Private Tales The Mountains Ahead

[Aviana Sabel]

Hours passed, drawing on and on as Aviana endured the worst pain she'd ever experienced. Whoever the woman was, however, seemed to have at least some sort of idea as to what to do. Elise's intervention likely saved Aviana's life.

It was early morning the next day when the twins finally arrived into the world -- a boy and a girl. They were small, but surprisingly healthy.

The princess was exhausted and weak, her body utterly spent.

She had the boy, swaddled in a small blanket, in her arms and Kasim was holding his newly born daughter.

Aviana's throat was shot, so she didn't try to speak.

 

[Kasim Areth]

The presence of his sister had not only been momentarily forgotten, but welcomed.

Elise had been surprisingly helpful throughout the night. Instructing Aviana and ensuring she made it through. Surprisingly his sibling had even offered kind words, something that he'd been too panicked to be shocked about at the same. Now that it was all over Elise stood in the corner of the room, her dress marred.

Kasim glanced up at her with a frown, holding his daughter protectively as Aviana lay clutching their son. "I will not give the-"

A groan escaped his sister's lips.

"Erich I am not here to hurt your children. I am not father. I am not a monster."​

Kasim looked at Aviana for a moment, lips thinning, still dubious at best. His sister was shrewd, smart, and always the planner. There were a thousand things she could have wanted. What any of them were could be a guess.

He remembered what she had said well, it still clung to his mind. "You want father dead."

Kasim echoed.

"Yes."​

There was a pause.

"Things are changing at home Erich. The world is changing. There are whispers of rebellion. Talks of revolution and times of reform. Father would see Vel Anir razed before he allowed it to reform."​

Kasim looked at his sister, then to his daughter who was now sleeping peacefully. "And you would not?"

Elise shrugged.

"I see the coming tides, brother, and unlike the rest of our family I understand it is easier to swim with it."​

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana listened carefully to what Elise was saying, though she let Kasim speak for now. Her head dropped back against the pillow behind her and she closed her eyes, expelling a quiet sigh. Exhaustion pulled at her, demanding that she rest, but she knew that she needed to be a part of this conversation.

She opened her eyes and turned her head on the pillow so that she was looking over at Kasim. There was a soft, encouraging smile on her lips.

"Kas... we don't really have much more of a choice. This may be the only chance we get to be free." Aviana murmured quietly, her voice strained.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim hesitated for a moment, frowning and looking at Aviana. He wondered if the love of his life knew what she was asking him to do, the risk that they would have to take.

Elise was...well, Elise was a schemer, a plotter, but he couldn't think of a single instance that she had outright lied to him. Sure she had misled him, made him believe things that weren't exactly true, but never once had she told an outright lie.

His eyes cast to his sister, and he took a breath. "Fine."

"Excellent."

The Baroness smiled.

"I'll stay here for a time. Ward off father and keep you safe. You will need time to rest and recover, and I will need time to set up the ritual."

"Wait...what...what will the ritual do to them?" Kasim asked as he looked at his children, frowning deeply for a moment with concern. Elise looked at her nephew and niece, then simply smiled.

"Their connection to the Well is through your blood, once I take your connection, they will be cut from it as well. They may manifests their own magics, but it will not be that of our Line."

Kasim wanted to ask what she would do with his strength, with the power that she would gain from him, but...he felt he already knew. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could Elise spoke again. An odd amount of warmth clung to her tone.

"I look forward to learning about you."

Her eyes regarded Aviana.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana raised her gaze from her son's face to first look to Kasim and then finally to Elise. She'd not expected the woman to say something that sounded... Genuinely warm. Then again, she knew that she didn't exactly look like a normal elf. There were horns growing from her skull, for starters.

The princess smiled nervously, as if shy, to Elise and she dipped her head in return.

"Heh... I promise, I'm not so interesting. But, I'll be happy to share with you what I can." She murmured, offering a warm smile to her sister-in-law.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Elise bowed her head with a smile, gazing down at Aviana for a moment before she looked at Kasim.

"I"ll take my old room, don't mind the men moving my things. They will not cause any...problems."

She smiled, but did not say anything else. A chill went down Kasim's spine, lips thinning to a frown as he looked after his sister for a few moments before turning back to the love of his life. He let out a long breath, and then slowly sat himself down.

"I believe her in some ways." He said softly. "Elise is not our father, but...she's always planned things out carefully."

Lips thinned and he looked up at Aviana. "She's smarter than me."

For some reason he smiled when he said that, almost as if there was a little bit of pride in the fact. An older brother, pleased with his sister.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Cradling her son in her arms, Aviana leaned over to him to press a reassuring kiss to his brow. Her fingers teased through his short hair, curling behind his ear for a brief moment. "We've gotten through everything else the world has thrown at us, we'll be okay."

Her head dropped down, coming to rest against her lover's shoulder, relaxing against him at last.

"You know... we should name the little ones."

 

[Kasim Areth]

He nodded his head in agreement with her, smiling for a moment as he looked down at their two children. It was still an odd wonder to him, how he had found himself here. Two years ago it would have seemed like an impossibility, a year ago the same. Time made a fool of him, and date even more so.

Still, he could not have been happier. "We should."

Kasim agreed with a nod of his head.

Names was something they had spoken of briefly, but in the chaos of the last few days he had almost entirely forgotten what they had decided on. His main goal had been to keep them safe, make sure that they would all make it to the next day and hopefully beyond. Now that things were...tentatively well, he found his thoughts still on the threat that looked behind them.

Paranoia most would call them.

"What do you think?" He asked his daughter, gently rocking her.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She looked down at her son in her arms, smiling softly. Her fingers brushed over the boy's delicate hair, white as fallen snow. Carefully, she bent down to brush her lips against the baby's forehead, nuzzling into him. When she sat back up, her eyes turned to meet Kasim's golden gaze.

"What about Reinhard?" She murmured in a quiet voice, smiling.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Yes." He didn't even have to think about that answer.

The moment she said the name Kasim was brought back to the moment of their conversation, what they had discussed. A smile touched his lips, fingers slowly tightening on his daughter as he remembered what they had said in that castle.

It was a good memory. "Morgana."

He said softly as he looked down at his daughter.

"Reinhard and Morgana." Fitting somehow. He wondered what his mother would think. If she would be happy for him. He liked to think she would be.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She held out her free hand to Kasim, inviting him to join her on the bed. There was a gentleness in her expression as she looked up at him. All the stress and worries had abated. Now that the twins had arrived, the only thing that mattered was keeping her family safe, all five of them.

No matter what came their way, she knew that Kasim and her would be able to stand against it, so long as they had each other.

"Come sit, love. You've been on your feet for hours. We can finally rest easy. Everything is going to be okay." She murmured in a soft whisper.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim let out a sigh, slowly easing himself down on the side of the bed as he still held their daughter.

"I'm not sure I'm going to be able to relax yet." He said softly. There were a thousand things he still wanted to say and bring up to her, but now was not the time. Aviana needed rest, sleep, relaxation.

Kasim needed the same, but he knew with Elise around that would not happen. His sister had brought Kiovec to his knees with a flick of her wrist, had nearly broken the dragon.

He shuttered to think what else she was capable of now.

Her words had been truthful, but that didn't make him want to relax any more. "It will be okay though."

Kasim said with a smile.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana sighed quietly, resting her head against Kasim's broad shoulder. It felt good just to touch him. As long as she had that, she knew everything was going to be okay.

"Tomorrow, do you think we could take the twins down to see Kiovec? He's worried sick." She murmured quietly, placing a gentle kiss on Kasim's cheek. There was a pause as she considered explaining more. Kiovec wasn't just worried about the babies, but also her. He knew that she'd been affected by the magic that had seized him.

The poor dragon was left to wallow in his misery and guilt, feeling helpless. If Aviana had been able to walk, she would have gone down to stay by his side; but as things stood, all she could do was reassure the beast through their Bond.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Tomorrow." He told her softly.

There was also the matter of his sister to deal with, a thought that made him disturbingly uncomfortable. Elise was not just hanging around, she was intent on sleeping in the same house. Briefly he wondered how Kiovec was taking that.

The Dragon was probably more weary of her than he was.

"Rest now." He said softly. "Just for a little while."

At least until morning.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Weariness was already weighing down on Aviana. She was exhausted. It wasn't clear to her how long she'd been awake now, but she knew that her body was in desperate need of rest. As badly as she wanted to stay awake with Kasim, she knew that it wasn't tenable.

"Can you take Ein then?" She whispered quietly as she laid back into the soft mattress, trying her best to stifle a yawn.

Her eyes were starting to drift shut from the moment she'd laid herself down. Sleep pawed and pulled at her, beckoning her to rest.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim nodded his head in silence, taking his child and holding both of the twins close to himself as he let out a yawn.

He wondered briefly if they could find a nanny or something. There were villages surrounding the area, and Elise might know someone. The thought was a mad one, born of tiredness and exhaustion beyond anything else.

"I'll stay up a little." He told Aviana softly. "Tend to them."

At least so she could sleep peacefully.

For a while.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Much to Kasim's shock, Elise had kept to her side of the bargain.

A trick had been played, the trap set out. Their father had played his part perfectly, acting the indignant bastard, shouting his monologue, and in the end falling to his sisters blade. It had been a shock, something that had seemed to shift things within his life.

Kasim could not have put into words how he felt. It was underwhelming and overwhelming at the same time. The death of his father should have impacted him more, should have sent ripples and waves, but instead he felt...nothing. It had been so anti-climactic. The man whom he'd once feared, once thought of as the ultimate villain was gone.

In the end his life had come down to a dagger, a dagger and some legal documents.

Elise had been thorough, thorough and quick.

She had kept to every letter of her word, and near hours after their father had been vanquished had presented Kasim with a slew of papers. Their reading had been simple; Kasim would gain a portion of the Virak's estates, lands, but would cede all claim to title.

It was the bargain that they'd struck, and Kasim signed it.

Now he sat quietly on the massive porch of the Estate he and Aviana had squared themselves away in. He was a wealthy man, his children would be provided for, and the woman he loved would be kept safe.

What more could he have asked.

From his left he heard the door open, his head turning as he slowly stroked a small wooden figurine that he clutched within his palm.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana stepped out from the door wearing a summer dress with a silvery shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair was starting to grow back out since they'd cut it all those months ago.

A warm smile crossed her features when she came across Kasim, slowly shutting the door behind her. "There you are."

Her bare feet softly patted against the wooden panels of the porch as she made her way over to him. She reached down, running her fingers lightly through his hair before she leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"The twins are finally asleep." She murmured, glancing out over the well kept gardens. It was all so perfect, almost dreamlike.

Her eyes turned back to Kasim, taking note of the small trinket in his hand. She was familiar with the totem, and the significance it held for him.

"You alright?" She murmured.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"I'm alright." Kasim said as he looked up at Aviana with a soft smile.

There was something forlone about his look, but she would know why. The little icon had been his brothers, a totem that had belonged to him which Kasim had found in the house some time ago. It was a reminder of what was lost, of his twin.

He looked down at it for a moment. "We used to talk about what it would be like to be free."

Though they were hardly slaves, being born into a Great House was like living in a Gilded Cage. You had money, power, influence, but were in a prison of its own sort. Kasim had never liked it, had always dreamed of getting out. Ein had always felt more of a sense of duty, but both of them had wanted to make their own way.

Slowly Kasim looked up, staring out at the empty garden ahead of them.

"It feels strange." He mused. "To be free."

He looked up at Aviana. "We have money. Friends. No one hunting us..."

At least on this side of the world. "We can do anything."

Especially if what Elise had said was true. If Vel Anir would fall into Revolution and things were truly changing. There would be no Dreadlords searching for their children, no one to come for them. They were truly free.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

For a few moments, Alondra said nothing as Kasim spoke. His words should have been comforting, they should have put her at ease ... But in truth they only plagued her guilty conscience.

Kasim had freed himself from a life of heartache, control, and cruelty. She was more than happy for him, it filled her heart with joy to know that the man she loved was finally safe after so much strife.

But the peace had given her mind the freedom to wander.

She'd abandoned her people. Her mission. Her home. They'd been counting on her, she'd barely escaped with her life and the precious dragon egg with the sworn oath to return to salvage Minaris.

But she'd never returned.

Instead, she'd fled further and further west. She felt craven, like an utter coward, a failure.

Her freedom from the gilded cage had come with a heavy price, one that she wasn't sure she was capable of accepting.

She took a deep breath and turned her gaze back to Kasim, a soft smile on her lips.

He was safe. Their children were safe. Kiovec was safe.

"We can do anything." She repeated softly, a twinge of regret and sadness in her eyes.

What was she supposed to do now?

 

[Kasim Areth]

They had been together long enough now that he could red Aviana as well as he could anyone.

Empathy had not been a natural quality in his home growing up, but it had been something he'd learned. A skill he'd used to read kings and queens as a bard. Understanding those around him and what they desired. He smiled softly at her, arms wrapping gently around her body as he kissed her cheek.

The small totem remained in his hand. "We can do anything."

He repeated again.

"We don't have to stay here. We don't have to..." He glanced up at the Manor. "We can go back, If you like."

More than that, they could go back with an army. A small one maybe, but they had the coin, they had the connections. He had given up his place as heir to House Virak, but his name still meant something.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She cleared her throat as Kasim easily saw through her thoughts, and she glanced down at her feet with a shy smile. It was comforting to know that he could tell she was struggling -- as well as what it was that was on her mind.

Aviana reached over to lightly squeeze his shoulder and she say down on the arm rest of the chair, getting more comfortable.

"We don't have to rush into anything right now. I just... I want to know if my family is even still alive." She murmured softly to him.

"But I won't put you or the twins at risk to do so."

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim frowned for a moment. Despite what she said he could sense the anxiety, and he thought about the problem for a moment.

"We'll send a scout, a herald." That was more than possible. He was of House Virak, whatever rebellion happened, whatever Revolution took Vel Anir by storm. He was still something of a name. He still had power.

It would be enough.

"There's a portal stone in Sheketh." He knew that, his father had always made him study. "We can send someone to ask for correspondence, information."

His fingers threaded through her hair in a soothing touch. "They can find out what is going on in the city."

What happened to her family.