Young Writers Society

Ky fell silent, glaring down at the letter. She wasn't sure she even wanted to read the rest of it at this point. What other stupid decisions was he going to talk about next? Perhaps he'd fired his entire military? Torched their entire food reserves? Gave away every last coin he owned? If he was this set on self-destructing, gods knew what else he may have done.

So she didn't. Instead settling for pacing angrily and anxiously.

Gaius watched her, drumming his fingers on the desk. He'd expected sadness, tears, maybe. Not anger like this. It was good, he supposed. She should be angry. Her father had made an idiotic decision--an irresponsible one.

They shouldn't have asked.

She could have asked forgiveness. What would he have done -- toss her off his doorstep? Of course not. He'd probably be angry with her and give her stern lectures about her stupidity. But then that would have been that. They would have reconciled, eventually. And she'd be there.

But no.

They had to play Gaius's stupid game. And now look where that'd gotten her. Absolutely nowhere at all.

It'd imperiled her father for no reason.

And she was angry at both of them.

But mostly Gaius; this was clearly his fault.

"Would you like the room?" he asked after a moment. He needed to deliver Lyra's letters anyway. And this would be one of the last trips this leg would take up to the fifth floor.

"What?" She looked at him, then around the room, and shook her head. "No."

There was no chance in hell she was going to be in this study without him. Ever... ever.

But, well, she supposed there was no point in pacing trenches into his rugs when she didn't actually intend on speaking to him. Not until she could think of something to say that didn't involve being pissed at him and speaking out of anger. She slowly turned towards the door.

He shrugged and rose, taking Lyra's letters. "Well, if you have anything more you'd like to say to me then kindly do it now. I'm delivering these, reading the rest of my letters, then heading to the infirmary. I've been informed I'll be asleep for about a day after the surgery."

(would she know about the surgery or is he keeping it hush hush?)

(He may have mentioned it very briefly but she doesn't have to have known beforehand if you don't want)

"Wait, what surgery?" she stopped pacing to look at him, finally at least a little distracted from... everything.

His brow furrowed. "I mentioned two nights ago..." She hadn't been at dinner that night. Of course. "I'm having my leg amputated today. For better or for worse."

She blinked at him. "Today?"

Gods damn, she couldn't be angry at a man who may or may not be about to bleed out to his death. Imagine living with that on your conscience: knowing that you were the one who had agitated him enough to raise his blood pressure to the point his body simply gave out. Or. Well. Even if it wasn't her fault, then the simple guilt of knowing you were angry at someone until the very moment he died.

She couldn't do that.

Couldn't tell him how much she hated him for what he was making Tomhas do.

"Yes, today." He gave a nod, limping past her out the door and glancing at her. "Best to do it now, just before Sara leaves so I'm not healing all the way into my window to travel."

Right. Because they both were going to travel. And Tomhas, too. As they ignored their flagrant hypocrisy and kept her stuffed in her bedroom. She followed him into the hall. “…I hope it goes well.”

"As do I." He glanced down at his leg, grimacing. "I'm not sure that I'll like it." That was vulnerable of him. That was all she'd be getting, though. He limped toward the stairs.

Ky looked after him; should she follow? Or would that be awkward? Where else would she go, if not her room? But… well… he was clearly trying to get away from her. So. She didn’t know where that left her.