Re: Hope Falls

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 20:58

“I could take this opportunity right now, and make it so that you see her as your wife in name only, in duty only, and make me the only one you share your bed with… But it would be dishonest of me to try and do so. If I said I thought all hope was lost between the two of you and what has happened cannot be repaired…” Indira admitted, resting her hand over his. “I think you need to pick two lords you wouldn’t mind giving a bit of pocket change to with the sisters dowries, and marry them off. It is what they have come here for. Find them husbands and they will be out of your hair, and you and Daphne can at least try to get back what has been lost.”

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 21:09

"Yours and Ishaan's talks, about Kiaan and Rohan. Do you think they - would they do it? If it helps them with Mehan?"

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 21:17

“Marry the girls? If Ishaan ordered it, they wouldn’t say no. There’d be hell to pay with Kiaans attitude. But when faced with a child who is not yet sixteen or a bride at least a few years older I think Kiaan would have to admit it’s the better option.”

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 21:34

"It looks good for relations, the girls get what they want. Kiaan will be safe from a child bride."

"Checkmate." Magnus mused smugly as he made the final move in his game of chest against his daughter. "You need to start doing better, you've lost your strategy over the past few weeks."

Avani pottered in the living area of hers and Rauiri's quarters, just outside of the small private office to the west of the room where he and Wyatt had disappeared half an hour or so before. Trying to busy herself, and appear not to be trying to listen in.

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 21:43

“And Ishaan gets potential allies if it comes to war against Mehan…” Indira whispered, “They’re planning on assassinating him so Ishaan gets to see his son grow up…”

“You told me I wasn’t allowed to use my sight, my intuition because it’s cheating. It turns out it’s mostly the reason I am good at… anything really.” Zaria frowned as she studied the board.

“If you cannot handle it, then Brennan will replace you. No more chances, Cavanaugh.” Wyatt warned as he left the room, merely giving a quick nod in greeting to Avani before exiting their quarters.

Ruairi sighed deeply as he followed out of the office behind his boss.

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 21:54

Avani's eyes went over the two men, a quick analytical gaze that turned into narrowed eyes at Wyatt. Reaching her hand outwards to rest between Ruairi's shoulder blades gently, "Why is he throwing his weight around?"

"Anything? No." Magnus shook his head. "You are more than your gifts. It is only chess, Zaria. Just a boardgame."

"They - Oh." Kael grimaced. "War with Mehan, he has most of the wealth of your country behind him. Access to all of your brothers secret weapons, projects?"

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 22:02

“He has everything but the bloodline, which he now has claim in through Ishaan’s son. Apparently Rohan has a lead here, something he thinks he can use to covertly kill Mehan, assassinate him with nobody being any wiser. But if that fails, or if Mehan finds out. It will be war for my brothers life.”

“I need a fucking drink.” Ruairi whispered as he rubbed at his face, heading toward their alcohol cabinet and pulling himself out a bottle, not even bothering with a glass as he uncorked it and took a deep swig. “Queen Isolde is dying, Aoife and Lily are to be executed for it but Lily tried to expedite the process and almost died earlier at her own hand. And my soldiers under my watch just let it happen - but it would not have happened had I not shirked my duties today…”

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 22:07

“No! I can’t do anything when I’m not listening to it! I can’t even win a board game!” Zaria muttered, wiping her arm across the board angrily and sitting back with her arms folded.

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 22:10

"A lead here?" Kael laughed at the idea, shaking his head. "Covert killings is not something my family, any of my people are known for. I don't see what Rohan has spied that he thinks he could use."

Avani's brow twitched at the curse, moving to perch on the edge of one of cushioned sofa's and patting the spot beside her in invitation. "If the girl was going to kill herself, she would have done it with you present or not."

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 22:12

“Maybe the more you get to know my brothers the more you’ll learn from them. Rohan’s mind is… it’s nothing I’ve ever seen with anyone else. The way his mind can connect things.”

“I fucked up by not going into work today. I have not paid enough attention.”

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 22:17

"What else have you tried to do without using your gift?" Magnus frowned as he watched the chess pieces scatter onto the floor, and roll across tge room. "'You will have to pick those up."

"I thought the women were being kept to keep them safe from other Kingdoms? They had intelligence of a kidnap, didn't they? There was no talks of the Wasting." Avani shook her head. "He is blaming you for something you couldn't control, at all. This is - No. He is being unfair."

"Rohan's mind? I was always under the impression it was his, and Kiaan's. A combined genius, not singular."

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 22:22

“Rohan conceives the ideas, Kiaan makes them happen. The hands to Rohan’s brains. Rohan worked out combining two herbs could make an explosive powder, Kiaan is the one who calculated how to safely make weapons out of it in mass production.”

“Apparently Aodhän has been keeping it quiet, but still… I have been neglecting my duties.”

“Card games I am bad at now too, and playing hide and seek with the boys, and even my drawings feel lifeless now.”

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 22:30

"You believed in your men, trusted them to do their jobs whilst you took a day off." Avani got up once more, walking to him when he didn't come to her. Taking his face in her hands, "You're worthy of this role, you're good enough. Don't let this shake you."

"All we have here that you do not in Baldruun is our connection to nature, to the tress. Our ancestors. Things that can't possibly be weaponised."

"Your drawings? Impossible. Go and get me one, let me see."

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 22:34

“Different plants here, perhaps he has found a silent poison in one of them.”

“There’s no two ways about it Avani, I neglected my position.”

“I don’t have any, I tore them all up when I got mad.” Zaria admitted with a whisper, moving to pick at the skin around her nails. “They were bad, and it made me angry, so I ripped everything up and threw the shreds into my fire… Looking at them made me angry… I feel angry all the time.”

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 22:45

"You're shaken, he has shaken you. Aimed right in the place he knows it will hurt." One hand moved from his face to rest it on his chest, above his heart. The other caressed his cheek gently with her thumb, "He had days off, you are allowed them too."

"He can't use anything from here without permission. Things can't be done without conversations."

"I was a adolescent once, and I hear that for you women the years can be worse. " Magnus mused, offering arms out to her. "Come here, sit on my lap."

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 22:49

“I do not think he is going anywhere anytime soon, plenty of time for conversations.” Indira assured, kissing the top of his head. “Something to put to the back of your mind for now though, least of your worries.”

I need to start taking it more seriously or else I’ll be demoted, Hawk has made it clear,”

Zaria got up from her chair and walked around, climbing into her father’s lap. “I feel angry, then I feel sad… then angry again…”

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 22:56

"What makes you angry the most, talk me through it. Talk me through how it all starts." He encouraged softly, wrapping his arms loosely around her.

"Least of my worries, or just the distraction I need to get through whatever this brings. Whatever... losing my mother brings with it, not being on good terms with my father. A perfect distraction."

"What does taking it more seriously look like to him? What is he asking of you?"

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 23:07

“I think Rohan will be sticking around for a while… he has a fondness for Lily. I have seen him turn the charm on with women before, but with her I think the affection is genuine, not a performance. I don’t know how she feels in return but - she’s put up with him this long mm?”

“Not constantly being late on a morning because I don’t leave bed with you. Not showing up half the time because I am more concerned with other things. Getting my priorities in order, as he put it.”

“Things go wrong, like the drawings.”

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 23:14

"Can you do what he is asking of you?" She asked softly, thumb brushing affectionately against skin before taking his hands and trying to encourage him to sit. "Do you want to?'

"He needs to check in on her then. Tell him, not - not what happened but that she's vulnerable, and that she is with Aoife now for awhile."

"And why does that make you angry? When you were little you'd just try again... what is different now?"

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 23:22

“I know how to make things good. And then when it doesn’t end up good, when it doesn’t look like how I see in my eye… it makes me angry. Because why couldn’t do it when I know I can?”

“I have to. Or else I’ll end up being demoted.”

“I will, in the morning when he is sober. Ishaan mentioned he and Rohan were having a day with a bottle and some red root. My brothers are unfortunately not the best behaved.” Indira laughed softly. “If I told him Lily needs him now whilst he’s as high as a bird he may start serenading her or something equally as awful, the poor girl doesn’t deserve that right now.”

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 23:30

"Lots of things take practice, mm. Your gift is special, your intuition is.. extraordinary but there was a time your mother lost it. It was taken away from her and it made her so sad, she didn't see how special she was when she was just her. I just - I want to make sure you know that your important because of who you are, not because of what you can do."

"Serenading?" Kael scoffed the word, choking on the laughter that came with it. "Oh I dread to think. Those beasts they've arrived here with will scarper, I imagine? I never took Rohan as... musically inclined."

"This isn't something your doing for me, is it? Captain of the Guard. I know - I know you feel unworthy of a lot of things, and we need to - we need to delve into that more but... I am proud of you, as Captain, as you were when we met. You could be penniless and you would still all be all I need, all I want."

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 23:35

“You will always need more than that, and our child will need more than that. I do not want her thinking I was just content to live off your wealth and slum around preparing for her arrival.”

“He sings when he is under the influence, Kiaan will never start it but he will finish it where Rohan is involved. The two of them are horrifically bad at it. Ishaan has a lovely voice though, still does - I hadn’t heard it in so long but earlier the baby woke and he sang to him. It was nice to hear again.”

“I am important because I am the heir, yes.”

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 23:43

"You felt you were unworthy of every blessing from the gods you were given long before you ever met me, this wound is not so shallow. Talk to me, talk to me. What happened, who made you feel so small?"

"I need to pull them all into my fathers office for some red root, I think," Kael chuckled.

"No, you are important because you are you." Magnus began to rock with her gently, resting his cheek on top of hers. "My little girl, always, no matter how big you are. You are smart, I have never known someone to be as quick with numbers as you are. Your drawings, that is talent, sweetheart, not intuition. If it were your Seer intuition that made you good at art then your mother could draw more then a smiley face."

Phoenix Fri 11 Oct - 23:48

“I am not the little girl you wanted though… maybe Alex would have been better at all of this.” Zaria whispered, going back to picking at the skin by her nails. “Maybe she would have been able to draw without getting mad, and win games without her sight…”

“I love you, for the effort you keep trying to put in with my brothers. Even when they are rude and angry and push you away. The way you keep trying to form a bond with them… I appreciate it so very much.”

“Nothing has happened, you think too deeply into things.”

**BestNameEva** Fri 11 Oct - 23:58

"Our past leaves wounds for all of us and you constantly soothe mine, ease mine yet all you have divulged to me is that your father worked away to provide for your mother. That you saw little of him, nor did she. That - that makes sense, doesn't it? It makes sense, it is where we compliment each other during this - I feel comforted by being fussed over, it makes me feel good and you being involved reassures you that you are not him, even if he was doing what he thought was best." Avani swallowed. "Not feeling worthy though. You - How can I soothe that scar if I don't know what made it, my love?Telling you that you are enough isn't working, mm?"

Magnus took in a breath at the name, the normal pain flashing across his expression. "You are not second best, nor are you and her comparisons. You're your own person, being angry is normal. Your allowed to be mad at things, get frustrated."

"I think they need me. I - that doesn't entitled doesn't it? But I do... I think they need me."

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