Re: Hope Falls

**BestNameEva** Mon 2 Sep - 21:47

"Mm, one more hour of sleep before you have to take that drink. I suggest you stop chatting away and fall asleep, my love."

"No, no." Cassius leant forward, putting his head in his hands to pull at his hair in frustration.

"No? Cass... breath, you will give yourself an anxiety attack." Conan frowned, waving over a member of staff to pass Malachi over when the baby began to become tearful.

"If he hates it, how will he cope being King? Isn't that all a King does really, meetings, meetings, more meetings..."

"Mm, he was always meant to exist. No matter what your brothers schemings done, the ancestors ensured it. Ada told me that you and I would always be connected."

Phoenix Mon 2 Sep - 21:54

“Always connected… in the best possible way. I could not imagine life without either of you now.”

“His meetings now are to choose who he delegates meetings to later. I have no doubts he will be fine. Once I am no longer with child I can help too.”

“With meetings? A Queen does not do meetings. You mean you will take the burden of entertaining guests from him, the wives of the men he brings to court and the like?”

“No - no. He does not plan to rule as father did, where mother was only there to look pretty, do tea and have children. He wishes for us to rule as equals.”

“It’s okay.” Aesira assured as she rested her palm on her brothers back and gently patted. “I’m here Cass…”

“Just one more …” Lucian began to speak, though quickly drifted back off.

**BestNameEva** Mon 2 Sep - 22:10

"No, no." Cassius shook his head, shrugging her off as he got to his feet. "I am making this about me and I don't want to. I - I am going for some air, pretend I wasn't here."

"You can talk to us, Cass. What has been going on? Is this - is this anything to do with why you and Sira went to Magnus?

Marcus sipped his drink quietly as he watched.

"Are you - I - " Agatha shook her head. "Do you even know how to do meetings? I don't believe I would. It all sounds like a lot of pressure, on top of all your other pressure."

"Nor could I without you," Kael hummed. "Now, could you... could you send Hawk here? I feel fine now. I need to know what he is doing before I can prepare anything else about my rule."

Phoenix Mon 2 Sep - 22:19

“Mm, I’ll go fetch him. Are you sure you’re ready for the conversation?” Indira checked as she glanced to the door. “Do you wish for me to get your mother so you have support?”

“I have sat in on a few with Kael leading, he has assured me he will not leave me alone until I am confident. And Isolde will not just be packing up and leaving on the day of the coronation either, they will be here for a few months after to ensure a smooth transfer of power.”

“And then they will leave mm? Last thing any monarch needs is the previous one over their shoulder breathing down their neck and telling them what to do. It is why father sent grandfather off when he handed the throne over.”

“Grandfather was dying when he handed the throne over, Mama said father sent him away to be kind so he was not stressed in his final days. Isolde is well… but it is time for change, their ancestors declared it.”

“Still… do not allow her to step on your toes.”

“You are my brother, there is no pretending you were not here.” Aesira frowned, “Cass…”

**BestNameEva** Mon 2 Sep - 22:28

"No, no it'll be intimidating with the two of us in here. This has to be a conversation between him and I. I can - " He let out a slow breath, nodding to himself. "I'm ready, I can handle it, whatever the outcome may be. Thank you, Indira."

"You will be Queen, not her. If Kael is allowing you to make a name for yourself, is allowing the two of you to be equals then hopefully he can stand up to his mother aswell." Agatha grimaced. "It sounds like you have stepped into a very complex, overbearing perhaps."

"If I stay here any longer I will tell them and they are not ready to hear it yet. Not that any of it matters anymore, anyway." Cassius whispered.

Phoenix Mon 2 Sep - 22:33

“I will see you at bedtime, Idris will have the book of the evening ready and waiting.” Indira assured, leaving the room a few moments later.

“Not overbearing, they are just close... He has stood up to her previously. I’m sure he shall if necessary again.”

“I think if you need to talk about it then tell them… I will be here, no matter what.”

**BestNameEva** Mon 2 Sep - 22:40

"Tell him I am excited for the ending so he better not fall asleep before we get to it, the suspense is killing me." Kael called after her with a cheerful laugh. Getting to his feet when she left and grabbing two glasses, pouring himself and Wyatt a drink ready.

"Stood up to her, in regards to you?" Agatha frowned, moving to the edge of her seat. "What has the woman said to you, about you, Ne?"

"I - I think it needs to be done with just... just me and them. I think it is something that I have to do on my own."

Phoenix Mon 2 Sep - 22:48

“Kael and I - “ Daphne flushed, checking over her shoulder to ensure she could still hear their younger sister sleeping before returning back to the older ones. “On the way here, on the ship, we were not - we did not share a cabin. I wanted to make sure we were married in front of his ancestors, as well as our Gods, for their blessings. Isolde was - I believe more surprised than disappointed, that we had not consummated the marriage. That we had not begun trying for an heir the moment we were married. She expressed it and Kael made it clear that she was to not speak of it again. He did not deign to tell her that for many months we were not intimate at all because of his fears… and then when we were we were not trying for an heir…”

“Princess Indira coming to my rooms to tell me I have been summoned was not on the list of things I was expecting today. How may I help, Prince Kael?” Wyatt asked as he was let into Kael’s room by his guard, turning to watch the door close behind them.

“Okay… if you are sure, Cass. But you do not need to leave. Stay?”

**BestNameEva** Mon 2 Sep - 23:06

"Fine, fine." Cassius swallowed. "Make sure he doesn't promise you shit like that though, not just in front of me but ever. Make sure you don't believe it if he does anyway. It isn't worth the pain, Aesira. Never believe them."

"Take a seat, help yourself to the drink. I am reviewing my staffing, with the coronation being just around the corner." Kael hummed, sipping his own drink as he paced a circle around the room, and Wyatt, non-chalantly. "As you can imagine, there are going to be plenty of changes. Some people my mother will want to keep with her, others will want to go onto new ventures and others. Well, others, may not be people I want to surround myself with."

"You - He was.... You were intimate without the goal being a child? What is the goal if not to produce a child?"

Phoenix Mon 2 Sep - 23:16

“Sounds like you have everything under control, what is it you require me for, Sir?”

“It is… it can feel incredible.” Daphne laughed awkwardly. “Mother taught us that how the men feel is paramount but it goes both ways.”

“Men go to whores for pleasure without children. The wife is for children.” Iskra frowned in deep confusion.

“I’ll talk to him about it later, about those promises.” Aesira assured, patting his arm gently.

**BestNameEva** Mon 2 Sep - 23:21

Kael paused behind his desk once more, resting hands on it and leaning across to meet Wyatt's gaze unflinchingly. "I need you to get over it, or move on when I am coronated. I can not have the Captain of the Guard questioning my actions, my choices. I can not have you spreading doubt amongst your men about my ability to make decisions, especially under pressure. When the crown is on my head, where will you be placed, Wyatt?"

"Both... Why - why would they be interested in making us happy? What would they get from it?"

"Good," Cassius swallowed.

Phoenix Mon 2 Sep - 23:25

“You think I have been sowing discord among the men about your ability to lead? About your choices?”

“Because he loves me. He wishes for me to be happy too. And it is not just Kael it - I talk, with the wives of his friends too. I will not go as far as to say it is within every marriage but within most over here it seems the men make the effort in the bed chamber. At best they do it because they wish for their partner to feel good, at worse they do it for bragging reasons, makes them feel more masculine if they can please women… They view the bedchamber differently to our people at home.”

“It’s okay…” Aesira assured before gently pulling away from him. “It’s all okay.”

**BestNameEva** Mon 2 Sep - 23:33

"I asked you a question Hawk, I expect an answer." Kael returned frostily. "When I am crowned, where will you be placed? Are you on my side, at my table or are you finding yourself someone else to work for?"

"You speak to others about these things?! Daphne!"

Cassius nodded slowly, offering a sheepish smile to the room as he picked up his glass of water and took a few sips of it.

Phoenix Mon 2 Sep - 23:41

“I made an oath to you Kael, I do not break them. So unless you are relieving me of my duty I am staying where I am.”

“You coming here alone was a grievous mistake. Uncle should have sent one of us with you from the very start at least. Talking to others about your activities in - “ Iskra shook her head with disgust. “It is uncouth. It is - “

“Entirely normal to do, here, among fellow ladies, among friends.” Daphne sighed. “You come here looking for husbands that are not men like you are used to. The men here expect different from their wives. They will not expect you to lay there like mama instructed and just be passive. So if you wish to find good husbands from these lands then you will have to get used to discussing things you do not wish to discuss, wearing things you have not thought about wearing before and cracking a Gods damned smile once in a while!”

“Is there any news, from the King?” Liara asked, to steer the conversation.

“No news, no. He was trying to work his schedule to see if he could come see Luca before they all reunite at the coronation in a few months but he is incredibly busy. We did as asked though, and did not mention his progress. If Thea has seen anything of him walking she did not mention it to us. Hopefully Lucian gets his wish and is able to surprise his friends…”

**BestNameEva** Mon 2 Sep - 23:54

"I need you to back me, every time, no matter what you personally think. I am not here to impress you, do you understand? I need you to always be devout." Kael's voice remained level, maintaining eye contact. "You may not be planting seeds of doubt verbally but your actions talk, you changing your behaviour towards me talks."

Agatha flinched at the raised voices, shaking her head at her sisters. "Enough. You can not lecture us for every new thing we learn, Daphne, it is not fair."

"Magnus is clueless to any of it." Cassius agreed. "Eager to see everyone, I think he will have a shock when at Kael's coronation he will have more than him to entertain. Magnus is eager to get all of the attention, and it will be taken by Lucian and Kael"

Phoenix Tue 3 Sep - 0:02

“I understand perfectly, Sir.”

“Then stop treating me as if I am some silly child each time you learn something new… Afford me some Grace, believe I am still me. Please…

“But none of this is what we have been taught to expect…”

“We have been woefully unprepared. And I am lucky that I gained such an understanding husband. So allow me to prepare the both of you so you do not end up married and unprepared the way I was. Allow me to ease you into all this. I am your elder sister, not the other way round. Let me guide you.”

“I’m sure Magnus will find a way to turn the tables. You know what he is like.”

“Mm, he’s already planning his parties for next year, looking at his upcoming imports and the like.”

**BestNameEva** Tue 3 Sep - 0:08

"So many parties, all of the time. I will never understand how he and Thea have the energy to be constantly planning and organising." Conan mused. "The man is like a magpie, collecting all of the social events."

"You are to finish your shift today, go home and think about this conversation. Before breakfast tomorrow morning I will be here, and you will come in and tell me if there is a seat at the table for you or if I need to start having conversations with your replacement. Understand?"

Phoenix Tue 3 Sep - 0:12

“I do not need to, Sir. As I said - I have no intention of breaking the oath you had me swear, to be by your side as you are crowned.”

“The need for it baffles me… It is like their craving for blood, a craving for social events. For dancing and talking and… I think Eden was born the wrong species. She’d fare well as one of them.” Aesira chuckled.

**BestNameEva** Tue 3 Sep - 0:18

"I do wonder where Eden gets if from, her mother has never been a social butterfly even when Karina was younger and Emmett was the broody in the corner type at social events if he wasn't working them." Conan mused. "Perhaps it comes from a grandparent, an ancestor somewhere down the line."

Kael lowered himself down to sit back in his chair then, nodding stiffly and mumbling, "Very well..." Letting silence rest for several moments before whispering, instead of a dismissal, "How is Sully's training?"

Phoenix Tue 3 Sep - 0:23

“He is doing well. But his drive comes from wanting to be better than the other boys of his own age whom he trains with, rather than wanting to be the best for himself. I am trying to teach him to not focus on what the others are doing, but only on himself.”

“Cass enjoyed himself just as much as Thea and Magnus at half of the parties that we were there for, didn’t you?” Aesira glanced at her brother with a grin. “Though half is all he managed, I even less. They host people at least three times a week be it for simple gambling and gaming or a full blown party. No less than one full ball a month too. Thea’s seamstress must be one of the richest people in their country because I have never seen her rewear a dress either.”

**BestNameEva** Tue 3 Sep - 0:44

"Teach him like you taught me and he will be fine, I am sure."

"Again like Eden. Maybe she is Thea's daughter, in actual fact, it would make more sense." Conan jested.

Cassius just raised his eyebrows, contently and silently picking at his food.

"There must be something about it you like, to be so close to them both." Marcus smiled adoringly at Aesira. "If it is in their blood to host."

Phoenix Tue 3 Sep - 0:48

“Don’t let Kari hear you say that.” Aesira laughed, turning to Marcus. “I just enjoy their company. Being with Magnus makes it very easy to forget that anything is wrong in the world. He makes it all melt away for a while. No problems exist in his walls.”

“Already doing so, Sir.” Wyatt nodded.

**BestNameEva** Tue 3 Sep - 11:14

"No more Sir? We have done the.. official bits now. I am ready to forgive you, Wyatt, if you are ready to let it go too. You have to let it go now, and just trust me."

Phoenix Tue 3 Sep - 11:27

“You just pulled rank and file on me and you expect me to drop the formalities?” Wyatt chuckled then, though nodded at the request.

**BestNameEva** Tue 3 Sep - 11:30

"It is the first time I have done it, and I have to get back on a full childhood of you bossing me around. It is a lot of making up to do." Kael grinned, relaxing in his seat with a chuckle.

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