Tomhas was increasingly pale. "We were going to tell you anyway," Gaius said smoothly. "We're waiting on Derik and Jerica."
"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 just want you to know that no matter what happens in there, what you’re about to hear, it doesn’t change anything between us,” Derik said to Jerica as they walked. “You’re going to be pissed, and that’s okay. But please know that we did it because we love you.”
Jerica furrowed her brow at him. “Did what?”
Derik took a deep breath and then sighed. “Just… try to keep an open mind and listen to what we are saying.” He knocked on the office door.
"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]
"Thank the gods," Gaius muttered, going to open the door. "Come in, you two." He turned back to Ky. "He's still here?"
"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
Jerica stepped in, gaze suspicious as she surveyed the room. Ky seemed agitated. The asshole seemed guilty. And then there was — “ZANDER!”
She shouldered past Gaius to launch herself at Zander. He stood up just in time and caught her, returning the hug, though his face was drawn.
“How do you know Zander?” Ky asked, staring, dumbfounded.
“It’s… complicated,” Zander said.
“It’s not complicated,” Jerica scoffed. She pointed at herself. “Ainsley.” She pointed at Derik. “Ainsley.” She pointed at Zander. “Ainsley.”
“He’s not an Ainsley.” Ky furrowed her brow, standing up. “He’s a Ruiarc.”
“Is not,” Jerica scoffed.
“Is too!”
"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]
"Girls," Gaius piped up, deciding he'd be better off leaving Septimus for later. "If you'd please sit down, we'll try to explain."
"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
“Zander?” Jerica demanded, looking at him with her arm still wrapped around him.
“Zander?” Ky looked at him accusingly as well. What the hell was this?
“Sit,” he said gently. “And please listen.”
Jerica huffed and sat down with a petulant frown. Ky also sat back down with a furrowed brow. Zander sat down, sighing heavily and waiting for Derik to come over and do the same. How the fuck was he even supposed to approach something like this?
“Our family…” Zander said after a moment. “Has a very complicated, convoluted past. And it’s catching up with us all now, I’m afraid.”
"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]
Tomhas's leg was still bouncing; he glanced at Ky and then his 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
“… you were both in grave danger when you were born,” Zander said after a moment.
That didn’t add up. Ky was perfectly safe until she was twelve; what was he talking about?
“…and it was necessary for you to find new homes for a bit, where you’d be safe… well… where I thought you’d be safe…”
Ky glanced at Tomhas; she didn’t understand what this meant.
"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
Zander was quiet for a moment, feeling like he was going about this all the wrong way. But how could he be any gentler than he was being? He didn’t know.
“Somewhere you could grow up and no one would know who you were,” Zander said.
“… I don’t understand,” Ky said after a moment. “Everyone knew who I was?”
Jerica nodded in agreement. Everyone knew the mighty Governor’s Assassin as well.
“… no.” He shook his head slightly and looked at her with a heavy sigh, guilt bubbling up inside. “They knew you as Petrir’s daughter. Which you were. You are. He was an absolutely phenomenal father to you and loved you more than life itself… but you didn’t share his blood.”
“That’s not true!” She argued, glaring at him. “He’s my Papa. Your brother.”
“I shared no blood with him either, Ky.” He shook his head slightly. “He looked nothing like either of us. Because we didn’t share a blood bond.”
Ky was gutted. Tears sprang to her eyes instantly even though her brain refused to process what he was saying. “No.”
"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]
Tomhas shifted, glancing at her now. "It doesn't mean he was any less of a father to you," he said quietly. "And he wasn't....he didn't lie to hurt you."
"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
This couldn’t be true. It couldn’t. She shook her head, scrubbing away the tears angrily.
Jerica was confused. She looked at Zander with a furrowed brow. “Why couldn’t she just stay at the palace? I would have protected her. Me and Rek would have been good cousins.”
Zander and Derik exchanged a glance, cringing.
“What?” Jerica looked between them, confused. “Ky’s not like Lyiaza I woulda been nice to her.”
“… We’re not Ainsleys, either,” Derik said gently, grimacing again.
Jerica felt like a rug had been ripped from beneath her. “What?”
"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]
This was going poorly. Gaius paced behind his chair, giving Septimus's area a glare as he walked to the window.
"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
“Then start explaining,” she snarled. “What do you mean I’m not an Ainsley?”
“None of us are, Jer,” Derik said gently.
“Then why the fuck are we pretending like we are?”
“To keep you safe,” Zander said.
“By making me an assassin?” Jerica scoffed.
He cringed.
“So, what, you’re not actually my family?” Jerica went on, feeling betrayed. That made her angry.
“No, we are,” Zander said quickly. “We are. I’m really Derik’s brother… and we’re both both of your uncles…”
Ky stared at Derik, aghast. He grimaced and dipped his head.
“So who are my parents?” Jerica demanded.
“Your… both of your parents…” Zander said quietly. “Are our older brother and his wife.”
Jerica felt like she’d been punched in the gut. “… both of our…?”
She glanced over at Ky, then Derik.
“… you’re sisters,” Derik confirmed with a little nod.
Ky felt like she’d been punched in the gut, too. Secret families. An extra uncle. A father. Mother. She had a sister! A biological one at that.
“… what’s my fathers name?” Jerica asked, voice wobbling slightly.
“It’s dangerous to—“ Zander started.
“What the fuck is is my father’s name, Zander?” Jerica snarled, voice filled with anger and hurt. “You owe me that much don’t you think?”
“It’s dangerous—“
“Yeah, and so is making me a fucking assassin,” Jerica snarled. “Or letting Ky get kidnapped. If you’re gonna let us think that our fathers are dead the least you can tell us is what our real fathers name is.”
Zander was quiet for a moment, then sighed. “Mikhail.”
“Michael?” Ky repeated, voice anguished. It was worse than she ever could have thought. She wanted to puke. Or sob. Or pass out. Maybe all three at once.
Ky didn’t know how to process that. She didn’t want… want… any of this. She had a surge of anger. “Well my father's name is Tomhas!”
"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
