#lightinxthedark

[tarnishedxknight]

"Ma?" Indala called as she headed toward one of the common rooms, unsure where her parents were after she decided to explore the compound, but... not yet worried about being lost. "Da? Are you there?"

She rounded the corner, and paused - surprised to see someone there she... didn't recognize. Maybe she worked there? Or was she yet another Ivalician? Indala hesitated for a moment, but she had already gotten her attention. Regardless of who this woman was... maybe she knew where her parents were?

"I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am," she said sincerely, her hands clasped behind her back, "but have you seen Judge Gabranth or Judge Drace anywhere?" Oh, she knew well enough those titles didn't apply to them anymore, but... it felt wrong not to use that for her parents, and she thought it would be better to call them something recognizable if this woman was Ivalician.

(( @lightinxthedark for Amoretta with kid!Indala!))

@lightinxthedark

Amoretta liked this place. It was a veritable playground of technology and people to play around with. And what fun it was to see Gabranth and Drace again! The way she made Gabranth freeze in panic and Drace practically start smoking from her ears with anger was positively delightful. She looked forward to more of that in the future, for sure. After all, life outright bored Amoretta unless she had lives to disrupt and ruin. That was her preferred pastime above all others.

The only really annoying thing was that the people here kept suggesting she find something to do that would aid this ridiculous team called the Avengers. She had no fighting ability, no magical ability, and she had no interest in learning how to work the comms system. She wasn't a pilot, or a medic, or anything else at present, and so the conversation now became... what to train her to be. Amoretta was irritated by it all, because... she was the Empress of Archadia! She didn't worm her way into House Solidor to have to work for a living, absolutely not. Working was for the lower classes. She was meant to greater things.

So until she was given a job, which she hoped would never happen, Amoretta had very little to do during briefings and training sessions. She hadn't bee cleared for field work by the psychological evaluators and even if she had been... no one knew what she would even do. That left her wandering the hallways, bored, whilst everyone else was busy with meetings, training, and other official bullshit to which she was not privvy.

That is... until a tiny voice caught her attention.

Amoretta turned and smiled to see a very pretty little girl asking her if she knew where Gabranth or Drace was. Clearly this meant she was an Ivalician, and Archadian too, judging from the look of her and the sound of her accent. Interesting.

"No, I am sorry, child, I've not seen them yet this morn," she said sweetly. "My nearest guess would be that they are training, though I do not know that for a certainty." Her accent was decidedly Archadian as well, and indicative of the upper echelons of Archadian society at that.

She knelt down to be more on the child's level. Why not help her to feel more comfortable? Until she found out who this girl was, best not to burn any bridges. The wheels of deception and ingratiation were always turning inside Amoretta's brain. At this point, such manipulative and predatory behavior was so practiced and ingrained that she often did not even realize she was doing it. It had become grim and shameful second nature to the cruel woman.

"Now what... does a sweet little thing like yourself want with a pair of scary, serious, and imposing Judge Magisters? Hmm?" she asked, making an exaggerated here there be monsters sort of grimace as she described Gabranth and Drace before her usual smile re-plastered itself to her face.

[thiscrimsonsoul]

❝  i see you’re not getting much sleep either.  should i make us both some tea,  then?  ❞

(( @lightinxthedark from Rohir!))

@lightinxthedark

For a moment, Wanda only stared, but then a tired nod followed. It was an unexpected offer, since most at the compound left her alone unless she was in training. Steve tried sometimes, and so did Nat, but... they were so busy, and they never seemed to have any trouble sleeping. So to just have someone out of the blue come up and offer her tea was... nice.

"Thank you," she said, her voice somewhat hoarse from lack of use. "I-... I can help you, though. You shouldn't have to just... make it for the both of us..." she said guiltily, already getting up off the couch to follow him to the kitchen. "So um... why can't you sleep?" she asked, realizing she didn't know his name.

"You're one of those... You're from that place, Ivalice, aren't you?" she asked as they walked, her hands pulled inside her sleeves. "I lost my home too. My country, Sokovia, doesn't exist anymore." With that she fell silent, not wanting to get into why it wasn't there anymore, or that she'd had a hand in blowing it up.

[lightinxthedark]

hello!! I’m Midge (25; she/they)! This is a semi-selective, mutuals only, multi-everything, ffxii multimuse sideblog! 20+ muns only.

important links: rules | mun | muses | directory

sideblog to @midgesrphub

[disillusionedjudge]

((I have little impulse control and uhhh y'all can also find me here now: @lightinxthedark

still a wip, but I'm gonna be adding a new ffxii oc and Zargabaath, though I currently don't have a real person fc for him, ahah. May add more characters in the future

[midgesrphub]

rules

All my blogs will get dark, and some will be suggestive/nsft at times! Each blog will contain their own cw/tw in the muse bio page, but some topics that can be found across them are: death; violence; trauma; abuse; and war.

No godmodding.

20+ muns only. I, myself, am 21+, and feel comfortable rping with those who are, at least, 20 years old.

The majority of my muses are 21+ as well. I do reblog nsft memes/posts, and anything nsft will be tagged as 'nsft'.

if it's smut or heavily suggestive, it will be put under a read more and labeled as mature.

I will not rp anything sexual with Eight (ofmonstrs), Zargabaath (lightinxthedark), Myra (guest muse on disillusionedjudge), or Indala (lightinxthedark).

I will not rp anything sexual with anons

I will do my best to tag triggers accordingly, and please do not hesitate to tell me if I’ve missed a tag or if you’d like me to start tagging something! All triggers will be tagged as ’#[trigger] tw’, ex: 'death tw'.

I am semi-selective and mutuals only, so please don't ask me to become mutuals. I also do not require anyone to follow my hub to be considered a mutual - if I follow you and you follow at least one of my blogs, that's good enough for me! This blog is mainly for my sanity, tbh. Also, if you want to stop being mutuals or don't want me following you, please block me! You also owe me zero explanation - rping is all for fun, so you do what makes you happy!

There isn’t a time limit on open starters or ask memes! With ask memes, I just ask that you send in the full thing, and not just the symbol and/or word prompt, just so that way I know what it’s asking. You’re also more than welcome to request specific verses and/or plot(s) when sending in an ask, replying to an ask, or replying to something in general! With that said, I reblog ask memes to this blog, but please do not use my blog as a resource! I don't want my notes to get slammed, and I will block anyone who treats me as such.

I’m always 100% down to create private verses/new aus! If that interests you, please feel free to let me know and I can create a tag to get the ball rolling!

I am more than willing to do pre-existing relationships with both canon and oc characters!

I will not rp incestual relationships or underaged relationships.

My blogs are for fun! There is absolutely no pressure or time constraints to reply to threads, so please take however long you need! And in the same vein, I am going to be slow myself, so please don’t pressure me for replies either! And if you ever need/want to drop threads, go for it!

I personally enjoy writing longer replies, but I won’t say no to shorter threads! I just ask that you try to somewhat match my length, and I’ll do the same in return! For example, if I give a multi-para response and I get a sentence or two in return, it’s… not fun and it’ll kill my muse pretty quick.

I do not require icons, gifs, or images to be used in replies! I personally won't be using any.

I will be writing open starters in small text, but you are not required to match it! Overall, I tend to match text size to my partner’s, so the extent of my formatting can go from small text with bolded and/or italicized words, or regular-sized text with bolded and/or italicized words.

Also, while not a rule, one thing you should know is that I swear and several of my muses swear as well! Swearing will be present across most, if not all, of my blogs both in and out of character, but I am willing to avoid using swears in threads if that's more comfortable for you! Just remember they will appear overall.

[revenantxprince]

((Rohir has moved to @lightinxthedark! this blog is now archived!

[lambofasolidor]

((Cygni has moved to @lightinxthedark! this blog is now archived!

[tarnishedxknight]

It was all too much for Indala to bear. The displacement, the loss. Everything was different in this time, and aside from those displaced with her, everything she had ever known... was gone. Her Empire was gone. Ivalice was gone. As was her father, as was Vayne, and as was... was...

Her breathing hitched as she hugged herself tighter - her knees drawn up to her chest with her face buried in her arms. Hidden away in the compound, unable to swallow her grief for much longer. She should be holding herself better, she knew, because she was a little girl anymore and she was a Solidor, but... It hurt. Vayne's betrayal hurt. Her father's death hurt. The fact she could no longer feel Larsa hurt.

And she never felt more alone.

(( @lightinxthedark for anyone in their mcu verse!))

@lightinxthedark

Caelen had noticed the girl around, but he hadn't the faintest idea who she was. Ivalician, like him, and like several others here, but that only narrowed it down so far. Though, he was fairly certain she was Archadian, judging by the accent he'd heard her speak with.

When he saw her hugging her knees as if they were the only things keeping her from spinning out of control, he felt compelled to say something. Either no one else cared to support her, or she was hiding from those who could. Perhaps an unbiased third party, someone she didn't know, would be better right now?

"Hey there..." he said from some distance away first, not trying to startle her. "Are you alright?" he asked, crouching down to put himself quite literally more on her level. "A bit overwhelmed?" he guessed with a sympathetic and slightly sad smile. "It is understandable that you might be."

"I'm Caelen," he offered, almost saying "Cael" instead. There wasn't a need for that alias any longer, and really, according to Basch it had been a poor one at best anyway. He didn't ask her name, though, figuring she would offer it if she wanted to, and if she didn't then that was her prerogative. "Do you want to talk about it? Whatever is bothering you?"

[tarnishedxknight]

Indala turned to face the woman who had spoken to her. Her expression was cool, though her eyes narrowed as she took in her appearance. She looked... familiar somehow, though she fancied herself good at remembering faces.

"What is it, miss...?" She would be polite, for now, although she didn't quite like the way the woman carried herself.

(( @lightinxthedark for Amoretta from older!Indala in their mcu verses!))

@lightinxthedark

"'Miss.' Oh my," Amoretta said with a self-serving chuckle. "It has been some years since anyone called me that." Not only because she wasn't a young girl anymore but because no one dared refer to the Empress of Archadia as 'Miss.' She wasn't annoyed by it, though, only curious. Clearly this girl had no idea who she was. That would have to be rectified.

"I merely wish to know who you are," she said truthfully. "I am making it a point to get to know everyone in this dreary place, especially those from my own time. So let us get better acquainted, shall we? I am Amoretta Solidor, the former Empress of Archadia. Such a shame, it is, that I must sprinkle in the word 'former,' but such is life at present. And who might you be?"

[tarnishedxknight]

"Oh. No, ah-- Emperor Gramis is... was my father," Indala corrected with a slight clearing of her throat. "I am Larsa's twin sister." Gabranth being her father? No, that was... that was perposterous. He wasn't-- He couldn't be her...

Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. "I take after my grandfather." That was why she looked so different. Because Larsa took after their mother, and he didn't look like... Indala tugged at a strand of her hair. "You... You are not the first to think different." But he was the first to think she was Gabranth's.

(( @lightinxthedark for Basch! Maybe in their mcu verse? So Drace and/or Gabranth can come flying in, heh))

@lightinxthedark

Basch blinked. "Larsa's twin?" he asked. What sort of sense did that make. This girl looked nothing like Larsa. Except, perhaps, their eyes. Blue. Like Basch's own. Like Noah's once had been. But... she took after her grandfather? "Oh. I see. Forgive me, 'tis only that you... you look so much like him." To a degree immediately recognizable to Basch, but... it seemed he had been mistaken.

That was when he was suddenly startled by his brother and Judge Drace barreling in as though to put out a raging fire...

"You would do well to hold your tongue, Dalmascan!" Drace said, her tone biting and accusing.

"Keep away from her, or so help me," Gabranth practically growled, coming between Basch and Indala, corralling her protectively behind him. "Do not speak to her."

"She is old enough to make her own decisions regarding to whom she speaks, is she not?" Basch asked.

"'Tis not up for discussion," Drace said firmly, eyeing Basch with a resentful glare.

Gabranth, however, seemed exceedingly nervous and eager to get Indala away from Basch...

[tarnishedxknight]

As a Senator and as a Solidor, Indala was not one to easily cower in times of adversity. She had been taught courage by some of the strongest people she had known, and she stood firm in the face of many who would rather see her reputation in shambles or her in a grave. She faced down ridicule and hostility, and fought hard for everything she believed in, even if it drew new enemies.

Yet, she couldn't find the courage to talk to Gabranth.

No, that... wasn't quite true, though it did little to quell her mounting frustration and nerves. She had spoken to him since arriving in this time, but it... had not been the same as it once had been. When she was a girl, she felt as though she could turn to him for almost anything, reaching out to him instead of Gramis like she should have, but it was Gabranth who had been available instead of her... Of the man she believed to have been her father. She could blame it on the years that had since passed, really, for he had been dead and she was a woman grown, but... that was a lie that sat bitter on her tongue.

It was the truth that made it hard for her to talk to him now. Indala had read the letter he had stashed away, in a place in his desk only she and Larsa knew about (and Drace, but she had been dead too), and over time, she understood all too well what he was trying to explain in his letter as gingerly as possible, in a way that was easier for a child to digest than an adult. It had weighed on her, like it had weighed on her twin, but they swallowed it and pushed on, and--

And it was different now that she could see him again.

Gods, it was strange to see him no older than the day she had lost him, but Indala still felt small standing near him, with questions bouncing through her mind and stuck in her throat like burrs. I'm sorry, she wanted to say. I'm sorry for the pain we wrought. Thank you for caring for us. But, also, Did you resent us? Did Gramis know? Did he make us your charges to hurt you?

She needed to get it over with. She needed-- She needed to talk to him about it. A part of her wondered if Gabranth already knew that she was aware of the truth, or if he was hoping she was still blissfully unaware of it. Which would be better, she wondered? For them to pretend there was nothing to discuss, that she was not his daughter, or for them to confront it head-on? Would he want to acknowledge she was his?

...did she?

Indala took a deep breath, silently chastising herself for her nerves, and watched him for a few moments longer before she slowly forced her legs to work, scrounging up every wisp of courage to get it done with. What if this only served to hurt him? What if it were better to leave this buried? After what Amoretta had done to him--

The thought of her mother almost made her falter, but she forced herself to reach his side with a small smile. "Judge Gabranth," she greeted, out of respect despite their old stations no longer having any relevancy, and looked into his eyes, amber as always. But that was the Mist, wasn't it? Did you once have blue eyes like mine? "Could I speak to you?" Privately? Though...

"Judge Drace can join us, if you'd like," she added quickly, and without much thought. Would it be best if she were there too? She knew they were close, and... she would understand if he'd rather have Drace with him if they were to discuss this. She didn't want to address it by herself, admittedly, but it wasn't the first time she had to shoulder something alone. And if she could spare him that burden... "'Tis up to you."

(( @lightinxthedark ))

@lightinxthedark

Whoever was playing around with lives and timelines certainly had a dark sense of humor. Whether it be the gods or some other creatures or magical force, they had a way of handing things to Gabranth... but not in the ideal fashion. Drace had been returned to him, but he couldn't set things right with her because she had no memory of the horrible breech of trust that was her execution. Of all people he could not bear to deal with, Basch and Ashelia had showed up as well. And then... his daughter had arrived, but not as he remembered her. Not the girl he'd lost, not the one that used to follow him around, ask so many questions, and literally look up at him as though he were... a far better person than he was.

No, Indala had come to this time from a point much later than he'd last seen her. Years had gone by. She was a woman grown now, and a Senator, he'd learned. Or she was. All their titles were meaningless now, their accomplishments lost to a world that no longer existed. But he was proud of her. So very proud. And oh, how beautiful she'd grown to be. He could scarcely believe that so lovely, intelligent, strong, and poised a young woman somehow came from him.

It was difficult to talk to her now, not only because of the time gap and the awkwardness, but because... well, she seemed not to want to. She was polite and even cordial enough, but there were times when he swore she was avoiding him. He let her. Her comfort was more important than his desperate desire to hold onto those he'd lost. Drace told him to give her time, reminding him how each of them had struggled when they first arrived. But even after a week, it seemed she just didn't want much to do with him. I do not blame you, Gabranth couldn't help but think.

Which was why he was wholly unprepared for the way she one day just decided to address him, asking to speak with him. Of course he would not deny her... anything. She was his little girl, at least in his heart if not in the ways that matter. Even if she was far older now.

"Of course, my lady," Gabranth replied, returning the same level of formality and respect she'd shown him. When she said Drace could join them, though... he stared for a moment. What exactly did she want to talk about? Easy enough, though, for Drace was likely in her room at this hour, he knew. "Very well," he said. "Let us retrieve her from her quarters." With that, he began to walk, assuming a familiar pose of clasping his hand behind his back, despite the fact that he wore no armor. "Is something wrong?" he asked, wondering why all of a sudden she would want to speak with them.

Drace was indeed in her room, and upon hearing that Indala wished to talk, she was glad for it. "Would you like to use my own quarters for this discussion?" she asked, gesturing behind her.

"If it is no imposition," Gabranth said.

"None whatsoe'er," Drace said, leaving the door open for them as she returned to the kitchen area of her room. "I was brewing coffee, if anyone should like."

Gabranth waved Indala inside and then entered himself, closing the door behind him. "None for me, thank you." He drew in a breath, silently preparing himself for the worst. What if Indala hated him? What if she wanted nothing to do with him? What if the purpose of this discussion was to explain to him that she wanted him to keep away from her? His mind was already racing with the possibilities...

[tarnishedxknight]

At first, Indala couldn't believe who she was seeing, because the last time she had seen Drace, she had been--

She had been lying dead in the throne room.

Yet, somehow, here she... here she was. Clearly alive and well, in whatever time they were now in, far away from Archadia and her brothers and everything else they had ever known. Drace was alive, and... and...

Indala knew she wasn't at all behaving the way she ought to, but she could hardly bring herself to care as she all but flung herself at her to hug her tight. "Drace!" she cried, hiding her face against her as she squeezed her eyes shut, unable to hold back her tears. "You're- you're here! You're..."

Gods, how she missed her.

(( @lightinxthedark ))

@lightinxthedark

Things were still so new here to Drace, and she was struggling to come to terms with her situation. That situation... being... not only her transplant to a modern time period, but also the condition she'd found her beloved Gabranth in. He was about as broken as she'd ever seen him, and he's looked almost terrified of her when first she was reunited with him. That hurt her deeply, that he would run from her, but... after speaking with him later, she understood fully.

So. Vayne Solidor had done the unthinkable, murdered his own kin, blamed it on the Senate, and then forced Gabranth to execute her when she dared to challenge his illegal rule. That was shocking, but sadly not altogether unexpected. What startled her most, though... was that none of this had come to pass within her own memory. It seemed that Gabranth as she knew him here had lived a bit longer that she had. He was from a slightly further point in their timeline than was she. That was a bit metaphysical a concept for her to wrap her head around, but even so, she did it as well as she could.

No wonder, then, as to why he'd been so broken. He'd lost Larsa and Indala to the passing of time, and he'd lost her... by his own hand.

But whatever forces were now messing with that very timeline they all came from was not quite through with them apparently. More and more were showing up here. Dalmascans, unfortunately. But also Gylfie, who was very much a blessing. Even Shadow, a spirited cat who had decided the 9th Bureau would become home to him, had been spotted here and there. But there had been no sign of Larsa or Indala...

...until there was.

Indala came along sometime later, but it seemed that she was from a point closer in sequence to Gabranth than to Drace. To Drace's utter horror, Gabranth had told her that Indala had been present during her execution, something that haunted Gabranth almost as much as the act itself. She hadn't come across the girl yet herself, however, until-

The nearly flying hug took Drace by surprise, and her heart lurched in her chest hearing the girl's emotional words. She immediately wrapped her in a protective embrace. "Oh, Indala, child!" she cooed. "I am so sorry you are here, but it is so good to see you, all the same." She pet her hair affectionately, hoping to soothe her. "Gabranth told me... of what became of me in a future time, of what befell me in my future as you saw it. As you lived it. He told me you were there when he was forced to do the unthinkable. I am so sorry you had to see that."

What else could she say? It was a terrible injustice that had occurred, not only against her, but against Gabranth, and in the presence of an innocent child. There was no healing that. Or was there? "By whatever grace of the gods this has occurred, I am here now. Vayne's evil has been undone. We've all of us a second chance, even if not ideal and in our own time. But some wrongs have been righted," she said gently, rubbing Indala's back. She cupped her face to coax her to look up at her. "Have you spoken with Gabranth much? He has missed you so desperately."

[tarnishedxknight]

Chin meme for whoever you didn't pick for Vea from Pan!

(( @lightinxthedark ))

@lightinxthedark

They'd been innocently reminiscing, catching up together after only recently happening upon each other in Balfonheim, when guilt suddenly slammed into Caelen like a large, untamed beast bent on the kill. Hearing Pandeira speak of some of the things she'd done, seen, and been through had suddenly driven home all that Caelen had missed. Not only that, but all that he'd avoided and shielded himself from by... by running. By deserting his family, his homeland, and brave souls like Pandeira who had stayed to valiantly fight.

His head bowed and he turned away, emotion suddenly overtaking him. The beginnings of tears stung at his eyes, though he blinked to keep them at bay, and he knew he ought to say something, but... was was one to say? What could he say that would smooth over the blatant cowardice and dishonor he'd displayed?

"I am so sorry, Pan... that I was not strong enough... or brave enough... or honorable enough... to shoulder the horrors you and so many others did," he said, his voice breaking towards the end of that very vulnerable statement, and soon her felt her hand under his chin. At first he fought the turn of his head, not wanting her to see his shame, but then gave into it. Perhaps she deserved to see it and he owed it to her to show her. "I've nothing to my name than my own disgrace, it would seem," he said, smiling that special brand of smile one displayed when one had nothing left to try but dark humor directed at oneself. It was paired with a slow nod and a downturned gaze yet again, though he was at least now still facing Pan. It was hard to lift his eyes, though. Oh so hard.

[tarnishedxknight]

Chin meme for Ashe or Caelen from Vea!

(( @lightinxthedark ))

@lightinxthedark

How wonderful it had been to have her mother back again! First one of her brothers, and then another, and now her mother as well. Together with Basch and Gylfie, Ashelia had been feeling rather surrounded by support of late, and that was a good thing considering how adrift she felt in this time period.

She hadn't seen her mother in a long while. Too long. Even before the mixup of being transported to this time, it had been a while in her native world. Since then, so much had happened. Her father had been killed, Dalmasca defeated and occupied, Basch convicted and imprisoned... So much evil and unfortunate loss. Until she had her mother to speak to, Ashelia hadn't realized just how much guilt she'd been carrying around with her about it all.

An innocent conversation had devolved into Ashe blaming herself for so many things. For her father's death, for not being there for her mother, for not saving any of her brothers, for not preventing Basch's name from being dragged through the mud, for allowing Dalmasca to fall into Archadian hands... This young woman in her early twenties was gushing to her mother about carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, as if all these events had happened because of some direct failing or chosen inaction from her. Of course that had not been the case, but to listen to Ashelia blame herself now, one would never have known it.

She'd felt so ashamed in fact that she'd turned away from Veadris the moment her eyes flooded with tears. Her mother was always so strong, so solid. Surely she was ashamed to have such a failure of a daughter... and one who wept about it like a child, no less. She'd half expected some harsh and chastising words from Vea, some order to get herself together and stop behaving like someone half her age, but... instead... there was only a soft hand at her chin, gently turning her face back towards Vea's. "I'm sorry that I failed you, mama. I'm sorry I failed everyone!" Now there was nothing to stop her tears, whether she wanted to or not.

She didn't always call Veadris "mama." Usually it was "mother." It was only when she was feeling most vulnerable did she hearken back to what she used to call her as a young girl.

[tarnishedxknight]

Chin meme for Drace from Áma! Maybe just patching her up/checking her over after a battle or something?

(( @lightinxthedark ))

@lightinxthedark

Drace became something of a petulant child whenever she was advised ordered to get herself checked after a major battle. Unless she lost the use of a limb, could no longer stand, or was in some other way incapacitated, she saw no reason to visit the infirmary. She could handle her own wounds, please and thank you. Getting pawed at by old men claiming to be wise sages and told to take medicines and potions she did not need was not her cup of tea. Oh, the royal physicians were not so bad as all that, it was only that she was both possessive and protective of her own independence. Too many would be all too glad to wrest it from her, and so she felt she had to be vigilant about it. She'd been tending her own wounds since she was around fifteen, and she wasn't about to give up that autonomy now.

...unless one's own Emperor ordered it of her. Gramis had noticed her slight limp after returning from a battle in the west, and although it pained her to agree to it, she'd done just that when he'd told her to get it checked out. There... was something off about the way he ordered it of her. He did not usually do such things. It honestly made Drace a bit unsettled, because to her it almost seemed like he was insisting upon her taking care of herself... in case he needed her. Were things so bad with Vayne? Perhaps not yet, but... she would not be surprised if Gramis was nervous about his own protection.

And so, reluctantly, Drace had gone to see one of the royal physicians, one she preferred above others, a woman named Ámaryllis. An unlikely person to place her trust in, perhaps, since she was originally from outside the Empire, but... Drace appreciated the woman's candor. If there was something wrong with her, Ámaryllis would tell her outright. She would neither mince words nor sugarcoat it for her. Drace respected her directness and honesty, and that was why she continued to return to her.

But... she had not been prepared for what that honesty and directness would inform her of. Oh, a sprained ankle, quite purple but still perfectly serviceable, but that had not been the whole of it. Had that been the only revelation of her examination, Drace would have rested for the night and carried on the next day as usual. There had been more, though... and it threatened to upend her entire life.

She was, apparently, pregnant.

All she'd done was share some strange symptoms she'd had lately, some general malaise, headaches, tiredness, and a few odd food cravings. A standard examination and a couple tests later and... Her mind just froze with the information, to the point of her looking away, elsewhere in the room, eyes wide and unblinking, as she struggled to process what she'd been told. A hand at her chin drew her back from her thoughts, and she stared at the young woman for a long moment before words found her tongue once more.

"Nay, you... you do not understand. 'Tis quite im-... impossible that I am with child..." Was it? Drace had honestly thought so. Even with the revelation that Gabranth had been able to father Larsa, that had taken only two years for someone who was supposedly sterile from nethicite poisoning. She'd been with him now for what, some fourteen years? If she was being perfectly honest with herself, she'd thought she was the problem. Not that they were at all trying to have a child, but neither had they been at all cautious about it either. In all this time, to not conceive when she knew Gabranth was more than capable... she'd thought herself to be barren.

And now this.

"Are... are you perfectly certain? Surely you have made some sort of mistake," Drace said before she realized how that sounded. "Oh, I... I mean not to question your expertise in the matter, 'tis only that-..." She could not reveal Gabranth as the father, and so she had to be careful. "I-I uh... I have been with my current partner for nearly a decade and a half, and in such time, this sort of thing has never occurred. I thought myself quite incapable of... of..." She swallowed hard, her mouth having gone suddenly dry.

Drace was starting to feel a bit panicky. The thought of having to give up fighting, even for a time... No, she needed to support His Excellency. She needed to fight for the sake of her homeland. She needed... to not have her body getting fatter and doing odd things when she needed to be at her best! And oh... oh gods, what was she to tell Gabranth? "Seven hells..." she whispered to herself. "What am I to do?"

[tarnishedxknight]

"Judge Gabranth?"

Indala slowly rolled her quill pen between her fingers. There was a faint crease to her brow, her gaze only semi-focused on her assignment she had finished a little while ago, listing and explaining the various Bureaus of the Empire. She had gone to Gabranth because Drace was busy, and, between their shared silence, had only asked a few clarifying questions as they worked. But, now her voice was... quiet. Almost hesitant.

"If I may... You are close to my Lord Father, yes?" She glanced up at him. "Has he said if I have done something wrong?"

(( @lightinxthedark because it's only a matter of time before Indy notices that something's up, heh))

@lightinxthedark

The moment he heard her voice, Gabranth lifted his gaze from his own paperwork at his desk to hers. He was without his helm, since he scarcely saw the need to wear it in private with his own daughter the young princess. "Yes, my lady?" he asked, giving her his undivided attention.

He could not help but reflect on how poised and intelligent Indala was. How... perfect. He was so proud of her, so much that his heart was full to bursting. How he longed to tell her so, or even to just give her a simple hug, but-

...but alas, she was not his. Not really. And that was a knife contiguously lodged in his heart that twisted day by day.

"Inasmuch as I serve him and the Empire, yes, I am," Gabranth replied, not wanting to over- or understate his relationship with Gramis. "The Judge Magisters are perhaps the closest to him in counsel aside from your lord brothers," he added.

Her next question, however, had his frowning, half in denial and half in sorrow. Did... did she feel like she was not enough? A chill ran through him. Was someone making her feel like she was not enough? Just as many people made him feel as though he was not enough? He swallowed hard and his gaze was evasive for a moment as h thought about how best to answer. "To my knowledge, you have been nothing short of an exemplary daughter," a strange pause, and then, "to him." Having to add that last bit crushed his soul, but it was a necessary pain. "I've not heard anything to the contrary. Why, has someone said as much to you?"

Tell me who it was so that I can murder them violently and hide their body where it shall never be found...

Oh.

Ohh.

Suddenly Gabranth realized he did know why Gramis might be treating Indala differently. She does not look like a Solidor. Her eyes are a different shade of blue and her hair is blonde like-

Like Basch's. Hair and eyes like Basch's. Or like my own when I was her age.

Gabranth swallowed hard and did not know what to say. He hoped Indala would not pick up on his inner conflict, but... she had always been an observant and perceptive child...