Chapter 6: Rays of Kindness

Boundaries:

It will take time to get to know each other. Let us not try to force a relationship.

No looking through each other's private belongings.

Respect each other's privacy.

'No' is a full answer. No questions.

Our pasts are our own and our decision should be respected if we don't wish to disclose information.

When he and Claire were escorted up to the tower and locked in for the second night, they stayed up late discussing matters with each other on what they could do to make things more comfortable for them both. After all, if they were going to be stuck in this marriage and spending a lot of time in the other's company—especially if they were going to be sharing a room—then they had to come up with boundaries that they both could work with. These were the 'rules' that he and Claire came up with together to try and make the whole transaction to 'married life' go as smoothly as possible.

He was both surprised and grateful by how open their conversation had been as they discussed things, gladdened that they at least had a starting point to make them comfortable until they got to know the other better. Now that the added pressure of what was 'expected of them' in this marriage was no longer something to worry about, they found themselves able to relax slightly. They were still nowhere near 'in love' with the other, nor could one even call them friends yet… but he liked to think that they were starting off on the right foot.

Well, as 'right' as they could be given their circumstances.

The days that followed after the wedding all seemed to bleed into one another as Alphinaud tried to get used to his new life here in Eulmore as quickly as he could. But if he was asked… he honestly could not say that he saw a lot of good moments during this adjusting time… what with Vauthry's tantrums that could be heard going on throughout all hours of the day and the parties that seemed to go on endlessly for no rhyme or reason being primary problems at the top of his list. He tried his best to ignore it and forge ahead while he tried to focus on keeping up with his studies, wanting to at least learn as much as he could about these lands and the situations that surrounded them. He learned a great deal of the history of Kholusia if nothing else… not to mention that there were no shortage of rumors that often drifted in thanks to the servants.

"I heard that the Warrior of Darkness was seen a few nights ago in Lakeland dealing with the beasts that were threatening some of the villages there."

"I heard that he led the charge when Holminister's Switch was attacked by sin eaters!"

"Just two nights ago they were spotted upon the borders of Amh Araeng and were able to help with the Talos there! Apparently the mining town is well and truly back up and running!"

Everywhere he went he heard the reverent whispers of the Warrior of Darkness, as if this figure were some kind of ghost who only came out at night and protected the weak and downtrodden. It was always a pleasure to hear such tales, though if he were to have just one complaint about them is that they were often so incredible that one had to question if they were even possible or if someone's imagination was simply getting the better of them.

He had wished that there was a way that he could get in contact with this fearless warrior—if nothing else, to thank them for saving him when he first arrived off the boat. But he knew better than to try and ask if there was a way to get a message to them. Especially with Vauthry ready to punish just about anyone who was caught speaking such whispers.

Speaking of Vauthry, his curses could often be heard from his lofty perch when news would reach him of the Warrior of Darkness's many deeds. Which was what led to shrieks of fear and outrage as he screamed for his guards to hurry and hunt them down if it was the last thing they ever did.

One such episode happened earlier while Alphinaud was pouring over a tome in the library when Vauthry's shrieking voice interrupted the calm and comfortable atmosphere. He jumped at the screaming and looked up from his book to where he could just make out the tip of Vauthry's balcony through the library window.

"He really doesn't seem to like them?" he asked Claire, who was sitting across from him as she worked on some kind of weaving project. He had found himself spending a lot of time with her during the day, for she usually joined him in the library since the stormy weather continued on for almost a week and there was not much else for her to do but to find a good book to read. In fact, it was she who first gave him a more through tour of the castle and grounds—she even was the one who showed him the library. He could remember her amused smile when she saw how excited he was to be allowed to explore these tomes!

"No, I don't suppose that he would," she agreed softly, her fingers were very adept as they flew over the cloth and he had to wonder what she was putting so much love and care into making before she took out a pair of scissors and snipped at the thread.

"But why? It seems to me that the Warrior of Darkness has brought much prosperity to Norvrandt," Alphinaud questioned as he began to make notes from the latest book he was perusing. "I would have thought that he'd be grateful for all the work since he doesn't seem to leave the Canopy often?"

"Hardly ever. But in truth, I am not certain he is able to love anyone else. I long since thought that he would be happier if we all were wearing masks with happy expressions. I think he would prefer it that way. It would be easier for him to pretend that everything's perfect," she asked and he realized that she had him there and he smirked.

"What is it?"

"Just that you are clever, aren't you?" he smiled and she blinked before looking away with a shrug.

"My teachers would disagree with you on that," she sighed. "They tried to force me into a mold that wouldn't fit, so to speak. Eventually, I think that dear uncle was hoping to push me onto someone else just so that he didn't have to focus on me." She blinked at that before remembering that they were married and chuckled, "Well, I guess that makes me your problem now."

He smiled back as nestled in the warm armchair near the cozy fireplace with a happy cackling fire, feeling very much at ease—an all too rare feeling these days.

"So you grew up in Ishgard?" he asked, continuing their conversation before Vauthry's echoing cries interrupted.

"Yes," she answered as she looked to the window again as rain continued to splash against the pane. "I hail from Eorzea and grew up in the lands of Ishgard. Of course, that was before I knew that I was a princess. I lived there in peace until my parents died. Afterwards, I was taken in by an old friend of theirs when I was still very young. Lord Edmont de Fortemps. I guess he became my father after all that."

"And how did you end up here?" he asked.

"Vauthry found out about me and sent Ishgard an offer they could not refuse," she sighed. "Despite how my father officially adopted me, I had no choice but to leave and come here. It was then I met my cousin Ryne. In truth, I always knew I had a cousin, but I never met her before that moment."

"That must have been a wonderful feeling," he said and she smiled back as they looked over to the other end of the library as said girl was now looking for a book to read from one of the shelves but seemed to be having trouble trying to decide which one that she wanted. It was almost cute to watch the girl's pouting face as she tried to decide on which one she wanted to read first.

It had been over a week since the wedding and now that he was more familiar with the castle itself, as well as some of the people, he felt that he was being looked at with more curiosity rather than dislike. The first few days after the wedding had been the worst since the servants and many of the guards looked at him like he was some kind of evil monster.

But upon being told off by their princess, the dark looks had lessoned. Still, when she warned him that many here were protective over her and Ryne, she wasn't exaggerating. Many still treated him like he was some sort of criminal who was working for Vauthry, and they especially didn't seem to like it when he was with Claire so often these days.

Despite this, Claire hadn't complained about the time they spent together. When she requested time alone, he granted her that and didn't try to push his company on her if she didn't desire it.

Ryne often joined them as well, and she also seemed to be one of the few people that did warm up to him after a day or so. Though still suspicious, she would answer his questions with a smile and often asked him what his home was like in Sharlayan.

Y'shtola seemed to have also warmed up to him in terms that they would often exchange all manner of scholarly conversations such as aetherology… the same could not be said for Thancred though. The man seemed to have realized that Alphinaud wasn't all that bad after Claire defended him when next the two came face-to-face, but that didn't mean that he was going to consider him a friend just yet. Alphinaud could always feel the eyes burning holes into the back of his head whenever he entered a room and he was so tense during that time that he felt that his body could be snapped in half like a stick.

"They will get used to you," Claire reassured him. "Just make sure to keep your hands in plain sight for them so that they don't think you're up to anything funny."

But for now, it was just the three of them as they enjoyed the library in front of a crackling fire. Alphinaud had been fortunate to find books on so many different subjects that he knew that he could still possibly learn and finish his studies even while far away from the Studium.

Hard to believe that if he were still in Sharlayan, he would probably be heading to one of his classes right now?

"Oh! The rains have stopped!" Ryne chirped up suddenly so that both he and Claire looked to the window to see that she was right in that the large droplets had ceased their pounding and the first ray of sun began to peak out through the grey clouds.

"Does this mean that we can finally go out to Amity again?" she asked Claire eagerly. "I've missed Gaia and the others so much."

"I'm sure we can," Claire said in a brighter tone before she stood up and tossed what she had been weaving over to her. "A perfect chance to test out the cloak I finished making for you. I rather you not get sick again like last time. But to be safe let's not mention this to anyone who might report back to Vauthry or Ran'jit."

"Wait, what do you mean go out to Amity?" Alphinaud asked in surprise as both looked back at him as if they had only remembered he was there.

"We like to go outside a lot and it's only by promising to behave that we're allowed to," Ryne answered happily. "Ran'jit isn't here so he won't be able to stop us and so long as we don't stray from the island itself and take at least a few guards with us, then we're free to leave on short walks. Of course, Vauthry doesn't like that but the people love it when we go to visit them! Do you want to come?"

"Vauthry probably isn't paying any attention to what we're doing anyway since Ran'jit's been gone for a few days," Claire added as she tied her hair back. "So now's a good chance to go out. So long as we're back before dark, he probably won't pay much attention."

Alphinaud was taken aback by this, but he nodded and got up, glad to be able to be included by the others like this after all this. By the time that they were ready, the clouds were moving away upon the winds and the first few rays of sunshine began to poke through the clouds onto the wet grounds. They met up in the entrance hall, and he wondered what was going to happen to them once they left—hoping that they weren't going to get into trouble for this. More than once, he had seen Claire with more redness around her choker and that was why he had started spending as much time as he could at her side, as if he could somehow protect her from Vauthry if he was around.

He was uncertain to how this little venture was going to go, but Claire and Ryne, who was already wearing a pretty white cloak now, were both so excited that he couldn't bring himself to try and stop them. He was thinking of at least half the guards were going to be coming along, but really it was just Thancred as he walked into the entrance hall with an excited-looking Ryne.

"Oh, he's coming as well?" Thancred asked rather coldly as his darker eyes trailed over Alphinaud as if he were a misbehaving puppy at Claire's heels.

"Thancred, be nice," Claire reproached him and he saw how Thancred's face seemed to lighten at her but still gave Alphinaud a warning look.

"Don't wander off, it's your own fault if you get mugged or something," he answered before letting the matter drop.

"Thancred, you don't need to act that cold with him when Ran'jit isn't around," Ryne pointed out. "Alphinaud's been really nice so far."

Thancred sighed as he ran a tired hand through his hair but he nodded.

"Very well," he said before turning back to Alphinaud, "We'll talk along the road out of here."

Alphinaud nodded and the four of them left the castle. It had been the first time in over a week since he was able to actually set foot outside the castle walls and they stepped right into the muddy grounds as they made their way passed the entrance hall and down the stretch of road.

At first he thought that they were going to go into Eulmore properly, but instead, he was surprised to see that they were heading in the opposite direction—taking the same road that he used when he first arrived.

"So ah… where are we going?" he asked after a few minutes of walking and they were clearly leaving the entire castle and city behind.

"There are a few settlements here other than Gatetown and Eulmore," Ryne answered happily. "There's also Amity and Stilltide… as well as Komra and Tomra… oh, and Wright as well and…?"

"I think that we should take the lift to Amity today," Claire interrupted kindly, which caused Ryne to jump for joy before she sped on ahead with a laugh.

"Don't go too far ahead so that we can't see you!" Thancred called as he hurried after her as Alphinaud followed with his eyes to see that they were heading straight to the steep cliffs ahead of them. He remembered seeing them through the darkness on the carriage ride across the plains from Gatetown and marveled at how high they were. And there were settlements up there? How did they manage to get up and down from there?

"So, do you often venture to other settlements?" he asked and she nodded back.

"I know some healing and there is always a shortage of healers. Even if they don't need magic to cure the sick and wounded—which is rare—then there is no shortage of chores that they need help with," she answered mysteriously. "But I do tend to get so caught up in using magic for other people that I tend to forget to save some for myself."

"A bad habit of yours," Thancred grumbled from in front of them as he caught up with Ryne and had her slow down so that they could catch up even though she was tugging eagerly at his hand. Alphinaud didn't speak again followed after them, still feeling a bit out of place with how close the three of them seemed to be until they reached the machine that they called 'the Ladder'. It turns out that the Ladder was a rather complicated series of machines that were attached to the side of the cliff that worked as a lift and carry them to the upper parts of the cliffs.

After stepping out onto the desolate landscape, he looked around to see mountains in the background with patches of metal sticking out from holes in the side—which the others explained that dwarves lived in there. But they were going to visit a small village today and they guided him along the faded road through the rocky terrain.

Before he knew it, they had arrived at a rather sorry-looking village of worn buildings. There were a handful of people all out and about as they seemed keen on getting their laundry washed and hung up to dry while the sun was out.

At the sight of them, Ryne let out an excited cry and went running straight towards them with a big smile on her face, getting everyone to look up at the commotion—only to let out cries of welcome. Alphinaud was startled at how friendly that everyone was being towards them now. The nobles that he met back in Eulmore were all cold and he could feel how they were all judging him just by looking at him. He didn't like even being near them at that point, but here…?

"Hey! Look who it is!"

"Well, aren't you ladies a sight for sore eyes!"

"How are you both faring? We were worried when you weren't allowed to visit for so long!"

Soon enough, by the time that the three of them caught up to Ryne, just about everyone in the village came out to greet them and see how they were doing. Claire moved forward ahead of him, making introductions to who he was—but rather than telling them that he was her husband…? Gods, that was still something that he wasn't used to… instead, she told them all that he was here to help out in whatever way that he could and to be nice to him since he had never been to these parts before.

At her words, the rest of the village were very kind and welcomed him as if he were an old friend. As he tried to wrap his mind around all this, Ryne let out a happy shriek and went running forward to meet with a woman dressed all in black, with inky-black hair, and wearing ridiculously high heeled shoes.

But Ryne was acting like she had just discovered a long-lost sister or something as she pushed back the crowd to get to the older girl, who seemed to be torn between embarrassment and fondness.

"That's Gaia," Thancred explained to Alphinaud as they watched as the two girls greeted each other; where Ryne all but leapt into Gaia's arms in a hug while her friend awkwardly patted her on the head. "The two of them have been best friends when Gaia was still living in Eulmore. But Vauthry didn't like her and had her cast out, so she's been living here ever since. She's a bit… stubborn. I'd advise trying not to get in her way too much because she's not afraid to fight back."

Alphinaud could only take his word for it as he continued to look around him, still a big stunned by how much that they were received by the people here. Especially when it came to the young princesses, whom the people flocked around them as they asked if they were well.

"They really are loved, aren't they?" Alphinaud asked and for the first time, a rather kind look came over Thancred's face as he stuck his hands into his pockets.

"I find it hard to believe that anyone who's met them wouldn't like them," he confessed. "They want to help. They want to change things for the better for the people here. The people know that and they appreciate the efforts despite knowing that they are living under Vauthry's thumb. I don't think that tub of lard has any true allies. If it wasn't for Ran'jit, then I doubt that he would be able to get away with even half of the things that he does."

"Why does Ran'jit support him then?" he asked, wondering just what to do about the General and Thancred could only shrugged.

"I don't know," he said with a frown. "But I have a bad feeling that he is up to something. I mean, if it was only a matter of waiting for him to die of old age, that would be one thing. But with how stubborn that old goat is, I think that he could live for another 15-20 years at the very least just to spite all of us."

Two decades before they could escape? No, that was not going to do at all and Alphinaud sighed openly at that.

"You took the words out of my mouth," Thancred said with a shrug.

Alphinaud turned back to watching how the girls were still talking to the people about them, asking if they needed help with anything at all, and were quickly being pulled this way and that as they could help even in the smallest way. Alphinaud had been nervous about asking, but he stepped forward, gulping down as he asked if there was anything that he could do to lend a hand.

At that, he had been asked to help out with a few minor chores around the village. Such tasks he never would have thought twice of doing back home, but he had to admit that after seeing how grateful everyone was… it was strange but also nice at the same time. In truth, he was a little blown away by the warmth that was spreading through his chest.

It felt… good. This warmth inside from knowing that he helped those who needed it…? Did his grandfather feel this way once?

His eyes caught hold of Claire, who smiled sunnily back at him and he felt that warmth only grow.

Meanwhile, Claire watched them all get along, finding it oddly sweet how taken aback by everything that Alphinaud was experiencing. As if the idea of 'nobles' would be unafraid of rolling up their sleeves and getting dirty as they worked through chores for the sake of others would be so foreign to him?

He must have lived a very comfortable life until now—if his baby-soft hands were anything to go by. She sniggered at the thought as she remembered how he held her hand during the ceremony. She had been far too miserable herself to really notice it at the time, but while her hands were covered with callous, his were so soft that she was surprised that his fingers didn't squish together like marshmallows. She giggled to herself before she heard Thancred approach from behind and ask, "What are we thinking about that's making you so amused?"

"Nothing," she smiled back at him before she noticed the grave expression suddenly there and she knew what was about to happen. Some of her own enjoyment faded as she waited, wondering what he was going to say.

"Sorry for taking so long to get back to you," he whispered out of the corner of his mouth as her eyes turned to him, waiting for him to continue.

"Did you discover anything?" she muttered back quietly.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find out what Ran'jit was up to because he caught on to my presence," he whispered back softly. "But he's definitely up to something. He's apparently hiding something from Vauthry. He's being very careful so I don't think that he'll be letting his guard down anytime soon."

Claire frowned at that, trying to put it all together, but feeling that she was missing some very important pieces. She then asked, "You said that he was in those old gaols beneath the city when you last saw him?"

"I don't think he knew that it was me, but he knew that he was being followed," Thancred confirmed after nodding. "He caused a minor cave in of the tunnel to try and bury me so that I couldn't follow any deeper. Thankfully, I was able to get out before I was crushed… but I also lost our only lead. I'm sorry."

She shook her head and reassured him, "I'm just glad that you weren't caught or killed. That's all that matters."

"Yeah, glad you think so," he said dourly as he folded his arms and frowned as he thought it all over. "I'd been trying to find out more news on this strange plan of theirs. From what I was able to understand, Vauthry was the one who wanted to marry you off as soon as possible. As to the fact that you were forced into marrying a Sharlayan… well it was Ran'jit who came up with that."

Claire arched her eyebrow at him and Thancred shrugged as he confessed, "I still don't have an answer to why they felt the need to go through such an elaborated scheme of theirs. But give me a few days and I promise that I'll have the chance to really explore those old tunnels and see what I can find down there."

"Are you sure? It could be dangerous?" Claire offered and he nodded firmly.

"I got in contact with our favorite scholarly friend and I'll be sure to take him with me just in case," he reassured her. "Trust me, if there is an answer to be found in those old tunnels, we're sure to find it."

Claire seemed impressed with this and asked, "You mean you're dragging Urianger from his tomes? That's rare."

"I know, but let's just say that I know how to talk to our would-be hermit," Thancred chuckled. "Anyway, I'll be sure to take him with me just in case anything happens. Or rather to make sure that nothing bad happens so you don't need to worry. So just make sure to keep an eye on Ryne for me after today. Though with Ran'jit gone, I don't think I need to fear her being dragged off to be tortured by Vauthry again until that stubborn old goat returns."

She nodded back before another grave expression passed over his face as he asked, "Has your new husband discovered anything unusual lately?"

"No, at least, not yet," Claire answered back and Thancred's eyes trailed over the dark shadows under her eyes.

"That's good. But I do think that you need to get some sleep," he said. "You can't keep this up every night. He's bound to find out if we aren't more careful. It's a miracle he hasn't noticed anything yet."

"I'll rest once I hear that those troubles at the Greatwood's borders are dealt with," Claire pointed out worriedly.

"Nothing that the rest of us can't handle in your stead," he reassured her. "We need to be more careful than ever from here on out. We still don't know anything about this guy, nor if he can be trusted. This isn't going to be easy moving forward…?" He paused there before asking her very seriously, "What do you make of him?"

Claire looked back to Alphinaud, trying to really think of the best way to put how she felt about him now. She was still on the fence—very guarded to say the least—but Thancred was right in that she did not trust him yet. But he didn't seem like a bad person to her. She truly believed that he was just as much a victim in this mess as they were. The only question now though was if he could remain that way if he was allowed into their full 'inner circle'.

"He seems… earnest," she confessed quietly, though she wasn't sure that was the best word to use here. "But also naïve of the world. I'm not sure of much else right now."

She looked to Thancred, grateful that she had his trust and that he valued her opinions as much as he did. He observed her for a moment before nodding slowly and agreeing, "Yeah, I guess so. Almost makes me feel bad for how cold I've been to him. But it's still far too soon to say if it's wise to trust him. I'll leave it up to you to decide when or even if we tell him anything else. Just promise me that you'll be careful from here on out."

She nodded back in agreement as he squeezed her shoulder tightly in a comforting way.

"Don't worry," he reassured her, "It won't always be like this. There is a chance that we can get this marriage annulled later down the road. There are ways to do that. But for now, let us just focus on moving forward. We'll see it through together. We always have until now. And then… maybe someday we can all go home to where we belong?"

She looked over at him sadly, and he could see the homesickness in her eyes as she was clearly thinking of a city of stone among the falling snows. He knew that she missed Ishgard and the family that took her in. Though it had already been five years, the few letters that she had been able to smuggle out of the city have been filled with wishes of their health and happiness.

But more than that, he knew how she longs to leave this city of endless pleasures behind and be free to travel as far as she can from this extravagant cage. He wanted to see that happen.

His fingers moved from her shoulder to brush against the choker where he could see the faint red marks and swelling from beneath the gold.

"I swear," he vowed, "I will find a way to free you. Both of you, from this cage if it's the last thing that I do."

"Your words mean a lot to me, Thancred, but I rather have you live to see the end of this as well, for Ryne's sake," she smiled and he looked away, his eyes finding Ryne in the distance as she sat and happily discussed things with Gaia while they made their way through the lunchbox of coffee biscuits that she smuggled out of the kitchens.

Claire followed his gaze for a moment before asking, "You still haven't told Ryne the truth?"

He sighed and shook his head before she added, "I think that she deserves to know…?"

"She deserves to be happy," he countered softly.

"I thought that the two were one and the same?" she offered and again he shook his head with a sad smile.

"This is the way that I want it," he said firmly. "Do you think that knowing the truth after all of this will honestly make her happy? If she were to learn that…?" He paused there, as if he couldn't bring himself to finish his sentences before he confessed, "I know that Minfilia would want her to know… but I just… I just can't. I don't think that I can bear to see the look on her face if she were to learn the real reason why I stayed after all this time."

Claire didn't answer, knowing that she couldn't judge him for his actions. Though she wished she knew more of how to aid him in this difficult burden he chose to carry for himself.

"Not today," he finished firmly and she could only sigh, but squeezed his hand back in silent comfort.

"Very well," she said in a quiet way and he sighed in relief that she wasn't going to push matters before they walked forward to continue to aid in the people and their tasks.

*Later that night*

Alphinaud had gone to bed that night, feeling very happy over the good work that they had done that day and he couldn't stop himself from smiling as he returned to the tower that night. The guard who accompanied them to the room locked them in as they did every night and the two got ready for bed.

The first couple of days, they tried to find a way manage the sleeping arrangements. But since it wasn't really practical for one to sleep on the bed and the other to sleep on the floor or the window seat every night, they merely divided the bed by having a row of pillows between them. It made them both feel a bit more secure at the very least.

Their nights were usually very quiet as they would take turns changing and getting ready in the bathroom before sitting up and talking as she would usually burn some lavender incense to help them sleep through the music that usually played outside. He noticed how Claire became very quiet at night, and seemed more interested in listening to him talk; so he usually did most of the talking for the two of them during this time. He would tell her about the many books he read as well as his life in Sharlayan and his family just to help pass the time. She was very amused to hear of his sister's antics and often wanted to hear about the reckless things she did to get into trouble.

His own laughter seemed to make her happy as she politely listened until he wore himself out was able to fall asleep right out even among the noise outside. He usually awoken later in the morning, feeling very well-rested and ready to face the day.

Claire though… was a different story.

She was always up before him, usually getting changed in the bathroom by the time that he woke up and look around. But she always seemed so weary as well, waking up with red eyes and pale complexion, as if she would be tossing and turning all night.

She usually made up some excuses, such as the music was too loud from the city, or she would have strange dreams or simply that she wasn't a morning person. He had accepted it for the most part since she would go about the rest of the day just fine. But that night, something happened—he was sure of it.

He woke up in the early hours of the next day when he heard something crash in the bathroom and his eyes shot open. He was sleepy and disorientated as he sat upright, staring around wildly, not sure what was going on. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness around him, he saw that the large window was left open, letting in a cold breeze and he heard cursing from the bathroom.

He called out to Claire, wondering what was going on before she called back, "I'm fine! Sorry if I woke you! I just dropped something!"

He moved to get out of bed just as she reappeared, panting slightly and her face very red as she seemed to walk very tenderly across the plush rug to the other side of the bed.

"What happened?" he asked as he watched how she was shivering slightly at the cold air and she then went to the small fireplace to add a few logs to the almost dead embers.

"Just a bad dream," she said before wincing slightly in pain and he moves the covers off him so that he could get closer to her.

"Are you in pain? Did you hurt yourself? Can I see?" he asked anxiously

"No, no, I'm fine," she said but she winced slightly and was gripping her arm, which gave him all the more reason to move closer, not liking how she immediately tensed up when she felt his hands upon her.

"Please, you're in pain," he reminded her softly. "Let me see."

He reached for the small lantern upon the bedside table and cast the warm glow about them so that he could get a look at her arm. She didn't move as she turned her head away as if she couldn't bear to look at him as he very carefully examined her.

He pulled back the sleeve of her nightdress and immediately saw that there was a hastily wrapped bandage around a bloody wound that looked suspiciously as if she had been bitten by something but it wasn't healed correctly. The skin was red, inflamed with infection, and he felt a cure spell rising to his fingertips to sooth the angered skin while a sigh of relief escaped past her lips.

"What happened? How could you have hurt yourself like this?" he asked and she just shook her head, mumbling that she dropped something while getting some water and ended up slicing her arm when it slipped from her grasp, cutting her arm in the process. He didn't believe that for a moment but he didn't question it as his hand trailed down her arm, easing her pain and stiffness as he saw her relax almost at once.

"How bad is the pain?" he asked cautiously and she could only shake her head, muttering that she was fine though she still was not looking at him. She was lying to him about something, he was certain on that but didn't know how to respond.

"I think that you should stay in bed today," he told her firmly, as she slowly turned back to face him, readjusting her sleeve once it was healed. Now that he looked at her more carefully, he saw how exhausted she looked. Her face was a bit sunken in and her eyes were bloodshot—making her look like she was about to cry. Was she not sleeping properly?

"I'll be fine," she reassured him with a forced smile that seemed painful, "Thank you for helping me."

She just curled up and it was clear to him that she was not interested in hearing anymore about it. He frowned, truly concerned as he looked to the outside sky and… wait…?

"Was that window always open?" he asked and she definitely twitched and not just from the sudden cold chill that swept over them.

"I opened it for some air," she confessed softly. "It gets stuffy in here and I hate it."

Alphinaud frowned, wanting to call her out of these lies. But he could sense that her walls were suddenly up once more and that she was now protecting herself with some kind of shield to prevent him from knowing the truth.

"But…?" he began.

"No, Alphinaud," she said, looking him firmly in the face and he backed off with that.

"Alright," he sighed, upset but letting the matter go. "Just… let me treat your arm in the morning too. You used up so much magic today helping to heal those people that you obviously don't have enough left for yourself."

She nodded and silently agreed to let him take care of her, and just accept someone fussing over her injury. He could watch how the tension left from her frigid frame and she clearly began to relax despite how they both shivered from the cold wind. Not able to take it anymore, he went over to close the window and locked it shut.

"It's almost winter," he reminded her as he closed the latch, finding the brisk air clearing out the smell of the lavender incense from his mind and helping to wake him up, "Surely there is another way to make sure that the room isn't so stuffy for you?"

"I know, I'm sorry," she muttered, twisting her hands in her lap as she looked away, as if she was feeling ashamed. He watched her, desperately wanting to know what she was so nervous about? He had thought that they were starting to get along… but he took a few deep breaths and suggested, "How about we talk more about it in the morning?"

She could only shrug as she moved back up to her side of the bed and slipped under the covers even as he went back to his side after tossing another log into the fireplace to warm up the now cold room. His feet were already icy just being out of bed for a few minutes and he could feel her shivering when he got under the blanket.

After he turned off the lantern, he laid back down next to her and turned his head to make out her shape through the darkness. He was surprised by how quickly her breaths calmed down and became slow and even—signaling that she had fallen asleep. It was almost instantly and there were no signs of fear of a nightmare at this point. But he was having a hard time trying to relax after all that. After all… how could she have injured herself in such a way from being in the bathroom? He was certain that the wound looked like it came from some kind of a bite…?

He just didn't understand but he felt grave concern rising up inside him. Was she injuring herself somehow? He didn't like such a thought though he knew that in some cases, there were those who cut themselves to experience numbness or to distract themselves from depression or anxiety. Was she also doing the same? He couldn't think of another way that she could have hurt herself even though he didn't want to jump to conclusion. Given how controlled that her life was here and the regular degrees of torture, it wouldn't surprise him if she was in emotional pain in such a way.

Or was he thinking too much about it? Could it be possible that this was this some kind of side effect to the torture that Vauthry put her through? Could the years of such abuse be taking its toll? Or was there some other curse involved here that she didn't want him to know about that was actively hurting her at night?

He just continued to look at the back of her head, wondering just what was he supposed to do. He didn't know what he could do to help her or Ryne out of this terrible fate. Hells, he couldn't even get himself freed, much less anyone else.

He tried to cast his mind to Vauthry and wondered if there was anything that he could do to convince him to take off the chokers, at least from time to time?

He wracked his brain, trying to come up with something that could prove to get some kind of advantage over their captor. Even if it was only for an afternoon that they could get the chokers off, then perhaps they could all escape and he could take them back with him to Sharlayan? He was sure that there would be some backlash for doing such a thing… but then again, the two of them were married and it wouldn't be out of the question that he could be returning home with his wife to have her meet the family…? Maybe find an excuse to take Ryne along as well? Thancred and Y'shtola weren't bound by chokers so they could leave at any time…?

But surely once his family learned of this scenario, they could have the Forum pass off any possible 'kidnappings' as protecting the members of the royal family from a potential threat…? Or something similar? He wished that he could speak with his father about this right now.

If only he could get them that far though. That would be the real challenge. How could he go about convincing Vauthry to get these chokers off for even a few hours? He didn't think anything short of capturing the Warrior of Darkness could convince him of…?

That was when his eyes widened in shock as the answer was right there in front of him! The Warrior of Darkness! Surely they would have some way to be able to help them? If he could just get in contact with them and arrange a meeting…? They were sure to have connections that could help them! And so, with that thought in his head, he eagerly felt a tiny fragment of hope blossom in his chest as he began to come up with a plan.

(Oh Alphy, your thoughts are starting to take you to some dark places. He can't go to Vauthry for help since he won't help them out if his life depended on it, but with Claire being pushed so hard recently, he wants to help out and so why not speak with a legend of these lands? Poor naïve Alphy…)