Chas Avalore, District Four Male
District Four's industry was the sea. Obviously, that meant fish and other forms of seafood. It also meant pearls and other trinkets Capitolites loved to collect before throwing away. But there was one more product District Four provided the Capitol that no one outside of either place spent much time thinking of- the beaches themselves.
The technology and resources the Capitol commanded could twist and shape the land to their will. Turn forests into tundras, lakes into deserts. But even they couldn't put an ocean next to the mountain city that was the Capitol.
So, when Capitolites started to crave the sound of waves and the salty sea breeze, they flocked to places like the Sapphire Pearl Resort, in the south of District Four. They came for the romance of the sea, and the quaint friendliness of the locals. They came with their fancy clothes and jewels and bags full of money they were itching to throw around like water.
They were the perfect marks.
Chas Avalore watched through his spyglass from his special vantage point, from the cliffs that overlooked the resort. His eyes skimmed over the gigantic yachts that the wealthiest would commandeer for days as they sailed in the lap of luxury. Instead, he focused on a particular little ship on the edges of the marina.
The side of the ship proclaimed it The Glittering Porpoise. It was an older boat, weatherbeaten and faded, but it still stood proudly next to its more expensive cousins. The paint was faded, but not peeling; the sails were old, but well maintained. The Glittering Porpoise had an air of history and adventure about it, and the half a dozen Capitolites boarding it for a summer cruise.
Chas closed his eyes for second. If he wanted to pull this off, he needed to get into the right mindset. No time for Chas Avalore, the shipwright's disappointment of a son. He needed to take command.
Eyes open, looking to the shore. The boat shoved off and made its way out of the marina. As expected, the ship headed right past the cliffs Chas was watching from.
Time to move.
Chas had done the scramble down the cliffs hundreds of times. He was able to hop down from cliff to crevice, handhold to handhold, almost with his eyes closed. The sea breeze caressed him, but it didn't dare to try to pull him down. In no time, he was at the bottom of the cliffs, right in front of a cave that he knew the Glittering Porpoise liked to visit when starting out her tours. He also knew there was a small pocket in the cliffs where a single person could stay hidden out of sight of any ships on the shore, it was also a place where a person could stash restricted items. Like the special cutlass he unwraps from the oilskin package and puts on his belt.
Now armed and prepared, Chas settled down to wait. Staying calm on the surface while his heart beat wildly below.
Finally, The Glittering Porpoise made her way into the cove and laid anchor. He heard a high, feminine voice start what sounded like a prepared speech about the history of the cove. He could see about six Capitolites nodding along politely.
Time to liven things up. Chas dove in. In just a few strokes, he reached the ship and flung himself onto the deck.
A quick roll, and he was on his feet. He turned to the shocked passengers and gave his best cruel smile. "Alrighty, hand over the loot, and you might just make it out alive." He brandished his cutlass for emphasis
Out of the corner of his eye Chas saw a crew member, large and sturdy, attempting to sneak up on him. While keeping his eyes trained forwards, Chas tensed and held steady until he could hear the boards squeaking under the sailor's feet. Then, he struck.
Chas whirled around and opened with a pommel strike to the nose. That was enough to stagger the sailor, so Chas pressed his advantage with a swift kick to the legs and a knee to the stomach. He was down before anyone had time to register they were fighting. To make sure he stayed down, Chas brought his pommel down on his head.
He wasn't trying to kill them after all. His goal was loot, not bloodshed.
The sound of a gunshot reminded Chas that his opponents wouldn't necessarily play by the same rules.
He turned towards the sound, seeing a second crewmember on the stern furiously attempting to reload. Chas wouldn't give him a second chance. He leapt onto the rails and ran along them balancing as easily as the ground. The crewmember barely had a chance to look up before Chas was beside him. A quick front flip brought Chas up close, a simple throw was all it took to disarm him.
Easy. But they were never going to be the challenge.
"Get. Off. My. Ship"
The captain was finally here. Nerida Iverson. Dark haired, olive-skinned, gorgeous Nerida Iverson. Fierce, talkative Nerida Iverson
Flanegan Academy trained Nerida Iverson, with a rapier at her side and death in her eyes.
Chas wasn't the type to be intimidated, though. H sauntered forwards, casually scooping up the rifle. "I could end this right now, you know. A single shot." He made a show of examining it, before tossing it on the deck. "But where's the fun in that?"
Nerida drew her weapon. "When I hand you over to the law, you won't be having much fun ever again."
Chas grinned as he approached, soaking in the moment. "Then we better make this one count."
She merely glared in response and pulled her rapier. Chas returned the gesture, raising his cutlass and sauntering over to the open area near the bow. "Engard, then."
Their steel clashed. Nerida was immediately on the offensive, as Chas expected. She favored a rapier, a pointed sword reliant on thrusting techniques and going for a quick, clean kill. Chas staggered back against the onslaught, but only slightly.
Both of them may have attended the Academy, but only one of them had been chosen as a volunteer. And it wasn't Nerida.
Chas started off focusing on blocking. Her rapier had a length advantage, but his cutlass was broader and kept Nerida's point at bay. Again and again, he flicked the blade aside, adding a flourish or a taunt when he saw the chance. As he intended, Nerida only got madder the more he foiled her attacks, leading to wilder and chancier thrusts.
Finally, he took his chance. She got too close, and he managed to knock her sword loose. Then, with her body completely exposed, he attacked.
One swift kick, and Nerida went overboard.
The splash as she hit the water was music to his ears.
Now, onto Chas's favorite part. He turned towards the rich Capitolites, who'd been completely stunned in place by the display. He raised his cutlass-
And bowed.
The crowd burst into cheers. Several tossed coins on the ground, as tips in addition to the fee they'd been charged for their "Pirate Adventure". Perrin and Lenny (the two sailors, miraculously recovered from their earlier brawls) moved to collect the booty and get the ship ready to sail again. Off to the side, Chas saw Nerida on shore, giving a cheeky wave before heading off into the cave to prepare for the next set piece. Vera, the ship's musician and Nerida's sister, raised her fife and looked to him for a cue.
Chas felt a swell of pride. Right now, he couldn't ask for more in his life.
"Now who's ready to help me find me lost gold?" He yelled triumphantly, and the audience yelled their approval.
He was the captain, and life was good.
"Land ho, me hearties!" Chas called out, peering through his spyglass. "Everyone prepare to go ashore!"
The spyglass may not have been necessary since even the Capitolites could see the resort if they bothered to turn and look over the side. But the announcement did have an effect on his crew. Nerida, suitably reformed in-story, and now wearing dry clothes, pulled out their pamphlets and started giving instructions to the passengers while urging them to tell all their friends about them. Perrin and Lenny started adjusting the sails, slowing the ship and preparing them to dock. Vera stood at the wheel, guiding the ship as she improvised a tune about returning home after a voyage. Even the Capitolites reacted, putting their shoes back on and gathering up the rest of their belongings (although the crew would probably have to spend extra time picking up the snack wrappers and general trash the tourists tended to leave each voyage)
Chas, meanwhile, had the best job, entertaining the Capitolites as they approached the shore, and supervising everyone else's work. "Trim the sail faster, First Mate Perrin! If you don't get us in by starfall, you'll have swabbing duty for the next fortnight!"
Perrin, who was already trimming the sail appropriately to make landfall, responded with a quick eye roll and a concealed rude gesture, before giving a clear "Aye, Aye, Captain" in response. As Chas hoped, some of the Capitolites tittered in amusement.
He was ready to move onto the next instruction when one of the tourists, an older man who looked like he'd wasted way too much money trying to look young, caught him by the arm.
"I must say, that was some fine sword work you displayed, young man."
Chas couldn't help but preen a little inside at the compliment. Still, gotta stay in-character. "Oh, that? 'Tis but a day's work on the Glittering Porpoise." He glanced at Nerida, who was in the midst of explaining their availability to a woman wearing an enormous sunhat. Nerida was the best at promoting them, but he could handle it on his own. "If ye be interested in a second Voyage-"
The man waved Chas off, causing Chas's heart to, well, not sink, but definitely dip a little in his chest. "I was actually wondering if we would be seeing your blade on our televisions in a few months."
That did cause Chas's heart to sink. He felt his lips strain tighten as he pushed to keep his smile on. It seemed to be good enough, as the tourist's companion chimed in. "Oh, yes! I was just thinking that. Earlier, it was almost like we were watching the Games first-hand!"
From Chas's perspective, a staged swordfight with one of his closest friends was a whole world from fighting in the Games. But instead, he simply replied with what he hoped looked like a cheeky grin. "Avast, most of the crew be ready to celebrate their nineteenth winter at the end of the year."
"A shame." The man said. "I bet you'd put up a better fight than the boy last year. I put a month's salary on the kid, and he drops in the bloodbath. Complete waste of a tribute! What was his name? Dom?"
"Don," his companion "I think?" she added, before looking to Chas to confirm.
Chas swallowed.
Poseidon Jones had been seventeen when he was reaped. He was a year under Chas and was fairly vocal about his desire to volunteer for the Games and earn glory for the District and his family.
District Four might train for the games like One and Two, but they didn't treat volunteering the same way as them. Four had been the first to train potential tributes, and the focus was always on protecting the young and the weak.
Don was neither young nor weak. So, Chas didn't volunteer. He told himself it was the right choice, and Don could handle it fine. Right until Don decided to pick a fight with the boy from Eleven without any backup, and Eleven smashed his head into the Cornucopia without any real effort.
Chas didn't mention any of this. He managed to deflect the comments with a joke and a call for Vera to sing a different song. The Capitolites moved on to the next thing like they always did.
Vera herself nodded and changed tunes so seamlessly it could have been arranged that way. She wove a song about waves and wind, how they pushed and pulled all who went to sea.
Around them, Perrin and Lenny pulled the ship into port, and Chas saw them exchange a secret fist bump. Nerida laughed and offered insider tips about the best places to get oysters in Four to the delighted Capitolites. And Vera sang and sang like she was born to do.
Push and Pull. Volunteer or not?
The crew were the ones who pulled Chas in. More than his dad and sister, they were his real family. They had rebuilt the Glittering Porpoise together after a spoiled Capitolite got bored with sailing and left her to rot. They supported each other through everything, and at times like this, he couldn't imagine not being here to share in the crew's dream. Volunteering felt like a betrayal. Even telling them he had considered it felt wrong
And yet…
There was still the push of volunteering. The drive to prove himself, To give the ones he loved everything they could ever want and need. To get a real, cutting edge ship and sail anywhere he pleased, far away from his dad's drinking and his mom's empty chair.
To explore, and most of all to learn. To find out the truth about what happened to her.
Late at night, under his father's roof, sometimes it all crashed down on him. Fears that the Capitolites might grow bored of their cruises as they did of everything else. That the resort would eventually kick them out, ruining their chances of attracting customers at all. That in the end, they were heading nowhere, and he was taking everyone with him.
But that would be later. Right now, the sun was shining, and Chas could just close his eyes and feel the breeze caress him and hear the chatter of his friends.
Yes. Life was good.
At least for now.
Ydira Gelding, District Ten Female
Aldis Lyle had never considered himself good with kids. So why was he the one staring down a little girl covered in flour and surrounded by dried biscuit dough?
He wasn't even the girl's father. Her father, Lypon Gelding, was his boss. Lypon was the head of production in Settlement Seven, whose job it was to ensure the butchers of the settlement continued to make fine gourmet steaks for the Capitol in quantities and qualities that kept them happy. Lypon was a good man, and Aldis was proud to work under him. Even prouder to call him his friend.
Lypon was also a widower, having lost his wife in childbirth five years previously. And while he loved his daughter fiercely, there were times he confessed to Aldis not knowing how to handle a child as strong-willed as Ydira.
And Aldis could see the challenge, as the girl stared back at him with a mix of fear and defiance in her grey eyes. He started by clearing his throat. "Hello, Ydira."
"Hi, Mr. Lyle", she mumbled.
Aldis waited, but after a moment, realized she didn't intend to say more. So, he started again. "Do you know where Mrs. Dreyer is?"
Lena Dreyer was the Gelding's housekeeper, and also the one who looked after Ydira during work hours. She would have a better handle on what to do.
But Ydira shook her head. "She's sick and had to go. And Daddy has an important call righ' now."
Aldis knew what kind of call she meant. Every month, Lypon had to conference with the Ten government and Capitol middlemen to explain the months production, and deal with their constant demands for more beef and less expenditures. Those calls could take hours. Aldis glanced towards his boss's study for a moment, hoping it would miraculously open and allow someone else to deal with this issue. But luck was not on his side today, so it was up to him to deal with this.
If Aldis had to guess, Ydira knew she did something she wasn't supposed to, but her stare was more defiant than apologetic. It wasn't his place to discipline her, so what could he do instead?
Aldis cleared his throat. "So, what are you doing here?" He asked, trying to project an air of friendliness.
Ydira's brow furrowed slightly. "Baking." she replied bluntly.
"Of course! Making cookies?"
Ydira's frown deepened. "Biscuits. For Daddy." She glanced around the mess. "Didn't work." she grumbled.
" Well, biscuits aren't easy. Why don't we try again?" Biscuits, thankfully, were something Aldis knew how to make.
But Ydira stiffened at his suggestion. "Don' need help." she replied.
The state of the kitchen said differently. He could tell pushing the point wouldn't help, so he instead moved to grab a rag. "Okay, then, why don't we"
"I DON'T NEED HELP!"
Shit. Shit shit shit. Aldis froze while the girl started what looked like a temper tantrum he was in no way equipped to deal with. But before he could consider his options, Lypon was there.
Aldis blanched. "The Capitol! Did they-"
Lypon's calm voice cut through. "They rescheduled. Some sort of Capitol emergency. Now what's going on here?"
Ydira looked up at her father, her face still red and tears still visible. "Want'd make biscuits. Don't need his help. Don't need any help, Daddy.
"Ahh." Lypon considered things for a moment, then asked "Do you know who Mr. Lyle is?"
Ydira scrunched up her face. "Butcher?"
"He used to be. Now he's my assistant. My helper, you might say."
Her eyes widened. "You have a helper?"
He nodded. "That's right. Sometimes, a job is too big, or someone knows more about how to do something. When that happens, you need to ask for help. I know it's hard, but a strong person knows when they can do something, and when they need help"
Ydira considered for a second, then grabbed a tray off the ground. "Show me how to make biscuits, Daddy."
He chuckled. "Why don't we try cleaning up first?"
As the two began working, Lypon nodded towards Aldis that he was free to go to the study. Aldis left the two in the kitchen and thought that was the end of it.
Time went on. Aldis continued to do his job. Occasionally in their downtime, Lypon would bring up Ydira and how big she was getting, how eager she was to learn new things. He laughed as he described her spending hours matching pieces trying to solve the 500-piece Capitol puzzle he'd received as a gift years ago and never looked at before now. He noted with exasperation her desire to learn how to climb by scaling their house. And his eyes misted up as he described Ydira finding her mother's old recipe cards and resolving to learn and master each one.
And as Aldis started spending more time visiting with Lypon, working on numbers or staying for dinner, Ydira became more comfortable with him. At first it was simple talk, but one night over dinner, her father mentioned that before Aldis worked for him, he used to tan hides and make shoes like Ydira's.
Ydira's eyes widened. "Can he show me how to do that?" she blurted out.
They laughed that one off, with a promise to teach her when he was older. She sulked for a bit, and once again, Aldis thought that was that. But something about that moment, combined with her father's description of him as "The man he goes to when he needs help" led to her deciding Aldis was the best person to go to when she wanted to learn something new.
"Mr. Lyle, can you show me how to darn socks?"
"Mr. Lyle, can you show me how to fix the plumbing?"
"Uncle Aldis, can you show me how to set a broken bone?"
As overwhelming as her requests could be, Aldis found, as long as they weren't too dangerous or messy, teaching her was a rewarding experience. When she was interested in the subject, Ydira was a focused student, systematically working through problems and practicing diligently. She wasn't successful at everything she tried (like the months she spent struggling with learning to draw) but she always tried and slowly learned.
"Uncle Aldis, can you please show me how to reshingle the roof?"
In more ways than one.
Once Ydira started going to school, Aldis figured she'd be busy making friends and studying to keep asking him to teach her new skills. For awhile, that was true. School itself bored Ydira, but joining almost every after school club kept her active. Then one day, when she was around eleven, she had another request.
"Uncle Aldis, can you show me how to fight?"
That one stopped him cold. He forced a laugh. "Haven't you been in the wrestling club for years? Seems like you have that one covered."
That just provoked an eyeroll. "That's not real fighting. Real fighting doesn't have judges and points. Dad said you knew how to fight for real."
It was true that growing up in the Tanneries, Aldis had needed to know how to defend himself. Ydira was fortunate enough to grow up in a place without gangs and violent Peacekeepers. Where she didn't need to be able to fight people off. Unless… "Ydira, are you having trouble with kids at school?" A shiver went down his spine, as he reflected on how, despite all the groups she'd joined, she'd never brought friends home. Even when she was with groups, she always drifted to the edges.
But Ydira shook her head. "No one bothers me. But if I need to fight, I want to be ready."
Aldis's confusion must have shown on his face, because she sighed in exasperation. "For the Games."
Belatedly, it clicked in his mind. Ydira's twelfth birthday was coming up. She'd only have one slip in, but one slip was still enough to condemn someone. Across Ten, and probably other Districts too, kids would suddenly take up fencing, wrestling, or even archery if it was available as their first Reaping approached.
If Ydira was Reaped this year, a few tricks from him probably wouldn't be enough.
A part of him wanted to comfort her, say that wouldn't happen, she only had one slip. She was safe. He knew she was safe. Lypon had always done that, always tried to protect her.
But as her cool grey eyes stared into his imploringly, he wondered if reassurances were really what she needed to feel safe.
And he agreed.
Ydira took to his training with the same single-minded focus she applied to everything she tried. She was a healthy, athletic girl and fighting came easy to her. It being easy didn't lessen her dedication, though. Even when she found new projects, like when she found a bunch of partially completed needlepoints in the attic and decided to finish them, she still kept up practice in her spare time.
Ydira was safe that year, and the next few years. Finally, Ydira reached fifteen. Most kids in Ten didn't graduate school unless they were aiming for a specialized position, like breeding or veterinary work. That wasn't Ydira. Ydira had no interest in studies, and further insisted that she be allowed to start work from the bottom, instead of being given a position by her father. So Aldis took her on as one of his many apprentice butchers. It felt slightly odd to be training her in an official capacity, but she took to the work with the same single minded focus and diligence she brought to all of her projects. Soon, she was taking full shifts six days a week. Both Aldis and Lypon expected Ydira taking the job meant her interest in preparing for the Games would fade.
Instead, well… "This is Sunny. She wants to learn how to fight, too."
Aldis could only raise an eyebrow at both the out of nowhere request and the fact that Ydira was making it while sporting a black eye, fresh blood running down her face, and an arm that looked to be several inches longer than it had been when he last saw her. Ydira continued, oblivious to his confusion. "Some guys were bothering her, so I stopped them. Now she wants to learn how to do it herself." The girl in question, small and dark haired, seemed to shrink into herself further.
After a few seconds of trying to figure out what needed to be addressed first, Aldis managed to convince Ydira to get herself to the local hospital before making any decisions. While Ydira was getting her dislocated arm reduced, Aldis considered how best to turn down this request, when he realized there was one thing he hadn't considered yet. The girl herself.
He turned to the girl, who sat curled up, arms hugging herself while waiting in the lobby with him. Once again, the right words seemed hard to come by. "Look, I know Ydira come on a bit strong, but that's her. You don't have to-"
"It's okay."
The girl's-no, Sunny's- quiet voice pierced through his rambling. Her arms dropped to her sides and she straightened up for the first time since they'd met.
With her arms out of the way, Aldis could suddenly see scratches and bruises down her arms. Bruises shaped like handprints far bigger than Ydira's.
Sunny continued. "I want this. I want to be strong. Like her."
Then Ydira was back, full of plans and Aldis couldn't say no.
So Aldis found himself teaching multiple kids. Sunny didn't stick around once she learned enough to feel safer walking home, but more followed. To his surprise, there were a number of merchant kids showing up for sessions. Growing up, he'd always thought of both merchants and kids from the Butcher's quarters as having no need for Tesserae. It was true they didn't seem to need it every year, but each kid who came to learn holds and strikes from Aldis had stories. Stories of illness and injuries, repairs and supply price increases. Things where the only way they could endure was putting in extra slips. It wasn't a lot, but it could still be enough.
Aldis wasn't sure how much his old street fighting skills would help them against kids who had formal training with swords since they were toddlers, but it seemed to make them feel better to do something.
Especially Ydira, who always needed to be doing something. It just made sense.
In hindsight, perhaps Aldis should have made the connection sooner.
It was a cold autumn night. Hard times meant more kids than usual made their way to the Gelding's old barn, with its heater and generator. (Lypon had paid for the renovations without question when she asked to use it as a training space.) Even a few chilled and bored peacekeepers made their way to the barn, where Ydira convinced them to give the kids a swordfighting lesson.
Right now, the classes were over, and the kids were chatting in groups, waiting for the rain to stop so they could walk home. Ydira, still sweaty and mussed from training, moved from group to group offering coffee and hot chocolate. Aldis was sitting on a bale of hay, just enjoying the atmosphere, when he heard someone sidle up next to him.
"You guys got a real nice little program here."
Aldis suppressed the urge to flinch away. Peacekeepers assigned to the Butchery were a far cry from the Dogs he hid from in the Tannery, but being around them still made his skin crawl. He forced himself to look up at the man as he responded. "Sorry I can't take much of the credit. Ydira does most of the arranging, I'm just the unpaid teacher."
Looking closer, the man was younger than Aldis had thought. Maybe just a few years older than Ydira. He was golden haired and handsome like the attack dogs from One tended to be each year, but he had a rough scar going down his cheek and neck that drew the eye. He chuckled. "Maybe you'll get back pay eventually."
Aldis forced himself to laugh along, although he wasn't sure what was funny about the statement. He wasn't here for money, he was here for Ydira and the other kids. They lapsed back into silence for a bit, but before Aldis could make an excuse to leave, the Peacekeeper spoke again. "I wonder if this how it all started, back then."
Damn, the boy was still talking. Did Ydira really need to invite the Capitol's Dogs to their lessons? Still, even here, you don't piss them off. "How what started?"
"The Academy." The Peacekeeper must have seen Aldis's confusion, because he continued. "Tribute training. Back in One, we have so much-"
"Yeah, well things are different here." Aldis said, a bit more heated than he intended. "We're training to defend ourselves if the worst happens. You train to volunteer."
The Dog even had a barking laugh. "Right. No training for the games here. Gotta keep deniability if the Capitol comes a-knocking." Aldis glared at him, his irritation rising. His familiar tone, his smug smile, his acting like he had anything in common with these kids desperate to survive, made him want to knock his pampered ass down.
But he just kept on talking. "I mean, you don't have to worry about me. I gave my life to District One, and they tossed me out like trash when I wasn't pretty enough for them." He waved his hand around the scar on his cheek, then continued before Aldia could react. "I'm down to keep helping. Especially if Ydira becomes Victor-"
"Well, that won't be happening. She's never taken out Tesserae, she's not going into the Games, and you'll be out of here." Aldis replied shortly. "Now why don't you-"
"That's not what she told me."
Aldis's blood turned to ice. "You're wrong."
This finally seemed to get the boy to back off. He stepped back hands up in front of him. "Hey, I'm sorry, I just thought- from what she said-"
"You thought wrong! Ydira's nothing like you!"
"Excuse me?"
Ydira's voice cut through Aldis's haze, he turned and saw her staring. Her expression was blank, but her eyes were piercing as ever. Aldis fumbled over his words. "Sorry, darling. We were just-"
And the Dog had to cut him off. "Look, the rain's clearing up! We all better get moving!" Then, without another word, he left, followed by the rest of the kids. Leaving just Aldis and Ydira alone
Ydira just looked at him for a moment, then moved to head back to the house without a word. But Aldis couldn't leave it at that. "Ydira, why are we doing all this?"
She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. "I want to be strong. And District Ten to be strong with me."
Aldis cleared his throat. "Well, I think you're plenty strong. Enough that-"
"It's not enough!" she snapped. "And what's the point of being strong anyway if you don't do anything with it?"
Are you planning on volunteering?
The question was on the tip of his tongue. But Aldis couldn't ask it. Because he didn't know what he'd say or do if the answer was yes.
So, he stayed silent. And slowly, Ydira turned and walked away.
Later, Aldis told himself it all worked out. He'd never normally say that about an accident that put the girl in the hospital, but as a bit of bad luck, it was less permanent than going into the Games. Ydira was now out of the Reaping Pool and would have a chance to live.
Ydira adapted. She recovered quickly, and threw herself into her work, and teaching. She replaced Aldis as the main self-defense teacher, since Aldis couldn't bring himself to help anymore. She even expanded on it, building handmade gauntlets and making training weapons by hand. Ydira still kept busy and never mentioned any unhappiness in her life.
If her eyes had lost their spark, Aldis didn't mention it.
He wouldn't know what to say if he did.
A/N: Thank you to Paradigm for Chas, and livinginadream0 for Ydira.