Hope Falls

Wyatt held Kael close, leaning down and resting his chin on top of his head as he soothed him. “I have you, you’re safe.” He assured.

---

“Mm, but then I’d be worried about them too, instead of just me… you and your bloody cats…”

Kael remained silent even as his shoulders stilled, slowly coaxing himself away from Wyatt's chest and lifting still trembling hands up to wipe a tear stained face, eyes bloodshot.

---

"One cat! One you shall learn to love as we are now living together." Aoife laughed. "You are not to tell the acolytes of any habits you learn I have, mm?"

“You have me, through this. I’m not going anywhere…”

---

“Of course not.”

"I can't do this," Kael whispered hoarsely, pulling his knees up to hug them to his chest. "I - I can't ha- handle this."

---

"You swear it?"

“You don’t really have a choice, son.” Wyatt replied sadly, “There’s no running… But I’ll be here.”

---

“I do, I swear it.”

"Wh- why wouldn't they... he had no intention of telling me? Y- you're sure?"

---

"Good. I have set boundaries for reasons. You have always been able to peek over the wall but letting you over completely is.. much different."

“He said if I told you before he could it would break you. The smug little look on his face told me he had no intention of telling you at all soon. I fully believe he did not intend on telling you any time soon, Kael.”

---

“You never allow anyone in.”

"That is where you and I are the same." Aoife smiled sadly. "Eventually people merely accept it. I have watched you, you have people fighting to be let in, lowering your walls for them may not be a terrible thing."

---

"You're sure?"

“I swear on the Ancestors I believe your father intended on keeping this from you for longer than necessary.”

---

“You were raving about royals being scum moments ago, now you want me to let one in.” Lily laughed as she moved a hand to wipe her tears.

"Then - then i will be civil to him until mother passes, and when i have to be for my sisters but that will be it." Kael nodded. "This is too far."

---

"You are fond on him, and I believe we are nothing in the end to them but... you seem keen on this one. He will either surprise, or he will prove my point that they are snobby things."

“He surprised in bed…” Lily admitted, “Whilst we are divulging things…”

---

“Your choice, Kael. Yours completely… And I know you will feel anger toward your mother too. But when she is gone you will regret any animosity between you in her final months.”

"The two of you were intimate? I thought you'd abstained, so you didn't risk saplings?" Aoife grinned. "Perhaps you have already began to let your walls down."

---

"I - No.. no how can I be mad at her?" He swallowed, shaking his head. "Not - not this time. She's ill. The blame is his."

“Nothing we did would result in a sapling, I made it clear I had those boundaries and he was fine with them.” Lily laughed weakly, “He is aware how I feel.”

---

“You have me… I will be with you through this.”

"Yet he still pleased you, mm. Even without my predisposition of royals, if he were a nobody walking around here I wouldn't have thought he would have been content with just that."

---

"I need to sort myself out, I need to - I need to go and see Lily. She delivered Rhea, her and Aoife, and then he does this? For fuck sake."

“I’ve had her moved into Aoife’s rooms for now, so she is not alone, so she is watched.”

---

“It was reciprocated, do not worry, the Prince was more than happy when I left his chambers.”

"I was going to say, there is no way the ancestors sent you such a man. One can't be crafted that is so selfless. It's impossible."

---

"And - and Aoife, she is okay?"

“Aoife is … irate. She will never trust your family again, I am sorry to say. She has never had much fondness for titles, she has made that plain. But she had a level of respect for your mother, your father. I fear that is all evaporated. She delivered a future Queen into the world and not ten minutes later she was imprisoned and threatened with execution at the death of the old one.”

---

“He is a good man… but he is a Prince who will ultimately leave here, marry a Princess and get on with his life. Which is why all we did is all I was willing to do.”

"It isn't something you done solely because I asked you to, for the information, mm? You did want to do it too? I only meant for you to charm him as he seemed fond, not charm him into bed."

---

"I am not my parents. She has known me all my life, maybe.. maybe I can talk her around."

“Not to sound rude but you were the furthest thing from my mind when I was in bed with him.” Lily assured with a short laugh. “I did want to, very much so in the moment.”

---

“Hopefully, but it will take a long while to repair the trust broken.”

"I am not them, I am not him. I am the furthest thing away from him." Kael laughed humourlessly. "I'll fix it, I'll find a way to fix it. I do hard things all of the time."

---

Aoife laughed quietly, patting her hand with a warm affection. "As soon as food arrives, we should sleep. I have had enough of this day now."

“You do, and you will get through this. I know you will.”

---

“You and me both.”

She laughed humourlessly, giving her a one armed hug and a squeeze of his shoulder.

---

"I uh... yeah." Kael swallowed, looking towards the bedroom. "I need to speak to Daphne too. Tha- thank you, Wyatt."

“Do not thank me for being honest with you, I consider it a requirement of our relationship.”

"If you require honesty. I believe you should at the very least wash your face and neck, your hands before you go home. Draw yourself an entire bath in fact, Florence will freak out if she sees you looking as you do."

“I’ll clean up, but there’s things to do before I even consider going home.”