Hope Falls

"Don't ruin the dream." She chuckled, using her thumb to brush his hair away from his eye. "Speaking of those, though, you should try and have some of your own. Sleep is what you need now."

“I’m okay for now, fever dreams aren’t the most pleasant.”

"You're such a pain in the ass." Matilida snorted affectionately.

“I’m a consistent one though.”

Matilida laughed, giving a subtle nod in response.

(( Do you want to skip a couple of days so we can bring the fae's influence into it all? So from when the teeth arrive? ))

((Sure))

"That smells nice, what is it?" Florence asked quietly, sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace in Raffetry's home, staring into the flames - having not left the house in the days since she had been bitten; the bite itself now scabbed over, though a scar would be left behind after it had fully healed.

---

Sarika sat perched on the edge of a wooden chair in the dining room just beside hers and Draven's quarters. A plate of food that was untouched and didn't have much heat left in it to the side, and papers in front of her that she scanned through with her lips pulled in to form an unimpressed line.

---

"Listen to what your mother tells you to do or we can't be out riding any horses today," Conan called over his shoulder to his daughter as he moved from the farm cottage they had taken residence in for their holiday away. Cassian in his arms as he rocked the crying baby to try and soothe him to calm again.

---

"I feel like we should have been a lot more organised with this." Karina frowned as she looked down at the baby girl in her arms as she fed. "It was much easier naming the cats."

“Because they’re animals and their names have no real significance. We could’ve called them Cheese and Crackers if we wanted to and nobody would bat an eyelid.” Emmett pointed out with a small laugh.

---

“That’s not fair you promised!” Aesira pouted, crossing her arms and stopping putting on her boots.

“Teething’s no fun, is it my boy?” Dagmar frowned as she followed them out, using her thumb to gently wipe Cassius’ tears away. “Not too many more to to.”

---

“Leftovers from yesterday.” Rafferty laughed. “Nothing goes to waste.”

---

“Draven just left your room with Matilda ma’am, first time since we’ve been watching. You asked to be informed when he was well enough to leave.” One of the guards informed Sarika quietly as he entered the room.

"It is perfectly fair, you've been asked three times to pick up the napkin and put it in the bin. That's two times too many. The first rule on the horses is to listen to what people are telling you; if you can't even practice that here then we have no choice. It's a safety issue, Aesira." Conan answered firmly, turning his attention back to Cassius and mumbling; "I can't believe we can't find his teething ring."

---

"What about Esmerelda? It's... a mouth full but it's pretty, no? We can shorten it too."

---

"It smells better than it did yesterday." She mused, getting to her feet and walking into the kitchen to see him properly. "How much do you have to do today? I could... I could come out; help you."

---

"Oh, great wonderful." Sarika mumbled, dread in her voice as she whispered to herself; "I suppose that means I can't leave it any longer to tell him what was found last night." Directing go the guard a moment later, "Send him to my office? I'll meet him there."

“We’ll have to get another one made for him, I wonder where the other one got to… I can’t imagine we didn’t pack it.”

---

“Hmm… I don’t know, I don’t see the massive rush in giving them names?”

---

“Do you feel ready yet?”

---

“Of course maam, and the Seer? Do you want her too?”

"We haven't been rushing, their two days old now. I want them to have names by the end of the week, at least, I think it's important."

---

"Maybe it fell out on our way here, I'll have to check the carriage again."

---

"I'll never known until I try." Florence whispered, wrapping her arms around herself as she glanced towards the window. "As long as you don't leave me on my own out there, I should.. I'm ready to try."

---

"No, no. Just him."

“You didn’t have any in mind at all?”

---

“Shouldn’t be too hard to source another. Or at least I hope not, I don’t think I can do another night like last night.”

---

“And you’re willing to accept that it may not go the way you want it to?”

---

“Yes ma’am.” The guard nodded before leaving.

A few minutes later Draven knocked on the open door of the room before moving to stand in the doorway. “You wanted to see me?”

"The way I want it to? What way do you think i want it to go?" Florence asked quietly.

---

Sarika nodded, rising from her seat and stepping out from behind the desk so she could study his properly. "Are you - How are you doing?"

---

"Especially when it's made Aesira grumpy, dealing with a crying baby is enough."

---

"Esmerelda, Opal, Lavena." Karina listed quietly. "Thinking of ones for him are a bit more difficult."

“We should’ve learned by now to always expect the unexpected shouldn’t we? Should’ve known something like this would’ve happened.” Emmett chuckled.

---

“I don’t think you’ve yet accepted that you will change at some point, Florence. That it’s inevitable.”

---

“Healing, don’t worry. What do you need?”

---

“Makes me shudder when I realise that the wolves often have multiple sets of multiples and having six kids close together isn’t unusual for them at all.”

"It's absolutely in-" Conan began, cutting off with a frown when there was a knock on the door. Offering the baby over to her and mumbling; "I don't know who that could be."

---

"You said the first shift comes when I feel a lot of emotion, so as long as I keep myself cool then I'm not going to. I've worked it all out, see. No fur and claws for me."

---

"Sit down," Sarika encouraged quietly, taking a small key off of the top of her desk and crossing the room to a locked chest on the floor. "Last night Garren woke me, he was ghost white. He'd come back early from his patrol of the border because he'd found something nestled just along the stream."

---

"I think as soon as I had it in my head that we'd have a girl I just thought it would be the two of them. All the names we spoke about in passing were for the same gender, I- How do we even name twins that are opposites? Do we follow a theme or.. have no theme at all."

"It's absolutely in-" Conan began, cutting off with a frown when there was a knock on the door. Offering the baby over to her and mumbling; "I don't know who that could be."

---

"You said the first shift comes when I feel a lot of emotion, so as long as I keep myself cool then I'm not going to. I've worked it all out, see. No fur and claws for me."

---

"Sit down," Sarika encouraged quietly, taking a small key off of the top of her desk and crossing the room to a locked chest on the floor. "Last night Garren woke me, he was ghost white. He'd come back early from his patrol of the border because he'd found something nestled just along the stream."

---

"I think as soon as I had it in my head that we'd have a girl I just thought it would be the two of them. All the names we spoke about in passing were for the same gender, I- How do we even name twins that are opposites? Do we follow a theme or.. have no theme at all."

“We don’t need a theme, I don’t think e doing anyway.”

---

Dagmar gently rocked Cassius as she held him up, glancing over to watch him open the door.

---

“Oh? What did he find?” Draven frowned, moving to sit down on the chair opposite her, movements still tight.

---

“You need to accept that a turn will happen.”

"You greatly underestimate my ability to put up with bullshit. I'm good at controlling my emotions... most of the time." Florence grimaced, wrinkling her nose. "It won't make a difference now, anyway, spending the day with you what's the most stressful situation we'll get in?"

---

Sarika pushed the container open and pulled out a small wooden box, with a detail pattern marked on the front. Slowly sliding it across to him as she sat herself back down; "Look inside..."

---

Conan opened the door and frowned when he saw the face of one of the messengers from the palace, their horse standing patiently at their side. "I gave the order not to be disturbed unless it was important,"

"My apologies, your Majesty, but I was told by the Seer to give you this letter as soon as possible," She frowned, ducking her head apologetically as she offered the paper out.

---

"No... so you don't think the names should have anything in common at all? Not even a starting letter?"

"You greatly underestimate my ability to put up with bullshit. I'm good at controlling my emotions... most of the time." Florence grimaced, wrinkling her nose. "It won't make a difference now, anyway, spending the day with you what's the most stressful situation we'll get in?"

---

Sarika pushed the container open and pulled out a small wooden box, with a detail pattern marked on the front. Slowly sliding it across to him as she sat herself back down; "Look inside..."

---

Conan opened the door and frowned when he saw the face of one of the messengers from the palace, their horse standing patiently at their side. "I gave the order not to be disturbed unless it was important,"

"My apologies, your Majesty, but I was told by the Seer to give you this letter as soon as possible," She frowned, ducking her head apologetically as she offered the paper out.

---

"No... so you don't think the names should have anything in common at all? Not even a starting letter?"

“I don’t think we should force it, no. If they happen to end up with names that have a theme that’s great but I don’t think we should stick to a particular thing.”

---

“Something always happens around here.”

---

“Any idea who it came from?” Draven asked before opening the box and swallowing thickly.

---

“Karina? I wonder if she’s seen something that’s - open it. We need to make sure we’re okay/“

"They've finally asked for their Seer," Sarika grimaced, tapping her fingernails against the desk as she took in a deep breath. "They - They've given us what they have left of him to prove they are sincere and.. and they've promised to send the Captain home when they get the girl back."

---

"Mm, okay well... what do you like? You must have ideas." Karina encouraged quietly.

---

"That's not a very happy-go-lucky Raffetry thing to say." Florence chuckled nervously. "What has everyone been like since... I mean.. do they all know?"

---

Conan waved the messenger away as he pushed the door closed, taking a slow walk into the sitting room and lowering himself onto the arm chair. Pulling the letter from the envelope and silently reading, lips curling up into a smile before disappearing a moment later with a quiet; "Oh."

Draven paled when he saw what was inside the box, slamming the lid shut and throwing it down onto the table as he quickly got up from his seat.

---

“Of course they know, Draven got whipped publicly for it.”

---

“What’s that look for? What’s the news?”

---

“I thought you’d be okay with getting to know them a bit more to see what name suits them.”

"He did? He's going to hate me even more." Florence grimaced.

---

Sarika took a deep breath, getting to her own feet and walking around the table to rest her hand on his shoulder gently. "I know..."

---

"Would you like the good news first?"

---

"We are getting to know them, but how long do you want me to wait before I start bouncing ideas off of you?" Karina frowned. "I don't want them a month old and still not having names.. I don't want them two weeks old and still not having names."

“I just - names are important. It’ll be with them for the rest of their lives. I don’t want to rush that’s all.”

---

“It’s good news? That’s a relief.”

---

“Fae bastards!” Draven choked out in anger, smacking his fist against the door as he struggled to take a ragged breath.

---

“Punishment is for all. He broke the rules and turned you without consent.”

"Just because he was punished doesn't mean he is going to back off of me now, it doesn't mean that the two of them aren't going to find some discreet way to throw my body in a bush or... or worse."

---

"Names are important, that's why they can't be nameless." Karina sighed. "We need to set a deadline for coming up with some, Emmett. As long as we don't name them anything ridiculous like I don't know... Albert then I think they'll be okay."

---

"It is good news, and... and some news that may upset you too." Conan frowned, putting the letter to the side and reaching his hand out to try and pull her onto his lap.

---

"Pull it back, if you shift right now you'll rip your injuries apart again and we have other things to discuss. Shove that detail to the back of your mind, we get someone back if we give them the girl... they want her unharmed though, so what do we do? I need your mind to bounce off for this, love."