Hope Falls

Wyatt chuckled, pushing himself to his feet after grasping his hand.

"Fiadh was never to have a mate, it wasn't destined for us. So, I am crazy and it was all in my head." Kael spoke with a false cheeriness. Letting go of his hand and getting up onto his stallion, heels digging into the creatures side to send it galloping back towards Wyatt's home.

“You feeling such extensive love for Fiadh does not mean you are crazy.” Wyatt said a while later as he caught up with Kael, having silently followed behind. “Not at all.”

"Deillusional." Kael reiterated. "Will Florence have settled Sullivan to sleep yet or will I get some time with him this evening?"

“In love.” Wyatt shook his head. “He may still be up.”

"I hope so," Kael whispered, leaning forward and throwing his leg over the saddle to dismount. Knuckles knocking lightly on the front door before letting himself into Florence and Wyatt's home, half forming a greeting that got caught in his throat at the scene.

The main living quarters was in utter disarray, bookshelf knocked down with enough force that it had splintered through it's middle. The feathered cushions that rested a top of the arm chair ripped open, it's contents spewn across the floor. Portraits half hanging from walls and potted plants no longer potted. The door to the left, Sullivan's bedroom, stained with red marks, and left ajar.

“Florence?!” Wyatt called as he stepped in, quickly pushing passed Kael to look around.

"In here, keep your voice down." Florence's whispered response came from the darkened room, curtains drawn as she secured blankets around the toddler's shoulders to secure him into bed.

“Florence what happened? Is he okay?!” Wyatt quickly rushed into the room, squinting to see.

Kael moved to the doorway, peering into the room with a frown.

"Slow down," Florence instructed tone firm but eyes soft, her hair dishevelled, the same red smear in the shape of a tiny hand against her cheek. Getting to her feet to meet Wyatt half way across the room, she lifted wet hands up to cup his face affectionately. The red liquid, juice from crushed red berries, transferring onto his skin. "He has been literally bouncing off of the walls all night. I am very glad you're home. Everyone is okay."

“The quarters look like we’ve been ransacked, how did he do so much damage?”

"Messy play, with crushed red berries made him... very excited. I look away for a moment and he is ripping the pillow to make the feathers red, I put the other pillows on top of the bookshelf to keep at least some of them away from sticky hands and he scales the shelves to get to it. Pulls the whole thing down in the process, I thought the sod had crushed himself my heart was in my throat. He was laughing though, loved every second. Only a cut on his arm that he didn't even blink at.

“If it is getting destructive then we need to find another outlet for his energy. We can’t have him tearing the place up and putting himself in danger.”

"I thought messy play would be enough for an evening activity, especially when we've been trapsing all around on an 'adventure' since sunrise," She shook her head, casting a glance over her shoulder to her son. "'Leave him to sleep, no ancestors will help us if we wake the beast."

"I will have to see him in the morning," Kael hummed lightly, stepping back to clear the doorway. "Before I see my mother."

“Perhaps we leave the messy play to when he is capable of helping clean up.” Wyatt sighed softly. “We should start now or else it’ll cut into the night.”

"It is important for him to get involved in things like that now, when he is old enough to help tidy it then it won't be as enjoyable." Florence offered a tired smile, drawing a smile on Wyatt's forehead with what was left on her own hand from the crushed berries. "You have been away for days. Draw yourself a bath, I will tidy. Kael can help me."

“We cannot ask a guest to clean, Florence. Absolutely not.”

"The Prince has never been our guest, he is as much a part of the furniture as that bookshelf was. I will give him the easy jobs." Florence raised her eyebrows. "Or you can both leave and return in several hours when I have done it all myself."

“Or you can just let me help you tidy. I do not see the problem.”

"Do what you want." The lightness dropped from her voice then, making way for the exhaustion behind. "I was trying to look after you."

“We work as a team,” Wyatt reminded her gently, taking a last look at Sullivan before heading into the main room and hanging up his gear before beginning to clean.

"Were you kept busy or did you notice the aching of your feet again this time?" She asked quietly, grabbing a flannel and a bucket of water to wash down the walls and doors.

"Should I put this in a fire wood pile?" Kael frowned, lifting the broken bookshelf to see the full extent of the damage.

“Just patrols, nothing too strenuous.” Wyatt shook his head before turning to Kael. “If it cannot be salvaged then that is probably best.”

"I used to know a man who would make beautiful carvings in the wood," Florence mused. "A few of his sketches were ideas for bookcases, they were fantastic. They'd capture Sully's imagination for sure. Perhaps we can get a custom one from someone who has the same skills he did to replace it."

“Maybe in a few years when he is no longer destroying everything.”