▲ my life is just constantly existing at ungodly hours
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Feb 26, 2021 13:20:16 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 26, 2021 13:20:16 GMT -5
Cassian had schooled his expression to be as neutral as possible. As nervous as he was, appearances were everything for a Rotherhithe, and this was no different. He didn't dignify anyone with a response, simply taking his seat at the table, and gesturing to the other nobles who had stood to greet them that they could sit. He could feel the piercing gaze of his father, but he didn't return it.
"Ah, your majesty," the smooth tones of the older man sounded friendly to the casual onlooker, but it was clear to anyone who knew Lord Rotherhithe that there was ice to his words, "forgive me, but I do find myself in a confusing position. I was told by the messengers and one of you that the law had passed and gained an overall approval from the council. Forgive me, but has a mistake been made, or did my servant lose something in translation?"
Not even gracing the council with pleasantries, Cassian thought dryly.
"King Cassian," his father's next comment almost had a sneer underneath his dulcet tones, "would you please explain why the message I received from you proved to be false?"
Cassian stiffened, as his eyes slowly met his father's and he swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I'm afraid that the few occurrences of highwaymen and bandits don't necessarily warrant an entire overhaul of the system we have at the moment," he was almost proud of the way his voice didn't shake, "while I agree that the roads should be better funded, extra..."
The man's eyes were dark, furious. Cassian swallowed again, his throat suddenly feeling dry.
"Extra precautions sh-shouldn't cost half of the entire budget set for all transportation systems in Lacaille."
"Oh?" the older man's tone had changed, silky smooth, taunting, "and so you spent a good two weeks campaigning for this and suddenly change your mind...I wonder, why? You must've seen the newest reports, of the merchant who had his entire shipment of fine wines stolen on the roads, no? And what about your people? Shouldn't their taxes guarantee their safety?"
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Feb 26, 2021 14:07:52 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 26, 2021 14:07:52 GMT -5
"This mistake is mine, Lord Rotherhithe," Aela responded with a tilt of her head, as if asking for his pardon. Her hand touched Cassian's leg under the table when he faltered, reminding him that she was on his side. "The law was set to be passed, that's true, which is why you received word that it would be. But I had not reviewed the reports in their entirety, so it was me who put a pause on passing the law to better assess the situation."
Aela nodded at one of the council members, who pushed forward a folder of papers. "The King is right," she remarked casually, as she opened the folder and skimmed the papers. "There was indeed a merchant who had his goods stolen. Most unfortunate- except, that is not the norm. Recent reports actually showed the rates of highway robbery and assault have decreased now that the transition period from my father's reign to mine is complete."
"Outliers, as alarming as they may be, do not warrant an overhaul, as Cassian said. I worry about the alarmism that would stem from reacting so forcefully to such a small threat. We'd be glad to discuss smaller changes we can work with your company to make to increase security as necessary, but such an overarching, expensive, and unnecessary law is simply not feasible."
Aela glanced up from her papers, giving Lord Rotherhithe a lofty smile. The council members mumbled among themselves, consulting their own papers. The Queen derived a keen flash of satisfaction from the way Lord Rotherhithe's expression twitched. If he had come here expecting to beat her down with that pathetic method of bullying his son, he'd be sorely mistaken. These were her council members, appointed by her and her father, mostly loyal to the crown. More than likely, if the monarchs sided with each other, there was nothing Lord Rotherhithe could do. There were many things Aela would like to do to him, knowing how he had treated Cassian, but winning this battle was a good place to start.
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▲ my life is just constantly existing at ungodly hours
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Feb 26, 2021 16:43:08 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 26, 2021 16:43:08 GMT -5
The man was silently seething, but his expression remained unchanged. "Perhaps that's what it seems from the throne," he replied, "yet I live in Vela, where the people say otherwise. There have been pirates at our coast due to Maline's lack of influence, and we've even heard of a kidnapping recently in our hometown. We've never had an issue like this until now and even without your funding, it is the Rotherhithe's security team that has been taking care of the matters around the country."
He scoffed. "You may not see it from your throne, your majesty, but it is my city that gets affected. It is my workers that are keeping the streets clean, who are going home late to their families because they are overworked with nowhere to stay due to the lack of housing spaces meant for them in far-off locations from the big cities. Adding extra training for new soldiers and land to build accommodations will allow us to hire and train more local help and boost the economy. There are plenty of young men without jobs in the countryside."
The man's smirk appeared on his face, his dark eyes twinkling. "Alas, I have heard that it may be due to the lack of...funds on the part of the crown, that this was rejected? If anything, you know I'm always ready to provide more financial compensation, if the reason for the rejection is due to the rumour of your father's debts during the last century. Perhaps this is the reason why we have not addressed the issue with the pirates in Maline yet?"
Cassian's brow furrowed. Was his father making this up, or did he know something? He simply sat still, his posture stiff, as he turned to Aela. This was far out of his knowledge at least.
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Feb 26, 2021 16:59:39 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 26, 2021 16:59:39 GMT -5
"As far as I know, Lord Rotherhithe, pirates are usually on the ocean, and not the highways- but do correct me if I'm mistaken about that," Aela responded, but she frowned thoughtfully. A kidnapping? Pirates? This was news to her, but it might be true. "The crown's funds are the business of the treasurer, but I assure you we have the money to deal with this."
She did need to schedule a meeting with the treasurer, to work out the remaining debts, but that was not something she wanted to discuss now. "I will look into the kidnapping and pirate issues, and request a formal report. That should be our compromise then- we can work with you to tighten security among the coastlines and in Vela specifically. We can pare down the law to write out the highway overhaul and focus on training and supporting soldiers to protect against threats from the seas."
It was what they were looking for- a compromise. It was a victory in Aela's book, since Cassian had submitted to his father all his life. If they could successfully back him into a compromise, it was a step in the right direction, and one that was easier than just flat out denying his somewhat reasonable request.
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▲ my life is just constantly existing at ungodly hours
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Feb 26, 2021 17:31:16 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 26, 2021 17:31:16 GMT -5
It seemed like Lord Rotherhithe's plan had not accounted on Aela taking charge so much. The man gave Cassian a glare. "Is the queen the only one to make a decision? I always thought both parties had an equal say, no? Shouldn't the king also have an opinion? It doesn't seem right that it is only the lady who speaks." It was clearly a jab at Aela, something that spoke to how many of the nobles still believed that the man should have a stronger voice than a woman. Lord Rotherhithe clearly had plenty of views that were still old-fashioned.
He turned to Cassian. "What do you think, your majesty?" the man practically spat the title out, and Cassian flinched. He must've heard his father speak this way for most of his life, but it still didn't remove the sting of it. The man had practically trained Cassian to fear the sound of ice in his voice; it often spelled trouble for him after all.
"I–" he hesitated, and for a moment, it seemed as if he was going to give in, to follow what his father would say once more, "I think my queen is correct. The highways do have trouble occasionally, but there are ways we can secure it without putting security check points at every mile or so. It seems rather redundant. We could easily train more fairies in the cities that follow merchants on the road if they truly are worried, or plan routes that have more stops within the smaller towns. Perhaps it'll even open more business opportunities that way and encourage merchants to expand their routes."
His voice had been shaky at first, but had quickly steadied itself.
"I feel like my queen's suggestion's correct," he offered quietly, "I do believe the coastlines are in need of more protection, and there's no one better to do so than you, Lord Rotherhithe. You know Vela best."
The man looked displeased. It was clear that this would not be the end of it. "So what would you suggest, your majesty?"
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Feb 26, 2021 17:45:04 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 26, 2021 17:45:04 GMT -5
Aela's eyes flashed in Lord Rotherhithe's direction, and she lifted her nose. "I speak because this is the job I was trained for, my Lord. Cassian is an excellent king, but he less than a year into the role. I would suggest," she said, coolly, "That you do your job of upping security and leave us to do our job of ruling. Unless you forget that it is your son who sits on the throne, and not yourself?"
To hell with that man's old fashioned views- Aela did not suffer for years under her father's training to be silenced by the first crotchety old man who stepped into her palace. "King Cassian of course has an equal say, and I stand by his opinion. Upping minor protections for traveling merchants or rerouting them while increasing security along the coastline is the best way to proceed."
The other council members seemed to be in agreement, and the discussion of how that would happen began. Aela deferred to Lord Rotherhithe's assessments of how to increase security, since that was his area of expertise, and sat back in her chair as the discussion progressed. It was clear that the man was angry, and that he would likely bring it up again, but the council had turned against him and he was trying to save face by going along while feeling the sting of losing to his teenage son and his uppity wife.
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▲ my life is just constantly existing at ungodly hours
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Feb 26, 2021 18:24:57 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 26, 2021 18:24:57 GMT -5
It was clear that Lord Rotherhithe was unhappy, but he complied. Cassian sucked a deep breath between his teeth as his hand reached for Aela's hand for a moment, squeezing it lightly in relief. This was over. It hadn't gone nearly as badly as he thought it would. As they finished the last bits of negotiation, he could feel his chest lighten. It wasn't that bad. Soon enough, his father would leave and head back home with more control over the Vela ports, and he would be back to normal.
The rest of the meeting went by in a flash, and soon, he was standing up, giving a quiet farewell to the rest of the council and his father, and heading through the doors once more. As the door slammed shut, he let a sigh of relief. "Oh thank the gods," he gave Aela a grateful look, "I thought that was never going to end."
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Feb 26, 2021 21:55:12 GMT -5
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Post by nostalgic on Feb 26, 2021 21:55:12 GMT -5
Aela let out a long sigh as well, before standing and crossing to Cassian, taking his hands. “You did great,” she told him, giving his hands a squeeze. “I think it went well.”
The deliberations had been long and arduous for her, knowing as little as she did of Lord Rotherhithe’s greed and cruelty. She couldn’t imagine the toll it had taken on Cassian to stand up to his father. “How are you feeling?”
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▲ my life is just constantly existing at ungodly hours
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Feb 26, 2021 22:28:43 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 26, 2021 22:28:43 GMT -5
In reality, Cassian wanted to hug her, to find some sort of comfort after that long meeting, but asking for that seemed too weird. He wouldn't have been able to do any of this without Aela, that was for sure. When she squeezed his hand, he gave her a soft smile, squeezing her hand back. "I think so too," he sighed, "honestly, I think I need a nap after this. I didn't think I could even talk, but I guess it's all over." Even if he did stutter a bit–truly something unprofessional for a king–he had said his piece without falter. That was good enough.
"I'm feeling...okay," he chuckled dryly, "not the worst, still kind of...amazed I survived that. I thought he was going to murder me. Actually, better get someone to poison check my dinner tonight. He still might try."
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Feb 27, 2021 0:10:56 GMT -5
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Post by nostalgic on Feb 27, 2021 0:10:56 GMT -5
“I’ll be sure to have the cooks taste test it,” Aela said with a laugh, her gaze gentle as she looked at Cassian. “I’m really proud of you. Now we can go on a well deserved vacation.”
Underneath the attention that was focused on Cassian, there was an edge of exhaustion in Aela’s demeanor and voice, though she was trying to hide it. Before either of them could say anything more, the knock came.
“Lord Wharton is visiting on urgent business, your graces,” said the servant who opened the door. “He wishes to speak with you.”
“Send him in,” Aela said, dropping Cassian’s hand and returning to her seat. After a moment, the old, sour faced dark fairy crossed into the room. “What can we do for you, my Lord? I wasn’t expecting a visit from you until next month.”
Apparently the Lord had no time to waste, as he didn’t even bother to sit. “My... son, the one I spoke to you about before? He’s disappeared, along with his mother. Off the farmhouse I provided for them. I was hoping you could help galvanize the search efforts, since he is to be legitimized as my heir.”
Aela lifted her hand, rubbing her temple before nodding. “Of course. What were their names again?”
“Elise and Charlie Monroe. I brought a picture of the girl, one that her father loaned me for a portrait for missing persons information.” Lord Wharton dug an old photo out of his pocket, handing it to Aela. “It’s a bit dated, but she looks much the same.”
Aela took the photo, examining it before laying it on the table between herself and Cassian. “We’d be happy to help. I’ll direct you to the acting captain of the guard, and they can lend you some men to search Vela.”
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▲ my life is just constantly existing at ungodly hours
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Feb 27, 2021 10:39:27 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 27, 2021 10:39:27 GMT -5
Cassian had to stifle a snicker at the name of Lord Wharton, especially after their lovely little conversation just a day ago about how his face looked like a squeezed lemon. Gods, he was going to have to pretend he never thought of that, all throughout this little meeting of theirs if he was to take it seriously. He returned to his seat, forcing his expression to still as the man came in with his sour-lemon face.
Huh, so the rumours were true, he thought dryly, his expression unchanging as the man spoke of a son. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, the fact that he knew exactly what the rumours were and how the man had practically impregnated a commoner and forced her to carry his spawn. How disgraceful, Cassian thought, his jaw tightening slightly.
He supposed the whole security thing definitely made sense; so his father was right. Maybe there had been a kidnapping recently. He just didn't expect this. Did the man even consider that perhaps the girl had just gotten so tired of him that she finally left to get a new life.
What he didn't expect, however, was to actually recognise the girl in the photo. What? His breath hitched at the sight of the photo, and he almost stood if he didn't hold himself back. His shoulders were tense as he bit back a comment. He knew this girl. Elise, right? Why did she look so familiar? His memories were hazy, but he could remember something to do with his brother. She was one of his friends. His girlfriend maybe?
She was nice. He couldn't remember much about her, but she was nice. There was a memory about going to a carnival, and how for once, even his brother had been kind to him.
"Actually," he spoke up, "you need not to worry about it, Lord Wharton." His voice sounded clipped, disinterested, but it was clear to anyone else who knew him that he was far from it. "We will let the intelligence know to keep an eye out. My father has set more security around Vela to prevent it from happening, and we've been investigating some recent kidnappings in Vela anyway. We'll keep an eye out for them."
His words were curt, enough to be a dismissal, and with a look to the guards, they opened the heavy doors once again, a sign that it was time for him to leave
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Feb 27, 2021 10:48:27 GMT -5
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Post by nostalgic on Feb 27, 2021 10:48:27 GMT -5
Lord Wharton glanced between them with pursed lips, seeing if Aela would say anything else, but she merely inclined her head and the servants came forward, helping to escort the man out and away from the meeting room.
When the door closed again, Aela turned to Cassian, raising an eyebrow. “What’s going on?” She couldn’t puzzle it out, why he had shut down Lord Wharton so quickly. Sure, it was a little gross that he had a mistress so young, one that he’d dumped out in the middle of nowhere to raise a child. But hadn’t he just said at their picnic that not everything was their problem? She had expected disinterest or faint mockery, but she knew enough of Cassian now to know that something was bothering him.
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Feb 27, 2021 20:18:03 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 27, 2021 20:18:03 GMT -5
Cassian hesitated. He didn't even know where to start; he hadn't planned on reacting this way. The surprise of recognizing a face–especially a face in relation to his brother–had elicited such a response that he had spoken without thinking. He knew that there was a chance the nobles would talk, and many of the probably didn't appreciate the fact that two children were practically ruling about the place anyway. They had to provide a united front, Cassian understood that. Still, this was...complicated.
He barely knew the girl. In all honesty, he had blocked most of his memories out from when he was a child, all up until he started going to the private school instead of learning from tutors his father hired. His life had improved significantly after–Cato was away training and he finally had friends–and he had never wanted to look back.
The young king's jaw tightened. "She–I know that girl, I think," he frowned, "not well or anything. We weren't friends, but...she was in the same class as my brother. I don't remember a lot but he used to sneak her over to the house when our father wasn't home and she took us to the carnival once. She was...nice to me," he had a look on his face, one that almost seemed soft, "I thought they were dating but they probably broke up before he left for training."
He remembered the night before he had left. He had found Cato sitting on the roof, and for once, the boy talked to him like they were equals. He could only remember that when Elise was there, she was nice, and Cato would be nice to him too. It was rare, and part of him wanted to return the favour.
He shifted uncomfortably, looking away from Aela. "I guess I just didn't expect her to be Lord Wharton's woman on the side," he mumbled, "and the mother of his bastard. I don't know her but she didn't deserve this."
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Feb 27, 2021 20:56:05 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 27, 2021 20:56:05 GMT -5
"Elise does sound nice," Aela said looking down at the picture once more. That girl- young, pretty, rich but untitled- had slept with sour face Wharton? It didn't make sense to her, especially when she had been dating Cato Rotherhithe, who by all accounts had been the exact opposite of the older Lord.
It was understandable, where Cassian was coming from. Aela remembered all too well the few who had truly been nice to her, as a child. Lizzie, Lizzie's parents, Ezra... What would she do, if she learned they were in trouble now? No matter how long it had been, she didn't doubt she'd come to their help.
"So what do you want to do?" Aela asked, looking over at Cassian. He was right- nobody deserved what Wharton had put Elise through. "If she ran away... we can let her go, if that's better. We can also look for her alongside Wharton- or we could look for her ourselves." She didn't literally mean for them to search, but rather for Elise to be brought to the palace when found, instead of returned to the care of Wharton.
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Feb 27, 2021 21:44:49 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 27, 2021 21:44:49 GMT -5
Cassian shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know why she'd end up with a guy like this," he frowned, "she could've done better. Like, yeah sure Lord Wharton has money but this isn't even legitimate. I just feel like someone like her wouldn't have chosen this, you know? She went to our school, which means her family really did have money. It was literally the most prestigious school in the city, you wouldn't be able to get in if you were just any commoner."
He turned to Aela with a frown. "Honestly, I don't really want her returned to Lord Wharton if that's the case, but...if the others hear that we're letting his son escape with a runaway, I'm not sure what they'll think. You know we're already sort of made an enemy of my father, and well, his little story about kidnapping isn't going to end nicely. Maybe we should just find out what happened. Bring her back here and see whether she really was kidnapped or ran away...and maybe figure something out then? I don't want her to lose her son...we could keep Lord Wharton busy with reports that we're looking and have our own people search for her instead?"
He was just sounding out ideas in his head now. "I don't know what I'd do with her even if we found her," he admitted, "but I don't trust Lord Wharton; some of these lords have used their names to buy them things like this, so I wouldn't put it past him to manipulate a girl like that."
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Feb 27, 2021 22:17:37 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 27, 2021 22:17:37 GMT -5
Aela nodded again. "Fine by me," she responded. "I wouldn't willingly hand anyone over to that man. We can look for her ourselves and keep Wharton busy." She set down the picture, feeling a twinge of pity for the girl. The Queen couldn't piece it together any more than Cassian did, but the only way to get answers was to ask Elise themselves.
They could figure it out once they knew more. "We can do more once we find her. I'll send my people out and we won't worry about it until we get more news. We have an upcoming trip to Vela to plan, right?" She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it lightly. As much as she wanted to assist Cass in this, it wasn't something that could preoccupy them. If anything, it was a minor issue they could resolve in the future.
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▲ my life is just constantly existing at ungodly hours
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Feb 27, 2021 22:39:53 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 27, 2021 22:39:53 GMT -5
He nodded at her words, sighing as he leaned back into his chair. "Honestly, I haven't thought of my brother in years," he let out a dry laugh, "thought he took all of his unfinished business with him when he..." He trailed off, obviously the resentment wasn't nearly enough to insult the man who had tormented him throughout his childhood.
It was complicated. He didn't hate Cato. He didn't like him either. He sort of understood why Cato was the way he was. He sort of understood that they were just stupid kids and teenagers growing up. It still didn't change the fact that he spent years finding amusement in Cassian's pain. It didn't change the fact that he and Carina had ganged up on him for most of his childhood. It didn't change the conversation they had before he left, or the time Cato watched over him when he was sick and father was on a business trip.
It was complicated.
"Yeah, let's talk about Vela instead," he pushed the thoughts away, clearly still thinking over all of it. His eyes turned to Aela once again. "So where should we visit first when we get there?"
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Feb 27, 2021 22:55:45 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 27, 2021 22:55:45 GMT -5
Aela knew what it was like to lose someone you were confused about. When her father had been buried, she had felt a mixture of confusing emotions- guilt, relief, bewilderment. Her father had prepared her well for ruling, had made sure she was ready for the practical side of life, but he had never extended even a crumb of emotional support to her.
"You tell me," she said, smiling at him softly. "I've never been. Weren't we going to crash a house party and pretend to be regular nobles rather than monarchs?" It was a nice sentiment. She had no idea how it was going to play out, but it was an interesting idea, and... well, she'd lost their race. That was his prize.
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▲ my life is just constantly existing at ungodly hours
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Feb 28, 2021 9:09:16 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 28, 2021 9:09:16 GMT -5
Cassian nodded, and despite giving her a weak smile, it was clear his mind was occupied, still thinking over the hundreds of things in his head. "Yeah," he replied absentmindedly, "I sent a letter to my friends, so they'll probably have a load of things they want to do."
He turned to her again, trying to push the myriad of thoughts from his head. "Should we head back up? I'm feeling a little tired," he admitted, running his hand across his face, "I could...use a nap probably."
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Feb 28, 2021 10:29:09 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 28, 2021 10:29:09 GMT -5
"A nap sounds good," Aela said, leaning forward without a thought to pull him into a quick hug. Of course this must all be draining for him. She had never had the strength to stand up to her father in her lifetime, and he had done that and learned that a childhood acquaintance of his might be in trouble, all in a few hours.
Aela accompanied him back up to the room, thinking over their trip to Vela. It would be fun, to get away from all this for a while. Gods knew that they both needed a break.
(fin)
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