Hope Falls

“How can you love Draven but be numb? Because we all know you do love him…”

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“I wouldn’t blame her for finding someone simpler to be with.”

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“But that’s taking away choice.”

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Draven rolled his eyes, moving to turn his back to her.

"As a friend, which.. can easily be construed in my head when I was working through the last.. processes of accepting Søren's death." Matilda whispered. "I love Draven, he was my best friend... but.. he betrayed me, and he is trying to gaslight me now too. He has yelled horrible things at me. That - that is now another heartbreak to add to the list - a different kind but it's life isn't it? You though, yeah, you make me feel intensely so...."

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"Our lives will never be simple, nor will hers." Conan frowned. "So the roles we all play, our lives, are irrelevant."

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"And? I'll be King. I can do that if I want."

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"Come and face me. Coward."

“You wouldn’t feel remotely bad about taking away my choices?”

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“Intensely angry.” Izsak snorted, grimacing as the action caused shooting pains.

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“I can hope.”

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Draven ignored her, resting his head on his knees once again.

"Angry, confused. Safe, care-free." Matilda whispered with a small frown, glancing over and squeezing his hand when she noticed his expression. "Sometimes lots of things all at once. I don't understand it, I don't- I don't think the environment has been calm enough for us to spend proper time together. Normal time together."

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"You are being ridiculous. Karina loves you, she doesn't see you as 'complicated' or whatever it is you believe you are. He wouldn't have married you, had your children, otherwise."

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"If you were trying to leave me? No..."

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“But people should be allowed to make their own choices Kael.”

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“She wouldn’t be the first woman to marry and leave me.”

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“The children - “ Izsak whispered, squeezing her hand in return to trigger a vision. Flashes of the small countryside village they’d last been tracked to. Monuments and landmarks to help with identification.

"That's what this is about?" Conan snorted in disapproval, shaking his head. "You are going to feel really stupid when you are holding her again."

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Matilda inhaled sharply, muscles going stiff as her eyes rolled back. Gasping a moment later as she came to, heartbeat racing; "I- I hate those since one almost killed me. They're scary now."

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"No! No you don't get to leave me!" Kael yelled then, freezing on the spot to glare at her. "Why do you want to leave me?! Why are you here if you want to go?! Wh-"

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"Get here." Florence demanded, voice raising as she hit her hand against the cell. "Look me in my damn eyes after what you done to me!"

Sarika stirred from where she lay not far away from Draven, groaning quietly at the noise and weakly reaching her hand out to grab whatever part of her husband she could. Making sure he was still there.

“Kael. I don’t want to leave you. I never have - but if I did it is my choice, sweet boy. You cannot control people you love. It should always be their choice. My choice would be to stay, but if it wasn’t you’d need to accept that.”

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“You have what you need now…”

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Draven moved to curl around Sarika, gently pulling her into his arms. “I’m here my love, I’m here.” He assured.

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“Don’t mock me like I’m the only one with insecurities.”

"I'll let them know later." Matilda whispered, biting her lower lip before asking cautiously; "Can I lay next to you?"

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,"Go away, leave me alone." Kael panicked quietly, taking a few steps away from her before disappearing down a hallway. The door to his room closing behind him a minute later.

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"How dare you act like I'm not even here! How dare you!"

Sarika clumsily wrapped her arms around Draven's neck, tucking her her into the crook of his neck and closing her eyes.

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"I am not mocking!"

(( Night night ))

“Calling me stupid is mocking.”

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Izsak nodded, moving to flick the blanket up.

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“I’m here.” Draven continued to soothe as he held Sarika, kissing the top of her head and gently rocking with her. “I’m right here.”

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“Kael.” Ada sighed softly, following him and standing outside the door in defeat.

Matilda leant down to take her shoes off before moving to join him. Sliding beneath the blankets and turning onto her side to face him, resting her palm gently against his cheek. "I'm sorry."

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"Go awa-" Kael began to call, voice cutting off into a sob.

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"The words you are saying is stupid though, insulting to Karina too. Insulting to your marriage. Tell me, what has she done that reminds you of your previous wife?"

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"Fucking idiots." Florence growled lowly before turning on her heel and leaving

Sarika waited in silence until the echoes of Florence's footsteps went to nothing before asking quietly; "Are you okay?"

“Sorry for what?”

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“I’m fine, are you?”

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“I’m allowed my insecurities Conan.”

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Ada opened the door, closing it behind her and stepping inside to wrap her arms around him. “I’m not leaving.”

"Being the last needle in the haystack that'll result in your lovers deaths." Matilda whispered, swallowing thickly. "I just.. couldn't let them hurt Thea like that for any longer and I- I didn't want her to die when no one was around me either. You remember what happened..."

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"You just said you were so g- go no- now! Li- like Iso- Isolde might sti- ill leave! Ju- just go! Don't drag it out!"

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"I'm allowed to think they see ridiculous."

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"Mm, silly girl thinks we'd waste our breath on her." Sarika chuckled.

“No Kael, you’re not listening sweetheart.” Ada sighed, moving to sit on the bed with him. “I said people should be allowed to leave if they choose to - and I stand by that. You can’t enslave people do they don’t leave you, sweet boy. But I have no intention of leaving you, I don’t choose to go anywhere, I want to be home.” She assured, gently rubbing his back. “I know you’re scared of losing your mother - because that’s who she is to you now mm? And I can’t promise you that’s not going to happen but I know that she’s not going to choose to leave either - and will be doing all she can to get better for you, Kael.”

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“She got what she wanted when she saved the fucking Queen. She gets nothing else.”

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“I know.” Izsak nodded in understanding. “You don’t need to apologise to me - but I don’t think you’ve quite understood that I’m not making it out of this either, Matilda. I’m next in command after them, and executing everyone involved in the decision making for a war on the losing side isn’t uncommon. They’ll give you pretty promises, and tell you I’m spared to keep you sweet, so they get what they want. Then one day when you don’t expect it I’ll be hauled up and have my head on the block like the rest of them…” he said quietly, running his hand down her arm. “Just know that it won’t be unexpected for me okay? I know it’s coming, I’ll welcome it at this point… don’t think I’ll have fallen for it, that it won’t happen. I know, I’m prepared.”

"No, no Thea said you wouldn't. She said, becau- because I saved her that she wouldn't let it happen." Matilda whispered, voice breaking momentarily. Brushing her thumb against his cheek bone, "I- I feel we need time to - to... work each other out, don't you?"

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"B-b-but... a-a-" He gasped, trembling violently in her arms.

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Sarika nodded, leaning in to kiss him gently before resting her head against his shoulder once again. Closing her eyes.

“You’re far too old to be so naive Matty.” Izsak whispered sadly. “You’ve seen enough war, seen enough of how this goes to know I don’t make it out of this alive. Thea can only do so much.”

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“But nothing. Okay? Learn to listen to what you are told for once before you’re too old for me to have any kind of authority.” Ada teased gently as she rested her head on his. “I’m not going anywhere, and Isolde will be fighting tooth and nail to not go anywhere too… but you know what is the best medicine, out of everything? Hope. Love. Family. She needs you too sweet boy, just like you need her.”

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"Old? Don't be so rude. Dick." Matilda laughed anxiously, sitting herself up on her elbow and leaning in to press her lips to his just after tears slipped down her face.

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"I- I'm sc- scared. I - I can't."

Izsak kissed her back gently, moving his hand to settle at the top of her back.

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“I know you’re scared, I know.” Ada acknowledged, “But I also know you’re very brave. And I know that a hug from your mother would make you feel a lot better than even I could right now. And I think you’re brave enough to come with me and get one.”

"N-no. I- I'm not b-brave. I'm no- not brave."

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Matilda closed her eyes as she deepened the kiss, moving her free hand to brush her fingertips through his hair. Pulling back a moment later and touching her forehead to his, still trembling with her silent cries.

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"Wyatt? Can we train?" Florence called as she knocked on his bedroom door. "I- I'm angry. I need to.. it doesn't have to be a fight, we can just run it out but.. please come with me?"

“I think we could’ve been happy.” Izsak whispered gently, closing his eyes. “If we’d had the time.”

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“You’ve been through a whole war and survived Kael. I heard you attended the wounded, and helped your father. That’s very brave.”

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“No. Find someone else.”

"Like who?" Florence scoffed. "Why do you dislike me? What have I done?"

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"I- I don't feel very brave."

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"We have right now." Matilda whispered, voice shaking as she moved an unsteady hand to rest against his chest just over his heart. "You're still here right now."

“I’ll be with you.” Ada promised.

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“How desperate are you Matilda? I know I’m incredibly good looking but you need to pull yourself together.” Izsak teased, gently rubbing her back.

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“You’ve always been an annoying thorn in my side, please just leave me alone.”

"I didn't mean like - your hurt, I wouldn't coerce you into anything intimate." Matilda stammered, cheeks turning red with her embarrassment. "I just. I- I-" She took her head. "How do you feel, about - about me because I.. I have baggage, do much fucking baggage. Being old comes with that."

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Florence's jaw tensed, curling her fingers to create a claw against the door as opposed to an outstretched palm. Lifting her other hand up to scratch her chest as she whispered, only just loud enough go be heard through the door; "Well, that is cruel of you then. To not mind me there when you were hexes and needed the comfort, t - to just days ago promise to save me. You are cruel..."

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Kael swallowed thickly, leaning back to wipe at his eyes. "O- Okay."

Izsak audibly chuckled then at her embarrassment, moving his other arm to wrap around her. “I think falling in love with you would be easier than falling asleep, Matilda.” He replied honestly. “I think - no I know - I had my eye on you when I was younger, a stupid pup just coming into my wolf who was cocky enough to think it would be easy enough to charm you. But you ignored every attempt I made so I started going for my own age for a while.”

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“See. That’s very brave.” Ada praised gently as she stood up.

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“Mm, that I am. Well done for coming to that conclusion, goodbye.”

"I have a dead mate, who I will never get overcand who people will always love to use to hurt me, and it'll always work too. Then there are my visions, which weren't an issue before but now they run the risk of literally killing me." Matilda grimaced. "That - that sounds quite the opposite of 'easier than falling to sleep'."

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"Wh- what have I done to hurt you?" Florence pushed again quietly. "You're not - you're behaving cruel, is what I should have said, but you aren't. So, either I have dine something to hurt you or... something has happened."

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Kael shook his head in denial as he followed her.

“I just want you to go away.”

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“Your majesty?” Ada called, gently knocking on the door when they got there before opening it up. “The Prince would like to see you.”

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“You have a fire in you that never went out after everything. It’s kept you going all this time. And I’ve always admired that about you. And you’re a determined little witch when you want to be, couldn’t have just let me die could you?” Izsak laughed softly. “And you just kissed me - because there was a little voice in your head that told you to wasn’t there? Like one of those intrusive thoughts that you’ve been having to fight against for so long that’s just been telling you to do it, because I’m about to die and it was now or never and you just couldn’t bare the thought of it being never so it had to be now? I know, because I’ve felt it too, ever since I came back.”