Kings of Deceit - R

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

Despite Jessa's protests there was little excitement in the next day's training. Rhys drilled her incessantly on wrist and arm holds, ignoring her groans each time he used the word "again." After a while the exercise ran its course and Rhys too grew tired of it, Jessa looking positively bored. Rhys' bruises from Jessa's hits protested his next course of action, but if Rhys was to back down each time he was injured he might as well never get out of bed.

"There are six spots on the body you should aim for if you ever need to incapacitate a person. The eyes, the ears, the nose, the throat, the groin, and the knees," Rhys pointed to each part in turn. "Now, you don't want to just hit blindly. If going for the eyes just try and jab or scratch. It doesn't take much to hurt someone's vision and it's probably the most effective escape method if you can manage it. If aiming for the nose use the palm of your hand to press upwards and out. Make sure your'e aiming for the bones, for not breaking the nasal bones won't do you much good. You'll know you've made an effective hit if you start to see blood," Rhys caught a sudden perk in Jessa's interest. "Slapping the ears can help but you need precise aim to make it effective so I wouldn't recommend it. The neck can be easy if you aren't blocked, simply keep your hand straight and tight and hit the side like a knife. The groin is fairly obvious - use your knee. Now, the knees are probably your best option but they aren't necessarily the easiest to hit. Try and get your foot behind the knee and pull forward to drop them to the ground or hit the side to incapacitate them. Hitting the front causes the most damage but you'll also need the most distance."

Judging by the blank look on Jessa's face Rhys was not sure she'd comprehended his slew of information. "How about you just try something out. The first time I'll let you get in a hit without blocking, but after that I'll start blocking your moves and you'll have to figure out how to get past that, ok?"

"I can hit anywhere?" Jessa asked hesitantly, scanning Rhys up and down.

Rhys grimaced at the very thought but nodded. "Just stay away from the eyes. I'd rather keep my sight. Anything else I can handle."

As Rhys stepped way Jessa readied herself, tensing the muscles in her arms. Rhys watched as she curled and uncurled her fingers into a fist, rather hoping she did not choose to ignore his instruction and throw an messy punch. When Jessa relaxed, Rhys stepped forward, taking hold of her wrist and pulling her around. His first reaction was to brace himself for a hit to the groin or the knee, feeling that Jessa would shy away from any hits to the face Rhys was shocked when her palm came smashing into his nose. There was an instant of blinding pain and the unsettling sound of a crack, followed quickly by a warm gush of blood down his face.

"Rhys, I'm so sorry!" Jessa cried. Her eyes were wide in a panic and her mouth was held agape.

Rhys tried to assure her it was alright, but each time he opened his mouth a stream of blood would trickle in, tasting of metal. Without thinking he tipped back his head, immediately realizing what an idiotic move that was as the blood pooled in his throat. He held his chest as he heaved, expelling blood onto the floor in violent coughs. A cloth was quickly offered up, Jessa's hand holding it against Rhys' nose. Blood coated her hands, though Rhys wasn't entirely sure if it was from the hit or her attempt to stop the blood flow.

"It's fine, Jessa. Let me hold that." His speech was muddled at best but she seemed to understand his words. Rhys took the cloth from her grip, trying to pinch his nose the best he could. "Go clean yourself up, I need to go get this taken care of."

Before Jessa could protest any further Rhys hurried from the room, quickly making himself upstairs. As he burst into his mother's study she looked up with alarm then sighed, shaking her head.

"Fighting with Dima again?" She said, disapproval heavy in her voice.

"Actually, this would be Jessa's doing."

Vyserene raised a single eyebrow but made no judgement, instead fetching a servant to call upon their resident healer. She took the cloth from Rhys' hand and pressed tightly on his nose, ignoring Rhys' protests that he could manage himself.

"Why, might I ask, did Jessa choose to break your nose?"

"I'm teaching her some self defense; I gave her permission to do so, I just didn't think she'd actually hit quite this hard."

Both Rhys and his mother laughed quietly, though Rhys tried desperately to hold in his laughter as the noise brought on a new flow of blood. The healer came quickly and within only minutes Rhys' nose was back to it's original state, the only indicator of it ever having been broken being the blood stains on his shirt. Vyserene forced Rhys into a chair as she wiped away the dried and wet blood that still coated his chin and mouth, obviously trying her best to not laugh outright at Rhys' injury.

"I wouldn't have expected that of her," she said quietly as she finished her work, setting down the rag and taking a seat beside him. "Quite the surprise, that one."

"Tell me about it," Rhys muttered, feeling at his nose to make sure the shape was still alright. "She's remarkably good for a beginner."

"What brought this on?"

"Jessa asked to learn to defend herself. The whole Cair situation shook her up rather badly."

"You know that's not what I mean, Rhys."

Rhys looked away under the discomfort of his mother's gaze. The question was not an easy one to answer, not under any circumstances. His first thought was to remark that it was their experiences with Cair and Merai that had brought them closer, but before he could speak that though he recalled that he had said the same thing to both his friends and Selene. At the time it had seemed like a logical answer, but the more he thought on it the more Rhys realized that it was a thinly veiled lie. Those events had certainly altered his and Jessa's relationship, but they were not the true cause of the shift.

"I don't know," Rhys answered lamely. "I guess she's just grown on me."

Though it was obvious Vyserene tried to keep from displaying any reaction, her lips twitched slightly, trying to dispel a smile. With a quick kiss to Rhys' temple Vyserene exited the room, pausing in the doorframe.

"Tell Jessa I'm impressed. It takes quite a bit to get a good hit on you; your siblings would know."

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

Jessa still felt awful as she went up the stairs to her bedchamber, taking care to hide her bloodied hands from curious gazes. Even though she needed Rhys’s blood, she had not really expected her first attempt to work, but the reality of it was there on her hands. It did not feel good, attacking someone who did not deserve it, regardless of whether they had asked it of her. Seeing Rhys in pain at her hand ate away at her; after everything he had done for her, she did not wish to see him hurt.

She entered her bedroom and headed for the desk. Jessa pulled out a few drawers until she found a suitable container. She pressed it against her hand and scraped as much of the blood on her palm into the small bottle and then capped it. Tucking the bottle into her sleeve, Jessa went to the small basin and scrubbed at her hands until they were clean. She watched the bloody water spin down the drain, feeling guilty.

Then she filled a bowl with cold water. Taking care not to spill any, she headed down the stairs and outside. She searched for a flat spot on the rocks in which to conceal the bowl, and then placed the bottle with Rhys’s blood within it. Hopefully the water, in conjunction with the cool air, would preserve the blood until she had found the book. She could not take hurting Rhys so badly again, and there would be no opportunity with the rest of the family.

After checking that the bowl was concealed from all angles, she went indoors. Edmund was at the bottom of the stairs, and eyed her suspiciously. “What were you doing outside?”

“I do not have to answer to you. You are in my house and it is really not your concern what I do.”

“It concerns my father what you do,” Edmund said, coming closer. He leaned in and rose up onto the tips of his toes, and said, “He did not send you here for you to play fighting with your husband and sit around doing nothing.”

“I have done more than enough for your father.”

“And yet he knows nothing of their plans regarding him.”

“Perhaps the Marinons just don’t have any. From what I’ve seen, they honestly don’t seem to care about him. They’re too far from Ovis and have their power here,” Jessa said dismissively, moving to brush past the teen. It struck her again how different the twins were. Edmund, generally, seemed so much older even if he was not as clever. He did not enjoy life as Harris did. She felt a pang in her chest as she remembered, again, how long it had been since she had last seen that smiling, interested face. Edmund grabbed her wrist and spun her around.

“They’re obviously not going to tell you, but Father knows they’re planning something. It must concern him. What else do the Marinons want, but absolute power?”

“If there’s anything to find out, I will do. Until then, you will leave me in peace.” Jessa, recalling Rhys’s instruction, twisted towards Edmund’s thumb until he let go of her arm with a yelp. As he nursed his hand, Jessa rushed away. And though Edmund may not have been the most determined of attackers, she was proud to have actually put her training to use and see it pay off. The fact that it had been the simplest of manoeuvres, the one she had been complaining about, that had come into use was only the smallest bit frustrating. She supposed Rhys did know more about this sort of thing than she did.

She got to the library and was grateful to find it empty. Jessa had begun to think that there would always be someone in there, waylaying her plans. The desk had as many pieces of paper flung over it haphazardly as the day before. She begun by sifting through the piles, though she doubted they would just leave it lying around. Then she tried the drawers. The third one was locked. Jessa bit her lip and pulled harder in case it was simply stuck. It did not budge. If the book was anywhere, it would probably be in there. Jessa sat on the chair, stumped. She did not know how to pick locks.

The door opened as she nearly jumped out of her skin. She looked over her shoulder to see Rhys peeking through the door. He looked at her suspiciously, though all she could see was his nose, in perfect condition.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, standing from the chair and going over to him to inspect the healing.

Rhys rolled his eyes at her examination. “A maid told me she had seen you come this way. I wanted to let you know that my nose is fine and there’s no need to worry. See?” He pushed his head forward to bring his nose closer, waiting for Jessa to nod. When she did so, he continued, “What are you doing in here? It’s hardly the comfiest place to sit, and I don’t see any books with you.”

“I just like the smell of them. Reading is rather taxing at the moment, but being around the books is nice, in its own way.”

Rhys clearly did not believe her, but he let it slide. Jessa wondered if it would be too obvious if she asked him to teach her to pick locks; she quickly decided against the suggestion. One of their friends might know, and that might draw less awkward questions.

“I’m glad your nose is okay, though I am still so sorry for hurting you. I honestly did not expect to actually hit you hard enough.”

Rhys shrugged his shoulders and waved his hand. “I asked you to do it, and you did pretty well. You’re holding your own at the moment, and that is comforting. We haven’t really done anything where I’m actively attacking you, but it’s a start.”

Jessa nodded unsurely. “Was… there anything else you wanted?”

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

Suddenly Rhys was not quite sure why he'd come to visit. Though his curiosity as to Jessa's reason for being in the library was still peaked he figured prying would not get him anywhere. He surveyed the room aimlessly instead, his eyes wandering upon the old chess table sitting in the corner covered in a thin layer of dust.

"Do you play chess?" He asked, making his way to the table. Using his sleeve he dusted off the surface, opening the small drawer on the side and revealing a set of smooth ivory pieces. Rhys took a seat and began setting the board, gesturing for Jessa to take a seat. Surprisingly, Jessa quickly took a seat looking rather pleased, though Rhys wasn't sure why her enthusiasm should be surprising. Though Rhys had set the black pieces before himself Jessa reached across the table and moved them over to her side, replacing them with the white pieces.

"I would have taken you for someone who preferred to play as white," Rhys mused, neatly arranging his pawns. "Don't you like taking the first move?"

Jessa shook her head. "I'd rather take the second move. I find it's more beneficially to see my opponent's move before I make my own."

Rhys moved a pawn up two spaces and folded his hands on the edge of the table, an image of patience. "That's very philosophical of you. Let's see what you can do."

After seeing her skills in research, riding, and even fighting it was hardly shocking to realize that Jessa's skills also included chess. Most of the game was spent in silent concentration, both parties engrossed in the game. Rhys played primarily with his mother and his friends and as such had grown used to their strategies. Jessa, however, was a blank slate. It was an enormously difficult game, both sides taking large losses and yet making impressive comebacks. As the game grew more intense Rhys couldn't help but breakup the long pauses between moves.

"My mother is rather fond of chess metaphors, you know. I remember not too long ago she told me, and I quote, 'you are not a pawn; you are a castle.' Interpret as you will." Rhys' eyes came upon an opening an he grinned as he took possession of one of Jessa's knights.

Jessa swore, an unfamiliar sound to Rhys' ears, and yet she laughed. "You say I'm philosophical? Lady Vyserene seems to be the real philosopher among us. What was this in reference to?"

"You, actually."

Jessa looked surprised but did not question further, focusing her thoughts on the game at hand. Rhys kept quiet as she finished her move, cursing profusely as she took a castle with glee.

"It looks like your'e not a castle anymore," she quipped. "But I agree with Lady Vyserene, regardless the context. You're no pawn, though I'd argue that Anja is."

Rhys laughed heartily, enjoying the thought. "I don't know, Anja's quite fierce."

"Obviously, but she's still your father's pawn. Without his commands and position of power she'd just be another psychopath."

Growing shocked with Jessa's responses was beginning to become a tiring task, but over and over Rhys found himself surprised at her observations. He'd thought of Anja as a tool many times, knowing her many faults, but he'd rarely considered that without being ordered about like a foot soldier she lost all her power. Rhys wasn't sure Jessa realized the brilliance in her own words. With her intelligence in mind Rhys could no longer contain his curiosity.

"What were you really doing in here when I came in? I know you weren't in here for the smell of the books. Half the books in here are so old they smell like they're rotting."

Jessa's eyes shifted nervously, a detail Rhys did not miss. "I was looking for Cair's book, the one on magic. I thought a servant might have placed it in here on accident."

"You're lying."

It was easy to detect a lie after many years of practice, but Rhys didn't even have to detect this one for he knew it as fact. "The maid who found the book came to me to ask where you were. I was the one who directed her to you, thinking you might want to keep the book. So, why did you come here?"

It was clear that Jessa had lost much of her nerve but she did not seem keen on giving in. She bit her lip in nervous habit, refusing to meet Rhys' eyes as he stared patiently.

"I was looking for something on your family's history."

Though this was not as outrageous of a lie Rhys was not easily fooled. There was something in Jessa's delivery that gave the lie away, perhaps the shift in her eyes or the waver of her voice. Despite this, Rhys did not push the subject. There were other ways to discover such information. Jessa relaxed once it became clear the subject was dropped, returning to the game. After a few more moves an opening appeared and Rhys made his kill, cornering Jessa's king with his queen and a bishop. Jessa, to Rhys' amusement, looked almost shocked at her loss.

"Surprised I have talents that extend beyond violence?"

"No, not anymore."

Rhys bit down on his lip in thought, mentally analyzing Jessa's expression and words. Together they cleaned the board and put away the pieces, Rhys finding a nice linen covering for the table.

"Well, I need to actually go do some work. I have a lifetime of working for Anja to look forward to - wouldn't want to miss a minute of it, would I?" Rhys began to exit but stopped, one last nagging thought preventing him from leaving unanswered. "How did we get here?" He asked quietly. "How did we go from indifference to ... friends?"

"You saved my life," Jessa said simply, almost dumbfounded by the question. "That changes things."

"No, that's not it. You know that's not it. I think I've grown on you," Rhys grinned at the thought, remembering Jessa's earlier belief in his hardness and cruelty. "We're an interesting pair, you and I."

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

“If you already thought you knew the answer, then why did you ask?” she asked rhetorically, raising her eyebrows in amusement. Rhys shrugged and then held the door open for her to follow him out. When Jessa made no move towards him, he frowned.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“No, I think I should stay and do some reading. Recommend any books?”

The furrow in Rhys’s brow deepened as he watched her suspiciously. Jessa fidgeted under his appraisal, but she was not actually lying this time. There was no way of getting into the locked drawer and there was no point in wasting energy on a pointless task. Eventually, Rhys’s stance loosened though he still looked wary.

“I thought you said reading was hard for you at the moment,” he said slowly. Jessa nodded in agreement.

“I did, but the more I read the easier it will become. Besides, I just played a tough game of chess, I think I can manage a little more,” Jessa said. Rhys waited for a moment, and she could see him trying to figure out if she was still lying to him. Then, he came into the room, selected a book from one of the top shelves, and handed it to her. She glanced at the title and was surprised to find it was about the Barichean Wars.

Noting that Jessa was taken aback, Rhys said, “It may not seem like it, but I guess I do pay attention to some things. I heard you and Alistair talking about it one evening.”

Jessa smiled and hugged the book to her chest. “Well, thank you. You should probably get to your work.”

Rhys nodded at her, gave a small smile, and then disappeared around the doorframe.

***

The next day the Marinons and Jessa gathered outside the house to say goodbye to the royal siblings. Jessa hugged her arms to herself against the bitter winter winds, muttering curses about Maira and Edmund under her breath. She saw no reason for her to be present. They did not like her and the feeling was mutual. They had only dragged everyone outside to remind everyone of their own importance. Jessa was immensely glad to see the back of them. It might mean the Marinons could return to unrestricted torture and criminality now they no longer had the eyes of the king hovering over them, but it did not matter. Jessa glanced at Rhys, who was rubbing his hands together for warmth at the other end of the line. She had someone she actually trusted now, instead of someone she had to just hope would help her.

Just before Maira got on the boat which would take her to Jasrah then as far from Jessa as possible, Dima called her back. He leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear. She flushed bright red and giggled. He smirked then waved her away. Jessa narrowed her eyes at him and saw Rhys watching his brother carefully as well. With everything she had, Jessa hoped Dima would get over himself and his belittling attitude towards women, but she expected she would be disappointed.

Though the royals had requested their presence, once the pair boarded the boat they did not once look back at the family suffering the cold for them. They turned their backs as they set sail and talked amongst themselves, clearly happy to be out of the tense house. Jessa frowned and was the first to move back towards the house, before the boat had even disappeared behind the rocks.

Dima was suddenly behind her, breathing down her back. “So, I don’t have anyone to talk to now. Sure I can’t persuade–”

Jessa spun round, seeing red. “Get it through your thick skull: I don’t care about you, and I never will. You think about one thing and one thing only. You disgust me.”

“Jeez, I was just asking,” he said with a smile, though he looked down in false shame. Jessa took a step closer and forced his chin up so he had to make eye contact.

“No, you were not ‘just asking’. I’ve already told you exactly what you think. And even if it is a complete farce, I will remind you that I am married to your brother. That makes me your family, whether any of us like it or not. You’re twisted.”

“I just said talk…” he muttered, all bravado lost.

“But that wasn’t what you meant,” she said, moving back. She could not stand his strong musk any longer. “And if you ever consider asking me again, I won’t be afraid to hurt you.”

Rhys appeared at Dima’s shoulder, his face hard and angry. “And believe me, you do not want to be on the receiving end of one of Jessa’s punches.”

Dima looked between the two of them, trying to puzzle out what was different between them. Rhys stared at him pointedly. “Go,” he finally said.

With a final glance – and a wary look at Jessa’s hand – Dima headed inside. Rhys’s expression changed instantly as he gave Jessa an approving smile. “You handled yourself pretty well there.”

“I don’t need you to protect me all the time, Rhys. I’m working out how to deal with Dima, even if he’s left me alone until now. I didn’t really expect him to bring it up again, but I suppose Maira isn’t here to take up his time now,” she said and then rushed inside. Her fingers were beginning to turn white with the cold. The warmth of the house hit her like a wall. Rhys came inside a moment behind her.

“I guess he likes the idea of having a princess as a conquest,” Rhys said in disgust.

“Maira may be, but I am not a princess,” Jessa said. She undid the buttons on her coat and hung it on the coat stand by the door.

“Whatever you think, you’re still the king’s daughter.”

“Don’t remind me. I honestly can think of very little worse.” Jessa grinned at Rhys and made her way to the stairs. “I’ll see you later, Rhys.”

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

Not even five minutes into dinner, the first course having only just been served, a distant sail caught Rhys' eye through the window. He tried looking past Jessa's head which obscured his vision, noting the rather unusual shape of the boat and the short height of the mast. It was not a ship Rhys recognized nor was it anything like what he had seen at the docks.

"I think there's a ship docked in our harbour," said Rhys, still trying to make out the markings on the sails.

Everyone at the table turned to look out the window, all craning their necks around to get the best view. Dima muttered incoherently under his breath, Jessa looked on in interest, and to Rhys' surprise his mother held a knowing smile. As everyone was thoroughly engrossed with the sight outside the double doors to the dining hall slammed against the wall, the sound booming through the open room and causing Rhys to nearly fall out of his seat in shock.

"You started without me - how rude. I don't know how I can ever look over this egregious oversight, but I suppose I'll find a way."

"KIERAN!" Anja jumped from her chair, running full speed at Rhys' uncle. Kieran scooped Anja into a bone-crushing hug, picking her up and spinning her in a circle. They both laughed and Kieran ruffled Anja's hair like one might do to a child, procuring a rarely seen genuine smile from Anja.

"My little fox," he said affectionately. "How I've missed you."

Rhys too went to Kieran, embracing him with a huge grin plastered to his face. Kieran slapped him on the back in good nature, taking in Rhys with an appraising eye.

"It's good to see you, Kieran. You look good - polished, even, if I can say that."

Kieran laughed, using his fingers to tangle his hair and scrunching his sleeves in an attempt to crease the pressed linen. "Better?" He said, stepping back with his arms out as Rhys looked him over.

"Much," Anja cut in, reaching out to move Kieran's collar to a tilted angle.

"Those poor fools at court have me dressed up day in and day out. What good is life if I can barely breath through my stupid collars and doublets? And is court life not dull? Working with dozens of stuffy old men makes me feel like I'm about to keel over dead some days."

"I thought you liked your job?" Rhys asked.

"Oh, I do. Best job I've ever had, not that I've ever had another. Ah, the joys nepotism has brought me."

Suddenly Kieran pushed Rhys to the side, his eyes focused on Vyserene. He held out her arms with a warm smile, beckoning her towards him. She set down her napkin and went to her brother, embracing him with affection, kissing his cheeks in turn and taking his face between her hands.

"Little brother," she said, kissing him again. "Why did you not tell us you were coming?"

Kieran took Vyserene's hands and brought them to his chest, his smile not having left his lips once. "Ah, well I was only just able to convince my most benevolent master to allow me some leave," his eyes darted to Rhys with a knowing look and a wink, "so I hardly had time to leave a message. And I thought, 'why go back to Aquena when I could come visit my dear sister and my favorite niece and nephews?' so I came here." He looked to Lord Erik briefly and looked away haughtily. "Oh, and I suppose to see you too."

Even Rhys' father was not immune to Kieran's charms, chuckling quietly as he waved him over to the table. Kieran took a seat beside Dima at the table as Rhys, Vyserene and Anja retook their seats. "It is good to see you, as always. Will you be staying long?" Erik asked, ordering over a servant to serve Kieran.

Though Rhys could not be sure if it was his own misreading or a true emotion, a brief troubled look passed over Kieran, quickly replaced with his usual jovial smile before anyone could take notice. His eyes wandered down the table until his eyes met Jessa, appraising her with interesting. He leaned forward with his elbows propped on the table.

"I'm not sure how long I'll be staying - I suppose as long as I can get away with. However, I must admit that one of my main reasons for making my visit was to meet this one," he nodded towards Jessa. "I've heard quite a bit about Rhys' new wife from Vyserene and wanted to come see her for myself, not to mention the marriage has been abuzz at court for months. You wouldn't believe the interest some of these powdered fools take in noble marriages, especially ones that turned out to be so... unexpected."

Though Rhys would have expected more of a reaction from Jessa at the thinly veiled criticism of her illegitimate birth, Jessa stared on in confusion, her cheeks reddening as she realized all all eyes were on her.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, "I don't know what you're saying."

At first Rhys was confused, but then a sudden revelation hit and he began to laugh, realizing his own stupidity. He had not even realized he'd been doing it.

"Of course you don't speak Aquenine, why would you?" he laughed, shaking his head at his foolishness. "You haven't understood a think we've said, have you?"

Jessa shook her head, looking slightly embarrassed even though there was no reason for it. Judging by the foolish grin on Kieran's face he had planned his entrance this way, obviously entertained by Jessa's confusion.

"I apologize, My Lady," he said, trying to hid his smile behind his hand. "My name is Kieran Dunvyen; I'm Rhys' uncle, though I'm sure you'd never guess by my remarkable youth and good looks."

Rhys snorted at Kieran's self-flattery. "You'll have to excuse my uncle; he's 35 but seems to think he's 20."

"I could pass as your brother, Rhys," Kieran insisted indignantly.

"How is Vymika?" Vyserene interrupted, leaning into her brother.

"Oh, the same as always. She goes to meetings, she passes laws, she looks regal - what else does a queen do? Yes, our sister is just as perfect as she's always been, the very picture of royalty. Her children are fine as well, not that you can really call them children seeing as they're all married. I believe Vylena is due to give birth any day now, so I'm sure you'll receive a letter about the matter very shortly. I'm personally hoping the child will take after its mother. Vylena may have remarkable taste in many things but her taste in husbands is perhaps not her greatest feature."

Vyserene scolded her brother in good humor as the table erupted in laughter. Even Jessa cracked a smile though she did not seem entirely at ease around Kieran just yet.

"However, I did not come to chat about those back in Aquena, I came to see you," said Kieran, looking straight at Jessa. "I've heard quite a deal about you those at court, if not much from your father himself."

Jessa's attention perked immediately, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "My father?"

Rhys sighed, wishing for once that his uncle was not quite so fond of dramatics. Of course, Kieran would have none of that, for a banal situation was simply not for him. He smiled slyly with a mock look of surprise. "No one told you? I work for your father. I'm Aquena's ambassador to Etrene."

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

Jessa cocked her head, trying to remember if she had ever seen Kieran before. She had generally avoided the main parts of the castle and any other official buildings. She certainly did not remember the Aquenine man, and he certainly had the big presence and jovial personality that she would normally recall. It did suddenly make sense how the Marinons would be able to discover anything about the royal family that they chose.

She frowned. “Did no one ever tell you about me? Everyone seemed rather surprised to find I existed when I was first introduced to the family,” Jessa said.

“Oh, I heard rumours, but the king had no reason to tell me. It didn’t affect my work or relations with Aquena, so…” He shrugged.

“You didn’t suspect at all that he would have chosen to marry me to Rhys?”

“It all happened so quickly, and I just assumed it would be one of the princesses,” Kieran said. He laughed. “Interrogation over?”

Jessa flushed and looked down at her plate. Although she supposed that Kieran was teasing her, she kept her head down until the rest of the table grew bored with her. She did not know what to make of Kieran and she did not know how to react to him. Jessa often felt uncomfortable around new people, particularly when they went out of their way to dramatize and confuse her.

She ate her food in silence as Kieran regaled the table with stories of Ovis. Jessa half-listened to the tales, each one reminding her of her old home. However, there were no emotions attached to the memories. There was no mention of any places she had commonly frequented and nothing to remind her of her mother. She truly did not miss Ovis, or its inhabitants, at all.

“The king is in talks with the university director about cutting down some of the departments. He feels they’re spending too much money,” Kieran was saying. Jessa’s head snapped up and her mouth gaped open.

“They’re what?” she demanded, her voice dangerous. It took all she had to remain in her seat. Kieran stopped speaking, watching her as if she was a frightened animal about to lash out. Jessa breathed heavily.

“Jessa is a scholar, Kieran. She worked at the university before she came here,” Rhys said in clarification. The confusion on Kieran’s face lifted and he lifted a hand as if to placate Jessa.

“He just feels there are some departments which aren’t going to benefit our future. The history department, for example.”

Jessa stood, her fork clattering to her plate and the water in her glass rippling as the table shook with the abrupt movement. “He has no clue. History is… How dare he? It tells us so much about the past, stops us from making the same mistakes… How close are they to a decision?”

“I believe there will definitely be some changes made. I don’t know what. Again, it doesn’t concern my work,” Kieran said, and Jessa believed him. She sat down heavily, seething.

It almost felt like a betrayal to Jessa. Her life had revolved around that department and the king knew that. That he was targeting it now should not be surprising, but it did hurt. He had ruined her life in every other aspect and now he was trying to pull down her department’s research? She would not have that. There had to be some reason for it, however. The king had never shown interest in academia, but neither had he ever mentioned cutting funds. Had the department uncovered something the king did not want people knowing? She was not sure if the man was conniving enough to cover something up, but he was definitely paranoid enough, if he felt it would impact his reign.

Jessa needed to talk to her old colleagues. Alistair probably would not know, since he was still in Jasrah, but someone must have found something. She needed to know what that was before the king prevented them from telling anyone.

Jessa waited impatiently for dinner to finish, and while the rest of the family retired to one of the sitting rooms for drinks and games, Jessa walked straight past them. She headed for her bedroom, where she pulled out paper and begun penning her letter. Her handwriting was spiky and rushed at first, so she tried to calm herself down. If her message was intercepted by the king and considered strange, she would never discover the secret. She had to pretend nonchalance.

As she finished, there was a knock on the door. Rhys peered around the door. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said dismissively, turning away and slipping the letter into an envelope. She heard Rhys come closer and enter her vision. His expression told her that he did not believe her for a moment. She sighed. “It’s pretty difficult to hear that the man who is meant to be your father wants to destroy everything you care about. I spent years in that place. There’s so much history we uncovered there and that has helped so much.”

“That won’t be forgotten, just because they’re getting less money. They just won’t be able to do as much anymore. There’s still the University of Jasrah, too.”

“It doesn’t have the same resources, and has always had a smaller budget. I just don’t think it’s solely about money.”

She let the statement hang in the air. Rhys did not reply, but Jessa could not decide if that was because he did not know what to say or because he did not understand her true meaning. Eventually, Jessa said, “Shouldn’t you go back to your family?”

“Are you coming?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think I’m particularly in the mood for your family. And I’m not often good with strangers.”

“Kieran’s a good man. I think you’d like him. At heart he’s a child and doesn’t mean any harm.”

“I’m tired, Rhys, and angry. That is not a good combination,” she said. Rhys waited for a moment, then shrugged and headed for the door. Jessa stopped him before he left. “There’s something bothering your uncle. He seemed troubled at one point. I know you noticed it too. Something is going on.”

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

Though Rhys had been raised bilingual, Kieran's visits and his own trips to Aquena always reminded Rhys how little he practiced the language. Vyserene and Kieran rambled on for hours in rapid fire Aquenine, most of which Rhys could understand but some of which was too complicated for even a fluent speaker. Erik, though well versed in the language, did not speak at near the proficiency as his children and often sat quietly in confusion, a look rare for Rhys' father. Still, there was something to be said for the privacy the language brought to their conversations. Though Rhys had no reason to mistrust any of the servants he could rest assured that they comprehended none of the exchange.

After the clock struck midnight and most of the family departed for bed, Rhys lingered back, pouring himself a small glass of the spirits Kieran had brought as a gift. To his displeasure Anja too remained, but Rhys did not protest. Somehow Kieran always managed to bring out the very best of Anja, illuminating the cheerful, pleasant woman that Rhys rarely ever saw. As soon as the door had been shut and the servants dismissed for the night Kieran let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad to see you two again, truly." Though Kieran smiled the gesture was no longer genuine, much of his genial nature gone.

Anja was quick to pick up on the change. "Just spit it out already. We both know you're hiding something and you were obviously waiting for mother and father to leave so you might as well just tell us now."

"Is everything alright in Aquena?" Rhys added on second thought. "Is grandmother ill?"

"No, no, my mother's fine. It's nothing to do with our family, honestly. I'm just not sure..."

"Tell us!" Anja demanded, scooting up to the edge of her chair and grabbing Kieran's arm. "You can't say something like that and then expect us to let the subject slide."

"He can if he wants," Rhys interjected, earning a glare from his sister. Still, Kieran seemed thankful for Rhys interference with Anja's demands.

In an attempt to stave off the moment Kieran began to pace the room, fidgeting with his cuffs and keeping his eyes low. Several times he began to speak, only to cut himself short and continue his pacing, shaking his head and muttering to himself. Despite her forceful words and irritation with Kieran's reluctance, Anja actually appeared concerned for her cousin, lines of worry creasing her face. Rhys too felt the same worry eat away at him. With a man like Kieran any unease was a sure sign of havoc.

Finally Kieran retook his seat, looking significantly more calm though no less hesitant. "I haven't been entirely honest with you this evening, to start. I know I should speak to Erik about this - and I will - but I'd rather speak to you two first. You see, when I said I was on leave to come visit that's not why I really left. I... I... I fled."

Rhys nearly choked on his drink. "You fled? Fled from what?"

"The King," Kieran hissed. "Things haven't been right in months, Rhys. You'd only understand if you were in my position. Being related to you is not a good position to be in at the moment in Ovis."

The very hairs on Rhys' arms stood up as he sat engrossed and alarmed all at once. Anja showed no discomfort but rather a slowly creeping air of malice, the side Rhys would have rather seen repressed for the night.

"I haven't been dismissed from my position, at least not yet, but it's something I think about day in and day out. I thought this marriage would be a good thing for the King, something to ease his fears of an overthrow, but he only seems to grow more paranoid. From what I can gather he's been using Jessa as his own little spy, though I'm sure you gathered as much early on."

"I did," Rhys agreed. "We made it rather clear to her that we were well aware of her position."

Kieran nodded. "Yes, well that's just the thing. I don't think the King has been getting the sort of information he's been searching for. He's growing increasingly frustrated, rarely even getting letters from Jessa anymore, which I assume is your doing. I think he's becoming convinced that his daughter has changed alliance."

To no one's surprise Anja cursed, throwing her hands up. "I knew we should have let her die when we had the chance." Kieran's eyebrows shot up in alarm but Rhys waved off his question, frowning at Anja.

"No, we shouldn't have. But is this true, has Jessa not been keeping in contact with the King?" Rhys asked, his mind racing. He knew that Jessa had begun to think of him more favorably but he would have never thought that she would have begun to protect the Marinons, not by the way she spoke of his family.

"You haven't been intercepting her mail?" Kieran asked with surprise. Rhys shook his head, adding to Kieran's shock. "Well, this certainly makes things more interesting."

"This can't be all of your concern, Kieran," said Anja. "This barely has any affect on us whatsoever and you're hardly one to step down from a challenge."

This was obviously the part of the situation that brought Kieran the most anxiety for he once again began tugging on his cuffs absentmindedly. "He's begun dismissing your father's spies, at least those he can sort out. Most are well hidden amongst his men, I will credit your father with that, but of those that have been discovered their ends have been rather mysterious. Most have vanished from the face of the earth, but others... others have had more unpleasant ends. Anything related to your family is now a top priority of his and I fear that if his fixation becomes any more intensified that he might begin to take it out on my family."

"He would never," Anja assured Kieran, putting a hand to his arm. "The Dunvyen's have always been allies of the du Rene's. Disrupting such a tie would hardly be beneficial to Etrene. We benefit greatly off of Aquena's resources."

Clearly Kieran was not concerned with political relationships as his face grew white, his eyes for once showing his age. "I do not think he would target Aquena as whole, but it's very easy to target individuals, to make incidents seem accidental."

Rhys had caught on quickly, but hearing Kieran's fears vocalized only made his blood boil. He thought of his uncles and aunts, his cousins and grandmother, and most of all the Queen dead, passed off as an accident while an assassin lurked in the shadows. To take out the entire Dunvyen line would be an impossible feat, but one simple act against the family would certainly alert Rhys and his family. The idea of the King acting so rashly was a ridiculous idea. He had always feared the Marinons and their wrath. However, if the King sought only to weaken the family, to remove their spy network within Ovis and hurt the one family the Marinons felt any true allegiance to, maybe he thought that getting a wedge into the thick defenses the Marinons had put up would be an easier task.

Anja beat Rhys to the words he'd been longing to say.

"Don't worry, Kieran. We too have ways of making things look like accidents, and as far as I'm aware we're rather better at it."

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

Jessa was sat in the front parlour, looking out of the window. Kieran’s ship largely hid the rest of the ocean from view, but through the gaps in the sails she saw other boats coming in and out of the port in Jasrah. She wondered if any of them would be carrying her letter. She was anxious to hear from the university, although she knew it would be days yet. Biting her lip, Jessa played with the frayed ends of the armchair, doing anything to pass the time and to stop her feeling so helpless.

It took her a few moments to realise she was not alone. Someone cleared their throat and Jessa whipped around to see who had crept up on her, hackles rising. She relaxed when she saw it was Rhys. His face was tight and lined, and his gaze would not settle. Jessa stood, frowning, and went over to him. She touched him lightly on the wrist. “Rhys?”

“I would have come to you last night, but it was too late by then,” he said, looking unsure as to how he should begin. Jessa was unnerved; the only times Rhys was uncertain was when something very bad was about to happen.

“What is it?”

“Have you stopped writing frequent letters to your father?” Rhys asked. Jessa was shocked by his directness. She knew they were aware of her correspondence, but it was some kind of unspoken agreement that no one discussed it. They had no need to stop her, for she had found nothing of consequence. The other thing that surprised her was that Rhys could not have been checking her letters.

“Haven’t you–”

“That’s not important. Have you?” he pressed. She frowned but nodded. She could not understand why this would have upset him, but it clearly had. Jessa was about to open her mouth when he said, “When? Why?”

“I haven’t really been thinking about it. All that stuff with…” she trailed off, and took a deep breath to calm herself. She bit her lip, wondering if she should speak candidly. Her decision was quick – the Marinons knew she had been spying – and she explained, “His children were here and I thought they would be in contact. They didn’t think I was relaying the right sort of information. I don’t know what he wants to hear but I hadn’t been giving it to him.”

She did not say that, on the few occasions she had thought about it, writing a letter had felt peculiarly like she was breaking his trust. He had saved her life and she would repay him by telling the king of his every move? There was no point to it. If the Marinons were planning an overthrow, then of course she would let him know. However, anything else would be things the family had always done; a mere letter would not prevent that.

“I know,” Rhys said, stopping her in her tracks. She watched him oddly. “Kieran, he… believed that was probably the case. Apparently the king has been growing more impatient and paranoid. He thinks you’ve turned against him.”

“I was never with him, though not in the way he thinks,” she muttered, and if Rhys heard her he did not show it. Louder, she said, “There has been nothing to tell him, nothing I would want to tell him. Frankly I’ve been preoccupied with other things.”

“I know that. I’m not criticising you, even if I am surprised. But it is affecting things in Ovis… You said yourself that something didn’t sound right, that the king’s interest suddenly turned to the university…”

Jessa knew that Rhys would not be concerned that King Alrick was losing more of his mind to his obsession over the Marinons if the university was the only thing affected. Clearly, the king was attacking their operation – presumably its spy network within Ovis. Jessa was not stupid, no matter how vague Rhys tried to be. Still, by mentioning her second home he was successfully appealing to her desire to do something to stop him. She sighed.

“What do you think I should do about it? You wouldn’t come to me if you could do it yourself.”

“We just need to calm him down, let him know you’re still on his side,” Rhys said. Jessa raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to clarify. He grimaced and shrugged. “False information.”

Jessa sunk heavily into the armchair. She exhaled shakily. If the king discovered she was knowingly passing on fake information, she would be tried and found guilty of treason. Jessa would be accused of aiding the Marinons in their plans, whatever they were, and she would be unable to attest the claims. By doing this, she would be helping them. Jessa looked up at Rhys. She did not want to help his family, but him… her university… Etrene.

“So I make things up. About what? If I tell him that you’re plotting against him, to usurp him, won’t that make him more determined to fight against you? If he is doing this because he thinks I’m hiding things, he’ll be worse if I tell him something.”

“Perhaps not. If he thinks he knows what we’re planning, he can try to react to it. He’ll focus on strengthening himself and his army, not on other things.”

“You mean your spies,” Jessa stated. Rhys appraised her for a moment, then conceded to her point. If they were going to talk about this freely, there was very little need to hide anything. Jessa was glad Rhys would see that.

“If I’m going to do this, I won’t have you keeping anything from me. And I’ll have it known right now that I’m not just doing this for you, or for me. Etrene needs a stable king, and he isn’t, but he is all we have for now.”

Rhys nodded, though it was a slow, tentative gesture. Jessa was not under any illusions that he would tell her everything, but she hoped he would at least consider it. She glanced up at the ceiling, steeling herself. Jessa stood and walked over to the window. She could feel Rhys’s gaze upon her back, but she did not turn around.

“I’m fairly sure I know, but I need to hear it: Is your family plotting to overthrow the king?”

Rhys seemed taken aback by her direct question, but he did not hesitate in saying, “No. We don’t need the throne.”

There was no reason to distrust his words. The Marinons had everything they needed. They had power and, though Jessa could not understand it, respect from their allies. Her father may have the title, but they were certainly the rulers of Jasrah at least. They commanded fear regardless of their position. Jessa nodded and turned around.

“Then tell me what you think I should tell him.”

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

It was surprisingly easy to convince Jessa to help Rhys with the letters, but it was significantly more difficult to persuade her to write anything worth while.

"But that's a lie," she protested, setting down her quill for the thousandth time. Rhys groaned and massaged his temple in an attempt to calm himself.

"Yes, I know it's a lie, Jessa. The whole point of this letter is to tell him a lie."

"But it's obviously a lie - he'd never believe it," Jessa argued.

"He'd believe anything you told him at this point. King Alrick is desperate to hear of the "evil" Marinon doings; I don't think he'll be doing any fact checking. This is a witch hunt, not a scholastic effort."

Jessa pursed her lips in frustration, dipping her quill in the ink pot and scrawling away at the parchment. Rhys waited quietly with what patience he had left until Jessa threw the quill back on the table and pushed the letter over to Rhys. He scanned it quickly, snorting at the very last line.

"'I hope you are well and look forward to your reply.' Really, Jessa? That's the biggest lie in the whole thing."

With a grumble Jessa snatched the letter back from Rhys, folding it neatly into thirds before dropping the hot wax on the parchment and sealing the letter with the Marinon crest, a detail that seemed to cause Jessa some discomfort. Rhys could tell Jessa disliked anything that forced her to acknowledge her place in the Marinon family, even if it was something as simplistic as using a seal. Rhys took the letter with a thank you and slipped it inside his doublet.

"I still think the story was a bit too egregious," Jessa noted as she cleared the parchment and ink off the desk. "Honestly, you want the king to believe you tortured a man for information on the king's inner circle and then proceeded to hold secret meetings? That's a bit theatrical, even for Anja."

Rhys couldn't help but laugh quietly at his own ridiculous stories. "He'll believe anything you tell him about us, trust me. Besides, it's not as if I've never tortured anyone before."

The silence that followed Rhys' admission spoke more than words could have. It was not as if his words were lies, and Jessa could certainly have guessed as much without his admission, but hearing it from Rhys himself seemed to remind Jessa that Rhys was indeed a Marinon. She stared at Rhys with an empty expression, a look of neither sadness nor anger but that had the power to put him on edge. Regardless of her judgements, Rhys refused to feel guilty, shrugging his words off as if they had never been uttered.

"Thank you for the letter," he said, patting it under his shirt. "A number of these should keep him occupied for the time being, and we can certainly fabricate real events should the need arise." Jessa winced at the thought, shying away from Rhys subtly though he could not be sure if it was a conscious effort or not.

In the hanging silence Rhys wandered about the library, his eyes scanning the many volumes and selves that lined the walls. By chance his sight fell upon a familiar book, one he had read many times over. It was propped in the center of the shelf facing outward, displayed prominently among the rest. It was a large, heavy book with thick dark leather coverings, filled with beige pages that showed less damage than most of the other books in the library. He removed the book from the shelf and ran his fingers over the etching of a griffin perched above a crossed sword and tiger lily, the sigil of the Marinon family.

"Take this," said Rhys, placing the book in Jessa's hands.

She turned it over several times, surprised by its weight. Just as Rhys had done she traced the design with her fingers, her touch as light as a feather on the old leather.

"It's your family sigil," she said in awe, transfixed with the book. "Is this..." her voice trailed off as she opened the pages, running her hands over the words.

"It's the family history as written by ourselves. I'm sure you've read about us but I thought you might be interested in what we have to say for ourselves. It's rather long and dull, I must warn you. I've never finished it myself, though I do hear that around the Barichean Wars our history gets rather sordid."

Suddenly Jessa frowned, shutting the volume. "Why would you show this to me?" She inquired, narrowing her eyes. "Why would you want me to see this."

Rhys scoffed at her wariness. "It's not as if it contains any dark secrets. We would never write such things where they can easily be read. Still, I thought you might be interested, considering your study of history. After all, you are a part of the family now whether or not you want to be. One day you'll be written in that book."

Ever distrustful of Rhys' acts of kindness, Jessa accepted the book hesitantly, but he could not help but notice that she gripped it tightly and held it close to her body. If Rhys had learned anything from his dealings with Jessa it was that she was not so easily swayed by flattery - as attempted by Dima - or by bribes, but rather by the promise of knowledge. If ever she was to have a weakness it was her insatiable desire to learn, though Rhys was not sure himself whether that was a virtue or a fault.

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

Jessa considered her rash actions while she sat in her bedchamber that evening. Her mind replayed the moment Rhys took the letter from her and tucked it safely into his pocket. There was no going back now, and she was having doubts. She knew that the king would not be content unless his paranoia was proved founded – it seemed almost as if he relished the notion of someone stealing his crown – but it was wrong to deceive him in this way. It did not help that there would never be any real information to satisfy him.

She thought about the locked drawer and the book contained within it. There would not be any reference to overthrow or assassination, but something could still interest Alrick. Jessa needed to find a way into the drawer, and soon. Picking up her pen, she quickly wrote a note to Freya, inviting her and the rest of their friends to the house the following evening. It had not been difficult to decide Freya would be her best option. Selene would probably know how to pick locks as well, but the risk of Rhys finding out was much greater. From all their meetings, Jessa had noticed that Rhys and Freya did not interact very much. She was not sure why, but she was going to capitalize on that fact.

By the time she was done, dinner was nearly ready. Jessa did not particularly feel like sitting with the Marinons and listen to Kieran talk more about Ovis. It was unlikely he would have anything good to say. She knew, from hearing the servants muttering a little while ago, that Kieran had told Erik that he had fled the city, because of the king’s crazed actions. Jessa really did not need to hear it, or the reminders of what she was doing to rectify it. Besides, Kieran put her on edge. The feeling was no different to being around Lord Erik, of course; it just was unnerving to know the entire castle had been spied upon by someone so close to its heart. And the way Kieran had managed to be in such good humour on his arrival… someone who was that good an actor was someone she could not trust.

Jessa really ought to be used to distrusting everyone around her by now.

She sighed and went downstairs. When she passed a servant, she handed the note over to her and asked that it be delivered as early as possible. The maid curtsied and took the letter, stirring up awkward feelings in Jessa. It bothered her that she had to rely on the servants so much to post her mail, but living in such a secluded location meant it was difficult for her to leave at night. Living in Ovis had been much easier, which was lucky since her status had basically been below the servants there.

Rhys and Dima were the only ones in the dining hall when she arrived. She nodded at Rhys warily, their conversation in the library at the front of her mind. Jessa was not sure when she had forgotten that Rhys was still a Marinon and still capable of torture, but somewhere along the line she had. Even now there were thoughts racing in her head, trying to make Rhys into a gentle torturer. Part of her did believe that – or at least that he used it only as a last resort – but he would still cause pain if he was asked. Jessa could not forget that again.

“Hello,” she said hesitantly, standing behind her usual chair opposite Rhys.

“Have you read any of the book yet?” he asked, keeping his voice light and cheerful. She saw the slight narrowing of his eyes that gave away his concern. Jessa could not help feeling cautious around him, but there was guilt in there too. She felt bad about worrying him.

“I’ve read a little. It’s interesting.” She gave him a smile and let her genuine interest come out in her words. Rhys laughed dubiously and shook his head.

“Only you could find it truly worth reading.”

“You gave it to me, You clearly thought I would enjoy it,” she reminded him, resting a hand on the top of her chair. Rhys laughed but if he was going to respond he was cut off by the door opening. The rest of the family walked in and everyone took their places. Kieran had sat beside Jessa, making her shift on her cushioned seat.

For a while, the man ignored her. Mostly he spoke to his sister, occasionally slipping into Aquenine and thoroughly confusing Jessa. She did not like them so obviously hiding things from her and considered it rude. It took her a little while to realise that neither of the siblings even realised they were doing it. Aquena was their native country; they were bound to use their language.

“So Jessa,” Kieran said, pulling her from her thoughts. She stopped poking the salmon in front of her with her fork and looked up at the man. He gave her a wide, toothy grin. When she glanced briefly at Rhys, he gave her an encouraging, hopeful smile. It was only a little disconcerting that Rhys could persuade her to listen to Kieran with an open mind from a single, silent gesture “I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. I had no idea you were affiliated with the university and did not mean to anger you.”

Jessa bit her lip and shook her head. “It wasn’t you who annoyed me. That was the king. You just happened to be the bearer of the bad news, and I took it out on you. I am the one who should be sorry.”

Kieran laughed. It was a booming sound and Jessa was surprised that the chandeliers above their heads did not rattle and fall. “That’s alright. You were frustrated, and had good right to be.”

He glanced around the room and then began eating again. Jessa and the rest of the family did the same. When everyone was engrossed in their own conversations, she felt Kieran lean in close and whisper, “I know you’re wary of me. I need you to know that, yes, I do pass on some information to my sister. But I would never give something away the Marinons could use to hurt this country. And they know that too.”

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

After the meal as the family began to disperse, some retiring for the night and others flocking to the lounge for drinks and games, Rhys made his way quietly up to his room only to be stopped by a hand reaching from the darkness and grabbing him by the arm. Rhys jumped, reaching for the dagger at his belt and pulling it on the unsuspecting figure in the shadows.

"Selene!" He gapsed as the figure stepped into the light of the hall, pulling down the hood of her cloak. Rhys instantly sheathed the dagger, apologizing profusely for putting it so close to Selene's head. "What are you doing here? How did you even get in?"

"I think I know how to get into your house discreetly at night," Selene said, causing Rhys to redden slightly. "I came because I saw something tonight that I thought you should know about. I was at the docks as usual, looking over some of the day's records for father, but then I saw a few men disembark from a ship we never let dock. They went off this way instead of going into town, and your home is the only thing I could think of that might interest them in this direction. After they left I snuck out to check out their ship and noticed that the sigil of the du Rene's was on the sails."

"Just spit it out, Selene," Rhys urged, a feeling of dread coming over him.

"I think someone is following Kieran."

Rhys didn't even think to ask how Selene knew that Kieran had come to visit, for a switch flipped inside Rhys, awakening the darker side of him that was so well repressed. If what Selene said was true and men were making their way to the house they could already be within the perimeter, and Rhys was certain they were not here to merely deliver a message.

"Do you arrive on foot?" Rhys pressed.

Selene shook her head. "I rode, so I doubt they made it here before me. Besides, it's unlikely that they know any of the short passages to the house."

The news was a relief for it meant Rhys had time still. He took Selene's hand and rushed her through the halls as quietly as possible, leading them both to the armory. Selene waited at the door as Rhys went inside and grabbed his favored recurve bow and a quiver of arrows before exiting as quickly as he'd entered.

"What are you planning on doing?" Selene hissed as she followed him back through the hallway. She tugged on his arm as Rhys tried to turn a corner, forcing him to turn and face her. "What, you're just going to shoot them?"

"No, I don't even know who they are. You're going to point them out, then I'm going to shoot them."

Selene did not appear particularly shocked at Rhys' rash decision but shook her head anyway, keeping her grip on his arm firm so that he could not pull away. "No, you're not. You're going to question the men first, not blindly kill two people who you know nothing about. Think rationally, Rhys. I know he's your uncle and you care for him but honestly you're acting like an idiot right now."

Though Rhys was impatient to go out and seek the men he forced himself to hear Selene out, focusing on the intensity of her eyes as they locked with his. Her accusation was true, Rhys couldn't deny it, but it did nothing to sooth the anger that coursed through his veins. Selene seemed to detect these feelings and let her grip loosen, instead taking both of his hands in hers and holding them close to her chest.

"Rhys, calm down. At least think through this rationally. I'll help you identify the men but your vengeance will help nothing. If the King is already suspicious of your family then the murder of two of his men won't exactly win you any favors."

As Rhys thought on Selene's point, caught between inner conflicting motives, a voice called his name from down the hall. Kieran turned the corner to come face to face with Rhys and Selene, coming to a quick halt in surprise.

"Selene?" He asked, squinting in the darkness of the hall. He broke out into a wide smile, taking Selene's hand from Rhys' and kissing it lightly. "It's lovely to see you again. It's certainly been a long time. I'm sorry to hear about this," he pointed between Rhys and Selene, frowning and shaking his head. "It's a shame, really. I'd always liked you two together. You were a good influence on Rhys. Though maybe you two aren't completely finished..." Kieran trailed off, arching his eyebrows in suggestion.

Rhys groaned, dropping Selene's other hand and pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Can we please not discuss this now?"

Taking in the scene at hand, Kieran began to notice the concern on both Selene and Rhys' faces, his own face mirroring their expressions. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"We think someone from Ovis is following you. I saw two men down at the docks who arrived in a royal ship coming this way," said Selene, once again frowning. "And now your nephew wants to enact some sort of noble vengeance."

If Kieran was shocked it was not from the news of being tailed. He looked at Rhys in surprise to which Rhys only shrugged, tugging at the bow strapped to his back and looking down at his boots. "Don't act like you're surprised," said Rhys.

"I'm not," Kieran responded with a small shake of his head. "However, I'm a bit disappointed you didn't come to me first. After all, if they're interested in me I'd certainly like to know who they are. I'd hate to see you jump to action without my input."

Rhys snapped his head up. "You want to come with?"

"Of course. I'm not saying I want them dead, but I'd certainly like to know if my trackers are spies or assassins."

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

Jessa had just settled on her bed when she heard noises from outside. Hushed voices at first, then the sound of someone falling against a rock. Jessa slid off the bed and peered out of the window. It was dark outside, but the moonlight showed two men hunched behind the boulders to the right side of the house. From the ground floor, they were perfectly hidden, but they had not given thought to anyone above. Jessa frowned, wondering what their purpose was for lurking in the shadows.

One of them began to look up and she ducked behind the curtain. Her eyes narrowed and she stalked out of her bedroom in search of one of the Marinons. They would probably be interested to know two men were spying on their house. Just as she was crossing the open landing which looked onto the foyer below, she saw Rhys. He had a bow slung over his back and a full quiver of arrows at his hips. From the brief glimpse of his face, he looked angry and murderous. Following behind him were Selene and Kieran, the latter of whom appeared very concerned.

She guessed they knew of the trespassers. But they did not know where they were hiding exactly, and Jessa also doubted Rhys was armed as a last resort. She waited for them to sneak outside and then crept down the stairs. Pulling the front door open carefully, she slipped outside. Thankfully, the group had started in the direction of the beach, leaving Jessa free to head towards the intruders’ hiding spot.

As she came closer, she heard them muttering something about Kieran and the king. Jessa frowned, but did not try to conceal her arrival. They were the ones doing wrong, after all. She waited for them to notice her. When they did, they scrambled to their feet. “Step aside, lady. This is no business of yours.”

“This is my home. That makes it my business.”

For a moment, they looked terrified. Jessa did not understand why, until a look of apprehension dawned on one of their faces. The man slapped the other on the shoulder and said, “It’s the king’s daughter!”

Jessa rolled her eyes. Whoever these people were, they were incredible stupid.

“Don’t move.”

Jessa froze, cursing her own stupidity. The noise they had made had attracted the attention of the other group. She looked over her shoulder to see Rhys standing there, arrow nocked and pointed at the intruders. In another moment of pure idiocy, Jessa took a step to the side and placed herself between the arrow and the men. Rhys glared at her in shocked outrage.

“Rhys, stop it,” Kieran said, rushing over to the group. He put a hand on Rhys’ shoulder but he shrugged him off. “Really, this is not the way to go about this. We need to find out what they’re here for.”

From the pained sigh coming from behind her, Jessa guessed one of them was about to reveal their identities and the other had given them a swift elbow in the side. The person who had hired these buffoons to deal with the Marinons – or Kieran – had not been in their right mind.

“Rhys, you will not kill them,” she said slowly, but firmly. She stood her ground, crossing her arms over her chest.

“They’re the king’s men. They’re after Kieran,” he said through gritted teeth. His aim had fallen, however. Jessa was glad; it had been unnerving having the arrow pointed at her even if she was sure Rhys would not kill her.

“That they may be. But killing them isn’t going to work,” she reminded him. Kieran came to stand at her side. She was grateful for his back up. Selene, who had been waiting in the shadows, also came to her. Rhys’ shoulders sank, realising he was probably losing the battle.

“And I’m guessing their not trained assassins, from the look of them. My life isn’t in danger,” Kieran added.

“Yet,” Rhys said, though he had now lowered the bow. “But you might want to know that they’re getting away. That wouldn’t have happened if I had been allowed to shoot them in the legs.”

Jessa glared at Rhys, but before they could do anything he pushed past them and chased after the retreating spies. Jessa and Kieran shared a glance before running after him. In the darkness, Jessa heard the sound of an arrow flying off the bow and through the air. After hearing no cries she was convinced Rhys had missed.

Eventually, the men ran out of ground to run. Rhys had them cornered, but thankfully Kieran was only a moment behind. He tried to pull Rhys away while Jessa came to stand before the quaking spies.

This time, Rhys’ aim did not waver, no matter how much Kieran protested against it. Even Selene, who had kept pace with Jessa, did not have any success. Jessa ignored them and focused on the king’s men.

“Why did you come?”

The shorter, more daft one looked as if he was having trouble keeping the secret. Jessa waited patiently. Eventually, he burst out, “The king thinks Kieran has turned against him, and he knows many of his secrets. We came to scout him out and see how dangerous he is.”

“And report back that he needs to be killed,” Rhys hissed, struggling against his uncle. Jessa took a step closer to the men, drawing their gazes back from Rhys.

“Rhys will not hurt you if you leave now,” she said firmly, ignoring Rhys’ protest to the contrary. “You will go back to Ovis and say that Kieran is not here. You will send your searches elsewhere.”

“Why would we do that?” the smarter one asked.

“Because despite what we all want, Rhys will kill you if you don’t. There’s only so much we can do to stop someone trained to kill,” Jessa said. “I really don’t want it to come to that. So leave.”

The smarter looked uncertain, but the other was more than happy to oblige her. She was a little surprised at how easily he was agreeing, but she was glad of it. He tugged limply on his partner’s arm, his eyes unfocused and scared. She stared the first man down, watching as his gaze flicked between Jessa and Rhys’ arrow. “Rhys won’t hurt you if you go, will you?”

Jessa looked over at Rhys, whose eyes flashed in irritation. After a few moments, he gave a brief, mechanical nod. “If I ever see either of you, or anyone else after my uncle, here again…”

“They get the message,” Kieran said hastily, pulling down Rhys’ arms and holding them tightly to his sides. “Get going.”

Jessa called to them as they began to scarper. “And remember: You did not see Kieran.”

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

It was nearly unnerving how quickly the men followed Jessa's command. Rhys watched them disappear behind the cliffs as fast as their legs could carry them, wondering just how likely they were to keep their word to not give away Kieran's whereabouts. Once they were out of sight Rhys shook off Kieran's arms, turning on the group.

"You should have let me at least shoot one of them," he grumbled. "I'm thinking it would have made our threats a little more convincing."

Jessa was obviously not pleased with Rhys' apparent need for violence, still glaring at him through narrowed eyes. Beside her stood Selene, though she did not have the same sort of frustration in her look, merely coming off as unsurprised.

"Why do you feel the need to kill people?" Jessa hissed. "Does it somehow amuse you? Do you enjoy it?"

Though it was decidedly a bad idea to let his inflamed feelings guide his speech, Rhys couldn't seem to restrain himself. He approached Jessa until he was right before her, so close that he had to look down as he spoke.

"No, I do not enjoy it like my sister does, but I do take offense when people threaten my family. This is how I know how to protect them, and by my experience it works fairly well."

Jessa's eyes blazed, her own anger flaring up in a way Rhys had never before seen. "Yes, and look what your violence has got you - infamy and fear."

"We may be infamous but we have kept such vast and powerful control because of that infamy, because we are not afraid to take drastic measures to protect ourselves. I don't expect you to understand wanting to protect one's family seeing as you don't have one to protect."

The moment the words escaped Rhys' lips he regretted them, wishing he could take back time and erase them. Jessa looked as if she'd been slapped, her eyes wide and her mouth set hard. She trembled slightly, and Rhys knew it was not from the chill of the air. Selene watched the exchange in wide-eyed silence, and seeing her standing there observing it all made Rhys feel even worse.

"Jessa, I..." he began, but Jessa had already fled, running back towards the house with her red hair trailing behind her.

Kieran, Selene, and Rhys all stood in silence for a moment, each taking in what had just happened with varying degrees of horror. Unable to withstand any more of the awkward stillness, Selene spoke up about needing to return home before it got too late, departing without another word. Kieran grabbed Rhys and forced him out of his semi-frozen state and back towards the house, pushing him along the dark path. Inside the house Kieran led him to an empty lounge, taking the bow from his back and propping it against the wall before forcing Rhys into a chair.

"That was a stupid thing to say," said Kieran, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"You think?" Rhys retorted, putting his head in his hands.

"Come on, don't beat yourself up over it," Kieran said, putting one arm around Rhys and patting him on the arm reassuringly. "Sure, you sounded like an asshole, but who doesn't once in a while?"

"Kieran, her mother is dead. Dead. Why would I say something like that?"

"Because you got caught up in your anger and you said something you didn't mean. It happens to everyone, do not make this a bigger deal than it needs to be. Give Jessa some time to come down from it and then apologize. I promise she will not hate you any more than she already does." Rhys threw Kieran a quick glare to which he only chuckled, waving it off.

Once Rhys had calmed down enough to regain his composure Kieran poured a small drink for each of them, handing Rhys the small crystal glass.

"To making yourself look like a fool," Kieran toasted, raising his glass.

"To me," Rhys muttered, clinking his glass against Kieran's. They drank slowly for a long moment, Rhys letting the wine sit in his mouth and savoring the slight bitterness before swallowing.

"So..." Kieran began, swirling his pointer finger around the rim of the glass, "how have things been with Selene?"

The question was unavoidable, Rhys knew that much, but he had not expected for it to be asked so quickly. He struggled to think of how to adequately answer the question, not even sure what exactly Kieran wanted to know. Selene had been a touchy subject for months. Ever since Rhys had been informed of the arrangement for him to marry a du Rene princess the family had actively avoided the subject and Rhys had not been one to bring it up. At the beginning the very subject brought on a wave of fury and immeasurable grief, but as of late those emotions had faded considerably to the point where Rhys barely felt any sadness at all, a thought that scared him more than his suffering.

"Hard," Rhys said finally, unable to think of any better word. "When we found out about the marriage it was pretty devastating. I barely slept for a week and Selene was inconsolable. We composed ourselves eventually but it was hard to even see each other after that. When I got back from Ovis after the marriage things got complicated. Jessa walked in on Selene and I in a ... compromising situation."

Kieran raised a single eyebrow in interest. "Compromising?"

"Well, I was taking off Selene's corset if that tells you anything."

Little to Rhys' surprise Kieran laughed, despite what looked like a good deal of restraint on his part. "Sorry, sorry," he apologized, bringing a fist to his lips. "That's rude of me."

Rhys found himself laughing as well. "No, it's alright. It's a bit humorous in retrospect, though it wasn't so funny at the time, considering it was Jessa's very first day at the house. After that Selene and I decided to sever all ties, not that that's been easy to do. Things have been tense between us ever since. I'm not sure we'll ever fully recover to be honest, though I hope we can."

Now Kieran looked at Rhys from over his glass, obviously deep in thought from the way his lips were set and his eyes narrowed. It was an uncomfortable position for Rhys, being looked at so intently, and he could not help but squirm in his seat.

"What about Jessa? How do you feel about her?"

"She seems to be acclimating better as time goes by. We get on better than we did at first, and she doesn't seem to hate me anymore which is a nice change."

Kieran never lowered his gaze, his eyes practically boring into Rhys' mind in an almost intrusive way. "That's not exactly what I meant."

It was not that Rhys had not understood Kieran's question the first time around, but rather that he did not know how to answer. He stared off at the window, recalling the many weeks and months with Jessa. Their relationship had shifted many times during their acquaintance, morphing from one of mutual tolerance to what Rhys figured to be more or less a friendship. Jessa was not the woman he'd thought her to be on their wedding day as she had proved herself time and time again to be more than an impassive, boring scholar. The occasional passion she showed for not only her work but for those around her brought life to her, and Rhys would have to be a fool to not notice how Jessa herself had begun to change since her arrival, even if the changes were subtle. Rhys thought of saying something simple, something along the lines of his improving relationship with Jessa, but lying to Kieran was not something Rhys had ever been able to get away with.

"I'm not sure how I feel about Jessa. She's become a friend to me but she's also snuck up on me. I like her more than I ever thought I would, and though that's a comfort to know I'm not married to someone I barely tolerate it certainly makes things confusing."

Waiting for Kieran's reaction was painful in anticipation, and his reply shocked Rhys more than anything he'd been expecting. "Rhys, I'm 35 - I know attraction when I see it. The tension between you two tonight was palpable and I'm not just talking about the anger."

Unable to conjure any words, Rhys gaped at his uncle, still processing what he had heard. Kieran waited patiently for Rhys to regain composure, looking rather amused with the whole thing.

"Attraction?" Rhys breathed out. "Are you serious?"

"Oh, come on Rhys, don't lie to yourself. If I can see it then surely you can too. You can't tell me you've never felt anything towards Jessa, not in all the months you've spent with her."

Instead of putting up a protest Rhys decided to contemplate Kieran's words. He thought of their many talks, of the many dinners they'd had, of the games they'd played and the many times they'd been drunk together. Most of the memories carried no hints of attraction, not in that manner, but one memory imparticular called attention to itself, refusing to be overlooked. The day Rhys had saved Jessa from her suicide, when he'd pushed her away from the cliff edge, something inside him had stirred. As he'd held her in an embrace his heart had quickened, his senses taking in the smell of her hair and the warmth of her body. At the time he had thought little of it, merely glad to see her alive and well, but as he thought back on the memory he could not deny the feelings that had been awakened.

"You know, it's not a crime to move on, Rhys," Kieran said quietly. He downed the rest of his drink, reaching over and taking what was left of Rhys'. "Don't blind yourself because you feel guilty over what happened with Selene. It's ok to feel something for her, and I have a feeling you're not alone in these thoughts."

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

Jessa awoke to a wet pillow and raw eyes. The night before, Jessa had made sure to lock the door and go straight to sleep. She had not been able to stop the tears, but she could certainly make sure she did not see Rhys again for a long time. Jessa rubbed at her face and tried to regulate her breathing. The night had not calmed her at all. Her blood still boiled as she thought of Rhys’ harsh, thoughtless words. A lump grew in her throat but she swallowed it down, refusing to cry again.

To get her mind off it, she stood and went to her dressing table. She picked out a red, satin box from the top drawer and unlocked it. It had been her mother’s: a gift from her young, foolish prince lover. Emara had kept anything of sentimental value inside it, as well as a note to Jessa that she had written a couple of days after her birth. Jessa picked out the note and held it against her chest, careful not to crush it. She had only read the letter once and never intended to again, but she would not part from it. Putting the letter to one side, Jessa lifted out some of the other trinkets: a tarnished ring the Pryor family had had for generations; the feather clip her mother had always decorated her hair with; and the miniature of Emara that Cair had stolen.

Once she was felt the tears brewing, Jessa returned everything and made sure the letter was folded on top. She locked it and threw the key towards the back of the drawer. Then, she stared down at the satin box, caressing it with her fingers. She swallowed and looked away. There was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” she asked, her voice wavering. She stood warily, keeping a protective hand over the box.

“A letter from Miss Freya came this morning for you, Lady,” a woman said. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Jessa replied, clearing her throat and going to the door. She hesitated with her hand on the key. “Are you alone?”

“Yes, Lady,” the maid answered, confused. Jessa nodded to herself and unlocked the door. She opened it a crack and peered through. When she was convinced the servant was telling her the truth, she held out a hand. The maid gave her the letter and curtsied.

“Thank you.”

The woman bobbed again and then left. Jessa shut the door and locked it behind her. Leaning against the wood, she opened the envelope and checked their friends were able to visit. She smiled upon seeing the affirmative, letting her gaze settle upon the box.

To find out what was in that book, she had to beat the Marinons at their own game. Tonight, she would have to be the best liar she had ever been.

***

Jessa stopped dead. Her hand was still resting on the doorknob. She stared at Rhys, standing in the centre of the sitting room. She had no idea how he had found out about the get-together that night, but she wanted him gone. Jessa breathed out heavily through her nose and tried to compose herself.

“Rhys,” she said tightly, moving into the room and taking a seat as far from his as possible. His angered face, shrouded in darkness, from the night before swam in front of her eyes. His words rang in her head. She dug her fingers into the arm of her chair and purposely averted her gaze.

“Jessa,” Rhys replied. He sounded empty and lost, but Jessa brushed off any niggling concern and watched for the arrival of their friends. She refused to care what Rhys was thinking or doing. He had lost that right when he had torn her apart so easily.

After a long, uneasy silence, Rhys said, “I’m sorry.”

If Jessa had not wanted to scream at him she might even have laughed. Instead, she let her eyes bore into his, keeping her emotions hidden behind a wall. Jessa did not reply. His apology was pathetic at best and did not excuse anything. He had promised that he would not let her come to harm, that he would always endeavour to protect her. He had told her that he would never hurt her, and physically he had not. Yet his words hurt far more than if he had knifed her. It was his words, and Cair’s simpering face, who had haunted her dreams last night. Slowly, her eyes burning with angry fire, she turned away.

Thankfully, her anger was interrupted by the arrival of their friends. Selene had clearly told them of their argument, for they entered warily and split into two groups. Freya and Ero headed towards her. Jessa touched the box at her side and the vial of Rhys’ blood in her pocket, as if she was worried they had disappeared in the last few minutes.

“Are you okay?” Ero asked her, placing his hand over hers. Jessa sighed and shook her head.

“But it is good to see you both,” she said, giving them a brief smile. She held out a bottle of golden wine and handed them each a glass. When they asked her if she was joining them, she shook her head. Not only could she still not face the terrible stuff, she needed a clear head tonight.

She waited for the right moment, when Freya would be tipsy enough to not ask probing questions but sober enough to actually help her. Checking that Rhys was definitely preoccupied with Victor and Selene, Jessa leaned closer to her friend and tapped her on the shoulder. Freya gave her a questioning look and then her gaze dropped to the satin box in Jessa’s lap.

“It was my mother’s. It’s locked and I don’t have a key; I’ve never been able to see what’s inside.” She bit her lip, ignoring the funny feeling in her chest and the way her stomach lurched at the lie. Jessa did not enjoy lying to Freya, but she knew she must.

“Have you gone to a locksmith? They might be able to help you,” Freya suggested.

Jessa shook her head. “I haven’t managed to find the time. But, I just need to see what’s inside.”

Freya pursed her lips, then drew out a few pins from her hair. She grinned. “Lucky for you I’ve picked a couple of locks in my time. My father liked to hide things from me when I was young, and I wasn’t happy to let him.”

She took the box from Jessa’s hands. “Of course, these pins aren’t the best things to use, but I don’t have any actual equipment with me right now.”

Jessa leaned in close, hiding Freya and the box from Rhys’ view. She analysed her movements carefully, the way she held certain pins in place while moving others around. Eventually, they heard a tiny click. Freya gave a self-satisfied grin and handed the box to Jessa. Knowing this would be the hardest lie to pull off of all, she took the box in false wonder and lifted the lid. She drew the letter out and unfolded it.

“Jessa,” she read, and then stopped. She closed the box and gripped the letter tightly in her hand. “Freya, this is from my mother. I…”

She swallowed, hating herself for the deception. However, she had come this far and needed to follow through. “I… need a minute to read this in private. I’ll be back soon. Just… tell everyone I needed some air.”

She stood up abruptly and brushed a hand through her hair. Gathering everything in her arms, she slipped out of them room. Once the door was shut behind her, she checked that the pins she had stolen from Freya with the box were still there. Then, she ran up the stairs and to the library.

Despite her haste, she was careful to place the box and the letter on the desk. Jessa dropped to the floor and arranged the pins on the chair beside her. Trying to memorise Freya’s movements, she fiddled in the lock. Nothing happened. Her heart rate increased and she began to grow frantic, putting more and more of the remaining pins in the lock and wiggling them about. She closed her eyes and pressed her head against the drawers. It had been too risky just watching Freya, but asking her what she was doing would have been more suspicious.

Jessa would not give up. With renewed vigour she twisted the pins, waiting for them to catch on the mechanisms. She was practically willing the lock to open, no matter how fruitless it was. Then suddenly, she heard the most glorious sound. Jessa gasped in relief and pulled the drawer open. The book, thankfully, was inside. She hoped there would be no protective magic on the cover and drew it out with only one eye open. When nothing happened, she let out a deep breath and placed it on the desk in front of her.

She lifted the cover, first wanting to check the book was indeed what she thought it was. Peculiarly, the pages were not blank, but full of words. She frowned and looked closer, wondering how she could possibly have made a mistake. It looked like a blood book. She peered even closer. The words began to blur, and when she tried to read them she found they made no sense. Jessa leaned back in her chair, impressed. The Marinons really did think of everything. If someone stumbled across the book, they would not think twice about it. Luckily for her, she had been searching for it.

Jessa closed it and pulled the vial from her pocket. The blood was cold on her finger, and for a moment she worried there was not enough. Remembering what the magic book had told her, she pressed her finger against the middle of the book and rubbed it around. She felt a surge of energy race through her, leaving behind an emptiness in the tome that had not been there before. Jessa turned to a random page and was satisfied to see real words there, even if they were clearly written in some kind of code.

Without warning, the door to the library opened. Jessa panicked and shut the drawer, knowing she had no time to put the book back as well. She tried to hide it with the loose parchments on the desk and then turned her back, concealing the mess with her body. Her eyes narrowed as she recognised the silhouette in the doorway. Rhys swayed as he came forwards, and she could smell the stench of alcohol on him.

“Get the hell away from me,” she said sharply. Rhys shook his head once, and then continued to do so in the way only a drunkard would. Her ire rose. “Leave. Now.”

“No,” he said firmly, coming to a stop in front of her. She took in a deep breath and pressed closer back against the desk. She was fairly sure that, in his state, he would notice nothing amiss, but that did not mean she wanted him here. “I was awful to you, and I need to tell you how sorry I am. It was inexcusable.”

“I don’t have time for this,” she said curtly, averting her gaze.

“Jessa, I…” Rhys faltered, waving his hands uselessly. He lifted his hand, and Jessa was grateful for his training once again. She caught him by his wrist moments before he made contact. Rhys blinked, looking at his wrist in bemusement. Then he looked hurt. “I’m not going to hit you. I would never…”

“I don’t know what you’re capable of anymore,” she said darkly, though she did not believe her words. If there was one thing she knew, it was that Rhys would not lay a hand on her. The same could not be said of anything else, however. Hesitantly, she let his hand go.

Before she could react, the back of Rhys’ hand touched her cheek. She froze. What was he doing?

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

What was he doing? His hand brushed lightly against Jessa's cheek, his fingers trailing down until they reached the top of her neck. Every sense was heightened, the feeling of the softness of her skin etching itself in his memory as he listened to the sound of his own breathing. Rhys half expected Jessa to slap his hand away in her anger, a logical reaction after how he had hurt her, but yet she made no move. Frozen at his touch, Jessa held her breath, her eyes wide as she watched Rhys in shock.

Though Rhys' thoughts were hazy in regards to the wine he'd been drinking, he was not drunk enough to be incapable of at least semi-logical thought. Slowly he withdrew his hand, blinking rapidly at his own hand as if coming out of a trance. His thoughts flashed back to Kieran's words, still heavy on his mind. You can't tell me you've never felt anything towards Jessa, a voice repeated over and over. The words gripped Rhys, refusing to allow him to forget them. Had he felt anything before? Despite his thought on the subject Rhys could not be sure. Perhaps he had; perhaps he'd only been blocking the thoughts. Perhaps Kieran's words unlocked the gate, allowing him to feel more clearly than he had in months.

"Jessa, I need to apologize for what I said."

"Don't -" She began to protest. Rhys put up a single finger, waiting for Jessa's words to trail off before continuing.

"No, I need to explain myself. I have to. I was angry and frustrated and I wasn't thinking clearly when I said what I did. When you suggested that I enjoy hurting people I became unhinged. I don't know why I acted the way I did but I cannot take my words back, no matter how much I would like that." Rhys' words began to tumble out with increasing speed, his inebriation only helping to weaken his inhibitions. "I got angry because I care what you think about me, ok? I care and I hate it. I've never given a damn what anyone thinks about me or my family or any of the rumors that circulate about us. I have built up an armor against judgement and insult through years and years of practice but with you ... you make me feel guilty."

When Rhys finished his speech, his chest rising and falling rapidly with his heavy breathing, he realized he had unconsciously come face to face with Jessa. Though it might have been his imagination or wishful thinking, Rhys was fairly certain that Jessa's own breathing had become heavy and quick.

"What I said was horrible and inexcusable, I know what, but I hope you can find a way to forgive me."

In one last reckless gesture, Rhys hesitantly took a lock of Jessa's hair than hung loose beside her face and tucked it behind her ear. Again Jessa made no movement to show any resistance, but some part within Rhys worried he was crossing a dangerous boundary. In truth he was not sure what had possessed him to act like he did but he was certain it was not the alcohol.

"I'll leave you now," he said quietly, stumbling a bit as he stepped away, walking in a bit of a daze. Just before he closed the door to the library he took one last glimpse at Jessa, catching her touching her own cheek with a look of bewilderment on her face.

***

As soon as Rhys reentered with sitting room all eyes turned on him instantaneously.

"Is Jessa alright?" Freya asked hesitantly.

"I think so," Rhys replied, happy to once again be stable in the comfort of a chair. Though he would have liked to disappear from sight, allowed to drown in his own muddled thoughts, his friends would not take their focus from him.

"And the letter?" Freya continued. "Did it upset her?"

Rhys popped his head up, momentarily withdrawn from his contemplation. He had not remembered seeing a letter, though as he focused on the exchange he did remember catching Jessa trying to hide a book from his sight. Why he had not noticed this to begin with was beyond him. "What letter?"

Freya looked as confused as Rhys felt. She tilted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes. "What were you two talking about if not the letter?"

"Nothing," Rhys said quickly, feeling his cheeks flush against his wishes. He picked up his glass of wine and continued to drink, hoping it would conceal the betrayal of his expression. "I was just apologizing, that's all."