Of Crows and Songbirds (Part 3)

(Win win all around but somebody has to go back to Makata
This is political catastrophe)

Bay kept hold of Borrond.
Gaius eyed Borrond and the messenger, sighing. How was he going to manage this?

Borrond's lip was bleeding and he spat at the girls.

Ky tensed, trying to pull away from Talia, but she clung to her tightly and shook her head. "Please, Ky. Please. I can't lose you again."

The messenger looked between them all, bewildered. "... Is someone going to explain?"

"...Not to you," Gaius said after a pause. "Captain, please escort both of these gentlemen back to their rooms. And perhaps lock the Lieutenant's door." Bay nodded and started trying to move Borrond.

Borrond thrashed, trying to elbow Bay, but was forced forward a step. The messenger reluctantly followed, still staying out of arm's reach. He'd just have to ask Mikaelson once they left, he guessed.

Bay kept pushing him.
"Ky, Talia, if you'd join me in my office, please. Emery, you as well." Gaius gestured to the door.

Borrond struggled forward the first several steps, but once it became clear he wasn't going to get back to Ky he huffed and stalked along huffily.


Ky's breathing was wobbly and labored and a pang of fear ran through her as she finally processed what she'd done. 'My office'. Lord Ash's office. Lord Ash. She'd disobeyed Lord Ash. She'd elbowed Lord Ash. Gods. That was it. She'd been living on her last strike, and now she'd hit the home run. Dungeons, here she came. Move over Aleth.

Her throat burned as snot began trickling down the back of it but she shakily shuffled into his office, tears flowing down her face freely. Talia kept her arm wrapped around Ky tightly, steadying her.

Gaius was a bit sore from her elbows; she was wiry and her bones were sharp. But he masked it well, limping inside and closing the door once they and Emery were with him. Then he turned to face Ky.
"I'm not angry," he began. "But you've just made things significantly more difficult."

Her trembling redoubled and she melted under his gaze. "I'm sorry!"

"As I said, I'm not angry. But I'd like to know your history with that man." He limped to his desk and sank into it with a sigh. "Why did you attack each other?"

"He stabbed my Papa!" Anger crept back into her voice and her tears cranked up again.

"... Lieutenant Mikaelson's the one who took us originally, sir," Talia offered, voice very quiet and gaze averted.

"I see." He dipped his head, then was quiet for a moment. "Neither of those two men can leave Venholm now, you understand that?"

Ky's trembling strengthened again, guilt stabbing through her. She'd just killed them. All because she couldn't control her temper. Gods. Gods.

"But that works out well for my personal reputation. I have a vague idea of how it'll be covered up, but it will be a bit of a maneuver. And the other soldiers will be a problem." He looked toward Talia. "How many of them were kind to you?"

"Just Kael and Mr. Rifkin," Talia said timidly. "Sir."

"Mr. Rifkin is here?" Ky choked, terrified that maybe Gaius would have to kill him now, too. She'd rather toss herself off the tallest roof of this keep than even considerthat.

Talia nodded.

"They'll be spared, then. And informed in part of the situation. The rest will set the scene." He sighed again. "This is not how I saw my day going."