24
"David, look at mother" Rhiannon said firmly as she stood at her full height, filing the screen "Tell me again what aunty Pippy said."
Ianto sat to one side, sickened to his core at the reason for all this death and his fear for those children left behind at their castle. He knew the guards were on alert, that his parents had sent more but… damn. Pip really wanted to be the only one with a grandchild to flash about like the latest fashion accessory?
Ianto knew his parents were on the call as well, his mother's anger filling the bond as she listened with horror to the plans laid out, the man in the holding cells … the man assigned to David and Sean as an advisor weeping as he confessed to his part in the plans. John Hart, Jack's man, it seems is artful in his conversations.
Gwen had insisted on staying with Ianto even as her hands shook and Rhys was comforted to see her safe. At least they were all together and in a place of safety. For now.
Soon several others were rounded up and the flames of Ianto's ire burned high. Ianto did not want to know, or hear. Jack took on that part with a righteous air about him that commanded the room and those in it.
.
.
Ianto retired to the bedchambers to hide his sorrow and Jack found him there on the bed asleep.
Jack sat in on the edge of the bed and removed his boots then looked at the large windowsill that overlooked the city… and remains... in the distance. All along the sill were little bits of coloured glass. Like animals, fruit… trees and flowers… all sorts of things all in tempered glass. The prisms caught the sunlight and the room seemed to glow within a rainbow's heart.
Comforting.
Jack walked over to pluck up a flower and turn it about in his hands, now seeing rare jewels in the petals as well. Something rare, beautiful and so damned expensive.
"That was my great aunt's." Ianto said softly from the bed "She gifted that to my mother. Mama put that one there when she stayed last, knowing I would lie here on occasion. I love the colour red."
"They are… amazing" Jack said with awe.
"A Horde. We do that. We gather thing and make pretty little collections of them. Nesting. It comforts us to have a pretty nest, it encourages the chicks to be happy. Colour is important to us, light and shiny things… we are chicks at heart too" Ianto explained. "A true Bladesinger has a mighty collection of weird tat, things that pleases them. Button here… a weird stone there… a feather… all sorts of things that have memoires… meaning or just a happy vibe."
"So… Gareth and Lloyd?" Jack asked, knowing Ianto did not want to talk about it but must to let it go.
"We detected danger and eliminated it" Ianto sighed softly "Seems she was going as far as I surmised. ALL males in the bloodline were being wiped out so her first born son would rule."
"All... you mean…"
"Yeah. Daddy too" Ianto rolled to face him "he loves his ale in the evenings. Often we would talk while he supped in his chambers. Luckily they thought to check the latest barrels."
"Oh my goddess… Regicide!"
"Yeah. Poor Daddy is so perplexed. He still can't get his head around it. Mama on the other hand… might do a public beheading of her own child." Ianto scoffed, and then sobered "Nah. She will do her business behind closed doors and said to be in some sect publicly to save face. Pip will be… sickly."
"Like your sisters… ah… Daisy and Iris?"
"Well… maybe they were not born like that… maybe they did not like their baby sister and made too many overtures… then were discovered with a pillow over the baby's face in the dead of night. Hence… slickly and wed off to low level brothers as soon as possible so they might all be happy in the furthest realm from Pip."
"So she was always precious and allowed to be" Jack snorted. "Fuck… the girls in your family are spoilt."
"Penny" Ianto muttered to himself as he lay there, still lazy and half asleep "David… called her Penny, not Pippy. Huh."
"What does that mean?" Jack asked as he settled to watch Ianto' eyelids flutter, sleep calling to him.
"That she used more than one name… maybe… maybe more" Ianto sighed, then let sleep steal him away as the chick was demanding it so the thoughts keeping them both awake might settle.
Jack sat back and considered this then rose and called to John who came with his usual swagger.
.
.
"The boys called Pip Penny. Apparently she uses that name too" Jack said and watched John's face.
"Bad Penny" John said softly "There is someone called Bad Penny making some noise around the place but it is not a woman… BP is a man. Some duke or earl or something."
"The D.O.R.K." Jack said with a frown "Pip is Duchess of the Regal Killians. Ianto was making fun of it… calling her a Dork. So… the Duke would have the same name right? Hang on…. His name is Prentice. Penny. Fuck. It's him… she is just his fucking hound he sets on people. "
"Dorks indeed" Jack nodded "I will go ask around, poke some holes and see what rushes out the other end … yes. I think you are right. Her husband wants the crown."
Jack hoped this was not the case, the entire realm about to lose a limb. Mind you… better to know than to assume.
Lest someone try to chop off more of their own flesh here.