Gaius caught her looking. He'd left it out of the tour on purpose. If she wanted to go in, she could go in on her own. He went in there as little as possible, with the exception of his visits to Oscar.
"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 at him, then looked back at the Keep. Was he thinking her nosy for looking? Perhaps. Oh well. She didn’t plan to go in there. What was there to be gained from surrounding herself with death? She didn’t know any of these people. And it would only remind her of Papa, and the fact she’d never seen his grave, and probably never would.
"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]
They went around the side and headed to the doors of the Keep.
"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
Pratik strode ahead and held the door for them. Ky finally stepped out of Zander’s arms to stride in first, followed by him. It was nice and warm inside. It was a welcome change. And made her realize how frozen she actually was.
"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]
"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
Pratik returned the nod, then strode inside. What time was it? What should they do next? He didn’t know. He was usually good at guesstimating time, but it was like the whole world stopped when he was outside the gate, watching the Marrow Man himself.
"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]
"Zander, did you plan on heading to bed or shall I have Pamela join you for a bit?" Gaius asked.
"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 looked at him for a moment, realizing that he was silently asking her. And, for once, this was a a choice she didn’t mind making.
“… we could hang out in your room?” Ky suggested.
Zander nodded, looking back at Gaius. “Not quite ready for bed.”
"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'll let Pamela know, then. In the meantime, I'm off to clean myself up." And probably burning his clothes--gods, they reeked! "And then I'm going to bed. So goodnight, all of you. Zander and Ky, you remember where your rooms are?"
"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
“Yess-“ Ky cut herself at the last moment and nodded. “We do… good night.”
"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]
"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
Pratik looked at Ky and Zander for a moment, then decided it was time for him to fuck off, too. They needed at least a few minutes of uninterrupted family time, and they weren’t going to get it outside of this. Zander was going to be alone or babysat. Every moment of the day. He nodded to them. “Good night.”
“Night,” Ky and Zander echoed at the same time, returning the nod.
Pratik strode off towards his room.
Zander and Ky both hesitated now that they were left alone. Then Ky walked directly towards Zander. He opened his arms to her and pulled her close. She was getting fatigued. She was still tired from traveling. And now that the adrenaline of Rönn was wearing off, leaving her even tireder. Especially since they couldn’t talk about it once Pamela came.
“I miss us,” Ky whispered into his chest, collapsing against him a little.
“I know…” Zander kissed the top of her head. “I do, too.”
They’d had very little time alone together. A bit before the gift ceremony, but not much. Ky had been excitedly introducing him to anyone and everyone. And she’d been too emotionally fatigued to enjoy the little bit of privacy she had with him in the infirmary. And then of course everyone was together during traveling. Emery was with them when they were here. Pamela was going to be taking over tonight. Were they going to get a single moment of family time together before he left?
"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 made it upstairs to his room after a few breaks, catching one of the servants and telling her to get Pamela to watch Zander until he headed up to bed. He was pretty sure the servant had wrinkled her nose a little at him, so he also had her tell someone to draw up a hot bath in his room. Sara was in the nursery putting the children to bed, so he shut the door behind him and stripped off his clothes carefully, folding them and placing them in the laundry basket near the bed. He wrapped himself in a warm mink robe and sat down on the bed, stretching out his legs with a pained sigh. The right ankle and foot were still nauseating to look at, even after all these years. They were withered compared to the other leg, skeletal and purplish from lack of circulation. The toes were twisted and the foot itself sloped down and to the right in an unnatural way. Gaius turned his eyes away and took a deep breath, casting his mind instead back to the image of the creature he had just spoken to. He'd never forget it. Something out of tales a nursemaid had told him back when he was an infant, living and breathing. Talking. And being kind...
"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 kept her arms wrapped around Zander tightly, and he held her close, letting her be the one to pick when they separated.
She was losing this.
Three years apart. Three years. And it was going to end in a few days, without them even getting a full day of quality time in, with it just being the two of them. She teared up a little. She didn’t want Zander to go. Didn’t want to be here.
It was such a startling change in mood from even fifteen minutes ago. But she was so emotionally unstable these days. She was glad she’d come, otherwise she never would have met Rönn. But she was already ready to go back. Tomhas would let her spend time with Zander without breathing down her neck.
"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]
Not long after, a manservant knocked and entered at Gaius's request. He and a couple others set about heating water over the hearth.
"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
