Hope Falls

“Mm, considerably more.” Ada hummed in content.

---

“Someone who was witness to this still lives, a woman. She’s nearby…” Thea murmured as she came to, steadying herself with Magnus’ support.

---

“And you look after mine.” Dagmar rested her hand against her friends stomach gently.

---

“No need to thank me. You need to take it easy.”

---

“You’re not bothered about what people will say when I leave your room?”

"You must be unwell," Dmitri frowned, resting his knuckles against her forehead to check her temperature. "That doesn't sound much like you."

---

"Well done," Magnus praised gently, waving toward some of his staff to send them to investigate as he squeezed her lightly. "Are you okay?"

---

"You have nothing to worry about." Karina promised.

---

Florence shook her head, swallowing down what was in her mouth before answering; "I don't know any of these people, not really. They barely say two words to me, and the ones that do talk to me wouldn't care. Are you bothered by it?"

“I feel drunk… someone must’ve been drunk. Like really drunk…” Thea murmured, closing her eyes. “It’ll pass…”

---

“I’m not unwell… I’m just really happy right now.”

---

Dagmar kissed her cheek before letting go, giving her a soft smile before heading out of the room.

---

“Doesn’t bother me, just checking it didn’t bother you.”

"And you only enjoy painting when you are sad? You must have been constantly miserable before we became an item then; how tragically haunting of you."

---

"There you are," Conan grinned over his shoulder as he hurried Aesira into the carriage. "I was just going to come and get you. We need to get going if we want to get to the first place we are staying by nightfall."

---

Karina's smiled faded once she had left the room, letting out a slow breath as she lowered herself to sit down on the sofa. Leaning forward to put her head in her hands.

---

"It's very sweet that you care about how I feel so much,"

“No just… painting makes me happy, but so does this. And I’ve done lots of painting, and it can always wait.”

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“You would rather I didn’t care?”

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“Just saying my goodbyes to Kari.” Dagmar assured as she headed towards him.

---

“I saw Dagmar leave.” Emmett murmured quietly as he entered the room, closing the door behind himself as he headed over.

"Yeah, yeah it's good. Conan has been promising her a trip away for a long time, it isn't quite what they wanted - I think they dreamt of the human world but... yeah its good."

---

"Mm, she'll be fine, Dasha darling." He assured, "Come on, we must be quick. I can't relax properly until we get away from here."

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"It is nice you do, I'm just surprised, that's all."

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"Okay," Dmitri sighed, leaning back to lay down properly once more. Folding his arms behind his head to watch the ceiling.

“I’m sorry she felt it was okay to leave you

---

“I worry.” Dagmar offered softly as she climbed into the carriage.

---

“Do I come across so cold?”

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“You seem mad at me?” Ada frowned then as she pulled away from him.

"She didn't, I made her go. She was going to tell Conan they had to stay, stupid woman." Karina mumbled.

---

"I'm not mad." Dmitri assured. "No, no not mad."

---

"There is nothing to worry for, she has said before she has had visions of the twins before she was pregnant with them; that should be comfort enough for you."

---

"No, quite the opposite but..." Florence grimaced and shrugged. "I'm not going to expand on any of it; you'll go off on one if I do, tell me to toughen up."

“You’re gonna do the whole feeling sorry for yourself thing again?”

---

“The conversations over now mm? Let’s head off.”

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“She shouldn’t have left either way.”

---

“You sighed… do you want me out if the room? Is that why you want me to go paint?” Ada frowned.

"No," Florence frowned then, taking her drink from the side and having a few sips of it. "That's exactly the point I'm making."

---

"If Emmett has gotten to you then we can cancel this but this was hard to organise so we might not be able to go again for another few years." Conan answered, a little more sharply than he had intended.

---

Karina got to her feet and closed the gap between them; wrapping her arms around him in a gentle embrace.

---

"No, I want you to go paint because I enjoy watching you paint."

“Oh? You enjoy just sitting there watching me?”

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“I said let’s go…”

---

Emmett kissed the top of her head. “You still have me.”

---

“But that’s what you want to do?”

"Right. Fine." Conan snorted, stepping into the carriage and sitting himself down; picking Aesira up from her seat and placing her on his lap.

---

"No, I want to explain that I don't quite believe you; when you imply you can because the last person I believed changed their mind. Very suddenly... Fae men are dicks."

---

"I'll always have you, you and I will be fine. Devika will be there to help us if we need her to be... it isn't- it won't be as dramatic as Dagmar's was."

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"I am fascinated by you,"

(( Night night ))

“Fae are dicks, period.”

---

Dagmar leaned over to take Cassius from the maid that passed him over once she was sat inside, gently tucking him into the wrap on her chest.

---

“That’s… “ Ada chuckled in embarrassment, going red.

---

Emmett nodded, kissing her head.

"I can drink to that." Florence snorted softly in agreement. "I got the shortest straw out of all of them I think. I keep having to talk to The Guardians because Isolde complains about me to them. One day they might have to take away my sight; oh no, that would be ashame wouldn't it?'

---

"The truth," He finished her sentence quietly; "And when you're painting you are so... lost adventuring in your own world. I enjoy seeing it, I love seeing it."

---

"It'll be fine. I'll be fine." Karina repeated, though sounded like she was trying to convince herself then.

---

Cassius giggled when he was given to his mother, instantly reaching hands up to take a hold of her hair.

“They don’t do that, so if you’re acting out on purpose like a toddler you’re wasting your time.”

---

“And this - this was before we slept together?”

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“Hi sweet boy.” Dagmar greeted gently, prising her hair from his hand as she gave him her finger instead.

---

"I don't act out, I challenge the shit she says and she doesn't like it. The woman's a bitch." Florence snorted.

---

"Mhm," Dmitri hummed softly in confirmation. "Long before."

---

Cassius giggled, babbling away contently.

“A lot to say today mmm?”

---

“I’m not disagreeing with you. People are rotting in her little torture chambers as we speak.”

---

Ada grinned at that, snuggling into his chest.

"He'll be saying his first word soon at this rate." Conan laughed quietly. "He's imitating us a lot at the moment."

---

"I can assure you I've been her worst nightmare I was told she was fond of her last Seer, then there is me where she doesn't even give a shit I've gone missing. The trees speak, they have sprites in them.. all trees. It's all connected in this big web, if she really wanted to find me she would have right now. Your leaders will be waiting a long time for a ransom."

---

"When we are allowed time off, real time off then will you come with me to where the humans are? As long as I avoid my family I'm sure Magnus will allow it. I'd like to take you for a drive."

“Sarika isn’t dumb, we have Witches in our boarders who cloak the areas blur out people of interest, don’t let people see too much. The Fae have no idea.”

---

“It’ll be dad, the way Aesira’s was.”

---

“I’ll go anywhere with you.” Ada hummed in content.

"No, no he is definetly his mother's son. He gets all grumpy when I take him from you for a few hours."

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"Anywhere?"

---

"A wolf trying to kill Isolde a few years ago, wolves making a deal with a maid to hurt Kael and now me going missing. Isolde isn't stupid either, she knows I'm here."

“She wasn’t even the target of that.” Rafferty snorted. “Sarika reckons that Aodhän is the puppet master. The intent was to take him out. Broke him though and disabled the Queen for long enough so - plus Draven has had rumours sowed around that the reason the sprites can’t find you is because you’re in the Fallen’s underground, that you were taken back by the one that loved you.”

---

“It’s easier to say.”

---

“Anywhere and everywhere”.

Florence scoffed at that, shaking her head ih the negative. "Aodhän isn't any puppet master, he's a pussy cat or... a little obedient dog."

---

"You're a romantic sap, you are." Dmitri teased gently.

---

Conan shrugged.

“At least Aesira will probably sleep through…”

---

“You told that to them two yet?”

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“I am, I love this.”

"Sarika and Draven? No."

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"I love you,"

---

"I'm sure she will," Conan whispered, glancing down to their daughter before looking back to her. "Are you okay?"

“Are we running away?” Aesira asked quietly as she pulled the curtain out of the window.

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“You should. It’ll get you points with them.”

---

Ada looked up at that, her face blank for a fraction of a second before grinning brightly.