turned to fighting for their lives... they - they all have their lives, I am sorry it is the best I could do."

---

"Nerissa never could. I would... there were things we wouldn't talk of because her heart couldn't take it, the difficult decisions and brutality. What if he is too much like her?" Aodhän swallowed. "A terrible question to ask, I know."

“He can reject the throne. It’s within his rights. If he rejects it then it goes to Morfyyd… and we will have to prepare her instead of him…”

---

“T-thank you.” Indira swallowed thickly, voice shaking as she tried to keep it from breaking, to keep herself from crying. “I’m grateful, thank you…”

"What if he is as soft as she, but still takes it?"

---

"May I..." He let his voice trail, eyes focusing on space beside her as he squeezed her shoulder tightly.

“Sit? O-of course.” Indira nodded, shifting herself backward a little to make more room.

---

“I plan on still being alive when handing the crown to him. I won’t until I’m sure he’s ready.”

Kael slowly lowered himself to rest beside her, not asking permission to wrap his arms around her waist and lean his head against hers. "I wasn't letting you go back to that place, t- to him. You deserve better than that, better than silent tortured punishment. You need to thrive and I- I am not saying you will do that here but I swear I will at least let you speak."

(( BRB walking to the shop for more wine ))

“I will still be isolated… My father and my brother doomed me the moment they decided to use me as a pawn for your mother’s life. Once they decided this… there was no way it would ever end well for me. No way it would end where I could be happy. And either they knew and didn’t care or they didn’t even think about what would happen to me…”

"It will be different in the Summer Palace," He assured. "The people in the villages near it, I have already formed relations with. The staff are some of the nicest people you can meet and it is the perfect spot to spot selkies." He let his gaze move from her, to follow her eyes out of the window, "It will never be home to you, I understand that but I will do my best to make it happy for you. This is not the end of your light, Indira. I swear it. H - however... your brother, he - would you like to speak with him, before he goes back? It will have to be monitored but, I can make it happen. Zoya and Ayaz you can see freely."

---

"It will be a long wait then."

“A gilded cage is a cage nonetheless. I do not get a choice… whether or not I wanted to go back is irrelevant. I don’t get to choose. Framed however you like - whether we are friends or not… I will always be your hostage…” Indira replied sadly, before nodding. “I’d like to see my brother, please…”

---

“We are used to long waits, mm?”

"You get a choice, u fought for you to remain because you told me that you would be killed upon arrival home. If that is the fate you choose, I am not the person to take it from you.' Kael swallowed, peeling himself away from her. "Do you - Would you like to see him now? I can take you..."

---

"We are, I grow weary of them." Aodhän let out a breath. "I am tired now, Isolde. I wish Kael was closer to being ready."

“Yes I- ” Indira stood up, then shook her head, sitting back down almost as quickly. “I cannot go to him like this - this unpresentable. I have been raised better, he won’t like it…”

---

“He is old enough to receive more responsibilities than before, and he can keep taking more and more on. Once we have brought the Kingdom up from its knees we can even things out between us. It was always planned, agreed, when Mor was born. The situation was just… not what it was supposed to be…”

"Shall I fetch Zoya to help you get ready?"

---

"He is set on going back to the Summer Palace, that sounds like a stepping down from responsibility rather than a step up."

“No… I should do it myself. I have to get used to it don’t I? I can do most things myself, I shall just have to forgo certain hairstyles and dresses in the future, mm?”

---

“He is saying it in defiance. He is angry over Hawk. But I shant allow him leaving to happen. The man isn’t stupid. He knows this is what he was made for, that nothing else will fulfil him in the same way.”

"I thought you may like to - I thought it would be an opportunity for you to tell her, too." He swallowed, though ducked his head respectfully. "Shall I wait here, or in the - in the hall? If you need any help, then you may call on me."

---

"Have you organised a meeting with him?" Aodhän questioned quietly. "I imagine Florence would be enthralled to be privy to such things, especially as Hawk is refusing to leave her and his son on his days off."

“It’s on my list of things to do… my long, long list…” Isolde chuckled wearily. “Had the majority of my family not perished from the wasting this would be a lot easier. My father was taking jobs and halving them at one point in his reign to give to a cousin or an uncle. And now it’s just myself and a handful of trusted people doing the work he had dozens do whilst he spent his days sat on that throne doing whatever he pleased.”

---

“I’m not ready to - I don’t think I could face her without becoming emotional. And I cannot be seeing Ishaan all bleary eyed… He will think me weak.”

"Then allow me to draw you a bath, allow me to... learn how to do you hair and tie your dresses as you want them." Kael swallowed. "Please, Indira... You and I were... we were good, during the siege. I want us to continue to be."

---

"You have been lax on the amount you have asked of me recently, so give me more, give Kael more. Kael and I are capable of freeing you up for the hours you need to talk to Hawk."

“As what though Kael? I cannot be your wife now. And going from being your intended to your mistress as you eventually marry will be…” Indira shook her head, swallowing thickly as her chest tightened once more. “I will be a laughing stock. They will all jeer at how far I have fallen. No matter what feelings are there, that they are real… Your nobles will find it hilarious that I went from your future Queen to a bedwarmer. Your Fiadh, she held their respect, she wasn’t a pampered spoiled lady, she was liked… it will not be the same for me… It’ll affect your image too.”

---

“I give you less so that Mor always has at least one of us. I won’t be making the same mistakes with her that I made with Síofra. She spent far too much time with nannies rather than her family. It wasn’t fair on her and I won’t do it to Mor…”