Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"I appreciate your help," Kell nodded, knowing only time would show Rissa that his words were true. He parted ways from her to make his own plans before returning to Kate.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was in a terrible mood by the time that Kell returned. The herbs had diminished enough that she insisted on going back to work, only to find that she couldn't write with her injury. Not only was she in pain, she was useless, and the queen of Scotland was in the darkest of moods. She stormed around her apartments, muttering under her breath about various things, only pausing to look out the windows before she started all over again. If someone who didn't know her had seen her, they would have thought that she had lost her mind.

"I hope that he is dead." Kate growled when she saw Kell. "Or else I'll go do it myself."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He's not going to die for this," Kell told her calmly as he entered with papers he'd picked up. "And you're not killing him. Rissa and I already decided what will be done with him, and I dare say it'll be worse than death for a man like him."

 

[heartofcourage]

"What's worse than death?" Kate asked him, hating him for being so calm in the face of all of this. "And why does Rissa get to decide this? The bastard attacked me, not her."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Because you are not level-headed enough to judge his crime neutrally, being the victim affected and having the temper that you do. We can't just kill people, that would make you exactly the kind of tyrant Tamblin Ghis was. Instead, we're stripping him of his title and land and giving it to his much more agreeable and mature younger brother. Rathsay himself will be reduced to nearly commoner status and either have to find work, or pray his brother is benevolent enough to support him."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was very quiet as he told her that, finally sinking into a chair and letting herself relax. "Well, did you at least break his arm in retribution?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"No. We have laws, Kate. One man who personally offends and hurts you cannot be an exception, even if you are the queen. There are heavier consequences for causing harm to royalty, but we are not going to be like the nobles who seek death sentences for commoners who fail to bow when passing them."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You missed your opportunity." Kate grumbled as Kell scolded her over taking revenge. "Now they'll expect you to be levelheaded and sensible every single time. What happened to my blood thirsty husband?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"When have I ever been bloodthirsty?" Kell raised a brow at her. "An assassin, maybe, but I do not kill and maim for the fun of it, or revenge. I know you're angry, but this is too much, Kate."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Yes, I'm angry. I'm also terrified and in a great deal of pain. Forgive me for not wanting to think logically about any of this at the moment." Kate said, looking over at her husband. "A lord thought that he could put his hands on me and he was able to do so before Qira got to me. Tell me you wouldn't be upset by that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I am. Deeply so." Kell retained his calm air, until Kate recognized that this was entirely a mask, one trained by years of being unable to show weakness in front of his enemies and handlers. "But I don't want to think about what he might've done to you given a few more seconds. So I'm going to focus on making sure Rathsay never has a chance to enter this castle again, and making sure that every other problem lord understands that I'm treating this first case with mercy. Qira knows he has full rein of what happens to the next person who tries it, and so does Rissa and the entire Royal Guard."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate went quiet then, turning to look out the window that she was seated next to. She needed to reign in her temper before it caused even greater problems for herself and Kell. It wasn't going to be easy as she wanted blood and satisfaction, but it needed to happen.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell watched Kate for a moment, letting out a sigh before stepping over to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry this happened, love... Qira's going to be beating himself up over this for weeks."

And Kell was correct, as Rissa passed by one of the corrals outside later that evening, typically used by the Royal Guard for sparring or training horses, and found Qira there pushing himself to his absolute limits. Two dummies were set up in the center, one marked with a red kerchief. Qira positioned himself near the fence facing away, tossing a coin into the air and trying to strike the unmarked dummy while avoiding the marked, before the coin hit the ground. Every time he failed, he rounded back with a quiet snarl, panting heavily, and he tried again.

 

[heartofcourage]

"The more you fight, the worse it will get. You need to rest." Rissa said from the the fence, watching as the panther kept up his obsessive training. "A mistake was made. We learn from it and we move on."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It is not a mistake Kate can afford," Qira grunted, resetting. He flipped the coin over his shoulder, turning and darting the wide distance in one fluid move. A dagger pulled from seemingly nowhere flashed out to strike, planting into the dummy's neck the instant after the coin hit the dirt. In her time having known him, Rissa had never seen Wira frustrated or angry at anything, always stoic and even gentle. But seeing his newest failure, he ripped the dagger free and with an exasperated snarl, reeled back and in one swipe, cut the dummy's head off, even breaking the thin wooden dowel in the center that snapped with a loud crack.

"This is unacceptable," Qira growled, more to himself than Rissa.

 

[heartofcourage]

"She's still alive, is she not?" Rissa asked. "If she were dead, you'd feel even worse. You did your job, no matter how it happened."

 

[KieranSoares]

"She wouldn't be if that Duke were someone else. If I can't stop one lazy noble, how can I expect to stop someone like myself?" Qira rounded to fix her with an intense golden gaze. "She would be lying dead in her own blood and an assassin would have escaped."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Qira...she's alive." Rissa said again, a bit more forcefully. "She's alive. That's what you need to focus on."

 

[KieranSoares]

"For now," he muttered, sheathing his blade and climbing over the rail to land beside her, his gaze dark as he looked off toward the castle. "... Kell will be finding a new guardian for her soon. I need to pack."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Are you absolutely insane? Why would he replace you?" Rissa asked, thinking that the panther had absolutely lost his mind. "Who else does he trust this much to protect her? Just because this one thing happened doesn't mean that he's going to get rid of you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"One mistake is all it takes. Men in my position can be executed for this kind of failure. Kate might forgive me, but Kell would be insane to keep a failed bodyguard. His wife and Queen's life is still stake."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I have never met a more stubborn creature in my entire life." Rissa muttered, looking at the panther as if he were absolutely insane. "You would leave her open to even greater opportunity if you simply walked away now."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I will not leave her til a replacement arrives," he muttered, his fatigue starting to catch up as his breathing normalized after all his practice. He looked to Rissa once more, quiet for a long moment before asking, "And what about you? I heard you went with Kell to confront the Duke, and Kell took your advice on his punishment."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He did. The lord will pay as much as we can make him." Rissa said as Qira turned his attentions towards her. "And I'll make sure that he never forgets his mistake of hubris."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Good..." Qira took a deep breath before shaking his head. "I need a drink..." He stepped away, but he couldn't help glancing back once, as if he hoped she might follow despite what had transpired between them.