Hope Falls

“Avani… I have seen her, Cavanaugh brought her this way and she was screaming like a banshee. She was terrified for me. She has all these ridiculous notions in her head that I am a silly girl who is convincing herself that there is something between us when there is not. That you have manipulated me, forced me…” Indira moved her hand to his face, though was careful not to touch. “I did not want you to find out that way. To find out through an accusation. If she did this to you I can only imagine what she was saying… None of it is true. I know that. And I set her straight. Our children were created with nothing but goodness, and love and… and nothing like what she is saying.”

---

“I would never use the word easy when talking of killing someone, Princess. The action itself may not be physically taxing but ending a life… never easy.”

"If you struggle with the repercussions of it all, then why would you do this kind of work? Blacksmithing is a job with less risks then this one, you said you were trained in the craft whilst we sailed."

---

"We know that is true, but there were people in that room and in ear shot that may not and people enjoy gossiping." Kael wrinkled his nose. "I've returned with a wife, you should have - I am surprised she did not turn on her heel and run. Your sister encouraged her to, and then my mother commanding to have your sister locked in a room like a prisoner only made it look possible that we are capable of cruelty. Mother will be angry, if she knows Cavaughn chose this route to bring her to her rooms."

“Then perhaps we keep my meeting my sister a secret between the four of us for now, so not to anger her further, or risk poor Cavanaugh his job.” Indira suggested quietly before moving her arms to wrap around him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I am so glad you are home Kael. I feel like I can breathe properly again. To know you are here, and you are happy… to know that things will be okay. To know that you are okay. Your mother wasn’t exactly forthcoming with information. Just that you were alive and lucid enough to write. She informed me when you married too… I was worried anything could have happened to you.”

---

“I never said I struggle. Just that I am not flippant about ending lives. I do what’s necessary…” Ruairi raised his eyebrows, struggling to not laugh a little as she brazenly challenged him. “This job pays well, and I have just spent seven months travelling across the east and sampling what the world has to offer. As I have for the past five years travelling with Kael too. I have no complaints with my job, Princess. As much as you complain I have to do it.” He added, mouth turning up in a slight smirk then, unable to stop it.

"She agreed today, for us to be barefooted in the ceremony over here. Thr amount of people who have chastised me across the years for needing to have that little part of Fiadh has been infuriating but Daphne was absolutely fine with it, she didn't hesitate to agree even though I told her why." He laughed his relief, slipping his arms gently around her in return. Resting his chin on top of her head, "Ut was relaxed. Your brothers wedding was beautiful, bright, colourful when I had audience with them, he barely spoke to me, Zoya led the interaction. I gave them your letters, when niether Cavanaugh or my father were looking. I have one from her, to give back to you."

---

"When the Prince takes up the Crown will you be replacing your boss as Captain, then? After all, you have been assigned to Kael for all these years, not him." Avani raised an eyebrow at him. "I am glad I find you amusing."

“Avani looked upset but… well. How did Ishaan and Zoya look? Were they okay?” Indira closed her eyes at his embrace, fully relaxing into him. “I met Daphne when we were children… I met her and a few of her sisters at the same time, they came to a ball my father threw… I could not say I remember her though. They all looked the same, their mother’s image. I was surprised when your mother said you’d married one of the Drivas Princesses…”

---

“Hawk has always been his personal Guard, but he has a young son. Kael didn’t want Hawk to miss out on him growing up, as it’s likely to be the only child he has. So when travelling he takes me, I have nothing tying me down here the way Hawk does.”

"Iahaan seemed too tired to put on a facade, he was placid and allowed himself to be guided by others. Zoya appeared protective of him, seemed to be shielding him a lot which I didn't expect. After all he had done I thought the two would be cold so there may be other things happening behind the scenes. He was a puppet, Indira."

---

"Nothing, or nothing you are aware of? How old are you?"

“A loaded question, you’re asking if I potentially have a dozen children I do not see, aren’t you?” Ruairi laughed properly then, shaking his head. “But correct in a way I suppose. As far as I am aware, and for all I have seen, I don’t have children tying me here the way Hawk does. And as for my age… I believe it’s rude to ask a lady such things, why not a man?”

---

“Maybe Avani can tell me more, when she stops believing I too am a used up puppet.” Indira pulled away, pressing a gentle kiss to his unmarred cheek. “Thank you, for giving them the letters. And for bringing my sister… and for coming home. For coming home to me and not being angry. For not wanting to cast our sons aside. For coming here and your first thought being to take care of me… I have missed you incredibly.”

"A woman's age us the only thing she is allowed to keep to herself, because it is irrelevant to men. Men get to keep all of their secrets, so why would it matter if a woman knows something so trival?"

---

"I'm sorry you've had a difficult time whilst I have been gone,"

“If you consider my age a secret you wish to know then offer one up about yourself and I shall share in return.”

---

“None of that matters. You’re here, it won’t be as hard anymore… not for a few more weeks anyway.” Indira chuckled, moving to sit back in her seat once more, taking his hands again. “I’m not going to make things difficult for you and Daphne, with the boys either. They’re my sons as well as yours. They’d have a title for being birthed by me even if their father was a groom or a chef. I will give them their title, so you do not have to. They will be Princes of Baldruun and then your mother need not worry, they will fall in line for my brothers throne even though they will never inherit it. And we won’t raise them with any expectation to your mothers… your throne either. They do not need to be your heirs… just your sons. As long as Daphne agrees… I do not see why we cannot raise them peacefully, and alongside any you have with her. I do not wish for this to be hard on any of us.”

"Despite my siblings believing that my favourite thing to drink is iced lotus, I am deathly allergic to it. The plant is rare in Baldruun, I adored it's colours as a child and thought it was magic how the concoction made with it would respond to heat. As soon as we were all old enough to consume it?" She laughed, smile lighting up her eyes as she recalled, "Arzen trekked out, spent several days amongst the sands until he found the oasis where they grew wild and harvested it for me as a gift. He didn't know my friends and I had gotten it the week before that and my mother had to rush a healer in when my face swelled up like a balloon, and I never had the heart to tell him I couldn't drink it when he came it to me, so I thanked him and swapped my goblet for someone else's every single time.  As I drank it so quickly, it became to go-to present and thus a defining trait is all an elaborate lie upheld to save feelings."

---

"The three of us will sit down, discuss things when I have tempered my mother." Kael chuckled, squeezing her hands gently. "I can't see there being a problem though. I can only see everything as a cause for celebration."

“I am sorry, if this has put a dent in your new marriage at all. You can be both happy that you are to be a father and wary of how this affects something so fresh. I can imagine your wife wasn’t pleased when she heard… And I am sorry that Avani said what she did. I do not know if it would help, or even be appropriate, if I spoke to your bride and told her that my sister has it all wrong and you have never been anything but respectful of me. I love you… I wish for you to be happy. And when I was going to see Florence I heard Wyatt say that in your letters it was going well…”

---

“I shall make note that if we ever serve the delicacy to not allow it in your cup.” Ruairi noted, finding himself smiling as she did. “I can’t imagine your mother knew people kept trying to serve you it?”

"It s a drink reserved for parties and my father never allowed her to stay after the drinks began to flow." Avani moved to the chaise lounge placed in front of the rooms full length window, settling upon it with her knees curled. Head Resting on an open palm, "Now tell me your age, Sir."

---

"She was taken aback. I have left her to herself, given her time to process. A conversation is a good idea though, I can't compartmentalise. We all need to work together."

“I have no intention of being an interfering mistress, undermining her. As long as I’m allowed to raise my children in peace I shall be of no bother to anyone. If I tell her that, hopefully it will soothe any fears she has about our relationship.” Indira nodded, moving her hand to gently brush a thumb across his clear cheek. “I hope you did not think otherwise, that it didn’t cross your mind that I would be difficult? I have no doubts your mother will have shared those fears with you…”

---

“I will be seventy five in two days time, Princess.”

"You were born beneath the Deer and their Shepherd, of course. Goddess Lilura influences your actions. That is a good combination. Lucky you."

---

"I have barely spoken to my mother since I have gotten back, the only thing she has done is try and shame my wife for our lack of bedroom antics." Kael scoffed. "Which was very appropriate of her to do, after your sisters allegations."

“I will not pretend to know if you are telling the truth or not but I shall take you at your word. I am alive despite everything, I suppose that is indeed lucky.”

---

“Lack of - oh. Of course. The Caleeri are prudish.” Indira hummed, though quickly grimaced and was quickly apologetic. “Sorry - I am not being offensive, or trying to insult your brides. It just fits in well that you have not… been intimate with her, knowing the culture she was raised in. And given that culture she was raised in she’ll be more than grateful to you for not pressing the issue. The way my father treated my mother was… harsh. But the way King Jason treated Elena…” she shook her head. “None of my business, either way. Your marriage is your marriage. Nobody’s business but your own.”

"What does 'everything' elude to?" Sitting up, she gently tapped the space she had made beside her in invitation.

---

"Can you stop squirming?" Kael smirked his amusment, "I haven't ever seen you look so uncomfortable every time you have opened your mouth before. Anything you know of Daphne, of her family, I am happy to hear. I may already know it, but if I don't it'll be useful."

“I am uncomfortable because I do not want to be the jilted mistress. I do not want you to think I am some angry jealous creature who is being disrespectful on purpose, trying to ruin things for you, make them difficult. I am more than aware of how this situation - our situation, can be seen.” Indira explained, leaning back once more and wrinkling her nose at his amusement, smacking his arm playfully before swinging her legs up into his lap. “I know that King Jason refused to take a mistress. It is not really their… practice, I suppose you would say. Of course the men are not always faithful to their wives but a whole established relationship on the side of hour marriage? Not the done thing. If Fiadh were still here, and you had gone to their court to marry Daphne and word had gotten out that you had an established mistress you shared your rooms with and had no intention of giving up? You would’ve been declined. They would’ve shrieked at your disrespect from the offset… I know that in total Queen Elena had over thirty reported pregnancies, that is how many times she made it to where she was visible to the rest of the world, only the one son in the end. She was his second wife, his first died in childbirth to a daughter… There are rumours he did not even attend the funeral he was so angry, and began looking for a new wife the next day. And then there are the ghastly things they whispered about him. That on more than one occasion he was so angry by the birth of a daughter he threw everyone out of the birthing room to be alone with his wife and well - I cannot say it, but you understand.” She looked almost ill as she spoke the words, moving her hands to rest on her stomach. “Their laws are so tightly written that the monarchy would collapse before a Queen reigned on her own. And he was desperate for the crown to not go to his brother Elias. My father found the man… off putting, he said. Embarrasing himself by a certain point. Of course my father had four sons, two back to back, then another two back to back. But I recall him remarking that if he were as less of a man as Jason was that he’d simply snatch a babe from the street and call it his to prevent any further shame.”

---

“Princess I shouldn’t be in here whilst the maids you brought aren’t. I imagine they’re still being shown the castle properly by our own…” Ruairi pointed out, though he’d already taken a step or two before catching himself. “As for everything… I was born when the wasting was already ravaging the country. And I did not fall victim to it, despite it claiming my family. I survived two wars, a siege… The battle that followed it. More than once there were arrows that were mere centimetres away from vital organs, or a sword that just missed my head… I have been lucky.”

"You have been instructed to ensure I don't leave this room until your Queen or Captain tell you otherwise. The best way of ensuring that is to sit with me, I am within your sights then. My maids won't bat an eye, I am married in paper only now and very grateful for that fact. Sit, Ruairi."

---

"You are no mistress, you are my ex fiancè slash hostage whom I have my dirty way with whenever I am feeling bored of my normal selection." Kael jested, cocking his head as he caught sight of her ankles. Smile faltering as he gingerly moved his hands to massage the soles of her feet, "Every new story I hear of other rulers make me more disgusted. Most have archaic ways of thinking, it is infuriating. There is a balance, mm? I don't believe any of these people have ever even attempted to find it."

“I could still be accused of being inappropriate, Princess.” Ruairi pointed out with a grimace, looking over his shoulder to the door before slowly sitting down by her side. “If the Queen has my head on a pike by morning for all these indiscretions you have lead me to I expect at least a few genuine tears from you.”

---

“You will not be having your way with me for a long while after this, charming and handsome and absolutely brimming with gifts for me from my home or not. Right now I could not think of anything worse with anyone.” Indira shivered in exaggerated disgust, unable to stop a small groan of appreciation as he began the massage. “People are set in their ways. They do not like change. They are used to the way things are, and so they shall carry on…” she closed her eyes as she relaxed. “Daphne… none of them have ever been distinguished as individuals. The Drivas Princesses as a collective, there were so many of them, it became almost comical. But your wife herself, on her own… I am sad to say that I haven’t heard a thing about her as her own person… You should tell me, how this woman won your heart and your hand. What is the soon to be stepmother to my children like? Because I already know she is nothing like the girls you usually fall for, neither myself, nor Kenna, nor Fiadh were raised in any such way as she was… and yet you didn’t refute me when I said I overheard Wyatt saying it was going well with her… so… tell me about her?”

"I know my mother had already looked at her an appropriate match, the only reason she ever turned her down was because she thought that personality wise we wouldn't gel but all of the other women I met over there felt as if they were trying too hard. The compliments too frequent, the constant touching despite my sea sickness were infuriating especially in that heat." Kael began quietly, "She didn't overstep, listened when things were too sticky and uncomfortable for socialising to be enjoyable. She accompanied me on a walk, and when she was separated from them all she began to make jokes, ones that were actually funny. I spoke to my father, he agreed the match though was just as surprised as you. I was content for mediocre, for boring if need be after how unsettled it has all been. On the boat though..." He paused, "She is a different person when we are alone. She hunts, she's gotten herself into predicaments with it that are comical. When I told her about Ada, she became genuinely excited to see her works and started to yammer about pastels and shades and colour theory and dyes, that was half an hour where she non-stop spoke, she was so passionate. She came to life, until a particularly unruly wave hit and she proceeded to throw up on my shoes." He chuckled.

---

"They are not bad people, and yet you are so fearful of repercussions." She frowned, shuffling closer. Twisted so her body faced him. "I think if I had your head I would display it in a box rather than on a pike, protect it from the elements and scavengers. How skin so snowy survived my home I don't understand."

“My skin and my hair were the same shade until around a week ago.” Ruari laughed softly then, shaking his head. “This is the most tanned I think I have ever been in my life, Princess. I tried every tip your sister gave to us to avoid the burn but Prince Aodhän and I, and a few others, did not get fortunate.”

---

“Ah, she was just subconsciously preparing you for being a father, having people throw up on you. How courteous of her.” Indira chuckled as she listened, cracking an eye open to watch his face. “I admit that my first thought was that you would be so bored in your marriage… But it is good to hear, that you are not. That you have a fondness for her that is not just what is expected of you. I am glad that my tips on attracting a decent woman worked, I’ll take my credit for your marriage where it is due of course.” She teased.

"I am allergic to lotus, you are allergic to temperatures that are not icy cold. We all have our vices." She laughed gently. "Did your family have your hair of flames too? Or is that a feature unique to you?"

---

"Your tips were terrible, you must have over complicated half of the things you told me because I would be saying things and the room would go silent before pitying laughs sounded. It was... I was cursing you on many occasion Indira."

“Do not blame me for your bad delivery, Kael! I gave you perfect instructions on how to woo a bride!”

---

“Me and my father, we shared it.” Ruairi nodded, before asking; “You and Indira share a look but… I would not instantly clock you as sisters. But she does not particularly look like any of your brothers either, in the way that I can tell that the rest of you are related. Did you all favour one parent and she favours the other?”

"Mm, she is my mother's replica. The difference between her and us was the source of many whispers for awhile, those all subsided. Gossips become bored eventually." Avani reached her hand across to touch his hair, then his jaw bone. Index finger tracing invisible lines from one dimple to another.  "Did you have siblings?"

---

"You did not, I call foul play." Kael laughed.

“Just the sister I mentioned earlier. Croía. She was three years my elder.”