OOC: The first half of this thread takes place in the Cradle

For the night they retreated to their respective rooms. Kirika had gone home for the evening. Lotus knew that she wouldn’t be there for the killing of Cyprus, but she had other things back home to take care of. There were those still loyal to Cyprus and Kirika was cleaning that up while they took care of the real problem. Lotus had watched Eldora take the jar of ashes with her and knew what they were. She had never seen the body of her mother before. It had been well hidden within the depths of Angela’s realm.

She retreated with Dante into his room. She looked around for a few moments and took a deep breath as she looked out over the ocean. She was tense and her body said it. Even though she had been so calm during the meeting she was feeling the weight of what Kirika had told her. “I can’t believe they were just going to kill her like that. Shows how deep my mother has screwed things up. Displacing hate on us for what Mother and Colden are doing. Even if the council is disbanded the hate will still be there.”

There was a deep frown on her face. “I’ve never wanted children. I never wanted them to be subjected to what I was. Even if my mother is killed again I have this odd fear of them going through the things I have.” She was frustrated now but clearly, she had been calm for Kirika and especially Eldora. “Their decision would have killed Eldora too. She can’t be in Arri for long periods of time. The hell with their plan for me. It would have been the truth serum that hurt the most.” Her fists balled up and took a deep breath.

“All because Colden couldn’t get over his mommy issues. That is probably the biggest factor in them punishing us all.” She was frustrated and she knew that Xunatar could hear but at the moment she didn’t care. “Everyone has always stuck their necks out for that little shit. People died to make sure he would be alright but he just willing went with her like an idiot. That is the most frustrating thing. And now we have to have children to appease the courts. I didn’t beg Angela to make me sterile so I could go ask her to undo it because the bunch of morons in Arri can’t play nice with the monarchs.” She growled low and tried to calm herself down.

“What a mess this has become.” She reached up and combed her hair with her fingertips. “Kirika has taken most of the hate. I think that is most upsetting to me.” She sounded like she was calming down now. “She does it with a damn smile but I know she feels like I do. She just handles it better because she has to.” She turned to Dante finally and frowned. “I’m sorry, I’m just really frustrated over everything.”

Dante wasn’t thrilled with having to spend the night in the Cradle, but it seemed like arguing with his brother would have did nothing more than to get his head chopped off. That simply wouldn’t do at all, and so he obliged by the order (though it was more of an invitation to the ladies, lucky them). They left Steele and Eldora to their own devices while he lead Lotus to his room. It was a lavish and extravagant chamber fit for a grand prince, fitted with a rug like floor, a beautifully crafted fireplace, one wall was lined with bookshelves and towards the opposite wall house large door like windows that lead to a balcony. The bed there was large and filled with enough blankets and pillows to make it seem as though one was sleeping on a cloud and the finishing touch to it  was soft blue canopy draping over it. He had been sitting at the table with a bowl of fruit in hand, taking to grapes by plucking them by his mouth from off the stems. Unlike Lotus, he was more calmer and though he had a bit of a shock over what had transpired earlier, he felt better now with the stressful part receding. If just for now. He tilted his head back to look at her while he chewed at the fruit and letting its juice roll about his mouth and tongue before swallowing. “Too many rules your home has. I suppose the demon in me doesn’t like to be told what to do. You all avoided one set of punishments to be forced into another. Seems more like a choice that is taken away from you, from what it sounds like to me. Pity it can’t be helped then.”


“As much of a pain she is, things wouldn’t have been that much better if Cyprus hadn’t came back to begin with  You still have Colden to worry about though this council wouldn’t seek to punish you or your sisters, just him.” He switched over to an apple and took a small bite. “The problem would have just been that he wanted the throne and would likely cut Kirika’s throat, as well as anyone else’s that stood in his way. In any case, it would have still been a civil war, though on a lower end of the spectrum. Father had supported his foolish quest right until he was made aware of how your queens and kings were chosen. It's too much of a risk for him, even at this point now.” Xunatar was good at taking his losses today if it meant that he would succeed tomorrow. “Colden is a product of a deal going bad, his conception was tainted and with that mother of yours spoon feeding him and letting him believe that he was next in line destroyed anything that had once related him to what you had known him as before this point. Father filled me in more about that.” To him, it didn’t really matter whether the boy was going to fight them or come willingly. He would simply not have a choice in this matter, not if Lotus was going to be punished for his weaknesses.

“Envy is perhaps one of the more dangerous sins if left unchecked. At least for Steele, he can control his temper somewhat. Me? Oh I am fully capable of controlling my own- I simply don’t wish to at times.” Shrugging, he turned around his seat and took another bite of the apple. “The truth is my father will see to it that Colden does survive, by any means necessary. It just so happens that he doesn’t seem to mind the more recent punishment set for him and won’t stand in the way. Otherwise…he would see to it that the boy survives and there would be nothing your council or anyone could do. As far as he’s importance to him is, the lord here would be willing to go to war for any of the seven of us to remain intact.” It would have surely turned out badly had Xunatar not been approving of this. Dante didn’t speak these things other than to be upfront with Lotus.

“Though he can’t influence Colden’s choice of whether he will be willing to or not. Forcing him to oblige is…not recommended. Father had once told me that he killed a girl he fancied simply because she laughed at his nervousness when they were becoming more…intimate.” He would spare her the more detailed information and kept going on. ”Imagine what he would do to a woman carrying his child without his consent…” His normally smiling face fell onto that of a more grim one before shaking his head. “Your family is rather complicate. And I thought mine had problems…”, he jested before leaving the table and coming to her side by the windows. “There’s no need for that. It’s not like there’s any pressure on you since the meeting, and having to play a hand in your mother’s demise or anything. She will be slewed and the dimwit will be saved. Afterwards, you can then focus on moving the mountain an inch and somehow convince the boy to agree to the terms and find some unfortunate woman to carry on his…legacy for a better word.”

“Also, I do apologize for my behavior. I am not the sort that ever thought about things like children. Didn’t seem important, at least at the time prior.”      

Lotus laughed a bit at the mentioning of the rules. “I think the same thing but then I remember how violent Rosenites can be.” She mused a bit. “I think that in this instance the punishment isn’t as bad as it could have been. Eldora was thinking it like I was. We did do the things we are accused of… and a part of us knew that we would be held accountable if something ever came to light. I’m thinking it has. I’m sure Angela is in trouble as well but she is a god there isn’t much they can do to her. Kirika on the other hand… I wasn’t expecting them to be so angry with her. Maybe because she couldn’t control Colden, not that she could control any of us.” She frowned. “I think this was a punishment… more like a slap on the wrist type thing that they could think of… The lightest sentence there is for a situation like this.”

She rubbed her neck and nodded. “Yeah… He would have tried to kill Kirika that much is for sure. Thanks to Mother, Xunatar has at least seen that Colden’s plan isn’t the greatest.”

Lotus nodded as she watched the ocean. “I know he will. I doubt there will be anything left of the council once the queens are done. The council was something set up to deal with my mother. Once she is gone there will be no need for it and any resistance will be met with punishment. The punishment my family is dealing with is so that we can live in peace. I completely understand why it’s happening. I just don’t like it.”

She crossed her arms a bit more now. The Rosenite was attempting to comfort herself. “There will be methods of dealing with Colden. However, I am uncertain how that is going to work. We’ll get it figured out. Envy is a pain in the ass to deal with but Kirika has a plan… I can tell from the way she was talking. I just don’t know what it is.”

Lotus watched as he came over to her side and she gave him a bit of a smile. “It’s alright. It wasn’t something I was expecting either. I was just holding myself better because of Kirika. She doesn’t deserve things like this thrown in her face. She fought for a lighter sentence and that’s all I can ask of her. She even stuck her neck out for Colden. I’m thinking that’s what happened and she just didn’t tell us. She probably wasn’t originally part of the punishment but included herself to force negotiations. I can’t tell though… Her demeanor is too cool. She was completely alright with it like she had something else she was thinking about.” Lotus mused as she moved over to Dante and curled up with him by the window.

“I told you I would choose someone else because I didn’t want to tie you down. The last thing I want is to burden you because I love you.” She reached up and kissed him softly. “You are my lover, you’ve made me see and feel things that I’ve never wanted to see but I enjoy it. It made me scared and I’m scared now but I’ll deal with it because the consequences of not following it are… much worse in my opinion. I would be fine being locked up but Eldora would die… She couldn’t stay there. She would end up like the others of her kind. She’s only survived because she won’t go home.”

“Control? I wouldn’t think so, especially if neither she or Colden had ever met one another, correct?” As far as siblings went, Kirika and Colden were certainly on opposite sides of the spectrum. She seemed more reserved and thoughtful and her brother…well he needed not to explain to Lotus how he was. “It still seems odd that they would want for “traitors” to breed more into the Court, but that’s just my thought on it.” Despite the way she had explained it, which was a good job no doubt, Dante still had mixed feelings over the matter. It wasn’t like he would have to worry about it though; it wasn’t like he was going to be chosen to father her child.

“No, I don’t like it either. Seems a tad unnecessary, but I guess given the state that your Court is in, its far better to try and repopulate it again.”

He pondered a lovely funny thought and it made him chuckle slightly. “If you’d like, Steele could always take a crack at him. Father wouldn’t want him dead, but I have a feeling that some…tough love would do no harm. Or at least not enough to murder the lad.” The eldest brother would certainly find some pleasure in getting his hands on Colden for being so gullible and stupid. But even with all his power and temper, he would know when enough would be enough. “It is very likely she did. You girls, despite your differences seem determined to keep this family together, for better or worse. Mine has a mutual understanding of each other, and despite it all, the in-fighting and bickering, we do live by the motto ”For the family”. Taking several more bites of the fruit, the half demon petted her hair with his other hand before finishing the apple and tossing the core into a wastebasket.

When she mentioned bring in someone else to help her get pregnant, Dante gave her a strange but subtle look. At first he was sorta relieved by the statement but then as she went on to explain and told him that she loved him, his face nearly dropped onto the floor. It had been the first time she had muttered those words to him before; sure that they had a strong connection but he wasn’t planning on hearing those words from her. Blinking at her, he shied away and looked out into the outside world. Usually he would know what to say, but for once he was at a loss for words. Love wasn’t something that he bothered being in because it seemed so easy to fall out of it, just as it was with lust. But for the latter, there was less time and effort wasted. With the other however, it was an investment. His mind raced towards the thought of her bearing another man’s child and from there, who knows what would had happened.

“I don’t know…if it would be a burden for me…well, to have that with you”, he spoke vaguely but he was sure she would know what he was referring to. “It wouldn’t be the worse thing in the world, of course.” He looked towards her while scratching the back of his head. “No, the worse thing would be for you and yours to suffer, or worse. In comparison, having you bear my child at some point to save you lot is far better.”

He struggled with his next few words, but only because they seemed so foreign to him to mutter. But fortunately it was towards Lotus, which made it seem more easier than it would had been.

“I love you too.” 
 

Lotus smiled a bit. “The council might want a punishment but they aren’t in control of what it is. Only the queens can say what it is. They might hate what we were given and think it isn’t enough but they wanted punishment… They aren’t getting what they wanted. It’s bittersweet.” She chuckled once more. “I think that’s what they were thinking. The only one who has had a child is Casimir and he’s missing. Not even Colden knows about Cinder.”

The half demon laughed and smirked just a bit. “That might have to be something we do. Whatever Kirika is planning might not work though she might let us have a crack at him first. Kirika is smart and tends not to put her whole hand out on the table for all to see… even with her siblings.” It was a pain but normally the girl was smart with her plans. “For the family indeed.” It was something Colden would have to learn and she wondered if he ever would.

It took her a few moments to realize what she had said to him and by the time she did… she couldn’t take it back. Her face mirrored his for a moment and she looked away from him shyly. It wasn’t something she had wanted and she had even been scared of courting him. Finally, after many, many moments, she heard Dante speak. “Your child?” She mused. “And you are sure?” She knew Dante well, this seemed out of character for even him. She gave a smile though and she was dumbfounded when he spoke his next words.

She looked at if she was having a wordless conversation with him. The way her eyes stared at him. Her hands reached up and cupped his face as she tried to find the words to say at least something to him. They didn’t come but she did kiss him softly and hug herself to him.

“It will be a long day tomorrow. You should rest Dante.” Perhaps these were the only words she could find herself saying. She hadn’t intended on falling in love with Dante but apparently, at some point, it had happened for both of them. Her fingers intertwined with his and she held his hand.

Such words, those three little words held so much power beneath them. There were plenty of times where if someone went back in time and told him that such would ever come from his mouth, then he would have laughed it off and thought nothing of it. But now? Well, Dante was taken back himself to have heard such words from Lotus and for them to be spoken back by him. Sure, he had heard the phase by many that he “courted” but never did he say it back for he wasn’t a liar. He was honest and upfront with them, knowing that they merely said that because of his charm and grace in bed. But when it came out of Lotus’ mouth, it was far different. She was far different from any person he had been with and he did treasure her enough to put up with Colden and certainly enough to endure with anything that was to come their way.

She held a rather interesting look about him wanting to  have a child with her “I’m certain that I don’t want to lose you. And if I can do anything to prevent it at all…I’ll do it. Besides, it would be a curious thing I suppose.” If his desire to do this to make sure she survived was the tip of the iceberg, then him admitting his feelings for her was the whole damn thing beneath the water. Had he been his usual self, he would have came up with something witty, but now wasn’t the time for that. Instead he looked to her with hands upon her form to comfort the woman. “Relax, cher. I know.” No words were needed for he knew her perhaps better than anyone other than herself. The same was true the other way around and he caressed her arms with care before meeting with her lips tenderly.

“Come now, you have to rest to. We got a lot to do with saving the boy and dealing with a psychopath of a mother. Tomorrow may seem like we are fighting the forces of hell itself. I’d imagine that Steele will be just itching for the combat.” 

When it came to Eldora, the punishment didn’t really bother her but maybe it was because she didn’t really understand it. It was certainly better than being locked away in Arri until she slit her throat and wrists to escape the hell that being in that place brought. She held onto Steele’s hand as they got back to her room. She looked more like she was musing the situation altogether.

Her hand left his as she set the doll down on the bed and stared at it for a few moment. She went to the drawers and pulled out many things. Things that she would need come tomorrow. She wouldn’t quite need the talismans or the crystals that she had been coveting but she started to break them. She needed rest more than anyone and there was not that much time for her to recover the energy she had expended that day.

The magic flowed from them to her as she broke the things she loved. These were things she could get again and she didn’t want to be weak. With each crunch and snap, she absorbed the power that she had stowed away. Her eyes drifted up to Steele. “You are alright with everything Kirika said?” Her voice was calm as she gathered components out of a jar. It looked to be fingers and other bodily parts. “You didn’t react quite like Dante did.”

She got a bag and put it up on the bed as she moved to place stuff in it. Components, talismans, maps, the doll, and several other things were methodically put in there with purpose. These things would be used for killing and that was something Eldora knew how to do well. A curved dagger came out, it was yellowish and old. It was more of a ceremonial type dagger. She stared at it and held it in her fingers before she placed it into the bag. "What will you bring for tomorrow?" She wasn't as talkative as she had been now that she was working on putting together a death bag but she did not want to ignore his presence as she worked.

Steele left the little meeting of theirs, determined to see the witch perish once and for all. This time there would be no coming back for her. Enough bridges had been burnt by her already. She would not drag Colden down any further with her, not if he had anything to say about it. He followed Eldora into her room while Lotus went with Dante, he figured to his room. Once there, he’d already spotted his armor and sword awaiting on her bed. He took to his sheathed blade and opened it enough to see it glistened. Its edge was sharper and could see that it was ready to have its taste of blood and flesh again. “Suppose father had it ready for me.”, he mused before snapping it shut and inspected the leather armor. It was sturdy yet flexible for him to have both protection and speed.

Meanwhile Eldora prepared in her own way with her talismans and such; the sounds of them breaking stirred his attention for a few moments. She reminded him of what had happened back in the throne hall, and yet she didn’t seem…fazed by it. He, on the other hand had been conflicted when it came down to how the situation with the punishment she was made to undergo. “I…don’t know really. Unlike Dante, I am not as flashy as he is. I’m still trying to think of what will happen and what to do.”

He looked to her with questionable eyes, “Had you even wanted children before? It seems kinda cruel to force you to do something like this if you didn’t. I care not whether you were guilty or innocent in this game.” Perhaps he was questioning all of this because he didn’t know what he wanted. He clearly didn’t know what to do, especially since they had more or less just met and now after this thing with Cyprus would be over, their troubles only just begun.  

Eldora fingered the talismans in her hands now as she thought about what he was asking. “No, but then again I’m not most people. The subject of children never ever came up before now. I am an enigma. Most men stay away from me and so most women think that I’ll never have children. Before coming here the idea of even being sexually active wasn’t even a thought. I had never kissed, hugged, or anything else with a man. My only interactions with another person were Bryony’s motherly hugs.”

Eldora tilted her head a bit and finally looked up at him. “I am on the same fence as Lotus. I am refusing to trap you in this situation. I shall find someone else if that’s what it takes. It doesn’t matter to my life if I don’t do it but Kirika will get the bad end of the deal should we not. We are family and family comes first. That’s what Bryony has always told me. Kirika is a good girl. She isn’t tainted like the rest of us. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like she is.”

Tilting her head again she placed the last few things in the bag and moved it off the bed. “I will not make you a part of their game. You are too new to me. I do not want to ruin you with their hatred of me.” That was the best way to describe how she was feeling about all of it. “I will figure it out.” Eldora sat on the bed now and stared up at him as she touched the sword in his hands. “I don’t need rescuing. Not much outside of my mother that is. I can hunt, burn, kill almost anyone or anything. I am not weak. I cannot say the same for my siblings or what they go through."

He wasn’t sure if she really grasp the concept of birthing a child or rearing it. Steele couldn’t claim to have such knowledge either, but at least he was sure it was a difficult task. Even for his father, who had hundreds of children, he was sure to be there to raise and influence them. Though there were obviously favorites among them that gotten more attention. Eldora might have thought that this wouldn’t be difficult task, but then again it was hard for him to recognize what was on her mind.

“I didn’t say yay or nay towards it Eldora”, he spoke, turning to face her. “I honestly don’t think this will a matter that can be solved easily. I’d imagine that you would raise the child afterwards, and that could be the harder part. Also, finding someone suitable that would at least take an interest in their lives.” He was somewhat afraid, not of fathering her baby, but of raising it being the type of person he was. “I know you are doing this for her. I wouldn’t have expected less from you. But I do wish you’d consider what this would all mean a bit more.”

Steele’s eyes narrowed softly as she felt his sword. He sat down right beside her on the bed and just looked at her. “If you don’t want me to be involved, I won’t. Just don’t rush it. You have time to figure something out. Just know that I wasn’t…afraid to be the one chosen for that…I just terrified of how I would influence the child. Being a carrier of eternal anger doesn’t seem to be the perfect candidate to rear children.” He petted the back of her ebony hair head, “I know you aren’t weak. But that doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t worry about you. I certainly do.”