This was initially inspired by the first section of T.S. Eliot's 'The Hollow Men', I'm not sure if it'll be a three parter or just this.
Heidi was wonderful and beta-read it for me :
Hollow. He was hollow from the outside in. What kept his feet on the ground, preventing his hollow body from floating into immeasurable eternity, was the weight of a thousand disapproving glances. Glances that said he too was to blame. Glances that asked why he didn't prevent this, but glances that looked away from him too quickly for him to answer or defend himself.
In truth, he didn't know how to begin to answer. Why had he supported somebody who he knew was guilty of plotting treason?
Alex had excused himself with slick apologies, which seemed to say he was sorry for everything and really meant he was sorry for none of it. He had even persuaded some that the Lioness might be lying. Delia, the beautiful lady Delia, had smoothed her face, tucked away her mourning for a more private time, and shrieked with the rest of them. The Crown had been deceived! It was shocking, despicable, regrettable - but maybe it was the Crown's fault too? Maybe the Lioness had twisted their minds?
Those two, who had been so involved, had extracted themselves from the sticky spider-webbed situation.
But Geoffrey, Geoffrey was inextricably attached to the former Duke, as his squire's squire. Geoffrey had none of Alex's smooth charm and stuttered and stumbled every time he was called upon to defend himself. His father in particular managed to wither Geoffrey's words, often when they were on the cusp of birth, with a single look.
He had tried explaining, once. He tried to say that he had intended to say something, but he'd always persuaded himself it wasn't important enough.
Gary had dismissed Geoffrey's words. He had never been quick enough or strong enough to attract Gary's attention.
Jonathan had looked like he was considering it, but it had been Alanna who had nodded, Alanna who had reached across and touched his wrist, Alanna who had said, "I know what you mean."
And now it was Alanna who wasn't here. He had envied Alanna, liked her, disliked her - at times even been persuaded that he hated her - but she had always been there, in one form or another. And now she was not, their lady knight, off adventuring, leaving the rest of them in her dust. Guilt-ridden with what she had done, but also, strangely content in having done it at last.
There was no such source of relief for Geoffrey.
He would have to deal with being hollow by himself, with not being able to meet anybody's eyes for fear of what he might find there.
Or what they might find in his eyes.