Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (cont'd)

(Yep that's right!)

"I'm glad to hear it." Tomhas grinned. "They're bright children. I'm sure Regulus will be just as fast once he's older. My little ones are doing well, too. Anneliese is restless; she misses playing with Marcella. So does Oscar. Peter's too little to really care, of course. I think Lyra misses you all, too." His smile faltered.
"How is she?" Gaius asked, raising his head. There was something off about Tomhas now. What had happened. Tomhas fixed his gaze on his mead as he sipped at it.
"Oh, she's..." He gestured. "She's married to Ithicus Tarr. You know that."
"I do." Gaius's maimed hand twitched. "How is she taking it, Tomhas?"
"Fine, fine." Tomhas cursed himself inwardly for bringing her up; he wanted to confide in Gaius but he couldn't. Knowledge that they were breaking off the alliance with Tarr was strategic, and like it or not he was still at war with his brother until they both said otherwise. "You know what Tarr's like. It isn't easy, that's all."
"Mm." Gaius's eyes lingered on his brother for a moment longer, then turned to Ky. "And where do you fit into all this? Why has Tomhas elected to appoint himself your guardian?"

Gods above, how did she keep ending up the center of attention, when she wasn’t even doing anything wrong?

“Oh, I, uh… I don’t, sir,” Ky said, shaking her head. “I’ve no part in anything. Lord Loquitur took pity on me because I was down on my luck. I’m not— he didn’t — I’m just a servant. Well. Not his servant,” she clarified, wanting to be clear she wasn’t here with any ulterior motive. “Just a servant. That- that-“ she shrank under his gaze. “That needs to stop talking. Apologies. Sir.” She dropped her gaze.

"Whom did you serve before?" Gaius drummed his fingers on the table, glancing at Tomhas for a brief moment. His younger brother still had his gaze fixed on his glass of mead, knuckles white. What was he so upset about? Was it still about Lyra? What had Tarr done to her? No matter; he'd speak to Tomhas privately later tonight. He was learning right now.

“Master Srynka,” Ky answered. She knew most of the key players across the whole continent and did her best to pick a name that wouldn’t have seemed familiar. And that also couldn’t have been verified. She glanced back at Ash, actively refusing to so much glance at Aleth. She didn’t need his critical glare to weaken her story. And she was absolutely about to throw him under the bus. “He’s just a hired mediator. He drafted contracts between parties that were having a hard time agreeing on things. I helped with secretarial tasks.”

Gaius considered this for a moment, still watching her. "And you were treated poorly by this man, I take it?" That would explain the skittishness and the practiced charm; she would have had to hide her true feelings from potential clients as a secretary. But there was more, something deeper down. Tomhas remained silent; he was used to Gaius's insatiable curiosity and paranoia and knew by now to let it run its course. There would only be harm in it if Ky revealed Aleth's name and the deal they'd agreed on. And even then he hoped Gaius would see there was a bigger issue and deal with Aleth first. That was something he'd pay to watch.

“Yes sir.” The anxiety in Ky’s stomach was starting to eat her alive, but she forced herself to stay calm. It was clear Ash could look past her public persona and see she was uncomfortable. But she wasn't going to let any secrets slip. She’d take whatever beating Aleth wanted to mete out to her for maligning him. She’d rather take it, than have Loquitur in danger with his brother. “He was… very unkind… a bit of a brute.”

"Mm. And what happened to this brute?" His eyes turned again to Tomhas, then back to Ky.
Sera had been watching Aleth since they'd sat down, glancing between him and Tomhas. Tomhas was still quiet; his brother knew his tells. He couldn't help with this one.

“I… I don’t know,” Ky answered, forcing herself to meet his gaze. Lies had to have impeccable delivery to be believable. “His Lordship told me he would ‘take care’ of my master. I… I’m not quite sure I want to know, sir. I’m just happy to be free of him.”

She hoped Loquitur wouldn’t mind she implicated him in a potential execution. But, then, she hadn’t actually said so. Loquitur could counter it if he wanted.

"Ah yes, the famous champion of the oppressed," Gaius said dryly. "He's very sympathetic, isn't he?" He was too sympathetic to Cecily when his damnable mother left everything she owned to her; why shouldn't he execute some abuser of a stranger along the way? "I'm glad you've found a safe place." He did mean that, though his tone maintained the same aloofness it had before. "How are you finding Caracal Keep?"

“Very good, sir,” Ky murmured. It felt like she was in a dangerous place to compliment Loquitur. But she also wasn’t going to look unappreciative. “His lordship has been very kind to me.”

"I expect nothing less of my little brother. He's the kinder of the two of us." Gaius swirled his mead but still didn't drink. "A fool, though."
"A happy fool," Tomhas cut in. "Are you done grilling her now?"
"For the moment." Gaius set down the mead. "Apologies for the questioning," he said to Ky. "I like to know the people I'm surrounded with, especially if they're to become family."

Her stomach lurched again.

“Understandable,” she answered, choosing her words extremely carefully. “But I- I don’t think I’m… nearly so important as that, sir. I’m just a case of charity — good deed for the month. I’m not — I would never presume — I’m, I’m… just a servant. Nothing more.”

"No one is ever 'just' anything," Gaius disagreed. "If Tomhas had took in half the people he helped he'd be eaten out of house and home. You're not just some charity case if he's calling you his ward."
"And she's not a servant," Tomhas piped up.
"I guessed that."

Ky glanced between them. It seemed like they were finally agreeing on something at least. Even though she didn’t have any idea how to process their claims.

“Yes sir,” she murmured, dipping her head respectfully. “Whatever I am, I’m very appreciative. I know that much.”

Gaius nodded slightly and went silent. Tomhas nudged Ky under the table, giving her a thumbs-up. Then he leaned forward. "So," he said, "have you gotten any of the rest of the family together recently?"
"No one," Gaius replied. "Charles is ill, and Rasmus is off in the East for some ungodly reason. I've got no idea where the rest went, but there's been no reason to gather them."