Hope Falls

"I have no interest in harming anyone, I - I never do, not really."

“Something we agree on then.”

"It is?"

“I don’t wish to harm anyone either Kael. Never did. Not what I came here with the intention to do.”

"What were you hoping to get out of our marriage, fir your family? For your country?"

“Does it make me a terrible person if I say I don’t care?” Indira whispered, moving her gaze to the fireplace. It would make my father… content with me at least, to marry you. I’d no longer be under his thumb. I’d have my own household to manage. There would be less layers above me of authority on how I spend my day… I hoped I’d be lucky enough that the man I married - you, of course - would at the very least not be cruel. Zoya and I prayed extensively for it on the way here. I could live with apathetic, I could live with uninterested. As long as you weren’t mean I could live with it, give you a few children for the freedom you’d give me here.”

"All you wanted then was... freedom?" Kael questioned, pace cautious. "What else was done to you, other than the isolation. There - was there more?"

“What more do you think there would be?”

"I dread to speculate."

“Nothing that needs talking about.” Indira shook her head. “But yes… all I wanted was freedom. To no longer live under my fathers thumb.”

"You are - you are safe to talk about it, if you wish to." Kael whispered. "I have.. episodes, episodes where I can not breath, where it feels like I am dying. My heart goes from skipping beats, falling out of rhythm to beating too fast. I sweat, my legs can no longer hold my weight. Utter panic... It isn't the behaviour I should have, not the behaviour I show. Ada and Dmitri used to shield me from the public when it happened, then Fiadh. There is no one now..."

“I think after all you’ve survived you’re entitled to have moments of panic and anxiety.”

"I - Is that... .is that was it is?" Kael questioned quietly. "I'm not just... broken?"

“No, Kael. You’re not broken.” Indira shook her head, moving her hand to gently rest on his cheek. “You’re a young man who’s lost almost everyone he cares about, who was ill for most of his childhood and who has been through war several times. If you didn’t have some sort of reaction to all of that I’d think you were broken.”

Kael froze beneath her touch, chest not moving as he held his breath. Gaze steady on hers, long moments of stillness until his eyes widened, nose wrinkling in discomfort. Flinching away from her hand, he pushed to his feet and made space between them. "I need to go."

“Sorry.” Indira grimaced as he stood up. Nodding as he excused himself.

"No. It isn't you." He assured, gulping before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

-End Scene-

(( That made me laugh. I'll do a few hours skip Shove something up for the others too once I get the chance. Work is going to be busy for a few hours now - unless you want to post first of course, from Kael and Kenna spending time together? ))

((Also at work so I’ll post if I get the chance first ))

"The grey horse is having her baby, I heard the groom asking Joseph for some snacks to get him through the night." Cassius spoke quietly as he pushed open the door to his sisters room. Adding in a whisper, "When mum and dad fall asleep, I'm going to go and watch. Do you want to come?"

---

"Here. I don't know how it will compare to your drinks in the East, but everything they sell here is made her. Fermented here and recently the harvests have been indescribably good." Kael spoke over the sound of the bard, and the bustle of people as he placed a tankard of blue-ish green alcohol in front of Kenna. Sitting down opposite her with his own, "You need it, after the travel, I imagine."

“But what if we get caught? Dad says we’re not allowed to leave the castle at night, it’s dangerous.” Aesira replied from where she was sat up reading in bed, putting the book to the side when she noticed her brother.

---

“A whole week in close quarters with my father and his Seer. Whilst Lynette is making snide remarks and Farah acts as if nothing is wrong.” Kenna nodded in agreement as she took the cup. “You would think as adults everyone would try and get along better.”

"I am surprised his Seer has come, my mother had to put her in her place on their last visit. She stepped out of line, disrespected my mother, raised her voice. I don't think she'll be playing games like that again." Kael mused, sipping his drink. "You dislike her?"

---

"We will be with an adult, the groom will be there if the horse is having a baby." He offered a innocent smile. "You don't have to come, just don't tell them I am going."

“It’s not dislike it’s… I don’t like the level of control she has over my father. She makes him happy though, and he has pined after her for almost his entire life so…”

---

“But you know that now you’ve told me I have to come with you if I don’t tell mum and dad.”

"And your friend, Lady Belmont, what does she think of it all? You said she was making comments on your journey here?"

---

"You could just pretend I never told you,"