Deimos first, and for all that it had been the mountain’s words that had sent Jigano to the Manor in the first place, the man’s demeanor was as cold and distant as the winter wind. Not anger, precisely… but no warmth, either, nor benefit of the doubt. Still, it was never his way to be warm and open with the bard, and Jigano nodded at him as they waited for others. Kiada was next, equally silent, and that was when the anxiety already swirling in his brain decided to migrate to his stomach, his uneasiness increasing until Rory came.
At the icy words Jigano flinched, his head jerking up to meet his lover’s blazing glare with surprise and pain in his own eyes, and in that handsome countenance saw his worst fears realized. Heart pounding, he tried to shake his head, to deny the accusation, but no words came out. Remi’s arrival might have been the distraction he needed, but the alchemist arrived alone, the man who should have been king not at his side.
More might arrive, he knew, but with Rory’s anger hanging like a blade in the air between them and Deimos’s equally chilly demand ringing in his ears, Jigano couldn’t wait any longer. He swallowed back against the rising nausea in his throat, pulling himself together as best he could as he looked around the room, which once had been filled with friends and allies and now…
Now, he didn’t know. He swept the room with his eyes, seeing only coldness and hurt, and at last returned his gaze to Kiada , who might not have heard the beginning of the tale.
”Before she left, Zariah threatened Amalia with arrest if I didn’t turn myself in,” he said quietly. ”With her gone, I had no idea whether Edy would follow through with it or not, but I couldn’t take the chance.” He flicked a glance to Rory, Deimos, and Remi, who had known his plans. Ronin, too, had been aware, though the star-blessed man wasn’t present. ”So I went to the Manor. I thought I could try and talk her into letting me off with just a fine and signing the damned draft. She waved it off though.” Had waved other things, too, but that was entirely not pertinent to the seriousness of the current situation, and Jigano shook his head as he tried to replay in his mind exactly how so many plans had been upset in so short a period of time.
”She made me king instead.” It still seemed surreal. ”And yes, it pretty much was that simple. She said… that she didn’t know politics, and that she didn’t know who else to ask.” A paraphrase, to be sure. ‘Not a complete idiot’ was closer to the words she’d used, but he wasn’t going to bring that part up. ”Or… choose. I wasn’t exactly asked, though I could have run. I don’t think she would have threatened my friends the way Zariah would but…” He looked up, meeting Rory’s eyes squarely at the memory of a sunlight glade behind the spire; of a fox and a leopard and a man, and fear and pain and courage. ”But I couldn't risk it.”
He turned his eyes to Remi next, for his words involved the alchemist’s husband. ”I suggested that Ronin be King as well, and Edy agreed to it. There are games within games being played in that house,” he admitted, grimacing as he looked to Deimos with a nod. ”She expects Zariah will come back, but doesn’t know when. She believes her cousin will kill her or worse if the Tyrant returns and a Launceleyn isn’t still in power, and I believe her. She’s no innocent in this, but she’s scared and trapped, and she knows it.”
Blue eyes flicked toRory again, and then down as he shook his head. ”I accepted the role with the understanding that Ronin would be joining us, and I’d hoped that between Ronin and myself we could keep a lid on things, and undo the worst of Zariah’s proclamations by overruling her if it came to that. I was afraid that if I didn't accept, that we wouldn't have a chance like this again. Edy doesn’t sound like she wants anything to do with ruling, though I’ve yet to test the limits of that, but she has a temper. If I rejected her, I wasn't sure she would ask anyone else. I was waiting for Ronin… who I take it turned her down, when she went to make him the offer?” he asked of Remi, confusion plain in his voice.
At the icy words Jigano flinched, his head jerking up to meet his lover’s blazing glare with surprise and pain in his own eyes, and in that handsome countenance saw his worst fears realized. Heart pounding, he tried to shake his head, to deny the accusation, but no words came out. Remi’s arrival might have been the distraction he needed, but the alchemist arrived alone, the man who should have been king not at his side.
More might arrive, he knew, but with Rory’s anger hanging like a blade in the air between them and Deimos’s equally chilly demand ringing in his ears, Jigano couldn’t wait any longer. He swallowed back against the rising nausea in his throat, pulling himself together as best he could as he looked around the room, which once had been filled with friends and allies and now…
Now, he didn’t know. He swept the room with his eyes, seeing only coldness and hurt, and at last returned his gaze to Kiada , who might not have heard the beginning of the tale.
”Before she left, Zariah threatened Amalia with arrest if I didn’t turn myself in,” he said quietly. ”With her gone, I had no idea whether Edy would follow through with it or not, but I couldn’t take the chance.” He flicked a glance to Rory, Deimos, and Remi, who had known his plans. Ronin, too, had been aware, though the star-blessed man wasn’t present. ”So I went to the Manor. I thought I could try and talk her into letting me off with just a fine and signing the damned draft. She waved it off though.” Had waved other things, too, but that was entirely not pertinent to the seriousness of the current situation, and Jigano shook his head as he tried to replay in his mind exactly how so many plans had been upset in so short a period of time.
”She made me king instead.” It still seemed surreal. ”And yes, it pretty much was that simple. She said… that she didn’t know politics, and that she didn’t know who else to ask.” A paraphrase, to be sure. ‘Not a complete idiot’ was closer to the words she’d used, but he wasn’t going to bring that part up. ”Or… choose. I wasn’t exactly asked, though I could have run. I don’t think she would have threatened my friends the way Zariah would but…” He looked up, meeting Rory’s eyes squarely at the memory of a sunlight glade behind the spire; of a fox and a leopard and a man, and fear and pain and courage. ”But I couldn't risk it.”
He turned his eyes to Remi next, for his words involved the alchemist’s husband. ”I suggested that Ronin be King as well, and Edy agreed to it. There are games within games being played in that house,” he admitted, grimacing as he looked to Deimos with a nod. ”She expects Zariah will come back, but doesn’t know when. She believes her cousin will kill her or worse if the Tyrant returns and a Launceleyn isn’t still in power, and I believe her. She’s no innocent in this, but she’s scared and trapped, and she knows it.”
Blue eyes flicked to
