Leo drummed the fingers on his left hand on the table with his right hand cradled his head.
How people could argue for what felt like sixteen hours straight without going insane or loosing their voices was beyond him.
He flicked a look at his father, who looked as bored as he felt and was probably paying less attention then Leo was to the ongoing meeting around them.
Leo swapped his head to his other hand, and forced his fingers to stop making a racket.
Honestly, arguing over adaptation of a new time zone wouldn't have been a topic he'd thought would invoke such ire, but he'd been wrong, apparently.
Finally, realizing he was starting to get hungry which meant it was probably getting close to dinner time, he sat up straight and cast one last look around the room.
At least half the people present looked bored, including his father, and the other half were too busy bickering amongst themselves to notice the sun setting.
Leo tilted his chair back and forth a few times, debating how to get everyone's attention.
They obviously weren't going to come to an agreement today, and he didn't want anyone to be here late into the night discussing something so pointless.
The clatter of his chair's legs didn't draw much attention. Only Edge glanced at him and copied the motion once before they both stifled chuckles.
"But what about the farmers," the newest councilwomen lamented. "How will they be effected with different daylight hours?"
Lasalle glared at her from across the table. "We're talking about setting the clocks backwards, not literally rewriting the sun's motion across the sky!"
Leo grinned despite the rude comment. Lasalle was blunt, rude and admittedly self-serving, but he wasn't always wrong.
She glared back. "But what about livestock?"
"Oh, I didn't realize cows and goats could read clocks." Lasalle mocked.
Leo frowned at him, but went unnoticed so instead curled a scrap of paper up and flicked it across the table at him.
It hit his arm and he looked confused, mid-rant about something else before he looked up and around.
He caught the prince's eye and Leo put on his most disapproving look and shook his head.
Lasalle snapped his mouth shut.
"How did you do that?" Edge asked, leaning over to whisper once no one was looking.
Leo flashed his father a grin, "He owes me for getting the Trading Alliance to sign his failing business on, remember?"
"Isn't that blackmail?" Edge asked back. He didn't sound all that upset.
Leo shrugged, "Nah, it's only coercion."
His father snorted and sat back once someone glanced over at them. It was the oldest member of the council and he mouthed the word 'help' to them.
Father and son exchanged a glance.
The bickering was continuing, and honestly, nothing would put a stop to it. But, he was up for a challenge.
Leo flicked open his bladed boomerang and gave it a showy twirl above his head before he slammed it as hard as he could into the wooden table, causing it to rattle.
The conversations rippled, then quieted, then ended altogether.
"Wasn't sure that would work!" he exclaimed, grinning. "Now that I have your undivided attention... this discussion isn't going to get solved today, is it?"
No one spoke, but a few people looked around nervously, while others shifted in their seats.
Leo winced, "Didn't think so. We've been kind of going in circles on it, and, well, I know I'm tired, so you must be as well. It's getting late."
He held his hand up, "So, I propose a new vote; all in favor of ending the meeting right now so we can get out of here?"
It took a moment for people to realize he was serious, but once a few hands went up slowly, uncertainly, more followed suit until everyone's hand was in the air.
Leo pointed to the far end of the room. "Scribe! Write this date down not only in the meeting notes but also in the history books, because this might very well be the first time a vote has passed first try in the kingdom!"
There was a smattering of laughs, some more nervous then others, and doing what she was told, the scribe did scribble some notes down.
Leo grinned, "Alright, in all seriousness, it's late and we all have families and other duties to attend to. Let's table this discussion for another time."
A murmur of agreement went around the room but no one moved. Leo rolled his eyes and stood up, which prompted everyone else to do the same.
The fact that he had to be the first to move before any gathering or meeting could be completed was one of the traditions he thought was stupid.
But they couldn't even agree on a time zone change, so he knew changing a tradition was never going to happen.
Once everyone was standing though, they all filed out of the room fairly quickly, leaving only the king and the prince.
They left the room and Leo stretched his arms above his head. "Finally! I'm going to end up with stilted growth from sitting around all the time."
"Now do you see why I was always trying to get out of these?" Edge complained.
Leo let his arms fall back to his sides. "Yeah, but I can't run off and almost die because everything is rainbows and sunshine in the world. I have nowhere to hide."
"The rough life of royalty during peace," his father sighed. "I still can't believe you could so easily shut Lasalle up."
"I told you, he owes me. Besides, he is one hundred percent a jerk, but he is loyal at least, so that's good I guess." the prince pointed out.
"It's still shocking, and how come you can get away with that sort of thing but I get nasty looks and stern lectures? You even had laughs at your antics to end the meeting!" Edge complained.
Leo started to walk backwards so he could grin at his father. "Because everyone loves me. I think someone the other day was calling me the 'darling of Eblan' or something."
Edge rolled his eyes, "Ugh, don't remind me. I have to hear daily about how you are going to be the best ruler the kingdom has had in centuries. I'm not even retired, let alone dead yet! It's so rude."
Leo's grinned widened, "You are a little old to be having a midlife crisis, but I'll build you a statue or something if it would make you feel better?"
"Thanks," his father deadpanned, frowning at him.
Leo chuckled and spun back around before attempting to climb down a set of stairs. "I told you, everyone loves me!"
"I still don't get how they weren't upset at you for that,"
He shrugged. "I just try to remember that none of us what to be there, so technically we are all allies in that. Besides, if we adjourn and go back to the discussion another day, there's a chance someone might have changed their minds. After all, thinking about it a long time, or talking to a spouse can make a difference."
Leo gave a short laugh as he finished out his thoughts. "Then I won't have to do any work to change minds, too."
Edge didn't reply right away, which was surprising. Noticing he had stopped, Leo paused and turned hallway around. "What?"
"That's... both incredibly smart and also a little lazy," his father pointed out.
Leo's grin was quick. "Well duh. It's all about tactics. Not just on a battlefield, you know."
"I may have to concede then that you just might be the bestest king ever," Edge remarked dryly, beginning to walk again.
They rounded a corner and Leo tossed open his hands, "Darling, remember?"
His father rolled his eyes, but didn't get the chance to say anything more as they came upon Seren animatedly talking to their older sibling and her husband.
Seren trailed off in her conversation to give her brother and a father a little wave. "Hey! Look who just showed up! I was just asking for some details on their trip."
Leo broke out into a smile and hopped forward a few steps. "Cuore!"
He hadn't seen his sister in almost two months, and for the last few weeks she hadn't even been in the country.
Even if he hadn't known they'd been traveling, their attire gave it away. Cuore only ever wore boots if she was traveling, otherwise she'd ditch her shoes in a heartbeat. Not to mention they were both in their official looking dark jackets with blue and white trim with the Trading Alliance logo on the shoulders.
His sister smiled and didn't resist the quick hug he gave her, before he pulled back to give a quick nod to Kieran and ask a question of his own.
"You just got back?"
Cuore nodded, "We did, but I thought perhaps we could stop by briefly before heading back to the Tower."
"On a scale of one to ten, how bad was your trip to Mysidia?" Leo asked.
Cuore looked disapproving and open her mouth to probably chastise him, but Kieran answered the question.
"About a five. They were actually pretty polite this go around."
Leo chuckled, "Wow, so diplomatic of you!"
"Yeah, I was on surprisingly good behavior. I think Cuore might have spiked the air sickness tonic with something. Sedatives, maybe?" he mused.
She frowned at him, unamused. "Sedatives would make you unsafe to pilot an airship."
Her husband grinned at her, "Is that why you keep asking to fly them lately?"
"No, it's because you fly too quickly," Cuore argued. "The engines aren't made for such drastic changes in speed,"
"Says you," he shot back.
Seren giggled, "And you all say I'm the trouble maker around here,"
Cuore sighed. "Regardless," she commented, bringing the conversation back around. "We did secure the final contracts with them, so I have hope that this arrangement will be mutually beneficial."
"Cuore obviously drank some of that diplomacy concoction, too," Kieran whispered loudly enough that they could all hear him.
The eldest sibling sighed, rubbing a hand over her eyes as if she was tried of dealing with all of them. Leo hid his grin and instead reached out to tap her arm. "So it was a good trip, then?"
Her expression calmed and she nodded. "For the most part. Since the Magicite is mostly disbanded, Mysidia has been dealing with a lot of fallout. But, things seem to have settled, and they were very responsive to our proposals finally."
"I think they waited so long to agree so that they could sort everything out beforehand." Kieran added, crossing his arms. "There was a lot going on, and more behind the scenes then even they let show, I'm sure."
Cuore hummed in agreement. "In any case, now that we have them on board, all the major cities are part, in one way or another, of the Trading Alliance. I'm optimistic about supply lines in the future."
"So..." Seren drawled. "your plan of world domination is nearly complete?"
Cuore scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm sick of answering that question. As if having a supply line is somehow going to end the world."
"Yeah, Ceodore keeps asking me if we've finished the death laser on Bab-Il yet," Kieran added with a laugh.
Edge frowned, "Why am I not in on this world domination plan?"
Cuore shot him a look as if to complain that he was playing along. Leo pointed to himself. "Because I'm in on it. You know, the bestest king? We're waiting until you finally retire to enact it."
Seren nodded. "Yes. We've been preparing for years."
"It's a long con." Kieran added.
Leo stifled another laugh as his eldest sister gave a long-suffering sigh and rolled her eyes. Seren gently kicked her, "Lighten up, Cuore. You really did spend too long in stuffy old Mysidia."
"It was a long trip," Kieran remarked.
Leo noticed the way he brushed the back of Cuore's elbow and then lightly clasped her wrist, then her hand. Cuore instantly seemed to relax slightly.
He had learned long ago that his sister and her husband had a way of communicating without words. It was partially telepathy, but also subtle body language and intuition.
He wasn't sure he'd ever fully understand it, but they were truly the definition of synchrony.
"But, it is nice to have pretty much everyone on board with the Trading Alliance now," Kieran said, giving Cuore's hand a squeeze before releasing it.
"Mysidia took long enough to agree to it," Edge commented.
"I can understand the hesitation. Considering the situation with the Magicite." Cuore replied.
Her father made a face, "I guess,"
"Well, you were kind of dragging your feet about it, too, dad." Seren pointed out.
Edge shrugged. "That was different. I wanted a personal airship out of the deal."
Cuore's lips twitched slightly. "I'm still convinced that is the only reason you let Kieran and I stay together,"
He made a shushing motion, "We agreed not to talk about that with him around,"
Seren giggled and Kieran didn't seem the least bit irritated by the comment. He just grinned, "I'm actually only still here because I'm pretty sure there's still warrants out for me in Baron,"
"There's a reason all the contracts with them for the Trading Alliance are in my name," Cuore mused, tossing him a mirrored smile.
Leo chuckled along with the rest of the them, clasping his hands behind his back. His sister seemed tired, but whenever she joined in the teasing with the rest of them, he knew she was truly aright.
It was nice when all of them were under the same roof.
Cuore glanced around suddenly, forehead furrowing. "Where is mom?"
"She had another bad headache this morning, and went back to sleep." Seren replied.
Cuore quirked an eyebrow and repeated; "Another?"
Leo nodded, not at all surprised his sister picked up on the subtle word choice. "A few days ago the same thing happened. It's weird, but, after a few hours she seems fine."
Cuore was frowning, obviously not entirely convinced.
Kieran noticed her look too, because he nudged her and commented, "Why don't you go check on your mother? I think I owe someone an airship flight anyway and we should do that before it gets dark,"
Seren had started bouncing, rolling between the balls or her feet to her heels at the mere mention of 'airship'. The feathers tied in the end of her twin braids were ruffling by how much she was moving.
"Yes! Yes! You did promise last time you were here," she pointed out.
Leo couldn't understand his sister's fascination with airships, but he did enjoy her enthusiasm. It was a good thing Kieran and Cuore could provide her information and the occasional joy ride on the contraptions to sate her curiosity.
"I'll go with you to check on mom," Leo offered.
Cuore nodded with one final look in Kieran's direction. But he was occupied answering one hundred and one questions in rapid succession as Seren chattered on. Leo offered a shrug and a grin at his younger sibling's antics and Cuore gave a single chuckle in reply.
Leo reached out to take his sister's arm. "Come on, I'm sure mom will really feel better once she sees you."
Cuore smiled at that and glanced at her father. "Are you coming?"
"No, you two go on ahead. I've been sitting in meetings all day. I need to move or walk or something before I stab someone." Edge complained.
Leo rolled his eyes. "More likely you are passing by the gates to make sure the people I put there to guard are doing an okay job,"
"I can't help it if my route takes me that way," their father commented, sounding a little too casual.
Cuore frowned, "I saw Jace on the way in. I can assure you, he's a hard worker with an excellent attention to detail."
"See?" Leo chimed in, pointing at her.
Edge held up his hands in a surrendering motion "I didn't even say I was going to check up on anyone! Go and see your mother. I'll find you later, Cuore, before you fly back."
They watched him leave and Leo frowned. "He is so checking up on the guards,"
"He has troubling letting go and realizing he isn't required all the time anymore." Cuore agreed.
They glanced at each other and starting laughing after a moment.
Leo tugged his sister's hand. "Come on."
They took a leisurely pace through the castle, and after a few moments of silence Cuore glanced at her younger brother once more. "And how are you, Leo?"
He smiled, struck by the fact that he didn't have to look up at her anymore. They were the same height for the moment, but he had a feeling he may end up growing more.
"I'm great!" he said. "things have been a little slow around here, but that's kind of nice, honestly."
"And are you still enjoying the little bit of power you have now?" she asked, a hint of teasing in her voice.
Leo chuckled, "Very funny. Actually, I am enjoying learning everything about being a ruler. Is that weird to say? Don't get me wrong, most of the time I'm annoyed, too, but... I still like it."
Cuore smiled and turned her gaze out one of the windows as they passed by. "I'm not surprised. You are a natural leader and very charismatic."
"I am adorable," Leo agreed.
She laughed and swatted his shoulder. "You can be as arrogant as our father and Seren sometimes,"
"Like you aren't?" he shot back, raising an eyebrow.
She paused and then gave a small huff. "Sometimes, perhaps."
Leo chuckled. "Anyway, I'm really lucky. I have mom and dad to teach me all about being a ruler. I have you and Kieran to help me understand businesses and give me advice. Even Seren, although maybe not the best influence, is great to have around. Its' hard to be in a bad mood around her."
He shrugged, "It's not just family, either. My friends are awesome. And Jace, Hotaru and Kentu have been a real help. Thank you so much for suggesting them."
Cuore nodded, "I thought they might be. It's important to have people you can trust around you."
Leo detected the change in her tone and glanced back to her. "Have... you heard from Kimiko?"
Cuore frowned and gave a quick shake of her head. "No, but I don't expect too."
He stifled a sad sigh and reached out to take her hand again. It had been years, but there was still a lot of recovery and healing needed from the last world war.
A lot of people had changed, for better or worse.
His sister obviously stifled her feelings and thoughts and turned back to him with a smile forming on her face again. "I am glad to hear things are going so well, and I meant what I said. I'm not surprised. You are going to be wonderful at ruling."
She tapped his shoulder, "And that's not just me as your older sister saying that,"
He chuckled. "Oh yeah? Who else?"
"Everyone," she teased. "I keep hearing about how great you are. Oh, Cuore, your brother this and that, what a nice young man he is. So smart, so kind, so honest, so this, so that,"
Leo winced, but couldn't help another laugh. "Wow, some people lay it on thick, huh?"
"I'd wager most of it is true,"
"Yeah, for now. You know how fast people can change their minds." he muttered. "It's all still a bit overwhelming, which is why I'm so glad I have so many people in my life, like I said."
Leo rolled his eyes a moment later. "I think dad is kind of freaking out about it. He's having a slightly-older-than-mid-life-mid-life-crisis."
"Well, as previously stated, he has trouble letting go." Cuore replied.
"I told him I'd build him a statue when he retires, you know, to soften the blow?" Leo joked.
His sister giggled, "That's horrible,"
"But funny,"
"A little bit, yes."
They had arrived at their destination and Cuore offered him one last smile. "Maybe one of these days you can come with Kieran and I on one of our trips. Not only would it be nice to see you more, but maybe you'd get a chance to meet more helpful people and see your friends, too."
He perked up, "Really? That would be great! I'd love to learn more about the trading lanes and everything. And more fans for me to acquire."
Cuore rolled her eyes and he shot her a smirk before knocking on the door.
"Mom! It's Leo. I brought someone with me you'll want to see!"
He waited until he heard her call him in and opened the door, reaching back to drag Cuore with him.
"Cuore!" Rydia exclaimed, setting down her book. "What a nice surprise."
His mother already looked better than she had this morning. She seemed a little tired, but the pain behind her eyes and the creases in her forehead were gone.
She was also out of bed, dressed and hair tied up. She'd still been taking it easy, however, judging by the books and tea on the table next to her.
Leo sat on a bench a few feet away, leaving the chair closest for Cuore to sit in once Rydia released her from a hug.
"Did you just get back?"
Cuore nodded as she sat down, "Yes. We thought we'd stop by before heading home to the Tower."
"I'm so glad you did!" her mother said. "Did everything go well with Mysidia?"
Cuore nodded again. "For the most part. There's much to do still, but our first contracts are secured, and they've already requested a few things be shipped to them. I think it's supplies for the last of the rebuilding efforts."
Rydia frowned, "It's taken so long for them to get even this far into rebuilding. The Magicite didn't make it easy."
"The ferry lanes will hopefully help with that," the teal haired woman pointed out.
Leo nodded, propping his chin on his hand. "Yeah, no kidding. Shipments and supplies have never been easier to get a hold of. It's kind of crazy how much can change with just a ferry lane."
His sister folded her hands in her lap. "Hopefully this alliance can continue to grow. We have quite a few ideas on how to increase efficiency and grow the operation, but it will take time, resources and corporation."
"If anyone can do it, it's definitely you and Kieran," he offered, shooting her a smile.
He meant every word. Things that most would consider impossible or difficult, Cuore took in stride and acted like it was just a minor inconvenience. She was her own worst enemy, however.
But Kieran and her had a good partnership. He counterbalanced her faults, as she did for him. If Cuore wouldn't or couldn't do something, then Kieran would instead, and vice versa.
"Did you get a chance to see Bryn?" Rydia asked.
Cuore's eyes dropped to her lap where her hands grasp each other. "No."
Leo winced, knowing that must have been hard on both her and Kieran.
"He's still in isolation." she continued. "However, Palom and Porom promised they would notify us when he was moved to his normal sentencing. We should be able to visit then."
Their mother looked disturbed. "It all seems unnecessarily cruel, honestly,"
"It is." Cuore muttered.
Leo heard the steel in her voice. His sister was angry, but keeping her emotions in check.
"Still, Bryn was... compliant. He said last year he understood and accepted Mysidia's judgement."
Rydia's expression was sympathetic and she reached out to take her daughter's hands, untangling them from themselves.
"Bryn is a strong child," she assured her. "I'm sure he will be fine."
Leo leaned forward, bracing his hands on the edge of his seat. "And you will there when he gets let out. I'm sure it will all work out."
Cuore smiled slowly, lifting her gaze and nodding.
"Kieran and I plan to ask him once his judgement is completed if he wants to come back with us."
She sounded a bit hesitant to say it out loud, and Leo wondered if she honestly thought any of them would have a problem with it.
"It would be Bryn's choice, of course, we just..." Cuore trailed off.
Rydia's expression was soft and understanding. "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea, and I'm sure Bryn will agree. I know how much you and Kieran bonded with him."
Cuore fidgeted. "Do you think it's risky? Bryn is... a unique child."
"Any riskier then bringing a Maenad child back from the moon?" their mother mused, tipping her head to one side as she smiled at her daughter.
Cuore laughed slightly and looked down. "That is a good point, one I hadn't considered. I suppose taking risks runs in the family."
"Absolutely," Leo agreed, smiling as well. "We're kind of known for that,"
They shared a small laugh before Rydia frowned, "Where is Kieran, by the way?"
"Taking a risk as well," Cuore remarked, grinning. "He took Seren on a quick flight."
"Brave," Rydia chuckled. "Are you two staying the night? It's been so long since we've seen you two, and I'd love to have dinner to catch up."
Cuore hesitated, and Leo perked up, "Please, Cuore? It has been forever. We have so much to talk about!"
"I... can ask Kieran if he's up for that." she conceded. "We have a lot of paperwork to file and import from Mysidia, since they did request a few things from us."
"Well, you can't ship anything out in the middle of the night anyway," Rydia pointed out. "I understand if you can't stay, but it would be nice."
Cuore smiled. "I'll ask him."
Her smile fell a moment later. "But, I need to ask if you are alright? Seren and Leo were telling me that you've been having headaches?"
"Oh, those." Rydia waved her daughter's concern away. "It's just been happening for a few days. They are only bad for a few hours, and then I'm fine."
"But they keep you in bed?" the teal haired woman pried. "Mom..."
"I'm fine," Rydia assured her, cupping her cheek. "Nothing to worry about. It's probably just stress or maybe a flu is going around."
Cuore seemed uneasy but nodded and touched the back of her mother's hand. "Alright, but... promise me if it continues you'll have a white mage look you over?"
"I will, I promise."
Leo frowned, glancing out the window at the setting sun.
Maybe it was a flu.
He'd been lightheaded on a number of occasions over the last few days, and he'd almost passed out yesterday after getting out of bed. He'd ignored it, assuming it meant nothing.
But if his mother's headaches were happening within the same time frame, then perhaps it was a sickness.
He'd have to keep an eye on it, and see if anyone else was having symptoms. At least so far it seemed pretty harmless.
He tuned back into the conversation as Rydia began regaling Cuore with stories of the last month that she's missed. He chimed in a few times to add to the stories or share his own point of view.
It was good to all be under the same roof.
Cuore had been wondering the castle grounds for over fifteen minutes, trying to find her husband. Seren had returned waxing poetic about how much she loved airships, but Kieran was nowhere in sight.
She frowned, feeling to tired to continue looking the old fashion way. Instead, she pulled the sleeve of her jacket up and powered on the gauntlet attached to her left forearm.
Once it was glowing faintly, she keyed in the simple code to activate the tracking system and waited a heartbeat for it to show her his location.
She sighed and turned around, doubling back towards the castle's front entrance.
Once she arrived, she found him talking to Jace, who spotted her and waved. "Oh, hey Cuore. I just saw your dad."
She groaned. "I'm sorry, I knew he was going to check up on you,"
Jace laughed it off and flicked his hand in dismissal. "No worries. It's kind of his job. But, I did just get off duty, so I'm headed home. It was good to see you both!"
They bid each farewell and Cuore turned to Kieran. "I wondered where you were,"
He paused and then glanced down at his arm, noticing the lights had flickered from the tracker. "Oh, sorry. Jace wanted to chat."
"How was the flight? Seren was gushing." Cuore teased.
Kieran snorted, smirking. "Oh, I'm sure she was. If we could harness a fraction of her energy, it would power Bab-Il for a month."
"She is quite vivacious." she replied. "Speaking of my family... they wondered if we might stay for dinner. I think they want to catch up with us."
Kieran shrugged, "That sounds good. It has been awhile since we've visited."
"They also want us to stay the night," Cuore added.
"Sure, that's fine." Kieran remarked, pulling at his sleeve to readjust it over the gauntlet.
Cuore blinked, surprised by the quick agreement. "Are you sure?"
He gave her a weird look, "Yeah?"
She could feel confusion radiating off of him, so decided to voice her concerns out loud. "What about the paperwork from Mysidia?"
"We can do it tomorrow," Kieran replied, shrugging.
She frowned, "But it was a long trip,"
"Yeah?" he repeated. "It was, but I don't see what that has to do with where we sleep tonight,"
Cuore bit her lip, "You flew all the way from Mysidia to here in a straight shot,"
"Which is probably why it's actually a better idea to stay here so I don't fly anymore while being fatigued." Kieran counter, still sounding puzzled.
"But wouldn't it be better to be in our familiar surroundings to rest?" she needled.
"Do you not want to stay here tonight for some reason?" Kieran finally asked her, raising an eyebrow.
Cuore blinked. "No, I do. I just..."
She trailed off, and there was a pause. Kieran waited patiently for a few heartbeats but she struggled to explain her concerns.
"Cuore," her husband chided. "I'm not the telepathic one. You have to help me out with what's bothering you,"
She laughed at the sarcastic and blunt comment, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure how to explain. I... sometimes I think you agree with me too much."
Kieran blinked once. Twice.
"... Okay," he muttered. "That's a weird thing to say... I'm guessing this is less about spending the night in the castle and is really about something else?"
Cuore paused, considering that. "I suppose it is. You just haven't argued with me at all recently."
"Are you mad we aren't fighting?" Kieran asked, starting to laugh. "I mean, we can start an argument, I'm sure, if you really want too, but that's a little odd."
Cuore giggled, slightly irritated he was sidetracking her. "No, no, I don't mean an argument like that. I..." she trailed off and tried to collect her thoughts.
Putting her feelings and concerns into words that another person could understand was still difficult after all these years.
"I'm trying to say that we've been doing everything I want too lately. You go along with everything I suggest. Food to eat, where to sleep, ideas for how to go about convincing Mysidia to join the Trading Alliance-"
Kieran gently clasp her upper arms to stall her comments. "Cuore, did it ever occur to you I wasn't arguing with any of that because you have good ideas?"
She smiled for a moment before it fell from her face. "But is that it? We never seem to do anything you want to do."
Kieran's expression twisted, "I'm not sure either of us wanted to go to Mysidia to haggle over airship ferry lanes, honestly..."
"Kieran," she sighed.
He let his hands fall from her shoulders and instead gave them a halfhearted toss. "I have no complaints, Cuore. You worry too much."
"We haven't had sex in three weeks, five days and sixteen hours,"
Kieran blinked again. "Sudden topic change," he muttered, almost to himself.
"We haven't even kissed in four days, two hours," she continued. "Something must be wrong,"
Her husband held up a hand to stall her, eyes half closed. "Wait, wait, is that what you are worrying about? That we're having some sort of marriage trouble?"
Cuore paused, "I hadn't thought to phrase it that way. Perhaps." She wrung her hands. "We seem... disconnected, somehow. I'm concerned."
It was Kieran's turn to pause. "I... guess we haven't really talked about anything but the Trading Alliance the last couple of weeks..."
"So there is something wrong?"
He started laughing again, head falling to one hand. "No, Cuore, nothing is wrong. It's called being overly busy. We're fine. We just need a little time to ourselves, maybe. I guess it's a good thing we are staying here tonight. We won't be able to work."
Cuore studied the floor. "Oh."
"Cuore," he said, drawing her attention and pinning her with a stern look. "Is that what was bothering you?"
"I... think so." she mumbled. "We seem disengaged from one another."
Kieran shrugged, "Easy fix. We will make a rule to not talk about work after dinner tonight. It will be a start. Maybe we can plan a trip soon that isn't related to supply chains and ferries and the like. Agreeable?"
"Agreeable." she said, nodding.
Cuore saw the shift in his expression as it became coy and devious. A smart remark was incoming.
"If that goes well, maybe we can work on those other two things you mentioned and reset those counters you are apparently keeping in your head," Kieran teased, a slow grin coming to his face.
She rolled her eyes and he poked her shoulder. "Don't make that face. You wouldn't have brought it up if you weren't thinking about it."
Cuore frowned, irritated he was right.
"Now, dinner will be soon. Why don't you go see if your old room is still set up and I'll grab some of our stuff from the ship and bring it up."
She shook her head, "I can help you unload,"
"No," Kieran said quickly. She made a face and he continued just as quickly. "No, you don't need too. We won't need that much anyway."
"Are you sure? I don't mind helping," Cuore pried.
Kieran shook his head, "You aren't helping me. Just go find out what room we can sleep in tonight."
"Are you sure?" she asked again.
"Yes! Crystals," he sighed.
She crossed her arms. "You are being bossy,"
He rolled his eyes and waved a hand in dismissal before turning away, towards the hallway. Cuore huffed but said nothing, a little confused.
She wasn't entirely sure why she felt so uneasy and disconnected, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling. Kieran seemed okay, but she couldn't shake a nagging feeling that something, somewhere, was wrong.
One final comment drew her attention back to the present.
"See?" Kieran said, turned halfway back around. "We even had a disagreement. The night is off to a great start. Are you happy now?"
Cuore giggled and made a shooing motion. "Stop being a sarcastic jerk and go get our stuff!"
She spun around to avoid anymore comments, already several steps away when she heard him laughing, heading the opposite way.
She rolled her eyes again and heaved a sigh.
Love was truly unidentifiable and incomprehensible.
Darkness.
Swirling, coiling.
Blackness.
Absolute, bottomless.
Shadows.
Shifting, formless.
Void.
Unfathomable.
There was nothing quite so loud as silence...
Cuore awoke with a sharp inhale, desperately trying to fill her lungs when she realized she had likely been holding her breath.
Her lungs certainly burned and she forced herself to take measured, normal breaths rather then gulping in air like she wanted too.
She winced and pressed her index finger to the spot between her eyes.
This wasn't the first time she'd had this dream, but it wasn't making any more sense now then it had days ago.
It felt like much more then a simple nightmare, and she was sure it wasn't a memory relapse. It was something else, as if whatever it was trying to convey was just out of reach.
"Cuore?"
She glanced over her shoulder, feeling a flash of guilt for waking Kieran up.
"I'm fine. It was just a bad dream."
He was blinking, obviously trying to wake up. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "That same one I've been having the last couple of days. Go back to bed."
She had hoped to put him at ease by admitting it was the weird dream and not one of her more intense nightmares, but judging by the look on his face, it had the opposite effect.
Kieran shifted and propped himself up on an elbow. "Again? This is like the fourth time,"
Cuore nodded, "I know, but it's just a dream. Really, I'm fine. Go back to bed."
"Are you sure it's just a dream?" he asked, the last bit of sleep fading from his voice.
She sighed and turned to look out the window. The crescent moon was just in view. She couldn't lie, because there was something about this dream that felt strange.
It was literally nothing but dread and a smattering of feelings that were almost words, but something about it felt important, like she needed to be doing something about it.
None of it made any sense.
Kieran ran his fingers gently down her bare shoulder, pulling her back to the present.
"Hey, talk to me?" he requested at a whisper.
She smiled slightly and shifted, turning so she could face him. "I don't know what to say." she confessed.
"So, it's not just a dream," he mused. He sat up as well, setting a pillow against the wall so he could lean back. "Anything different about it this time then the others?"
Cuore shook her head. "No, that's what is so odd. I know it's not a memory. It's not a relapse. It feels different."
"Did you ask the Eidolons?" Kieran asked.
She ran a hand through her long hair. "After the second time I had it. They said they didn't know."
He frowned and crossed his arms. "Okay, well that's unhelpful,"
She giggled and nudged him with her foot, under the covers. "I'm really fine. You should go back to sleep."
"Are you going back to sleep?"
She hesitated.
Kieran pinned her with a look, "You didn't go back to sleep the last three nights you had this dream, Cuore. Your unsettled about it."
"Dreams are always unsettling." she muttered. "It's the unknown that bothers me. But, there's no point in trying to go back to sleep. I have plenty of work-"
"Cuore, you need to sleep," Kieran cut in, frowning.
"I don't need as much sleep as you," Cuore argued.
The same uneasy and unsure look crossed his features from earlier in the day, but it was gone just as quickly. She narrowed her eyes.
He was hiding something from her, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Wanting her to sleep more and not help move things didn't correlate to anything.
Yet.
He was smart, but she was smarter.
She'd figure it out, even if he was being secretive and shielding parts of his mind.
Her reflections were interrupted when he reached out to stroke her forearm. "We just talked about working too much. We both need rest. Will you please try to go back to sleep?"
"I'm not sure I can go back to sleep," she said. "But I promise not to work if that will make you happy."
Kieran made a face at her, "Not really. I'm just worried about you."
"It's just a dream, Kieran." she murmured.
He didn't look convinced, and Cuore couldn't find it in herself to be all that upset at him. Her dreams were rarely just fanciful nonsense playing in her subconscious. They were usually intense and triggered by very real threats or fears.
But she knew that sleep would elude her, and she wouldn't be able to do more then doze slightly the rest of the night.
Her mind was working a mile a minute, now.
But her husband was right; she was unsettled.
The vision was disturbing in a way she couldn't explain. She gathered it was from the ambiguity of it rather than anything else.
Kieran sighed, "Sometimes you really frustrate me."
Cuore grinned, "Only sometimes? I must be losing my touch."
He chuckled quietly and took a moment to study her before swiping his thumb across her cheek. "Are you sure you're alright?"
She nodded, catching his hand as he moved it from her cheek.
"And you won't be able to go back to sleep?" he asked next.
Cuore frowned, "Unlikely."
He sighed again, and she tipped her head to one side, opening her mouth to assure him again she was fine and hopefully encourage him to go back to sleep. There was no need for both of them to be tired.
But he leaned forward and kissed her instead.
She was still clutching one of his hands, and on impulse her fingers curled and laced with his. His other hand tangled in her hair, sliding to cradle the back of her head.
Despite both of them being only minutes removed from sleep, the kisses became heated quickly, and Cuore had to pull back to breathe.
Kieran took the opportunity to kiss her jaw in a few places, then her neck, collarbone and finally the top of her shoulder.
"Your trying to distract me," Cuore muttered, eyes fluttering.
"Is it working?" he whispered. She could hear the grin in his voice.
She bit back a laugh and tried to sound irritated. "...A little,"
He laughed, kissing the top of her shoulder again. "Only a little?"
"You frustrate me, too, you know," she complained, trying very hard to stay annoyed and avoid the tempting distraction.
"Well that's why we're such a perfect match," Kieran teased, tilting his head to smirk at her.
Cuore rolled her eyes and then frowned. "Are you try to get me to forget about that strange dream, or just tire me out?"
He made a face, "Not... how I would have phrased that, but... that wasn't entirely my plan,"
"Well?"
"Judging by where the moon is in the sky," he began, gliding his free hand down the entire length of her arm. "it's past midnight, which means technically, it's a new day."
Kieran leaned forward again, stopping close enough that their noses were almost touching. "And I'd hate for you to have to keep track of that counter again in your head. I'm just trying to be considerate."
Cuore sighed. "I knew the moment I pointed that out earlier that you were never going to let me live that down,"
He chuckled and she shut him up with a kiss.
Leo was walking quicker then normal towards the main dinning hall. He knew his sister would be leaving soon, and he wanted to get as much time with her before that happened.
But he'd also woken up a bit later then he meant too, and now he was trying to make up extra time.
As he pushed open the double doors, he realized her was in fact the last one there and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry I'm here so late,"
Seren grinned at him, "I'm going to savor this moment, brother! You are never, ever late!"
He rolled his eyes and grabbed a muffin before plopping down in a chair. "Well, savor it a lot, because it's not happening again."
She giggled and went back to tearing into her food.
"Don't choke," Leo remarked dryly.
She looked up and finished shoving half a piece of toast in her mouth, winking at him. He shook his head.
His siter was one of a kind, that was for sure.
"Seren," Rydia chided. "Table manners,"
The girl shrugged largely, "Sorry, but it's just family here, so who cares?"
Their mother sighed, looking frustrated.
Cuore frowned, "Leo wasn't bringing up the choking warning for no reason, little star. On average, over four thousand people die from choking hazards yearly."
Seren rolled her eyes. "Thanks for that morbid knowledge, Cuore. And at breakfast, too?"
Leo saw the offended look Cuore got on her face, but she didn't snap at her sister. She rarely did.
"Anyway," he said, "What did I miss?"
The topic change seemed to work, because the conversation started back up again and flowed normally.
They swapped stories about the last few weeks, shared on-goings and borderline gossip about friends and received an update about the Trading Alliance.
"So, you built dad an airship, when do I get one?" Seren asked, resting her chin on her hands, elbows on the table.
Edge didn't say anything and nudged her elbows until she rolled her eyes, sighed, and sat up straight again.
"You aren't old enough to even fly, yet," Leo pointed out. "So, probably not until that happens."
"Besides," Edge chimed in. "I only got an airship as a bribe so they could get married." He pointed at Cuore and Kieran.
Seren grinned, "Well, I flew yesterday and did really well, so maybe I can get one sooner rather then later? And it has to be before I get married because that is never happening."
Cuore glanced up sharply. "What do you mean you flew yesterday?"
Seren winced, "Uh..."
"What part of 'don't tell your sister about this' did you not hear," Kieran asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Kieran!" Cuore complained, wheeling to look at him. "You let her fly the ship?!"
Seren winced again and laughed nervously. "Oops. Sorry Kieran."
Leo felt both amused and badly at the scene unfolding.
"She's not even fourteen yet!" Cuore was complained.
Kieran shrugged, "True, but you do know that I flew an airship at fourteen,"
"Your first flight was unauthorized because you stole said ship," she shot back.
"Alright, so this was better because it was supervised." he countered.
Cuore stared at him for a moment, as if in disbelief.
"She did really well," he added.
Cuore turned to look at her parents. "Why aren't you upset?!"
"Well, she didn't crash it, so that's already better than Ceodore." Edge pointed out. "Also, Kieran has a point about it being supervised."
Rydia shrugged, "I'm not really thrilled about it, but, its done already."
"Anyway, we did crazy stuff once upon a time, too," Edge remarked.
Seren laughed, "See? It's all good Cuore! You are just overprotective. And, it was really fun. I can't wait to be older and fly all the time."
Cuore had her eyes closed and sighed deeply before slouching back in her chair. "I'm putting an official motion in to limit the age of flying to thirty." she muttered.
Leo snorted, and they glanced over at him. "Oh, sorry. I just find it funny that, even with ferry lanes now we're still arguing about airships,"
That got a laugh out of everyone, even Cuore. She still seemed irritated but not nearly as upset.
"I am sorry," Kieran muttered to her.
"Only because you got caught," she bit back, shaking her head. "What's done is done. Seren is still in one piece and apparently I'm the only one concerned, so what do I know?"
She snatched a piece of cinnamon roll off her husband's plate and ate it with an aggressive snap of her teeth.
Kieran frowned, "You've had a lot of sugar this morning,"
She glared at him, "You badger me to get more sleep, you won't let me help with things and now you are critiquing my food intake? Is there anything else you'd like to criticize?"
Leo winced, and Kieran had leaned back from her defensively.
"I wasn't trying to criticize," he replied. "You just usually hate sugary foods, so..."
"I'm not in the mood to talk to you right now." Cuore snapped, crossing her arms.
He looked torn for a moment, like he wanted to push his luck to continue the discussion, but finally he just sighed and fell silent.
Rydia glanced between the two of them, lingering on Cuore with an inquisitive expression.
Leo was always impressed with how mothers could have such a wide range of expressions. Whatever his mother was onto, he had no idea but it was intriguing.
The doors to the dinning hall suddenly opened, breaking up the uncomfortable silence that clung to the room.
"Sorry to interrupt," Jace said. "I'm glad your all in one place."
"Oh, hey Jace." Leo greeted, glad for the interlude after the awkward exchange that had just taken place. "What did you need us for?"
"Um," Jace said, looking a little uneasy. "this is going to sound weird, but there's a redheaded girl at the gates that is demanding to see all of you. She says she knows you,"
Before he even finished speaking, Leo had sprung to his feet. "Titania?"
Jace shrugged. "I don't know. We asked her her name, but she just keep saying she needed to see all of you and that it was important. She seems a little out of it."
He didn't even wait for the full report, or wait to see if any member of his family was following him.
Leo rushed from the room, thoughts racing. It made no sense that Titania would be here, and he thought briefly that maybe it was someone else completely.
But he discarded that idea a moment later. Who else would know all of them and ask for them?
It had been nearly a year since he'd seen her.
It was a moment he'd never forget, no matter how painful it had been. A teary goodbye that still hurt, even after all this time.
She was half Eidolon, and the longer that time went on, the harder it became to deny that.
Her form wasn't stable outside of the Feymarch, and she'd finally come clean to her father, her friends, and him about that fact.
Knowing that even being outside the Feymarch caused her physical pain still made him feel guilty. Titania had never told anyone, but Leo felt like he should have known.
She'd had to leave and return to the land of the Eidolons, because every second she spent in the non-magical world was hurting her, and shortening her life.
That fact hurt, just like saying goodbye for the final time had hurt.
Leo shook his head.
Whatever reason she had to be here was likely serious. He had to ignore all the intrusive thoughts that he'd already been over and over in his head a dozen times since she left.
Leo had barely realized he'd stepped outside until he blinked at the sunlight. He'd been so distracted.
The redhead was indeed Titania, and she was arguing with another guard about something. The guard had a very lax grip on her arm to keep her in place.
"No, no, I'm not crazy!" Titania was pleading. "I'm from the Feymarch, I need to talk to High Summoner Rydia."
"Titania?" Leo called, bounding down the stairs two at a time. He waved at the guard detaining her and he released her arm.
The moment she saw him her expression lit up. It shifted so quickly he couldn't pick up all the emotions there. But he saw relief, and sadness, guilt and joy. Most of all she just looked tired.
Her green, glimmering clothing was dusty and the hem was ragged. Her vibrant hair was windblown. She looked haggard, as if she hadn't slept and had been walking for ages.
Once he reached her, she reached out to grasp his forearms, "Oh, Leo, I'm so glad to see you."
"What happened?" he asked, studying her. "Why are you here?"
Titania swallowed, "I...I... It's hard to explain,"
She was trembling, and Leo wasn't sure if it was from her obvious exhaustion, or from the fact that anywhere but the Feymarch drained her vitality.
Leo gently took hold of one of her arms and wrapped his other arm around her waist for support.
She sagged a little, relief flashing through her golden eyes once more. "I'm so glad to see you," she whispered.
Leo offered a smile but then shook his head, "Titania, what is wrong? Something must have happened. Why are you here?"
She nodded, swallowing again. Her gaze was drawn to the stairs, where the rest of the family had gathered.
Titania sighed, "Oh, I'm so glad all of you are here. We really need your help. Something is very wrong in the Feymarch."
Author's Note: And here we go! The story is set in motion now.
Sorry this chapter is sort of a recap/set up chapter, but I wanted to get the characters together and settled before I uprooted them for an adventure, hehe
Okay, so timeline wise; this is AFTER Shards of History and 4th fic that hasn't happened, as well as after Between Twilight, but BEFORE some of the other future fics like the Bryn one-shots. This takes place between.
Leo is 18/19, Seren is 13/14, which would make Cuore 28/29, Kieran 30/31. Titania is a year younger then Leo, so she's 17/18.
I'm playing a BIT with the timeline/ages-it's getting hard to keep track, haha, so I think these are slightly fudged and adjusted, but not by much.
There's also some recap stuff in here to explain why characters are where they are. This would have been covered in 4th fic. For clarity:
Jace, Kentu and Hotaru (Cuore's friends) now work for Leo (short form of that story, haha) and not just as guards, but also sometimes as spies. Kimiko, the other friend, has an arc in 4th fic that is...prickly. Short form is that she betrays everyone. Long form is more complicated, but she's not around at the moment.
Titania - I always had it in my head that Titania would go through a phase where she can't be outside the Feymarch. Being half made of magic isn't easy, and the longer she's away from magic, the more it hurts her. Literally. Her body can't adjust, and finally she had to make the choice to stay full time in the Feymarch or risk dying.
I feel like I'm forgetting stuff, but it's late and I want to get this chapter up, so nevermind!
I hope everyone enjoys! Next chapter will get into the true story more.