Hope Falls

"You have never been infallible. No one is infallible, no matter how skilled or experienced they are." Florence frowned, squeezing his arm gently once the armour pieces were removed. "Your confidence has taken a hit, the first time when you have been in a new place and the second time, today, only a day after you get such good news but such pressure too. It does not matter how many people believe in you, if you are struggling to believe in yourself." She leant up then, enveloping him into her arms. "No one was fatally injured today, you kept everyone safe again. You and your brilliant mind. I'm proud of you."

Wyatt swallowed, resting his head on hers and wrapping his arms around her in return.

Florence rested her hand on the back of his head gently, keeping him in place. "I'm grateful you've come home today, if she had a knife capable of so much damage. If it had landed anywhere else..."

“With how unprepared I was she could’ve easily jammed it in my ribs…” Wyatt laughed without humour, sighing tiredly.

"Pyscho bitch. Which one did you say it was?" Florence growled the words, hold of him still tight.

“Agatha, the younger one - the middle one I suppose.”

"Mm," Florence hummed in acknowledgment, closing her eyes as she rubbed her nose lightly against the crook of his neck. More animal like than normal. "You'll still be recovering mentally from the poisoning, you were so close to dying. One week away is not enough to recover from things like it. A bit of time now, for your hand, for your head. You'll feel better, let's go to bed. I'll bring you dinner there. Sully is already sleeping."

“Bed sounds good, wonderful.” Wyatt nodded as he pulled away, “Bed…”

Florence frowned, brushing hair behind his ear gently. "I love you..."

“I love you too, Florence.”

"I know," She whispered, "I'll put your armour away, then bring food into you."

“Leave the food, come join me as soon as you’ve tidied. I’d tell you not to bother with that but I know what you’re like.” Wyatt chuckled.

"Not to bother with tidying? I - " Florence frowned, eyes flitting to the armour. Shaking her head and slipping her arms around his torso once more to guide him towards the bedroom. "If you need me, I'll leave it until later."

“I’ll always need you.” Wyatt assured; kissing the top of her head before leading her to their room with his working hand.

"Captain, soon to be Lord, Hawk doesn't need anyone." Florence hummed, not unkindly as she undone the lace of her own dress. Something she had grown used to over the years, stepping out of it and lifting the covers to slip under. "Especially not his needy mate. I feel as if I make you want to rip your skin off on more occasions than you wish to be here."

“That feeling has been present long before you were even born, I assure you.” Wyatt frowned.

---

The next morning…

“Princesses Agatha and Iskra, my lady.” Ciara announced to Daphne as she opened the doors to allow the girls in.

“Thank you, Ciara.” Daphne glanced up briefly from where she was sat on her couch, still dressed in her nightgown and robe. Zenovia was sat on the floor between her sisters legs - still in her own bedclothes as she enjoyed her sister braiding her hair. “Good Morning…” she greeted in Caleeri before returning her attention back to braiding.

"What - I don't understand what you mean." Florence frowned, lifting up the blankets for him to join her. "Not wanting to be near people... or not wanting to be?"

---

"Good morning." Agatha whispered, voice scratchy and hoarse. Wearing a thick fur shawl that rested on her shoulders, and draped across the length of her arms. Dried blood still speckled beneath a split lip.

“I am old Florence, when I join the ancestors it won’t be too soon. I make no secret that I find socialising wearisome.”

---

Daphne frowned at Agatha’s tone, looking up and instantly appearing startled. “Via you are free to go play with my clothes, if you like. I saw you eyeing them up.” She gently patted her sisters arms and stood with her, steering her away from viewing her sisters. “Ciara - dress Via however she wishes, she’s allowed to play with everything except the tiara. Keep her occupied? She asked, smiling her thanks as the woman lead the younger Princess toward the dressing room.

“We are alone? No men?” Iskra asked as she lifted her head, revealing a black eye and a bruised cheekbone.

“Kael uses the rooms assigned as my chambers when he drinks or expects to be back late as to not disturb me, he is not here, and other than us sisters it is just my ladies. No men.” Daphne confirmed as she approached, hand hovering over Agatha’s face though she dare not touch. “Aggie… what happened?” She asked gently, completely horrified.

"I am asking you if you want to join them," Florence swallowed, reaching her hand out to take his and gently pull him onto the bed and against her. "I am asking you how deep this tiredness is in your soul."

---

"Your guardsmen are brutes." Agatha whispered, struggling to keep her voice steady as she flinched away from her sisters hand. "They were trying to- they - they tried..."

“I’m not going to be orchestrating it myself if that’s what you’re asking.”

---

“The - no. No…”

“Your beloved husband had us marched from the wedding like naughty children last night. And then the guards - “ Iskra swallowed as she stared at the floor. “They only stopped because Aggie had a weapon and hurt one of them enough for us to get into our room and bar the door so we would not be harmed further.”

“Kael would not have this ordered to be done to you. He would not.”

“He was incensed when we told him our feelings, how you were being disrespected by his actions. The bastard. He ordered us to be dragged from that room as if we were criminals!”

"Not organising it, but.. you still want it?"

---

"You think we would lie to you about this?!" Agatha's voice became so high that it broke, taking visible steps back from her sister then. "You think so terribly of us?!"

“No, Florence. You are making something out of nothing.” Wyatt sighed.

---

“No, no.” Daphne shook her head, gesturing for them to sit. “I can see plainly they harmed you, I believe you. I just do not think Kael would go so far as to organise this to be done to you. Clearly his guards went rogue, they will be dealt with, of course.”

“It was the big one. The brute who grabbed Aggie. Hawk. Your husbands most loyal man. You think he would act without implicit instruction? We told your dear husband the truth - that the bastard embarrasses and dishonours you, and he did not like it. He ordered us to be dragged from the room and beaten by those monsters who would have likely forced themselves upon us too if Aggie hadn’t stopped it!”

“Wy - Hawk did this to you? I - “ Daphne swallowed, speechless.

"Mm, of course, I always am." Florence mumbled numbly, staring up at the ceiling. "Sleep well, Wyatt."

---

"He told us he'd ruin our reputation," She struggled to keep a steady voice, raising a hand to cover her mouth. "He told us he'd make it so we would never get a husband, never be able to leave home."

---

Kael's lifted his arm to cover his face from the rays of the sun, turning his head so it was no longer in the patch of mud as he lay on his stomach in the centre of the ancestral wood. Still in his clothes from the previous night, dishevelled and smelling of alcohol. Physically flinching at the light as his eyelids fluttered open.

“Rise and shine…” Fiadh hummed from where she sat next to Kael on the ground, cross legged as she’d waited for him to awake.

---

“Oh Agatha.” Daphne pulled her sister into a gentle hug, doing her best to not hurt her sister further. “I am so sorry this happened to you in my halls, I am so sorry. Of course I believe you, I’m so sorry.”

"Mm, not yet, Fiadh." Kael mumbled drowsily, hand reaching out in the direction of her voice. Fingernails brushing against the grass just beside her, small white flowers growing beneath them - a uncoordinated attempt to put them in her hair.

---

"You'll send us home. I - I stabbed him through the hand, your going to send us home. Please don't sned us home." She finally sobbed, flinching at her grip.