Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 3)

(That's the truth but he chose to split the party)

"Well." Anneke's face twitched into an uncomfortable smile. "We got to about forty-five minutes this time. That's a new record, right?"
"I think so." Anneliese glanced at Ky, giving her an apologetic head tilt.
"I'm sorry," Ana sighed.

(Haha true)

Ky glanced at Anneliese, somehow reassured by the fact that there was another kid here. Even though she seemed more at ease. They were all tense and uncomfortable — but it didn’t seem that Anneliese was carrying the weight of the conflict on her shoulders. Maybe Ky should try to release responsibility, since she hadn’t actually contributed.

And she wasn’t going to be the one to suffer, just because someone else pissed off Ash. He wasn’t Aleth. It’d be fine… it would be. She just had to keep it together.

"Political talk is just best avoided, in all cases," Anneke said to her, patting her arm. "You shouldn't have said that about Michael, but Gaius has been an idiot for the past three months. It's nothing that can't be smoothed over, and he knows you're right."
"I worked with him in that kitchen for four years," Ana fretted. "I knew him better than his own mother did. I knew him better than Sara does, I'd wager. I'd never have made a misstep like that back then."

It had been a pretty rude thing for her to say. But, then, she wasn’t exactly wrong, either. So many people had suffered over a stupid war that didn’t even involve them, at the hands of two squabbling brothers. It wasn’t a great situation. But it also wasn’t a great comment.

Anneke nodded slightly. "But he'll get over it. He'll stew for a bit and sit there making it feel like it ought to snow indoors, then he'll be right as rain in a few days. Gaius never could hold a grudge against you."
"Well, maybe he ought to." Ana rested her chin on one hand. "Poor man."

Ky was so perplexed by these family dynamics. Maybe they were right — she had ended up, somehow, squarely in the middle of one of the more complicated families to have existed.

"Come, shall we all get something to eat and get you settled?" Anneke rose. "Dinner's a bit of time away, and you must be famished."
"I am," Ana admitted. "And I've missed that kitchen of yours. Almost as roomy as Gaius's library, and far fuller of things I can understand." Anneke chuckled and stood, taking the handles on the back of Ana's wheelchair.
"Are you girls coming?" Anneke asked Anneliese and Ky.
Anneliese looked to Ky.

“Um…” Ky looked between the three of them, but her gaze landed on Anneliese and then she shrugged. She was so tired of making decisions.

"We'll stay," Anneliese decided. "You two go ahead." Anneke nodded to her daughter and wheeled her aunt out of the room.

Ky deflated the instant they left the room; the tension leaving her all at once and turning her into an empty balloon with nothing left to give. She’d survived. She was safe…. She was safe?… hopefully.

Anneliese exhaled heavily. "Well, that's not even the worst of that," she said conversationally, giving Ky a flustered grin. "This family's completely mad."

“Holy hell,” Ky agreed breathlessly. “What even just happened?”

"A classic forbidden Mentioning of Michael. A very touchy subject at the best of times. At the worst of times..." Anneliese shrugged. "Well, at the worst of times it gets someone angry enough to go to war. Do you know about Michael?"

("We Don't Talk About Bruno" but it's about Michael)

(Hahaha)

“Not much,” Ky admitted. “I’ve got a vague gist that it was Not Good, but it hasn’t felt like my place to ask…”

"I know most of it." Anneliese leaned forward, eyes wide. "You should be really, really glad that Michael's dead, Ky. Did you see how Uncle Gaius's right hand is always twisted up and twitchy and he never unclenches it? Michael split his hand." She made a chopping motion. "Right down the middle with his two-handed sword. And he broke his leg, too." She glanced toward the door. "I only know because I pestered Mother one day. She said he did lots of even worse stuff too, and that he tortured everyone the way little kids torture insects." It was obvious she still thought of this as a thrilling story, a secret to be gossiped about.