Hope Falls

"You looked dead when I walked in." Aodhän whispered, quiet enough for only her to hear. Looking down the corridors to make sure no one was lingering.

---

Several minutes later, Kael pushed the door open to his and Daphne's quarters. Calling cheerfully, "Daph, are you in? It has been a brilliant day. Wyatt is talking to me again."

"She wouldn't have meant me, no." Kael assured, confident despife the frown as he looked towards the door. "I will speak to her. Thank you for your time today, she appreciates you greatly, as do I."

---

"If - If you are still so tired after a few days then Aoife will have to check you over."

Kael took a step inside, taking his shoes off and greeting quietly, "Daph, I heard it didn't go as well as you were hoping? I'm sorry."

"Each part of you is authentically you, without the constrictions and the unbearable weight of expectation on you to be your fathers version of perfect." Kael frowned, walking around to sit on the edge of the bed beside her. Brushing his thumb against her arm, "If they can not see how bright you are when you are confident, and allowed to be yourself then they are simply blind. Their journey has been long though, mm? Their tolerance is probably frayed, and I imagine they are fearful of a place os different to what they are used to. Give them time, do not allow their sheltered views to knock your confidence."

---

"We are in touching distance of being able to live for ourselves, I don't want anything to go wrong. We are so close to being able to rest."

---

Avani sat with her back against a cushion on the window seat of her quarters, balancing a small paint brush in her mouth as she held her hand up into the light. Inspecting the ink drawings she had painted against her skin.

---

Mist would have coated the air in Florence and Wyatt's home, seeping through from a ajar door to the bathing room where Florence dozed in the water. Delicate flowers, and scented oils in the water with her.

Florence jumped awake at the voice, frowning at the splash of the water as it slouched out of the tub. "There is news?"

---

"'You may let him in, tell him I've been waiting for him."

---

"Not long to go," Aodhän breathed as the doors to their quarters was held open for them to enter.

---

"Family is ridiculously complicated," Kael scoffed, leaning down to lay on his side facing her. "I shall speak to them, once they have had time to rest."

"Rauiri. I have spent the day working out how to paint your old language, your ruins. If they will twist around words of my own and not look... terrible. For our wedding." Avani hummed, taking the brush out of her mouth and resting it upon the empty book beside her. Presenting her ink covered hand a moment later, "It isn't even semi-permanent, like it will be on the day as it is practice but I think it has potential."

---

"I was sleeping," Florence answered in defence, raising an eyebrow at the laugh. The sound of water sloshing once more as she got out of it, stepping out of the room another minute later wrapped in a gown. Hair dripping. "Good news?"

---

"A title you have held for a very long time. It will be an adjustment for you."

---

"I do well at putting up the Razi's, I don't believe your sisters could possibly be any crueler than them. They will want to be polite too, wouldn't they?"

Avani's shoulders tensed, quickly jumping to conclusions. Her hand returning to her lap as the smile faded, "Oh. I - Is all well?"

---

"A Lord?" Florence laughed quietly at that, finally sitting beside him. "Oh, Wyatt, that must feel... indescribable. Have you accepted? Is it something you want?"

---

"Do you have faith in me to be able to bite my tongue, and responded politely, for your sake?" Kael's hand moved from her arm, to her face. "I have dealt with scarier beasts then sister-in-laws. Try not to worry, we are all a family now."

---

"Indira." Aodhän echoed with a frown. "You should get into bed, I'll bring tge tea over to you."

"You fell asleep at your desk, Sol, you need to rest. I'll make sure the rest of your meetings are cancelled today."

---

Florence smiled widely, reaching over and turning his head to face her so she could lean in and kiss him deeply.

---

"Do not allow them to knock your confidence, the person you have grown in to is comfortable in her own skin. She has the power to make her own choices and know she will not be shouted down from them. She is you, she has always been you. They love you, so they will learn to accept it."

---

"Congratulations, well done." Avani spoke warmly, fingers flexing in her lap to prevent herself from reaching out to him. Nervous laugh escaping her lips, "You said there was bad news too so you - what is the bad?"

"I'm so proud of you," Florence breathed between kisses, only leaning back centremeters to speak. "The amount you have done in your life for that family, this is something you should have been rewarded with years ago. You -" She laughed, "I am so pleased for you."

---

"The - The house... oh." Avani swallowed, turning her face away to look out of the window. Whispering, "It is fine, the house isn't.. it isn't important. It was just a way to stay here, that's all. It doesn't.. matter. It isn't like I could have afforded it anyway."

---

"Yes, for rest though, Sol."

Kael wrapped his arms around her, leaning into her embrace. "Wyatt is speaking to me again, I have secured him as part of our council and Cavanaugh will be our Captain of the Household Guard, as we discussed. I had something I wanted to bring to you though, before I solidified it. Something about Indira."

"It is scary when I do not know what I am choosing between." Avani confessed, swallowing. "What does staying in these walls entail for us? What it is now.. secrets?"

---

"Displeased over your success? If I ever am then you have to leave me immediately." Florence laughed, brushing a longer piece of his hair behind his eae as she took him in. "Congratulations, Wyatt. You brilliant man. That inner royal circle needs someone like you, mm? You are going to make waves."

---

"I want her on the council. I trust her opinon, her advise is invaluable." Kael frowned when she pulled away. "I think she is just what we will need, if we want to keep building relations with Baldruun, and their allies."

---

"Fine. Fine. I'll join you."

"Indira is underestimated, she remains calmer under pressure than Avani ever could and she has a way of delivering information that isn't patronising. She'll bite when she has to." Kael shook his head. "Indira needs it more than Avani, and we need Indira more than we need Avani."

---

"No you won't. If you do something so silly, I'll sail back East to force you to put yourself first." Avani laughed sadly, reaching her hand towards him once more, this time to take his. "It is a building with things inside, isn't it? That's all. We can stay here."

---

"You have done it his whole life, I can't imagine it will be any harder than what you have already done." Florence brushed her nose against his. Teasing, "I can call you Lord Hawk when I wish to annoy you now, I can't wait to make you squirm with that."

---

"You are all over the place today..." Aodhän mused.