V

The sound of rapid footsteps reached Adrianus’s hearing much quicker than he would have thought possible. Sighing, he let go of the Consul chamber’s doors he had been about to open to resume the damned meeting. A damned meeting but an important one nonetheless, with several of his fellow Consul members so that they could discuss the news of the war that threatened to break out on the Helheim-Kurtz border and how Swadia’s surrender and annexation by Kurtz might affect diplomatic relations. He had just gotten up and left, telling them there was a most urgent matter he had to attend to and ignoring the protests as he simply strode out of the room, taking Emilia with him.

It was an urgent matter, his son, his first born was still alive, something Adrianus had given up on that hope almost six years ago. He knew that this was not going to be the happy reunion that it would be for most families, his family was not like most families. No, instead there was a black mark on this reunion, one named Emilia.

Adrianus liked the girl, hell he had taken her in and trained her himself, she was somewhat of a prodigy in her arts, able to use less reagents to cast more devastating spells at further range than even Adrianus himself. But she was still a girl, one that had made a series of bad decisions that were about to bite Adrianus in the ass.

No doubt Adrian had figured out who his former fiance’s husband was and had come to his own conclusions, ones that would indeed seem valid. Contrary to what his son currently believed he had never forced Ema into Janus’s bed, in fact when he had found out that the two of them were... cohorting he had flown into such a rage that it had made rumors at court. The ashes of his son, her fiance not even a year old and she was already bedding another man? And even worse it was his younger brother?

He didn't care for the excuses they used, about how it had been natural, two grieving souls lost coming together…

Well, Adrianus had grieved, but you didn't see him crawling into his son’s fiance’s bed now did you? Still, it was better that it was he who took this blow. Not that he wanted to protect Emilia or Janus, but he didn't wish for little Adrian to suffer.

No, not his grandson, he would take this like a man because he deserved it, he should have had her watched, should have kept a closer eye on her, and this issue would not have been a thing. Turning around he watched as his son stormed towards him, he knew that look, that feeling Adrian had in the pit of his stomach. ‘He might well hate me now...’ Adrianus thought just as Adrian pulled up in front of him. He stared at his son, tall and proud, angry and sad. ‘This is going to hurt.’ he thought.

It did.

The blow, in fact, hurt a great deal more than he thought it would. His son could throw a rather respectable right hook. The fist connected with the side of his face and though he had braced himself for it he stumbled. The vase he stumbled into fell from the table in which it rested and smashed itself into thousands of glittering glass fragments, scattering the dark wet soil and the flowers that had resided in it across the floor.

Adrianus stood there for a second, one hand on the table holding him up and the other on the side of his aching jaw. He took a deep breath and reminded himself of his son’s perspective in all of this. It calmed his anger and he stood looking at his son standing there breathing hard both fists clenching and unclenching. Behind him was that savage girl that was with him, likely a lover, but that was his son’s business, not his. Behind her was that blasted woman who had caused what should have been a joyous day to sour like this. His eyes found Emilia’s and he watched as whatever she saw in his eyes registered and tears started forming before she turned on her heels and marched away. Adrianus turned back to his still fuming son, seeing… Isi was it? was standing at his side her hand wrapped in his trying, in her way, to calm him down. He was about to address his son when a man spoke out, the nasal voice told him who it was without looking.

“What is the meaning of this!” Sir Gialman demanded, the dandy fop mopping his brow while hiding behind his chair. “Assassins?!” a set of hands reached out and Adrianus was steadied on his feet.

“Settle down Gialman, there are no assassins, just some personal family matters that unfortunately crept into the wrong room,” Adrianus said, spitting out a wad of blood onto the expensive carpets. Five gods be damned if that last punch wasn't the hardest Adrianus had ever felt, he rolled his jaw around a little, slightly worried it had been dislocated, or he had lost a tooth. “I am the one at fault for this if you will excuse our intrusion,” reluctantly the guards in the room removed their hands from the butts of their pistols or the hilts of their swords. Adrianus gestured to the door and followed his son as he swept out of the room. The door clicked shut with a satisfying latch and he turned to look at his son.

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“How could you?” He hissed.

“Your problem is not with me,” Adrianus said. “I am at fault, but not in the way you think,”

“Explain.” Short, clipped, but still a rational response, it would seem that his son who had always been a bit of a firebrand was learning to control that anger that burned in him.

“I was not aware of the union until Emilia started showing signs of pregnancy, and at that point either I was to quietly accept it, or else cast her out for her temerity.” He chose not to mention how soon that pregnancy had started to show, those were details the three of them would have to work out and he would have no part in it. “You can see which I chose,”

“Yes, I can, once again you chose what was best for the country, you just couldn't let a mage slip away.” the fire in Adrian’s eyes was not gone, it was simply contained, chained, he closed his eyes breathing in deeply and when he opened them he looked more in control of himself again. “I think it would be best if we postpone the family reunion for a while, good day Father,” and just like that he turned on his heels and marched out his savage following along behind him. Adrianus watched the two of them go and taking a deep breath he turned to the room, opening the door and stepping in. The room was silent as he stepped in and he looked around wondering how much this drama had politically cost him.

“Adrianus, no offense but you look like total shit,” a woman cackled at him, causing Adrianus to look down at himself. There was blood and spittle all over his dress clothes, he did indeed look a mess and he was willing to bet the tightness and throbbing on his cheek was caused by a rather nice developing bruise.

“Hmm, yes and you are still as beautiful as ever, lady Jesamene,” he gave her his best court smile and turned to look at the rest of the consul. “Perhaps a short recess is to allow me to freshen up, what say you to an hour?”

***

Adrian took a deep breath and leaned back on the steps of the Arx-Heim, his elbows resting on the cold worn stone, one leg stretched out down the stairs and the other bent off to the side in a rather relaxed manner. Isi was sprawled on the steps next to him. No doubt there would be more than a few people who thought such an unladylike way of resting was unbecoming but Adrain found it rather comforting that she felt she could be whoever she wanted to be around him, ladylike or not. He flexed his aching hand and looked down at it, the knuckles of his first two fingers were split open and bleeding freely, the little rivulets of blood flowing down to drip off of the tips of his finger stubs. He opened and closed his hand working the muscles and attempting to forget the memories the bloodied stumps had brought back to his mind. He sighed and leaned his head back looking at the gray sky that seemed to perpetually hover over Helheim.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Adrian said with a sigh. He grabbed the box of reagents and opened them looking at the small boxes inside. His fingers reached down the motions remembered from what felt like a lifetime ago. He could name each and every box and what reagents resided in them, and the stubs of his missing fingers twitched as though they were still there and they ached to perform their craft. A drip of blood fell off his index and splattered on top of the leather case holding Calamine. He pulled his hand back and closed the over lid.

The corner of her lips twerked up in a small smile as she shrugged her shoulders. “Ak Ikháno,” she said trying not to laugh out loud.

“You don't know?” he scoffed, “Yeah sure, that went just perfectly didn't it? Tell me again why don't you speak my language?”

“Ak Ikháno,” she smiled at him, repeating herself with both emphasis and that cocky half smile.

“Oh, I see how it is, you don't know huh?” he said with a snort.

“Ome,” she nodded, her face stern but her eyes smiling.

“Women, you know I think you do it just to annoy me. Hmmm? What do you think of that?” she simply shrugged a small smile twitching at the corner of her lips. He sighed as he looked up at the sky.

“Ish tvshka hittak issish?” she asked, once again scooting in front of him and looking him in the eyes, this time her question, and her eyes were serious.

“No, I am not tribeless now, but even if I were I would still have you right? A tribe of two,” he smiled as he looked at her, she rolled her eyes and pushed back at him, her small hand shoving his shoulder.” What?” he asked, “it’s true isn't it?”

“Ish anuka kvtah okhvta?” she asked, cocking her head to the side and batting her pretty lashes at him.

“Oh now that is cold!” he barked out laughing, “clearly the other person in my tribe is you,” he said. It was good to see that she had still retained her wit and humor even after two years in that hell hole. She smiled and leaned forward, her nose practically touching his.

“Holtopa,” she breathed against his lips and he felt the way the corners turned up as she said it as she pressed in.