Hope Falls

Aodhän leant back with a nod, tipping her head up by her chin as he leant back. Ducking down to brush his lips against hers. "It's going to be okay, we have faced worse foes."

---

"It is a discussion to have in private, there are too many ears here." Kael cast a glance over his shoulder. Pushing himself to standing and, after a pause - swaying as he found hid balance, almost stumbled out of the room and towards his own. Occasionally grazing himself against the sharp stone corners.

"Florence and Dmitri used to- used to tell me stories from their hu- human world where the men would be... clad in glimmering iron and the women these docile, soft things that need-ed to be rescued." Kael stammered, mindlessly letting his weight slump into her. "I like how it wo- orks here mu-ch better."

---

"It makes me feel young." Aodhän laughed then, almost throwing his head back with the sound - reverberating from the pit of his stomach. "It has been a long time since I have felt so... intrigued by something."

"You are not exposed, that's a very isolating words. I am your buffer, your shield. The blows, the criticism, the humiliation all falls on me long before it gets anywhere close to you. I am political cannon fodder, Sol. You - you're reputation.... I do very well at protecting that, I take the blows. Ones you don't always see."

---

"Noble women are not docile, nor s- soft." As he allowed the Pillows to fall around him, he gave Fiadh's arm a tug to try and pull her down onto the bed too. "Th- they are vip- vipers."

"I meant it to be comforting." He sighed. Crossing his arms loosely in front of him, to stop his hands from fidgeting. "I don't want to fight with you."

---

"We're alone - stop with that now." Kael groaned, clumsily using his toes to press on the opposite heel - hurryiny his shoes off. "The Sirs and the - come back here and lay with me."

"People think love is for show, but I would die for you in secret." Aodhän's hand slowly reached out for her once more, pausing half way. "It is ironic that the thing that displays most love is something you should never know the details of. When you are... doubting us though.. you need to know it happens."

---

"I don't know who this 's--sSir' is." Kael argued

"I know you love me." Aodhän answered without a moment of hesitation. "I would rather we return to our room, singular. I am tired of navigating the... awkward."

---

"Just say my name." Kael pleaded quietly.

Kael swallowed thickly, turning his head to the side to stare at the wall with a blurry vision. "Send for someon-e else to replace you, S-s-eagrave. It's barely been a few hours since you last had to do your duty... You're o good to me tired and I prefer you in our palace, where I don'ts have to beg for you to look at me like a p-person and not a title."

---

"Singular room, I meant too in cass it can be miscontrude." Aodhän whispered, offering his arm as he stepped beside her. "Singular room, but you and I together."

"You were o- off duty. Not im- important. No duty, not imp- importants. I juss Pr- Prince... Sir.. Not Kael."

---

"Wonderful." Aodhän relaxed then, letting out a slow breath as he moved out of the cells and towards their room. "My old quarters bed is terrible compared to what I am used to now. You have spoiled me too much."

"That was before I knew what it was like to sleep beside you."

---

"Yous off duty," Kael hissed, frustration flitting in his eyes. "You don't have to cares. There is mes, there is Kael, then there is prince. You don't care for Kaels, only Prince. Your off duties - Prince someone else's problem."

"It's been too warm, I haven't wanted them anyway." He grinned, relaxing further as they stepped inside. His arm quickly coming lose from herself so he could sweep her up, placing her on one of the dresser counters to be able to fully embrace her. Fingers tangling in her hair.

---

Kael just swallowed thickly, his eyelids becoming too heavy to keep open. Mumbling quietly; "Lays in bed next to me then."

Kael made a sound, as if to argue - though sleep took him under before the words could properly form. Body falling heavy.

---

"I'm sorry, Sol."

((( Night night))

"I know." Aodhän whispered, lowering his head to press his face into her hair. Flinching back enough to look towards their door when the portraits that hung on the wall fell with a thud, the gargoyles cry from beneath the castle shaking the rocks. "We will have to address this sooner than we would like to."