Kaid felt the searing, goring sensation into his abdominal. It would fade for a moment, and then come back. The feverish dream repeated itself, again. The same throne room, the same defeated Jessamine, a conversation, and then his end. Some days he swore he could understand the conversation, but other times it was just a blur, a fever of emotions. The panic surged and surged, the pain only increasing in its fire until it finally faded.

"Kaid?!" Jessamine broke through the silence, the only word he understood in the dream. However his eyes shot open, the gothic ceiling of the throne room turned into the dark flat ceiling of his room in the Southern Isles.

His breathing was rapid, his hand holding and clutching his side, the region the knife had plunged over and over again. He felt Jessamine's cold hand reach under his shirt, meeting his hands wondering if he was injured but all she felt was the heat radiating from the sweat of the dream.

"Kaid, it's okay. I'm here darling," she whispered, her other hand running through his hair to comfort him, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He could hardly see her in the dark, but her voice alone was comforting, speaking to his heart to slow and calm down. Kaid didn't know what to say, still in the in-between daze of nightmare and reality.

A harsh knocking broke both of them out of the moment, Jessamine getting off the bed rapidly. The guards outside jiggled the locked handle, finally settling Kaid into the reality of where he was. Southern Isles, with Jessamine. He was safe. The amount of times he had to repeat that affirmation in his head was concerning him.

"It's alright, it was just a nightmare," Jessamine explained as she inched the door ajar, speaking with the guards, "no, that won't be necessary. Thank you."

Kaid sat up slightly, a wince escaping his throat as he did. How on earth could that wound still residually give pain? Jessamine returned after locking the door, moving quickly over to him. She climbed back on the bed beside him, the moonlight and his eyes adjusting showing a very concerned Empress. Her hand snuck back under to that wound, seeing the imaginary pain was still bothering him. His hand moved, allowing her to feel everything was alright before layering on top of hers. There was no wound to be felt, no moment of tension or form of bruising.

"I'm alright, it was just a dream," he exhaled, letting her know that, "did I wake you?"

She seemed hesitant to answer that question, but nodded slowly, "You were screaming for me, practically. Or...at me? I'm not entirely sure. It woke me up and I came running over here; it took me almost a minute to really get you to calm down."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, seeing her immediately shake her head, her hand moving up to rest on his heart. She could feel his heart still racing, although it was much slower than it was a mere minute ago.

"Don't apologize, Kaid. You did nothing wrong. I want to be here to comfort you when that happens," she assured him, her eyes looking into his, "Do you want to talk about it? It's okay if you don't."

Kaid wondered if he should. It was just a dream, granted an often recurring one but it was still a dream. It meant nothing, and he knew the nightmare might go away if he just told her. What would she think of it? Couldn't she access it anyways if she just accessed it in his mind? He didn't know why he still felt this lingering animosity towards her, someone who immediately came to comfort him.

"No. I can talk about it in the morning. We have a long day ahead, we need our sleep," he replied, seeing her nod, "do you mind...?

"Leaving? Of course," she withdrew her hand before feeling him snatch it back gently. The action surprised her, worried she had done something wrong.

"I meant staying...if you don't mind," he clarified, seeing a bit of relief in her eyes. She smiled softly, nodding in agreement. Jessamine moved underneath the blankets to curl against him, arm wrapping across his torso, head resting right beside his heart. Kaid felt all that animosity fade at the touch, able to feel her own breath and heartbeat against his skin. He didn't realize how much comfort a woman could give, simply by laying beside him. The fact it was Jessamine made it even more reassuring.

Jessamine hummed a soft, quiet tune. The reverberation from her throat spread to Kaid, feeling a wave of calmness by it. It was the same tune she hummed while playing piano, whatever song that was. Maybe one day he would hear her sing it, just once. But over time the tune put him back to a steady sleep, no thoughts drifting to that nightmare, but rather of Jessamine's smile and soft, cold hands against his hot skin.

When he awoke, it was well beyond sunrise. Kaid was laying on his side, facing the balcony doors which allowed that bright morning light to pour through. A soft hand rested against his abdomen tangled gently into his black stomach hairs, splaying right near the place of discomfort last night. Kaid felt Jessamine's soft breath against his neck and shoulder, her face buried against him along with the rest of her body as she spooned him. Kaid was surprised he had awoken before her, but given the events of last night maybe she was just as exhausted as he was.

He turned slowly, being careful not to wake her as he moved to face her. She was still asleep, eyes closed, lips relaxed in a soft smile. Her face just below her eyes and across the bridge of her nose was dark, kissed by the sun from their long afternoon at the beach. It only highlighted those freckles even more, which made him smile as he knew she had very fair skin. His hand moved to touch her cheek, following the curve of her jaw, avoiding the small patch of sun-kissed skin.

Those lips curved into a wide smile at his touch, blue eyes eventually fluttering open to gaze at him. They held slight confusion in them, as if she was wondering how she ended up in his bed and this close, but that immediately faded upon the memory of last night. Her hand moved up, curling gently into the hairs of his beard, thumb resting against the pulse on his neck.

"Good morning," she whispered, moving ever so closer to him, "are you alright?"

"Morning, Jess," he replied softly, "I am, thanks to you. Did you sleep okay?" It made Jessamine smile, her memory going back to their first real day in Caladin together. It was the first thing he had asked, a moment of concern and worry for a woman he had only just met. She had slept a thousand times better now than she had then.

They spoke quietly, knowing that the guard was probably outside that door still.

"The fact you woke up before me is fairly telling. I can't really recall the last time I've woken up and not felt...exhausted," she tried to think of a word for it, "your heartbeat is comforting, like a siren song, lulling me to sleep."

"Like your humming," he smiled, seeing her lips widen before she nodded, "what song is that?"

"It's called Like a Soft Dream. My mother used to sing it to me when I couldn't sleep...the same song she seduced my father with."

"Will you sing it for me, one day?" he asked, leaning close to let his nose brush against hers.

"Only if you wish to be seduced," she whispered breathlessly, a teasing laugh escaping her lips before she leaned close to join them with his. The kiss was a comforting one, a protective one, an assurance she would not let him suffer in the darkness. And neither would he let her suffer. Kaid eventually pulled away from the kiss, knowing he had to build the courage for what he had to tell her. The kiss did help with that, only an insistence he should tell her and be honest with her.

"Jess, the dreams..." he spoke, before hearing that door burst wide open, not even the lock stopping it. Persephone walked in, key in hand, waltzing in before her eyes widened at the situation. Jess and Kaid laid there, frozen. But eventually Jessamine snapped out of it, eagerly climbing out of the bed to adjust her night dress, making sure it didn't look bunched up or out of place.

"Sorry, we had a...rough evening," she spoke before realizing that was a poor choice of words, wincing slightly in embarrassment.

Persephone looked on the verge of bursting into laughter, but kept her professionalism, her cheeks taught with wanting to smile.

"I will tell my father to hold off on breakfast then. We were growing a bit worried as the Guards didn't seem to hear any movement," she withheld a shit eating grin, "do join us at the harbor then within the next hour for sailing. Unless you two would rather prefer to..."

"We will be there, Seph," Jessamine interrupted her harshly, not in the mood to play games right now. Persephone seemed to get the message, her eyes drifting to Kaid who remained silent and still frozen slightly. Well, there went his mission about pretending alongside Persephone. But it wasn't like she already knew, at least knew that Kaid liked her.

But, if Persephone and Jessamine had been close as he thought, Persephone probably would have guessed Jess felt the same about her escort.

"See you soon," Persephone smiled, winking at Kaid before leaving, closing and locking the door behind her.

Jessamine exhaled a loud sigh, shaking her head briefly before beginning to tie her hair up into a ponytail for now, "Well, this isn't going to turn out well. She's going to use that against me for the rest of the trip." She gave a slight tug of her ear, letting him know that the superhuman hearing guard had left with Persephone.

"Rough night...?" Kaid questioned, a smirk breaking through his facade.

"Oh, not you too," she scowled, tempted to grab the clothes he left around to ball up and throw at him, "I don't need you teasing me as well. I only found out yesterday at the beach that she was pretending to like you, all to try and make me jealous."

"Did it work?" Kaid asked, seeing her shake her head, "How did you know?" Seemed like Persephone wasn't doing a great job at whatever her mission was if Jessamine found out that easily. Unless, that was the point.

Jessamine watched as Kaid stepped out from the bed, beginning his morning stretches. She wished at that moment his shirt was off, so she could watch the way the muscles of his back and shoulders supported him in a planked stretch. Or his biceps when he lurched forward to stretch his calves. Gods, she couldn't believe she was spending her morning watching a man stretch and enjoying it.

"She said a comment yesterday, one that irked me slightly and it took awhile after dinner to realize that all of it was a farce. Like I said with Alec: she was infatuated. And when Seph is like that, she can see no faults, no wrongs, no flaws in what she desires. It's what made the situation even harder for me. She thought he was perfect, and he thought her to be a chain wrapped around his ankle," she leaned against the wall, still watching him, "she spent an entire five minute dialogue gushing about you, but somewhere in there she mentioned something about you being 'a bit too dark' for her taste."

"So if she truly was in love with me-"

"She wouldn't think that. But, to be fair, she always had a soft spot for men with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Gods forbid she ever met Kiev in person, I think she just might fall in love with him," she laughed softly, knowing that wouldn't happen. After this was over, Jessamine wasn't sure if she'd ever see this place again. She'd still hold dominion over it, but it would be a choking, tight squeeze, not a place she can reside for a vacation if needed.

"Am I too dark?" Kaid asked, never really seeing that as a problem. In Caladin he met people of all creeds, colors, and sizes. It never bothered him, but he knew people had preferences when it came to romantic partners. Jessamine seemed bothered he had asked that, mostly because he was asking if that was a negative thing about a person. She'd harshly disagree with any of those kinds of 'ideas' a person's worth was measured by an appearance they were born with.

"Tall, dark, handsome...you're a young girl's dream," she eventually smiled, "I'm the woman lucky enough to be living such a dream, Kaid."

"I think I'm the lucky one, Jess," he groaned slightly as his upper back cracked at a stretch, his eyes glancing up at him, "you could have any man you truly desire at your disposal-"

"I already have. I've had my fair share and let me tell you now, none of them compare to the man you are. The heart you have, the passion and wisdom...it's incomparable to the rest," she spoke softly, "I knew from the moment I met you there was just something different, unique. I consider it a bonus you're also considerably gorgeous, inside and out. I wake up every day and can't even fathom or begin to believe you're a man I can spend my life with. I have to pinch myself at moments, wondering what I did to deserve you and fearing too hard a pinch will finally wake me up for good."

"So don't pinch too hard," he smiled, finally standing and walking over to her, hand extending above her head to lean against the wall, into her gently. He was about to comment more before both her hands cupped the sides of his face, her lips meeting his passionately and deeply. The affection she held for him just continued to grow and grow, Jessamine fearing if she didn't continue to kiss him in moments like this she would just explode. Yet it only fed her addiction further. Her lips widened into a smile as he didn't hesitate to return it, his other hand resting firmly on her hip.

"You've improved," she whispered breathlessly against his lips.

"I would hope so, you were my first kiss, ever," he laughed, blushing slightly. Kaid was all about that though, improving, always desiring growth. He might find it embarrassing, Jessamine found it rather endearing. She had kissed and done things with multiple men, experienced men. But none of it had ever come close to feeling like this. Nothing and nobody made her soul soar like just a simple glance from him, let alone a kiss like that.

"I'd give you another first time if it weren't for the three guards behind that door, and the fact we only have an hour," she hushed, gently biting down on his bottom lip. Her offer was seriously tempting, but even he knew they couldn't indulge. Maybe after this was all done, successfully, they'd get the chance. It didn't help with her kisses either, knowing it wouldn't be long until neither could resist the other.

"I think we could be quiet enough for them not to hear," Kaid spoke, clearly not from experience.

"I certainly can tell you now I won't make that possible," she smirked, her mind wondering for just a brief moment what his moans would sound like.

Kaid tried to ignore the heat of blush to his cheeks, and elsewhere, "Do you need help getting dressed this morning?"

"I do not," she shook her head, kissing his lips one last time, "you could always help me undress, however."

"If that happens, we aren't leaving this room," he assured her, seeing the smile on her face, "and I'm actually looking forward to sailing, and seeing this so-called Sand Castle tonight." He was right of course, she wouldn't want to leave the room either. But their duty called. If Payne ever found out they were hesitating from their orders to indulge in each other like this, he'd probably kill them both and rule Vitross himself.

But he wasn't Empress, Jessamine was. And as far as Kaid was concerned, she was the one in charge.

The splash of warm water sprayed against his face with every gentle wave the little ship rocked. Kaid held firmly to the metal railing inside the ship, seeing Jessamine, Persephone, Grotto, and Arryn walk around with ease, as if it was just a solid pathway to stroll on. He supposed he still didn't have his sea legs yet, but he was at least grateful he was not feeling sea sick. Kaid spent most of the early part of sailing studying the structure, how the sails worked, where each rope was tethered and how adjusting it to a different angle produced immediate results.

Stolen novel; please report.

It was certainly a skill that took time to master, one which Jessamine seemed rather comfortable with. She knew exactly how to turn the helm in a fluid motion as if she had been a captain her entire life. An Empress of a water empire should at least know how to sail a damn boat, according to her. Kaid couldn't help but agree, however it was no secret Kaid was feeling uncomfortable given the speed the wind carried them. And how bottomless that beautiful ocean looked.

Persephone walked over, wearing attire similar to Jessamine, mere tailored pants and a linen shirt. Dresses weren't exactly sailing attire but it looked like Persephone felt more comfortable wearing pants anyways. Her black hair was braided, unlike Jessamine who preferred a tight bun, and she didn't mind if it looked messy given the circumstances. She moved to stand in front of him, facing him as her hand gently held the metal bar. Kaid's knuckles were growing white from how tight he held it.

"I'm afraid to let you know this isn't the worst part. The waves up ahead due to the tides will be stronger, along with the wind. We will need your help adjusting the riggings," she spoke softly, "Jessamine said you had a nightmare. Do you get those often?"

Kaid sucked a breath upon the realization it would only get worse, but he supposed there was a first time for everything. Any initial experience could be frightening, just like Trials. After a couple of times, he'd get used to this. Maybe he and Jessamine could go sailing alone time to time out of the Vitross harbor, once he felt experienced enough.

He nodded at her question, "Yes, I get them every once in a while."

"So do I. They're not pleasant," she spoke, gazing out to the sea for a moment, "all those years felt like a dream, a coma that allowed me to still see the world but in some form of imprisonment. I think, Kaid, that's where you and I can relate in similar yet unique ways: we were both prisoners against our wills. You physically and me...mentally."

"What was it like?" he asked, politely and cautiously, letting her know it was perfectly acceptable to not talk about it.

"My mind and consciousness became two separate entities. I was trapped in this body I felt I couldn't control or even begin to understand. There were moments where I could just put thoughts together and then it faded away just as easily. Memories during that moment were just gone, each day no different than the rest. The only things I could remember were of the moments before the snap, and even then, it was hard to see things soundly," she answered softly, clearly still pained by it, "and then one day I woke up. My father cried tears of joy the moment he realized I was back to 'normal'. Some healer managed to... I don't know if he reversed it or healed it, I suppose it doesn't matter."

"I'm sorry that happened. I couldn't even imagine..." he replied, showing severe sympathy, which he hoped didn't look like useless pity.

"I know, you're very kind...too kind for your own good," she managed a sliver of a smile, "I just want to move past that. Given everything that happened, I want to focus on the present because I don't know how much time I do have before...if it can go back like that. I want to enjoy what little that I can."

"Persephone, I don't think Jessamine intended for that. She cared, cares, about you," Kaid glanced briefly at Jess, who was in conversation as always with Arryn, but she glanced back and smiled softly at seeing them talking, "I know there's decisions she's made that she can't take back that will haunt her for the rest of her life."

"You and I don't know what she was thinking at that moment, Kaid. We always promise we would never hurt someone we love, someone we care about, yet somehow we always do," she spoke, "I hold no animosity towards her. I too believe it was unintentional. But none of that will matter if these negotiations go the way I think they will."

"And in what direction is that?" Kaid beckoned, seeing her grow silent again. Kaid had a feeling he knew exactly what that was: blackmail. It's what Payne told them to find, what they were going to use to win in these negotiations. But what if there was another way? Holding something about Grotto's head like such would only confirm what these people misunderstood about Jessamine. Whatever it was, Persephone was afraid of it. Somehow it seemed like she was trying to make peace with it.

Amidst the conversation, Kaid had relaxed his grip before realizing they hit an adjacent wave, rocking the small ship. The motion made him lose his traction, lurching forward straight into the deck as if he would slam head first. Kaid slowed time, just enough to not make it entirely obvious, to rather land on his side instead. He hit the deck hard, dazed in the moment as he saw Persephone glancing down, trying not to laugh. Strong arms came near him, Grotto lifting Kaid up with ease.

"Kaid, handle the starboard rigging, we need you soldier," Grotto smiled, patting his bruised shoulder before running to the helm. Jessamine went to the port side with Arryn, Persephone assisting Kaid to ensure they would maneuver these dangerous waves with ease. Everybody had smiles on their faces, with the exception of Kaid who was still embarrassed by the slip. This seemed like something they would enjoy, which made Kaid doubtful he would. He couldn't imagine what this vessel would be like in a serious storm.

Jessamine glanced over, silently asking if he was alright and he nodded, finding his pride to be hurting more than his shoulder. The wind was almost like two funnels coming together from opposite directions. Grotto ordered the resecuring of rigging, adjusting the angle on the port side. And when needed, Kaid would assist on the right side, Persephone guiding which ropes to loosen and which to tighten. Given he was the much stronger one, the manual labor wasn't difficult. It was all about knowing which one to loosen or adjust.

They flew over a strong wave, Kaid bracing on the side, feeling that drop in his stomach. And it was...surprisingly a bit fun? With the speed and precision the ship attacked the waves, it created a pattern of going up and down, holding on for dear life, and filling Kaid with a bit of an adrenaline rush. The next wave seemed bigger than the last, slamming down and spraying water everywhere. And that's when he noticed it: a rope loosening by Jessamine's left hand, firmly holding the railing. Each wave loosened it more.

"Jess!" Kaid shouted over the sound of the wind, "your rigging, it's slackened!"

"What?!" she shouted back, capable of seeing him shouting at her but it was hard to hear over the wind, waves, and laughter of everyone else.

"The rigging, Jessamine! Portside rigging!" he shouted, using his free hand to point to the rigging opposite of her on his side, "Your rigging is growing loose!"

Jessamine's eyes grew wide for a second, Kaid wondering if that would cause a problem. Yet her eyes didn't leave him to go stare at the rigging underneath her hand. She just gazed at him, her face undecipherable, but her eyes held a frightening curiosity. The rope soon broke loose, Kaid rushing over with the help of slowing time to grasp it, slamming into Jessamine behind her. The rope burned his hand, but with a steady grip he was able to pull the tension back and secure the rigging, wrapping it around the cleat before knotting it.

With the sail firmly in place, it wasn't long until it picked up the right wind again, catching speed and soon taking them far away from that place of chaos. The waves and everyone else relaxed, Kaid letting out a relieved sigh that was over. Jessamine leaned against Kaid slightly, feeling the ship come to a calm motion once more before she pulled away. Persephone made sure everything looked decent on the starboard side before crossing over with ease, gazing at them.

"That was rather unlike you, Jess, usually you're on top of those things," Seph pointed out, laced with slight concern.

"Grotto did say you were an expert," Arryn pointed out, which irked Kaid as he thought it was an unnecessary comment to add to the conversation.

"I'm sorry, I just...lost focus for the moment. It's been quite some time," she apologized, eyes averting from Kaid's gaze.

"Well, to be fair, it is always nice to see women working hard out at sea!" Grotto laughed, adjusting the helm to head to the small island straight ahead, "But sometimes a man is needed to do the heavy pulling and save the day."

Kaid felt there was a compliment in there somewhere, although it seemed rather backhanded.

The conversation soon changed upon the sound of something dashing across the waves besides them. Large dolphins jumped alongside the boat, their flubber a shiny gray reflecting the blue of the ocean. Kaid had never seen such gracious, in sync animals before, following each other, jumping and almost laughing together. Just how they had overcome that strong current together, so did the dolphins. Jessamine smiled at the sight, enjoying the sight of seeing old friends. But with old friends came old memories. Perhaps the last time she had ever laid eyes on dolphins was the last time she had been with Persephone, given Seph had a bittersweet smile on her lips as well.

Kaid thought they were rather majestic creatures, but they didn't stay long before their pod changed direction to follow the tides and away from land.

They arrived at the island, the small vessel capable of carrying them all the way to shore before Grotto and Kaid jumped out, pulling the spare lines to drag the ship all the way to shore. They kept going, trudging through the sand until the moist brown ground turned into a blazing hot, white sturdy place to secure. Once the vessel was well pitched into the sand, they both returned to assist the women in exiting.

Grotto had to physically carry Arryn over to their small retreat, which was a shaded and blanketed area a few guards resided watch in, along with plenty of food. Arryn mentioned something about hating sand all over clothes, which made Persephone roll her eyes as she merely jumped off the boat without need for assistance. Kaid extended his hand to Jessamine who took it graciously. Any other man and she would have done the same as Persephone. But she took his hand, grasping it gently as he assisted in her stepping into the hot sand. Kaid felt a gentle kiss on his cheek, her hand letting go of his to briefly brush his chest. Nobody had been gazing their way, so she felt the need to sneak that in.

"Thank you, for noticing that rigging," she gazed up at him.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, sensing something was going on.

"Remember that dream you had, the one of our first night together in Caladin?" she asked and he shook his head, not remembering at all. He didn't know how she had such a good memory at that time, then again, traumatic moments such as being thrown into Caladin could result in a hyperfixation stress on everything that happened.

"What just happened was the dream you had, word for word...other than my name. You just kept repeating those words that night, about the portside rigging," she whispered, seeing the confusion in his eyes, "I'm sure it means nothing. It just surprised me, that's all. And I missed the rigging because of it," She glanced over to see the others waiting for them, not wanting to be rude and have a side conversation. At the moment it had just startled her, but she had the feeling it was mere coincidence and nothing more.

Kaid was feeling a bit glad he hadn't told her about his nightmare last night, because he was beginning to feel that maybe these weren't coincidences after all.

He shook that thought away for now, knowing there was no point in thinking about it now. Life was full of mysteries and Kaid knew there were not answers to everything. Still, this was something that he would look into, with more time and understanding. For now, his mind was focused on trying to settle these negotiations.

Lunch was served with a cool refreshing salad and of course freshly cooked filet of fish, per Arryn's desire. Kaid thought it was perfectly filling, although everyone else seemed more interested in the endless flow of wine. They all talked about regional politics, most things Kaid tuned-out given he didn't have much knowledge about the fishing economy or how expensive parties were becoming. Overall, the Southern Isles seemed in high spirits and there weren't many issues compared to the main city of Vitross. It seemed like they weren't in need of an Empress, to some extent, which meant they felt fully capable of letting her ships sink in their oceans unless they got what they wanted.

With the hot sun, Kaid wanted to cool off and began stripping his sailing clothes, undoing his belt to strip to his swim shorts and removing his thin linen shirt. The sun felt nice against his skin, although he figured the water would even feel more sublime. Persephone and Jessamine sat beneath an umbrella, completely shaded as they watched him. Jessamine's eyes wandered, against her self control, thinking about how different he looked now compared to that moment in Caladin. His muscles were much more broad and defined, body hair trimmed (perhaps too much to her liking), and skin glowing in that hot sun. Just the way his muscles flexed upon folding his clothes was bewildering to her, given she never felt this obsessed with a man before in her entire life.

"Will you hate me if I ask him if he needs some protection oil?" Persephone asked, a teasing gaze in her eyes as she noticed her friend not taking her eyes off him.

"I wouldn't hate you," Jess shook herself away from the gaze of staring at her beloved, "I could never hate you, Persephone."

"You hate yourself, though, because of me," she whispered, seeing Jessamine's eyes dart up to hers.

Jessamine pulled her feet into her chest to cradle softly, having to redirect her gaze elsewhere, "I hate myself for a lot of reasons. I never wanted any of this to happen to you. You have no idea how many times I wished for things to be different, for a chance to undo what I had done. Seeing you the other day, god, you look so beautiful. It feels like I never lost you, but I know that's not true."

"I hope you know I don't hate you either, Jess," Seph pointed out, leaning slightly so her hand brushed her leg, "I know you had your reasons, and I know you didn't know that would happen. I should've just listened to you. I knew deep down Alec didn't love me the way I loved him. My denial is what imprisoned me, not you. I know what the others say about you, I don't believe any of it. My father wanted me to make you jealous, make you think I hated you. I thought it would be so easy but when I saw you, I knew you were still the little sister I remember: a strong headed girl who only wished to be seen."

"And now, I'm in the biggest spotlight in the continent," Jessamine shook her head, "I got what I 'wanted.'"

"You want to be seen by the people you care about. Right now, that's him," Persephone explained, both of them watching Kaid who merely stood in the shallow shore, letting the waves only reach hip level. Arryn and Grotto seemed to be on their way, talking with him about something that Kaid didn't seem to really understand. His puzzled look was always a bit adorable, as if he would take topics and put them aside for now, probably review them more on his next trip to the library.

"He doesn't know everything. If I tell him about Alec, then I have to tell him about my father. I don't know what he will think of me then," Jess whispered, shaking her head, "it just confirms everything he's heard."

"If he's heard all the rumors and still looks at you like that, I don't think anything will change his mind. He likes you, Jessamine, the real you. He'll understand, the same way I do," Persephone reached over carefully to take her hand, Jessamine willingly giving it to hold.

They sat there in silence, knowing that was all they could do for now. Only tomorrow would be telling of the decision, a decision Jessamine had to make. What was worth more to her? Why did so many of her decisions have to put so much weight on the people she cared about? She knew why Grotto would want Persephone to act this way, because he already had a predetermined idea of how this negotiation would go. Jessamine had to do everything to avoid it because she didn't know if she had the heart to do it all over again.

Their moment of beautiful silence was interrupted by Kaid's stern voice, his body language almost aggressive as he pointed an accusation at Arryn. The action stunned everyone, seeing Kaid tread out from the water and back towards his clothes. He looked angry, infuriated almost. Jessamine noticed the slight smirk on Arryn's lips, Grotto looking uncertain, questioning whatever just happened. Whatever it was, Kaid disagreed firmly about it.

"Kaid," Jess called out, prepared to stand up and talk to him but he shook his head.

"I need to take a walk," he objected, putting his clothes back on before trudging away in the hot sand. It was his words for wanting to be left alone, for now. Jessamine and Persephone watched him walk away, both of them confused at the reaction. Jess never knew Kaid to really get mad, but she couldn't say he was a man who never got angry about something. Kaid was a very passionate man, and sometimes anger was a result of that passion.

Whatever it was, Arryn had found something in his head, something she used against him, and that made Jessamine's blood boil.

Kaid hardly spoke on their way back, and even once they got back in their room to change for the evening, he did not say much. Jessamine was weary of Arryn, who seemed to be proud to have stirred more shit up than necessary. Arryn was awaiting a reaction from Jessamine, and no doubt under other circumstances, Jessamine would have pulled Arryn aside to lash into her. Nobody treated Kaid like that, no matter what happened. But it seemed like that was a reaction Arryn had wanted.

They were back sailing, this time to the Sand Castle alone, accompanied by three Guards to take them there. Kaid read his book until the sunset no longer allowed it, placing it aside. Jessamine adjusted her long sleeve black dress as she finally sat down next to him after making sure they were on a correct heading. Kaid knew the question was burning on the back of her mind, but she didn't once ask or pester, which he appreciated.

"She brought up Mara," Kaid finally spoke, looking down at his hands. Jess's eyes widened, fury building up in them.

"Kaid, why didn't you tell me? I would've-"

"Because that's what she wanted," Kaid interrupted her, "your relationship with Persephone isn't going the way she wanted. So she wanted you to be angry about something."

Jessamine knew about Mara. Kaid had mentioned her a few times, in which he gave a brief synopsis of the incident regarding her, how it was one of the things that held him back from escaping Caladin. It was why he had been so protective of Jess when in Caladin, so he felt it was only right to tell her. Jessamine knew from the lack of detail Kaid gave, a man who was very open about a lot of things, that Mara meant a lot to him. There was no thinking about Caladin without thinking of Mara, who was the crux of it all.

"What on earth did she say?" Jessamine asked, almost demanding it as she didn't want him to even lose sleep over this. Arrny wasn't worth any of that, and she somehow found his weakness to pinpoint and use against him.

"She asked if I thought Mara would be proud...proud to have escaped only to work alongside you," Kaid scoffed, "it's like she acted as if she were still alive and I left her there to rot in Caladin."

"She found an insecurity and latched onto it. She probably didn't think twice to dig into it further, knowing just mentioning her would hurt you," Jess scowled, reaching over to take his hand, pulling it into her lap. But who was Jessamine to talk? Didn't she do the same? Or was it different because she did it to gain advantage, not anger her political opponents.

"It doesn't matter. I just needed a moment to calm down," he sighed, looking down at their hands.

"I know. Sometimes we need that," she understood, knowing he handled it much more nicely than she had that first night here, practically shouting at him, "she's lucky I wasn't there when she said it. I would've given her the Eden treatment."

Kaid paused for a moment, thinking back to Eden's black eye, "That was you?!"

Jessamine bit her lip slightly, caught by her own words, "Maybe? To be honest, I've been wanting to do that to him for a while. He finally gave me a reason to."

"What did he say?" Kaid asked, jesting slightly "Just so I know not to say it, lest I want a punch to the face."

"Hm, darling, if you said what he said, I don't think I would punch you," she blushed slightly, that delicious smirk showing up on her lips, "I'll tell you another time. Right now, I don't want to think of Arryn or Eden. It'll just be us, and my aunt probably asking you a lot of questions."

"I can't wait," Kaid laughed, feeling Jessamine lean her head against his shoulder gently. So they sat there, letting the wind and waves take them to their destination, a place of memory. Jessamine thought the closer they got, the more afraid she'd be to tell him everything. Somehow, it only seemed to be easier to tell him everything that was on her mind, everything that would be revealed tonight. It would only make things better for the negotiations, because she knew she would need Kaid's help tonight.

The past had to die, Jessamine knew that. Tomorrow, a choice would be made that would determine the start of their future. For now, all she could do was simply enjoy his company as she was beginning to realize he was the reason she wanted to do better, to be better. Maybe it wasn't his cornerstone changing, but hers as well.