Ky nodded once. That felt wrong. She shook her head. That also felt wrong. She nodded again. It still felt wrong but she attempted a smile. It came out more of a grimace. “Mm.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Harold shrugged. "I can't please everybody, I suppose."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
There was literally not a single way for her to win in this situation. Siding with Ash was a bad plan for obvious reasons; but she couldn’t very well toss her new uncle to the wolves — as weird as it was to think of him like that. And neutrality felt trite. Still, it was the best option among the bad ones that she had. “Seems so, sir.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
A few minutes later, the Ashes returned. Sara was simy beaming, and Gaius certainly looked far more relaxed and less gloomy. "Auntie Ana, you're up next," Sara said. "I can take you, if you like!"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky glanced between Ash and the king. She wasn’t sure if there was tangible tension there or if it was just in her own mind. But she certainly felt it. She wasn’t going to have a chance to warn Ash before he interacted with the king again. Shit.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"No, please allow me, if you would." Harold rose abruptly. "Would you do me the honor of escorting you to your grand niece, madam?" Ana blushed, surprised. "Oh--certainly, your Majesty!" Harold dipped his head and took the handles of the wheelchair, easing her out of the room. Gaius sat down on the sofa and lifted Marcella into his lap while Sara joined him and took Mattathias. Oscar crossed his legs.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
The king must have felt the tension too. She was surprised he was running from it, though. She'd have thought the king of all people wouldn't be the one to back down from a fight; even if Ash was an immovable stone wall that also wouldn't back down.
Ky watched the door close, then glanced at Ash, then down at her lap. Should she tell him? This was the universe giving her a chance. But how did one even lead into this? Was she going to be speaking out of turn if she did?
She looked at him again, sucking in a breath to warn him, then slowly let it out and glanced away again. The anxiety was eating her alive, even though she hadn't done anything wrong.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Gaius watched her watch him. Regulus got up from the floor and wobbled over to his father, tugging at his pant leg. "Up!" he said, and Gaius hoisted him onto his lap alongside Marcella, who wrinkled her nose at her little brother.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky forced herself to take a deep breath. She needed to tell him. He wasn't going to come at her with a knife if she pissed him off; and, well, she supposed that meant she didn't have to tell him, either. She had no obligation to warn him of sour tempers. He didn't own her.
Still.
She didn't have to keep secrets from Ash anymore, so she didn't want to. She wanted nothing more than for him to see she was being authentic now. And, if his mind-reading was still intact, then he already knew it anyway since she'd been thinking about it.
"She told him that you talk about him a lot and that you really hate him," Ky murmured quickly, face flushing as she looked at Ash. "And I don't know what that means for you or if you even care but I thought you should know. Sir."
She dropped her gaze, face burning and chest tight.
There. She'd done it. Hopefully he wouldn't get mad.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Tattletale!" Marcella exclaimed, pointing furiously at Ky. "You teller!" Gaius looked between his daughter and Ky. "Marcella, be quiet a moment," he told her. "But she--" "No. I'll talk to you in a second. Ky, kindly repeat that for me?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
She was being a tattletale. But now she'd gone and done it. Hopefully, she didn't get in trouble. She could handle a child hating her more than she could Ash's disapproval.
"The king introduced himself to her, and she said that you talk about him all the time and that you really hate him." Ky's face was burning but she forced herself to meet his gaze. "He asked her to tell you that he trusts you because he believes your good judgment is greater than your hate of him."
Why was breathing so hard?
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"I see." Gaius glanced down at his daughter. That was...slightly problematic. Her words had made him a threat to Harold, moreso than he had been before. He didn't deny that he was one, or that he had thought many times about acting as one, but he didn't want that announced to the king at all. "May I ask why you didn't wait to see if Marcella would tell me that herself?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
"I..." Her throat felt tight. "Probably should have. I'm sorry. I... just thought you should know as soon as possible. I apologize for speaking out of turn. I didn't mean-- I... sorry."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Gaius dipped his head. "I thank you for your vigilance. Now." He turned Marcella, and she stared up at him with a red face and tear-filled eyes. "Marcella, politics are delicate. You need a light touch to make things go your way, and a light touch sometimes involves keeping quiet about how you feel about people you work with. I'll endeavor to do so around you, now, but I need you to try not to talk about the things I say about people. Does that make sense to you?" Marcella's lip trembled violently, but she nodded and squinted hard to keep the tears in. "I'm sorry," she sniffled.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky focused on metering her own breathing, wishing her face would stop burning. It's not like she wanted to get Marcella in trouble. But, gods, should she really have trusted a child to recognize that she'd made a big enough mistake to fess up to it to Ash in time for something to be done about it? Was there even anything that could be done? She didn't think it was wrong of her to tattle, but now she was doubting herself.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
