Chapter 408: Chapter 408 - Eyes Of Sadness, Resolve, And Unsubtle Manipulation
"Possibly. The timing is... we think this all started being put into motion before your marriage ceremony. But it really took off shortly before Elua went missing."
"He waited until you were legally connected to our family, then began building a... case against us that would theoretically put our holdings under Yecine control. Under your stewardship, according to what Lirades has said."
"Not that we think, especially now, that they ever intended for you to keep a hold of it. They would have found some way to claim control."
Brown eyes looked up from her wood blocks during the shift in the adults’ emotional atmosphere. She toddled over to Qatrand and patted her leg before stretching out her arms in the universal gesture of ’pick me up pay attention to me’ - with the flavor the reddish blonde child had about her... that somehow added ’instead of being upset’.
Qat appreciated the Intent and absently lifted the child back onto her lap. But her mind was working through the implications and potential. She wondered if Elua knew anything about this beforehand, but dismissed the thought so quickly and violently that the spark of reflexively lashing spirit tendril made her father-in-law tense.
While the heiress had always made it clear she thought there was a hopelessly corrupt aspect to the Yecine, one that she wasn’t sure her ’fortress’ could fix... the girl had also stayed carefully far away from meddling in it. The amount of *facts* she didn’t know until told about Qat’s youth proved that... because the swordswoman was sure that her wife could otherwise pry out every bit of information she felt she needed.
’Well, even without reasoning that on my own she told me more than once that she would do so the moment she felt a real threat. Did she really not feel it? Or did she just think her safeguards with Klaytei were enough...’
"Lirades has been helping to build a counter-case, documenting everything she can about the movements of certain people in your family. But it’s delicate work, and we needed to be certain before..."
"Before openly accusing a Yecine elder of conspiracy, during wartime when every person’s strength matters most. Even though that’s all but exactly what they are doing to you."
Mint eyes looked at her with a maternal sadness that was hard to express in words. Yatrel knew that Qat was currently adrift in a way. Her biological parents were either dead or just plain terrible, her spouse was who knows where but apparently okay, and the people she just poured her heart out to now had to poke it full of holes.
"I’m sorry. I’m sorry we had to tell you this. I’m sorry your father is..."
The woman struggled for words that wouldn’t be too harsh, then gave up the attempt. All the words she could think of were harsh - and the ones that weren’t were too silly to vocalize.
"I’m sorry that it turned out he’s exactly the kind of person who would do something like this."
Qatrand was quiet for a long moment. If Elua was there, she would have noted the absent spiritual traces, the sense of becoming one with the world that was the hallmark of her Anchor’s deep meditative moments, that so often brought epiphany like it was raining down from a cloud just above her... even if it was a bit ’stormy’ this time.
"I’m not sorry that you told me. I needed to know. When I needed to know isn’t as important as what to do from here. And honestly..."
Pigeon blues looked up at them both, her expression hardening with a resolve she hadn’t been sure she could have. Giving up wasn’t exactly in her usual repertoire of choices, but in this instance she was sure that ’forgiveness’ was not a possibility. Whatever redemption existed did not need to be assigned by her to that man.
"I’m not entirely surprised. I’ve been wondering for months why he kicked up such little fuss despite barely tolerating my existence. The way he tried to manipulate my cousin into being my enemy and showing me up at the competition... actually was a brilliant smokescreen."
While she granted that she may be giving him too much credit - and she was right - the fact remained that her assessment of his ’plan’ had only ever been to be just *petty* about whatever choice of his faction had required him to go along with the marriage. And she was so, so focused on being better than he thought of her to really *really* look at the people behind him.
"And now, despite all that, I’m officially a Hero of the Descent. Which makes this situation significantly more complicated for everyone involved."
"Congratulations are in order for that, not that anyone should be surprised. But perhaps another time. You don’t look very festive about it right now..."
Qatrand voiced with some bitter understanding before Ondua attempted to lighten the mood just a bit, but only ended up trailing off while looking away from the nonplussed face of his daughter-in law
’I am still getting used to thinking of her like that! My little girl loves... a very strong and big girl.’
Slightly tilting his head, he wasn’t sure whether to call that like mother or like father. His wife often complimented his broad shoulders and form... so he counted for the ’big’. And while he could call himself strong, when he thought of strength he thought of Yatrel.
However, the teenager was a Hero. He thought about this for a couple seconds before frowning and realizing that his *wife* was the one who loved someone with that title. Which meant his eldest took more after the duelist than himself.
Brown eyes gained a sheen of puppy dog as he turned to the toddler playing in Qatrand’s lap. He’d be fine if she took more after Yatrel in looks, but he hoped she had more of his personality than anyone else’s!
’Maybe I need a son instead. Actually, is that too insensitive to think when Qatrand is right here?’
Those same eyes moved up to the Yecine ’heir’, though when she looked at them she had *no* idea what he was thinking or wanted. She just knew she wanted to forgive him... and that her El must have gained such a devastating natural move from him.
⟠ ⟠ ⟠
’No, absolutely not. Don’t look.’
On the plateau in the Astral Exclave, the construct had finally stopped making noise and a chain was no longer being hauled for minutes on end. Elua was wiping her wet hands on a cloth and looking toward where Sevra was. Her mint eyes held a specific, watery gleam and wideness to them that the scout had learned to be wary of.
"Hey... I need to switch to the underwater approach now. The vertical shaft is deep enough to start cutting up at an angle from the lake bottom. I just got back from checking that."
"That’s... good. I’m sure that will be much quicker. For the stone to slide and fall out rather than be pulled up that far."
She’d been shown the plan again earlier before the cultivator hoped off the cliff... but this time Sevra didn’t look up from her task. Hoping that a lack of eye contact would somehow protect her from whatever request was clearly coming. She’d developed a small instinct lately...
For when the ancient cultivator was about to ask for something that would make her *deeply* uncomfortable.
"It would be nice if I had help managing the retrievals. I am planning to build a little... ferry construct to carry the chunks of stone to shore, instead of just letting them scatter across the cavern floor. But..."
"Mmm."
The noncommittal sound was the best defense the scout could muster. She really just needed to not look, so she focused intently on sorting some of the unique discoveries into nice looking baskets which Elua had taught her how to weave to pass the time.
"Of course, that would require someone to probably come down to the lake with me."
"I’m sure Madrigil would be happy to-"
"Madrigil gets dizzy underwater."
When she was shut down instantly, Sevra finally made the mistake of glancing up, and immediately found herself pinned by the most devastatingly pleading expression she’d ever seen on the ’young’ teenage cultivator’s face.
The slight forward lean of her posture conveyed both a deep hope and mint eyes had gone wide - somehow liquid looking, with just the faintest downturn at the corners that suggested all the possible profound disappointment in the world if she was denied.
’No. No, I am not falling for this. I know exactly what she’s doing.’
"The thing is... working alone underwater for hours tends to make me... lonely. But I wouldn’t want to impose if you’re too busy with your sorting. Of course, that’s very important work."
Elua er Goltbred nodded solemnly, as if accepting a grave disappointment with mature understanding. The expression intensified slightly, somehow becoming even more heartbreakingly earnest. She turned away slightly, shoulders sagging just enough to be noticeable.
"I’ll just... figure something else out and deal with it."
Resolve crumbled like poorly mixed concrete under the pressure... of a set of puppy dog eyes that Ondua learned by interacting with the heiress so much, back when she was once his little padded jacket. Before a small husband-wife appeared and stole his little girl away in heart and soul.