Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 4)

"Third sitting room," Ky answered. Did the king and Tadaaki know where that was? She didn't know. But she was getting anxious about being here, so she rushed that direction.

Harold followed her, glancing anxiously back at the door as he did so.

(I swear to god if you kill Anneke or the baby........)

Tadaaki followed behind them both, having precisely zero desire to be between the nobles and the king. He'd let Ky take that bullet.

Ky got to the door quickly and pushed it open, striding inside, without a single idea of what she was walking into or what she should say about having the king in her wake.

(I said I wouldn't hurt them yet! It'll be okay)

Tomhas and Gaius were sitting side by side on one of the couches with Sara on Tomhas's other side. Tomhas had his fingers tangled up in his hair and his hands pressed tightly over his ears. His eyes were closed.
"You've done this before," Sara was saying gently. "She's strong and you're strong; you'll both come out of this just fine. Anneke's got this, Tomhas." She rubbed small circles into his back as Gaius simply sat, listening and nodding along. Ana was in the room as well, but Wick and all of the children were absent.

(Aashi and Tasia can be there as well if you like)

(ok good I realized I only asked about Anneke earlier and feared for the baby now xD)

Ky had a strong feeling that she didn't belong there. She was, by far, the youngest person in the room now and she felt like if the other Loquitur children weren't there then she shouldn't be, either. But she couldn't very well just run off from the king again.

Part of her wanted to stay silent. But Tomhas looked anguished. And she didn't want to embarrass him if he wouldn't act like this if he knew he had more witnesses than just his immediate family.

"Um..." Ky said, then realized she didn't have the first idea of what to say. So instead she stepped to the side and gestured at the king, figuring that message would speak for itself.

(Harming the baby would, indirectly, harm Anneke, I suppose. So they're both safe)

Gaius looked up and visibly stiffened in surprise. Then, quick as it had come, the tension relaxed and he grabbed his cane, rising. He dipped into a short bow at the waist.
"Your Majesty," he said evenly. "Forgive us; we were not expecting you and there's been something of an...upset. Lady Anneke has gone into labor."
"I heard," Harold replied as Sara rose and Ana stared at him in shock. "Good to see you, Lord Ash. And Lord Loquitur as well." Tomhas looked up, eyes wide and face pale and sweaty. He shot to his feet and bowed as well.
"Your Majesty," he panted. "So sorry...we didn't know you were--"
"I meant for you not to know, my friend." Harold patted him on the shoulder. "Sit down; you look about to keel over. Is Lady Anneke well?"
"We've had only snippets of news," Gaius said, seating himself. Tomhas sank back onto the sofa as well, followed by Sara. "It seems a fairly standard birth, though the complications from Peter's birth has everyone on edge. I expect it will go well."
"And how long has she been in labor?"
"About two hours--Ky, sit down, won't you?" Gaius gestured to the chair beside Ana. "We've been sitting here for two hours," he continued as Harold took a seat on the other sofa. "I suggested we go somewhere quieter but Tomhas insists on tormenting himself. Lady Anneke's brother and the older girls took the children outside to get them away."

(okay valid, good, whew. we need Ky to be in a good headspace for Zander lol)
(lmao Gaius be like 'oh shit dad came home early')

Ky had been considering backing out while the attention was off her, but then Gaius of all people invited her to join them. Or, maybe, her antsy energy was aggravating him and he wanted her to stop. Could go either way.

Ky looked up at Tadaaki.

He looked between them all. He had no business here whatsoever. Where were Aashi and Tasia? Outside as well? No matter, he'd find them. Wherever they were was where he belonged, too. But he could see that Ky wanted him to stay.

"Nope," he said quickly. She was on her own. He stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Well... shit. Ky turned back to the tension in front of her and strode forward, sitting down next to Ana as she was told.

"How are you, dear?" Ana asked quietly, eyes still on Harold.
"All due respect, your Majesty," Gaius said stiffly, "I'm sure we all would have preferred a notification of your intent to come. Accommodations haven't been prepared for you."
"No matter." Harold waved a hand. "As I said, I wanted it to be a surprise. Surely you like surprises even a little, Lord Ash."
"I've found that surprises may be one of the things I like the least in this world." Gaius rested his hands on his cane, fixing Harold with an unwavering gaze. "Tomhas would appreciate this, I'm sure, were he in the headspace to acknowledge it. But he isn't, and he won't be until his wife and child are safely out of the woods." He sat there unflinchingly as Anneke screamed again, watching as Harold blanched. "We do appreciate your presence, of course," he added after a beat and a look from Sara. "It was good of you to take time out of your busy schedule to attend Ky's rites."
"The least I could do, I'm sure," Harold murmured, breaking eye contact and fixing his gaze on the wall by the door instead.

Damn, Ash really was the scarier of the two if he had the balls to chastise the king of all people. Her chest felt so tight. At the tension of the room, and at being so near to the king, but mostly at listening to Anneke. She was aware, distantly, that childbirth was traumatizing. But she'd never heard Anneke make a noise like this before; and she wasn't sure she wanted to. Even for the promise of a baby. What if something happened to one of them?

Gaius's icy gaze slid slowly from the King to Ky, and the plain dislike on his face faded to something marginally softer and far more friendly. "How was the village?" he asked in a conversational tone.

Ky was so perplexed by this turn of events. Ash disliked the king? Was that even allowed? And why was Ash being nice to her now? Not that he wasn't nice otherwise but he also didn't seem to like hearing her talk very much so the fact that he was striking up a conversation seemed odd. Especially for small talk in a time like this.

"It was very nice, thank you," Ky murmured quickly. "Tadaaki and I had a very nice time."

"Splendid. Were there good vendors today?" Small talk was somewhat outside the realm of comfort where socialization was concerned, but Gaius had no desire to strike up conversation with Harold. He'd hoped fervently and quietly that the King would not come, and yet here he sat.

Was he really doing this? Well, it wasn't like she could decline. He was the Lord. And the adult. She was at his service and they all knew it. If he wanted rambling about the village, she supposed she had to give it.

"Yes, si--" Ky nodded. "There was a lot of nice clothing and a potter with nice little mugs and a jeweler with... jewels. There was a nice blue one -- I don't know what it was but it was really pretty. Nice to look at."

How many times could she say 'nice' in a single breath?

Gaius nodded slightly, suppressing a sigh. "I've found vendors to be interesting people; their wares are skillfully made as well. Especially in that village. I wouldn't be surprised if it became a town soon."

Ky nodded. She still didn't fully understand the difference, but she wasn't going to disagree with him even if she did.

"I imagine so. It seemed so lovely. I, uh..." She wanted to say she wanted to go back, but she didn't. Not until she was convinced that the assassins would have forgotten about her. Which she wasn't. The terror of running into the king had been more than enough cortisol to last her for a while. "I wish them all the best, to be sure."