She must grow up, and she must accept what being a Queen means. Even if it means her own end, her vanity, her fear, must come second. She will not let go of her morals, and for it, must face this reality head on. ]
If they did, they would stop it. It would compromise their position with the Duchess, and there is no hope, of we are all at odds. There is no reconciliation for the better, if we lose our heads.
( he looks down at his hands, swallows. feels the weight of this moment pressing heavily on his chest. feels the despair slowly kindle into anger, into fury. but he keeps his voice level, calm. he must be calm now. )
But I can’t imagine you’d do anything but make us proud, Gilia.
( and while they might not be the family she was born into, they're the family that's here. the ones that matter. )
[How long, and how much, has she craved to hear those words. To know that she has done well, that she has made glad the people around her?
She takes a second to swallow down not tears of hurt or fear. But happiness, something washed clean after so many years. In and out, one after the other to get her voice back to even. ]
Ari - I have always - I just want to keep my family safe, and know - know that I have no shamed you. I do, that is, I am always -
[ She swallows. All the words are too much, and all their meanings confused on her tongue.
So she settles on the thing that matters most. ]
- I love you - and to be... to be your family, gives me courage most of all.
( simple and matter-of-fact, like it’s just another undeniable truth of the world — the sky is blue and the grass is green and gilia st. loe is loved; she has always and will always be loved by him. )
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( disbelief that verges on anger. it shouldn't shock him, the idea that they'd be pitted against each other like animals, but somehow it does. )
Do they know?
( unspoken: do they know and plan to do nothing? )
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[ She takes a slow breathe out.
She must grow up, and she must accept what being a Queen means. Even if it means her own end, her vanity, her fear, must come second. She will not let go of her morals, and for it, must face this reality head on. ]
If they did, they would stop it. It would compromise their position with the Duchess, and there is no hope, of we are all at odds. There is no reconciliation for the better, if we lose our heads.
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I'll do what I can. ( for gilia’s sake, if nothing else — especially if it brought her any kind of peace. )
Be brave, Gilia. ( he hates how much this sounds like goodbye. ) You’re not alone, even now — just remember that.
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[ She takes slow breathes, trying to keep calm. Hold onto that surety. ]
I... I just want to do my family proud. Do... did they ever teach you... how to face death?
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( he looks down at his hands, swallows. feels the weight of this moment pressing heavily on his chest. feels the despair slowly kindle into anger, into fury. but he keeps his voice level, calm. he must be calm now. )
But I can’t imagine you’d do anything but make us proud, Gilia.
( and while they might not be the family she was born into, they're the family that's here. the ones that matter. )
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She takes a second to swallow down not tears of hurt or fear. But happiness, something washed clean after so many years. In and out, one after the other to get her voice back to even. ]
Ari - I have always - I just want to keep my family safe, and know - know that I have no shamed you. I do, that is, I am always -
[ She swallows. All the words are too much, and all their meanings confused on her tongue.
So she settles on the thing that matters most. ]
- I love you - and to be... to be your family, gives me courage most of all.
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( simple and matter-of-fact, like it’s just another undeniable truth of the world — the sky is blue and the grass is green and gilia st. loe is loved; she has always and will always be loved by him. )
And I'll be waiting for you when it's done.
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[ There is nothing else to say, as she holds that thought tightly in her chest. ]
In this life, and the next, Aristaeus.
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