Dear Diary:
So today I decided to clean the blood stains out of the senate table, and I found Soren in the corner surrounded by books. He was so small and looked like a kicked puppy, so I felt awful and had to cheer him up.
Me: That's how I reacted when I found Ashnard's porn too.
Him: Please kill me.
Me: It's not that bad. No one blames you for Ashnard's crazy… or Almedha's crazy, for that matter. I mean, they gave me the kingship, on purpose!
He snorted in amusement, so I win.
Me: And yes, Mother is crazy, but in a good way most of the time. You know she would do anything for you, literally, just because you're her family. And at least you found out from me! I found out from Izuka!
Him: Wow. I legitimately pity you. That's odd.
Me: Plus you do get to leave if it gets to be too much. I'm king now, so I don't. Not that I want to leave, most of the time.
Him: I am leaving. Ike has plans… And just because she gave birth to me does not mean I owe her loyalty…
Me: Well speaking from one former orphan to another, if I were you I would at least start talking with her over letters. If nothing else at least you'll get to learn about your ancestry, which might help out sometime. You're half dragon, that's pretty neat.
Him: … Yeah, I guess.
Me: Besides, you've already bonded over hating your in-laws!
Him: Technically speaking Micaiah isn't an in-law. You're not related to me.
Then I needed cheering up instead because I forget that sometimes. But since he's been confused for a Spirit Charmer before and I've been confused for a Branded before, we got to share stories of being beat up, bullied, manipulated, or otherwise pestered. So whether he likes it or not I'm pretending he's my brother. Almedha is still my mother, because she has legitimately forgotten she isn't, and because I don't have another one. The woman wanted to destroy the kingdom of Daein to keep me alive! I have to reward that somehow.
Plus she will get to spend energy worrying about Soren. So I'm still winning. Yay me!
-Pelleas