Hope Falls

(( Same Shall we just focus on our triangle until we can think of something for the others? ))

((Do you have any ideas?))

(( With our triangle we could explore Karina's ex husband more or her and Emmett could bond over joint trauma. Sasha and Emmett wise, Emmett could confide in what happened to him when being a POW.

Even if Karina doesn't confide about the ex with Emmett she could go to visit Thea? Maybe they haven't seen one another since Thea's turn ))

((She could help Thea with digging into her visions and stuff too to see if she gets them back so that could work yeah! Are you wanting them all to be there, after like the 6 months to drop off Florence? Or separated still with it only being a minor skip?))

(( I was thinking minor skip for now ))

((That's fine by me! If you post first I'll slip something in after, I'm just searching for baby names lmao))

Three days later...

"Oh, Thea." Karina whispered shakily, dropping her travelling bag onto the floor and walking down the corridor towards her. The walk slowly turning into a sprint so her arms could fling around her friends neck.

---

Sasha stood in the market of the city, skin pale and gaunt; stretched out against her skin to reveal her cheek bones, her hair a tangled mess thst was down and hiding her scar as much as zhe could manage it - all from lack of sleep. Every so often she would sway, gently grabbing onto table to try and steady herself though she disguised if by quietly talking to the vendor about what they were selling.

Three days later...

"Oh, Thea." Karina whispered shakily, dropping her travelling bag onto the floor and walking down the corridor towards her. The walk slowly turning into a sprint so her arms could fling around her friends neck.

---

Sasha stood in the market of the city, skin pale and gaunt; stretched out against her skin to reveal her cheek bones, her hair a tangled mess thst was down and hiding her scar as much as zhe could manage it - all from lack of sleep. Every so often she would sway, gently grabbing onto table to try and steady herself though she disguised if by quietly talking to the vendor about what they were selling.

Thea was mid conversation with one of her guards when Karina spotted her, looking a little more like herself than she had in recent days with colour finally back in her cheeks, her hair finally tamed back, and wearing an old dress she'd decided would do whilst she waited for the seamstress to make more after her appointment. "Oh hi!" Thea ran toward Karina too, meeting her far quicker than anticipated with her quickened movements. Squeezing her friend tightly as they met and burying her face against Karina's shoulder with a half laugh, half sob. "I have missed you." she whispered, rocking with her.

---

Emmett walked through the market with some of his soldiers, having been sent by Conan to do general patrols of the area - making the local people feel safe and protected if they could see the guards walking around.

"I- I thought you were dead at... at first. Like real dead. I - I hadn't felt anything quite like it, even when the other sisters it wasn't like that was." Karina whispered, voice shaking as she tightened her arms around her. Keeping the hug for as long as she could.

---

"Uh yes, that... that bracelet please." Sasha requested quietly, reaching into her side bag for moment but loosing balance and stumbling backwards in the band of guards.

"Mind where you're going." Emmett chastised cautiously as he caught her, not realising who it was he'd caught until a moment later. "Sasha? What are you doing?" he asked, brow raising.

---

"There was no time to warn anyone, I'm so sorry. They gave me no time." Thea apologised profusely as she held her close, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Trying to get money out to - to buy this bracelet. It is pretty, has butterflies on it." Sasha whispered tiredly, closing her eyes as she tried to stabilise her balance.

---

Kariba leant back from the hug, swallowing thickly as she cupped her face in her hands. "But - but you're okay? How are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm getting there." Thea nodded with a small smile, resting her hands on top of Karina's. "I'm getting there."

---

"You're reported as sick at the barracks and you don't look well, we should get you back."

"It's so good to see you I - I am not ready to be the eldest Seer. I hope you realise you haven't pushed me into a position that I don't want."

---

"No, no thank you." Sasha swallowed thickly. "I told you people watch me in that place, I've told you

"Nobody is watching you Sasha, you need rest if you're sick, come on."

---

"It's not a position I wanted you to have either." Thea laughed sadly, pulling away and giving her a wry smile. "But I'll help in anyway I can."

"I can't rest, no." Sasha mumbled, shaking her head.

---

"Florence is behaving even more like a teenager at the moment, but has a crush on the Fae guest and she just isn't focusing. I can not wait until she is your problem." Karina laughed quietly. "That is the biggest hurdle right now."

"She has a crush? I need to hear all about it. I've missed all the gossip!" Thea grinned as she took Karina's arm, motioning for the guards to pick up her things as she lead Karina toward her quarters. "I'd have visited you but... I'm confined to Magnus' Kingdom for a decade as punishment so... everyone will have to make the trip for me." she giggled brightly.

---

"You must, come on. That's an order."

"Are you really or did you make that up for attention?" Karina asked with a quiet laugh.

---

"No, no you don't understand. I can't. I have told you this, I've told you, Emmett." Sasha whimpered.

“No, no I am. I think they thought I’d be screaming and crying at the thought but it means that for ten years I’m let off acting nice by travelling when Magnus is on visits. You know how much I hate long distance on horses.”

---

“And I’m telling you to move your ass back to the castle so we can talk. We’ll do it in my room if needs be.”

"The Guardians were ridiculous, to you and Dagmar. They were just unhappy because you both had the audacity to stand up for yourselves."

---

"Fine! Fine." Sasha hissed, shaking herself free of him and throwing money at thr vendors table, taking the bracelet and walking away toward the castle.

“We escaped with our lives… it’s up to us to make the best of what we have now. And I hear she is.” Thea beamed. “We received word last night about the baby. That all is well? Wonderful news.” Thea giggled happily as she opened the door to her rooms, allowing Karina in first as she fussed and took off her travelling cloak. “I want to hear everything.”

---

Emmett sighed deeply, murmuring orders to the guards before following her.

"Oh well, Florence spent the morning teaching Dagmar those silly modern breathing exercises." Larina laughed quietly. "All just more glamourised version of what we did of course and then when I was with her she went into labour. It went smoothly, she was scared but she done well. They haven't named the Princess yet."

---

She wrapped her arms around herself, keeping her gaze low as she walked. Pausing just outside of his quarters, mumbling an anxious; "Am I in trouble?"

“I mean you should be, sending a note saying you’re too sick to get out of bed and then being caught shopping.” Emmett muttered, before sighing and shaking his head. “No, no you’re not, Sasha.”

---

“Is the baby cute? Did you squish her cheeks and sniff her head? I love doing that with babies, they all have that wonderful smell.”

"I have, yes." Karina laughed. "I am the little heiress godmother, in fact."

---

"I didn't! I... I bumped into someone who told someone, wh- who told someone else wh- who told one of your fellow Generals who I... begged not to spill on how I was, to let me just send a letter instead and.. and he said he wouldn't but I owed him so.." She swallowed thickly.

“So what’s going on then? Why didn’t you come to work?”

---

“Oh that’s amazing. I’m almost jealous.” Thea frowned playfully as she gestured for Karina to sit down by the fireplace that was burning. “I’m so glad you came Kari, I’ve missed you.”

---

“Good morning Aesira.” Dagmar greeted as she scooped the infant up from her crib, gently holding her up to her shoulder as she pressed a kiss to her forehead. Having taken to calling the baby by different names until they could find one that stuck. She spent a moment by the window with her daughter before moving to get back into bed with her.