Feferi walked slowly and carefully through the palace gates in the morning light, as if she'd fall apart if she moved any faster. Makara slunk ahead of her, graceful as a dancer. Both had replaced their ruined cloaks on the way back, but they still stank of fire and blood. Makara's gloves were soaked through with scarlet. The bag over Feferi's shoulder weighed on her like a rock.
Eridan was up early, sitting at a delicate white table beneath the rose trees, two empty chairs beside him and a tiny glass vase with a sprig of pink flowers before him. Tavros, the stuttering slaveboy, was standing beside him with a tray of pastries and tea. Eridan saw the returning pair and waved with a slice of brioche as they both pushed their hoods down.
"Fef, Gam! I couldn't sleep, I wwas so excited! So did you finish it?"
In answer, Feferi unslung the bag from her arm and handed it to him, unable to bear reaching into it herself. He opened it and laughed, dipping his hand into the bag and lifting it out with bloodstained blue hair running between his fingers. He found a cracked pair of smoked spectacles in the bag, and giggled as he put them on in place of his own.
"Wwoww, howw did he see wwith these fuckin' things?"
Feferi bit her lip. She would not cry now.
"You sure you got all of them?" Eridan asked, shaking his head and swapping his glasses back. He threw Equius' pair on the ground contemptuously and picked up the honey jar.
"Sure as shit, brother, we called in the fuckin' city Watch and combed the motherfuckin' place." Makara dropped onto one of the fine metalwork chairs and grabbed a croissant. "Not a single blue-haired fucker left, like you said." He bit into the pastry, dropping crumbs everywhere and ignoring the stale bloody fingerprints he'd smeared all over it. The slaveboy took a step back, and Gamzee leered up at him.
"Fef, wwon't you join us?" Eridan asked, wrinkling his brow with concern. "It's really good - ooh, didn't you make this brioche yesterday? Mm." He moaned softly around a mouthful. "So good. You're a genius, sis. As deadly as you are beautiful and a great cook too! I lucked out!"
"Uh, I should go take a bath," Feferi mumbled, shuffling her feet. "I'm still covered in blood ..."
"Feferi," Eridan said, eyes widening sadly. "I'll be wery hurt if you don't wwant to spend time wwith me. Nepeta and her mother left this morning, and I'm terribly lonely noww. Come on, let's just have a nice breakfast as a family. Oh, and Gamzee too," he said, nodding to the smirking executioner.
Feferi bit her lip to keep the tears from rising, and sat down in the empty chair. Tavros poured the tea and caught her eyes as he handed her a cup. He looked sympathetic, but could say nothing.
"Aww, fuck, baby sis, don't be all up and moping now!" Gamzee said, giving her a look of terrifyingly genuine concern. "Let's be seein' that lovely face smiling!" He reached out with a bloody index finger and drew it over her lips, leaving a foul-tasting red smear from ear to ear like a clown's smile. He beamed. "Ain't that feelin' better? Now get some food in you, darlin'."
Moving mechanically, Feferi spooned honey onto a slice of brioche and took a tiny bite. All she could taste was the ashes which clung to her.
Eridan reached out a finger and gently touched the flower sprig in the vase, making it nod gently. "Fuchsia. My fawourites. Pink and purple, just like us." He looked up at Feferi, eyes alight. "I wwas stupid to ignore you for a woman, Fef. I don't need to be married. The only lowe I need is yours."
Feferi's throat swelled with tears, but she managed to choke out "Thank you, Eridan."
