Hope Falls

"You got the firsts though." Rohan wrinkled his nose. "Much to your beliefs, I am not here to make my sisters unhappy. I don't want to rip them away if this is all genuine. I am just.. gravely concerned by the circumstances."

“I cannot tell you much for certain, but how much that little boy is incredibly loved and adored by our court is one of them, Prince Rohan. His parents not being married means absolutely nothing to us, only that the crown won’t sit atop his head. But in every other aspect he is the realms firstborn Prince since the wasting was no longer a trouble for us. He is the son of the future King. He is one half of a pair that brought us so much joy and broke our hearts permanently on the same day. Kael loves him dearly - and I know you believe what you believe about how Idris and Bodhi came to be but I do not think so. Kael cares for his son’s mother, he is trying to make her happy here so their son can thrive. We were all here in the aftermath of the siege. Kael wasn’t visiting Indira’s rooms every night to force her into bed, he was doing it to sit with her as she sobbed that her family was gone and her friend had been sent back. He visited her with food and when she did not want to be alone with healers and dressers as she recovered he would push back his own duties. When she tried to take her life it was Kael who saved her, who nursed her back to health. And when her mind would break he would be the one to bring her back. I do not deny that in any other circumstance - from the outside, that it looks terrible. The captive Princess birthing the children of her captor. I too would look at that from the outside and balk, curse the man. But being on the inside… There was no foul play, no coercion, nothing but a friendship that developed between the two of them and into more on occasion… I think you would find a weight off your shoulders, a stain off your mind and your nights in bed a lot easier if you let go of the notion your sister was harmed by him here. I can almost promise you that you will sleep better tonight and see the grass a little greener if you do.”

"I have lost most of my family to this place. Indira making this her home, Avani finding her place, Arzen not coming back and Ishaan... he returned but he may aswell be dead. Just a shadow." Rohan swallowed, peering into the room to watch his nephews. "All that really remains is Kiaan and I. The most distance that has ever been between us is this. It is suffocating."

“Maybe your home is not where you think it is… Home is not always a place, but your people… Maybe your home is now here. As your sisters are here… as their people are here.”

"My home is Kiaan." Rohan stated with a fierce knowing. "It is only deep longing for the others."

“Return to his side then, safe in the knowledge that your sisters are here with their children and the men they love. That one is married with a man sworn to protect her, a mating bond to ensure it. And the other is always secure in her position because her son is so dearly loved… What is keeping you here?”

"Them..." He mumbled, peering in once more towards his nephews.

(( Night night ))

“You and your brother… twins mm? Your brother can visit. You already envy me for the time I have had with the little one you have not. Make sure you enjoy whatever time remaining you choose to spend here.”

"I'll be leaving on Rahul's birthday, when he goes over to take his fathers estate from Kiaan. I wouldn't let the boy do the journey alone, and then he'll need guidance when he is there otherwise..." Rohan grimaced. "He is a good boy, but he is his father's son when he loses his temper. I, on the other hand, don't do well away from Kiaan for long. Do you know what it is like, do you have siblings?"

“I do not. Like most during the wasting I was a one and done child.”

"Mm, your dreaded wasting disease. It sounds very... what even is it? Do you know what causes it?"

“The land dying, our ancestors losing control caused it. When the wolves took over and desecrated the land, the disease ran wild. The more land they took, the more they burned our ancestors trees to the ground the worse it got. Crops stopped growing, animals stopped thriving, our fertility ground to almost a halt. The power we are supposed to hold within us… that is one thing that has never recovered for most of us, the power. Perhaps it will with time; but it has been many years and - “ Lily placed her hand over Rohan’s and managing to produce a daisy the size of her fingernail in his palm. “I bet you could do better than that, and the land is not your affinity, compared to us… Those of us born toward the end of the wasting, during its worst years, like myself… we have very little. Kael can produce incredibly, of course. Another reason to show why he is blessed. But most importantly our fertility recovered, wombs were no longer barren. Couples that had been trying for children for decades suddenly have full homes of little ones. I know children are loved across the world but for us they are that extra special because for so long we did not have them.”

"Mm, no. Our connection is with our animals, nit the plants." Rohan wrinkled his nose, gently picking the flower up and raising it towards the window to look at it with better light. "It is very thin, you can almost see through it. All the little veins, it's incredible. This is more unique then a full flower."

“Thin because I have no talent… Aoife can create almost a whole medicine cabinet from scratch on the battlefield. Incredible to witness.”

"No, no. Thin, semi-transparent. That's useful, more than useful. You need skill for that." Rohan mused. "It sounds like your ancestors blessed you all in different ways, and you have been so busy comparing each other you haven't stopped to appreciate what you can do."

“I can tell you manage childish shenanigans more often than not, with the way you reason there.” Lily chuckled, “Diplomatic, Prince Rohan, well done.”

"It isn't diplomacy when I am being honest." He grinned, ducking down so he was level with her, holding the flower so she could see it too. "If I were unwell, and it was only that part of the flower inside the petal that could make me better, the fact it is see through means that even someone untrained could extract it. There is no need for a knowledge there. A skill like this can bring your level of healing to your people, make it fully accessible for those who are in remote places."

“I do not think I can teach people to be as deficient as I am in creating whole blooms just so they can easily extract from them.” Lily shook her head with a soft laugh. “I do not even know if what comes within the flowers I create is usable, I so rarely try any more. It seemed futile.”

"You are wasting your talents. Surely it insults your ancestors, if you don't use the gift they've blessed you with."

“If my ancestors wanted me doing something they would give me a push, I am sure.”

"What if I am your push?"

“You believe you were sent to me by my ancestors? That is an awfully big statement to make Prince Rohan. Very grandiose.” Lily raised her eyebrows, almost impressed with the audacity of such a claim. “You; being sent by the powers that be to me.”

"You are finding any excuse to ignore your own talents."

“And you are highly presumptuous.” Lily frowned in quick annoyance, “Enjoy your breakfast, Prince Rohan.” She excused herself before walking away.

"You are angry at me for complimenting you?" Rohan wrinkled his nose in confusion.