BASTIEN
Somewhere distant from his conscious mind, Bastien thought how similar Kiada was to her mother in that moment; seeing a disaster and coming to kneel right in the middle, to speak and spread calm. All of a sudden he regretted that they had never made more of an effort, that he had not encouraged Rexanna to know her daughter better; he wondered if it was too late for him to forge a bond with her: after all, it was clear they were joined by affection for Rexanna, even if it was in different forms.
He raised his eyes to the painting she pointed out, the ghost of a smile on his lips as he listened to her talk about it. She was right: it was a good one, captivating in the way only Rexanna could be. Something Bastien could truly say about his marriage was that it had been a very happy one, full of laughter and smiles: he had never had to force one out of her for a portrait.
Bastien was not expecting an apology from Kiada and when it came it was enough to move him, make him sit up and frown at her, shake his head. He took the necklace wordlessly, closed his eyes as he clasped it in his hand, then placed it back in her hand, which he held as he spoke to her. "No, dear. You keep this: she was your mother and I have many trinkets to remind me of the wife I knew here in Caido. In fact, I got something for you...something I thought your mother might like you to have, to know you were safe." Standing up, he stepped over some of the portraits to get to the back wall, where the bladed parasol rested up against the corner. Picking it up, he walked back and held it out to her. "It holds a secret."
He raised his eyes to the painting she pointed out, the ghost of a smile on his lips as he listened to her talk about it. She was right: it was a good one, captivating in the way only Rexanna could be. Something Bastien could truly say about his marriage was that it had been a very happy one, full of laughter and smiles: he had never had to force one out of her for a portrait.
Bastien was not expecting an apology from Kiada and when it came it was enough to move him, make him sit up and frown at her, shake his head. He took the necklace wordlessly, closed his eyes as he clasped it in his hand, then placed it back in her hand, which he held as he spoke to her. "No, dear. You keep this: she was your mother and I have many trinkets to remind me of the wife I knew here in Caido. In fact, I got something for you...something I thought your mother might like you to have, to know you were safe." Standing up, he stepped over some of the portraits to get to the back wall, where the bladed parasol rested up against the corner. Picking it up, he walked back and held it out to her. "It holds a secret."
You always let me down so tenderly
So live fast and die young and stay forever numb
So live fast and die young and stay forever numb
