The Sand Castle was majestically lit up with torches, illuminating the ominous fort-like residence amidst the darkness residing in the sky. Jessamine had mentioned this place was once an old sea fort that housed maybe fifty or so seamen before her family had bought it as a residence, much later after the wars. It was between many other private islands, and also on a direct trading route so its locality was rather sublime compared to other areas.

"Hm, they painted it since the last time I was here," Jessamine hummed, seeing the exterior walls painted white. She didn't seem to hate it at all, but she thought it was rather odd to change it. It made the fort look more like a residence, losing that sand castle color, but it still wouldn't reverse the historical nickname.

"When was the last time you were here?" Kaid asked, seeing them begin to dock the ship. Kaid stepped off first, extending his hand to her to help her up. He had always liked this dress on her, simplistic, no slits by the legs or elegant cuts in the dress. Yet it always elevated her, wrapped in darkness, saying so much more than any regal dress or ball gown would. It was the first dress he had seen her wear ever since their escape from Caladin.

"My mother's funeral," Jess answered, Kaid realizing that this place held a lot of pain for her, yet she was bringing him here anyways. He was about to apologize, knowing she would scold him for doing so, before it appeared the Guards were following them. Jessamine stopped walking with Kaid, looking back at them with slight confusion.

"Our orders were to stick with you the entire night, Empress," the lead stated, just doing his duty.

"Duke Grotto won't hear it from me if you decide to stay by the ship. Up ahead is a Guard checkpoint if you would really like to just stay behind, keep an eye on the ship. You have a deck of cards in your pocket, I think that would be more entertaining than following us around all evening," Jessamine suggested, seeing the surprise on the Guard's face. They didn't have to escort her if they didn't want to, in fact it seemed nobody wanted that in the first place. Kaid could understand the concern, of course. If anything did happen to Jessamine and they were reported to not be anywhere near the scene, it would cause issues. But that's what Kaid was there for.

"Of course, Empress," he nodded, "we will remain here if you need anything." He bowed his head out of respect, his eyes gazing at Kaid's beltline not seeing any weapons or blade attached. Kaid noticed the observation, doing his best to withhold a smirk. Kaid worked best when everyone underestimated him, so he preferred to keep it that way.

Jessamine seemed relieved as they walked away from the dock, up the steps to the entrance. Kaid knew she would never like being escorted all the time, everywhere she went, as it really didn't allow her a lot of privacy. But he knew it was also because this place had a history with her and she'd keep that to herself if she could. When they reached the top steps, out of view of the guards, Kaid felt her hand slip into his, fingers intertwining.

Kaid thought it was probably just her nerves, and upon reaching her Aunt, the hand would slip like it always did. But as they approached the older woman, a red rusty haired aristocrat with a cane, Jessamine didn't let her hand fall from his. Her Aunt was aged, either by the constant sun or just because she was much older than what he pictured Jessamine's mother, Alexandra, to look like. The cane she had angled into the sandstone was because of a bad right leg, keeping pressure off of it as they awaited their arrival. Beside her was a single butler, approximately the same age, standing proudly with a smile on his face.

"Empress, welcome," her aunt bowed slightly, keeping up a professional demeanor before it immediately withered away into a warm, welcoming smile, "Jess, it is so good to see you."

Jessamine finally let go of Kaid's hand to embrace her aunt, feeling the unfamiliar warmth of family in doing so, "Aunt Ingrid, it is so good to see you too."

Kaid smiled at the interaction, knowing both women had probably communicated over time with letters or passing of gossip, but it had been quite some time since they had seen each other. Jessamine had wished she could spend more time with her family, the ones that seemed to support her anyways, but an Empress was always busy. She stepped back after the embrace, turning to Kaid with a smile.

"Ingrid, this is Kaid, my new Guardian," Jessamine boasted.

"He's even more robust in person," Ingrid teased, extending her frail hand out and Kaid shook it very gently, "I've heard so much about you, Kaid."

"Good things, I would hope," Kaid blushed slightly, taking her hand to kiss politely, lips brushing against the wrinkled knuckles.

"Oh, what a gentleman," Ingrid gasped, "It's been quite some time since you've brought a refined man into this home." Kaid saw a slight roll of Jess's eyes, but she had those beautiful dimples showing from that smile of hers.

"And how are you, Ballard?" Jessamine asked the butler, seeing him gleam up even more.

"Perfect as always, little Jess. You're all grown up now," the man smiled at her politeness, always knowing she had been respectful as a child. While Jessamine had been a bit rambunctious, she gave respect to those that gave it to her, and Ballard had always been very kind to her. Even with all the occasional mishaps and vases she might have broken chasing the island cats around.

"She's been grown for quite some time," Ingrid politely interrupted, "please, Kaid, let us take you inside, show you around the place. Dinner will be served later. Jessamine, how is it going with the Duke?"

Jessamine wrapped her arm loosely around Kaid's as they walked, her fingers absentmindedly drawing circles on his skin, "Well, we aren't at each other's throats as of yet, so that is a good sign. We will have to see tomorrow when negotiations start. He will hold his ground, as I know he will, but I think he has been slightly surprised by my cordiality. We have plenty of common interests, so one can hope to find common ground tomorrow."

"You're a smart woman, I think you will do just fine tomorrow," Ingrid assured, noticing her niece was a bit worried about the negotiations.

Ingrid led them, very slowly, across the great wall halls. Artworked filled the empty spaces, antiquities obtained over time through the family from historic adventures or merchant acquisitions. She explained every one of them thoroughly, which greatly intrigued Kaid as a lover of history and artwork. Although he didn't quite understand artwork that displayed nudity which he kept to himself. The entire home was a display of wealth although it was hard to say what each thing really was worth in terms of monetary value rather than figurative significance. Everything had its own unique story here, like it had a purpose in the grand design.

"Down that hallway, the room at the end to the right is where Jessamine was born, twenty seven years ago. I still remember the day. She cried and cried, more than the average child. The only thing that calmed her down was when I took her out to the balcony and she smelled the sweet, salty air," Ingrid smiled in reminiscence. Babies cried because of the shock of the outside world, a new, hostile environment. Jessamine had cried so much because she had wished she had never been born. That's what she had thought previously, she didn't think so much about that now.

"She does love the ocean," Kaid smiled, knowing they still spent a lot of time just gazing over the sea, watching the ships leave the harbors or waves crash against the sand. Perhaps the smell provided a form of comfort to her, the same comfort it gave as a small newborn with no knowledge of the world around her.

"Did she take you sailing yet?" Ingrid questioned.

"I did, and he did spectacularly well," Jessamine answered, although Kaid felt that was an abhorrent lie, "he's still getting used to it, but a couple more times and he will be an expert in no time. If he wants to, of course."

"I do, we can find time in Vitross one morning. Just the two of us," Kaid assured her, knowing it was something she enjoyed and he wanted to be a part of that.

"It's a date, then," Jessamine smiled up at him, "Have you gotten any visitors recently, Aunt Ingrid?"

"No, not for many months," she shook her head, leading them down the halls once more, "The more our Monnier family expands, the less Monnier we become. Things have changed since you were last here, many left to go to Arilla or even Skale, to avoid paying taxes or any sort of money to your father. There, they found another family to join with, be rich and spoiled with. Many marriages, many more splits of the family. I love it here too much to join them."

"An unfortunate, but understandable consequence," Jessamine sighed, "it must be lonely here."

"Not as lonely as you've been, sweet child. Although I figure that's changed," Ingrid responded, stopping at the gallery of portraits. One of them was an exact copy of the one Kaid had gandered upon his first tour of Vitross: the four Kruzika's, each with their own expression, acting like they all loved each other. But there were other portraits as well, one that made Kaid smile widely.

One was Jessamine as a very young girl, maybe the age of nine or ten, wearing a horribly floofy pink dress. She sat there with a scowl on her face, a horrible frown that it seemed the painter had mimicked and refused to change. Kaid knew it was her because of that scowl, not to mention the brighter red hair and freckles still all under her eyes. Kaid turned to see Jessamine's reaction, who looked absolutely red in the face from the embarrassment. This was practically as bad as sharing horrible childhood stories.

"I can't believe you have that up," Jessamine sighed, trying to act irritated but in reality, she found it a bit funny too. The fact Kaid smiled so widely about seeing it only made it easier to laugh.

"Oh, it was Ballard's idea when he knew you'd be visiting. I assume it was for revenge for-"

"For breaking the Vase of Vasillica, how could I forget? He loved that damn thing, polished it every morning and evening," Jessamine interrupted, shaking her head but smiling, "I think I was more distraught about his reaction rather than actually breaking it."

"How did you break it?" Kaid asked.

"Racing my brother down the hallway, the usual," she shrugged.

"Did you win?"

"I always won, even this time when I broke the vase," Jessamine smirked, having a bit of a competitive edge about her, "I felt horrible after though. I had to plead to him for days not to tell my father...that I could just pay for a new one. It was the day I learned not everything had a price to it, not everything can be fixed with a handful of money. I think he was trying to instill that lesson rather than make me suffer."

"As you probably know, Jessamine wasn't one to always follow the rules. She rarely broke them but she sure tried to bend them," Ingrid laughed.

"Oh, I know quite well," Kaid laughed in return, squeezing her arm against his, "it's one of the many things I love about her." Jessamine seemed surprised by the wording, knowing he liked things or characteristics about her. But love? That was the first time he had heard her use the word with her name in the same sentence. She couldn't ignore the way it made her feel inside, as if she'd melt into this floor and stay here forever. Ingrid seemed to notice, withholding an even wider smile at seeing her niece happy. For once.

"Kaid, do you have any family?" Ingrid asked, with gentle curiosity.

"No, not by blood anyway, not that I am aware of," Kaid answered, feeling Jessamine lean closer against him out of pity, "I don't have a last name or any clue where I stem from."

"How unfortunate. You must pick out a new last name for yourself then. If you can't think of anything, we'd be more than happy to adopt you into the Monnier family," Ingrid offered, Kaid looking a bit surprised, "the Monnier's has always been known for its abundance of beautiful women, which is almost a curse as nearly nobody bears that name anymore except me. Afterall, Jessamine will need to take your name in the future if-"

"Let's not get that far," Jessamine laughed out of embarrassment, "one day he will get sick of me before that happens."

"Thank you for the offer, Ingrid. I will heavily consider it," Kaid nodded, having to ignore Jessamine's abashed comment. He, too, would agree it was far too soon to even think about it. There were politics and policies that probably forbade such a union anyways. But it was a nice touch that a relative of Jessamine saw him as marriage material, even after barely knowing him.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

The things he loved about these visits with Jessamine was that when he learned more about her family, he saw more of her. She wasn't just an Empress, bloodthirsty or manipulative, a cruel and cold heart. She had a family, one that she had loved and loved her. She was human. Her complexity only grew the more he learned, but he knew it was this complex struggle of hers that he admired so much, how she faced her adversity. Kaid knew who she was behind closed doors, and these little glimpses into her past only confirmed such.

"Come, let's eat. Jessamine mentioned you might be tired of seafood at the moment. Even with the warmer weather, I hope you don't mind a good dinner roast," Ingrid invited them to the dining hall, a room that could seat over thirty guests, and right now it would only be three.

Kaid pulled Jessamine's chair out, like always, feeling her hand brush his backside before turning and sitting down. They spent most of the evening talking about mundane things or memories. Kaid merely listened, inputting when asked, but it was nice to see Jessamine smile with her aunt. It felt like the both of them needed this small respite. The dinner roast was spectacular, definitely a change from the seafood and cooked to perfection.

The meal ended with a bowl of smooth ice cream, cooling off like the heat of the day as they discussed literature. Ingrid seemed a bit surprised Kaid was so heavily invested in books, given he didn't really look the type, but the two talked on and on about their latest reads. Kaid strayed from discussing some of his non-fiction books, knowing it was just him researching Oblivion, and did summarize his latest fiction reads. Ingrid seemed more in tune with romantic literature, which Kaid hadn't graced upon much. But it was nice to find another fellow reader amidst the chaos.

Seeing Ballard start to clean the plates, his frail hands shaking slightly, Kaid got up to assist. Despite the butler's reprimand, Kaid cleared everyone's plates and helped him take them into the kitchen. He even offered to help wash the plates if needed, seeing the horrified look of the other kitchen staff. Perhaps that was too much of an overstep. On his way back, he heard the two women talking and took the moment to just listen, leaning against the wall.

"So, what do you think?" Jess asked, finishing her meal with one last glass of wine.

"I think he's positively divine. I can't believe where you found him, in such a wretched place. He's an absolute sweetheart," Ingrid observed, "although he probably should refrain from assisting the staff when you visit Arilla."

"I'd tell him and he would ignore me anyways," Jess smiled, "he's very stubborn when it comes to his kindness."

"Does he make you happy?"

"Very much so," Jessamine replied quietly, without hesitation.

"Your mother would have loved him very much. She would be proud of you, Jessamine. You stepped up when nobody else would, and even if it's been challenging, you've done better than how anyone else would have done. And it has cost you a great deal. Whatever happens, my dear Jess, do not lose sight of what's important. Do not lose sight of him," Ingrid spoke softly, "I have a feeling together you will do great things."

The silence from Jessamine made it clear to Kaid's eavesdropping that the comment had touched her. Kaid knew it was rare that both of them ever received any kind of praise, yet maybe they were the most deserving of it.

"He deserves better," Jessamine finally admitted, "I feel so lucky to have him but also so unworthy at the same time. The more I know about him, the more I love, and the more painful it feels. Someone could use him against me, use him because of me, hurt him because of me. I'm not worth any of that."

"Jessamine," Ingrid spoke, this time with a more serious tone, "love is a very powerful thing. It inspires us not only to make another person happy, but also ourselves. The pain we fear is real, because love is the first authentic emotion we as humans feel upon birth. Fear of losing someone you love is not a rare thing, we all know our time together is limited. How you choose to spend it, how you overcome that fear in the moments together, is what truly matters. You have a man who became a Guardian, with little experience but all the determination in the world to be closer to you.

"You fear love because of what it had cost your mother. But, I assure you Jessamine, she would have picked the same choice time and time again even if she knew the consequences. She stopped so you could continue forward. I pray to the Divines you will never be in a similar circumstance, but I know if you were, if you had to sacrifice something for that man, sometimes it's done without hesitation. If you're going to put your faith into him, you also need to put it in yourself. You got yourself this far without him, now you can go even further together."

"I miss her so much," Jessamine's voice wavered.

"I do too, child," Ingrid nodded, "everyone in this family does. But you made it right, and you will continue to do so. Won't you?"

Jessamine nodded, swallowing hard as she forced the tightness in her throat to wither away. Kaid walked back in, his presence making Jess straighten slightly in her chair, removing any sorrow away from her expression. She knew he could sense it though, that she couldn't hide any of it from him. She almost hated the fact how easy it was for him to read her, but she also loved how she never had to explain any of it to him.

"Well, let me get ready for the end of the day. I'll let you two explore before you go. Are you sure you won't stay the night? It will offer some privacy and some time before tomorrow's negotiations," Ingrid offered.

"No, I'm sure that would be fairly rude to our host," Jessamine assured, "thank you, Ingrid. We will visit together another time, I'll make sure of it. We will be sure to say goodbye before we leave tonight."

Ingrid smiled at that, Ballard assisting her to get ready for the evening. Age was almost a depressing outlook, seeing loved ones begin to wither away. But it also meant they led a fairly fulfilling life, and Jessamine knew Ingrid had no regrets. Jessamine didn't say anything but took Kaid's hand, gently pulling at him to follow. They walked outside, up some stone stairs to what seemed like the roof of the entire fort. The rooftop had a soft and large daybed, perfect for gazing at the stars or soaking up the sun under some shade without getting burnt.

They sat down, Jessamine fiddling with his hand before she took a deep breath, "I'm sure by now you can see I am the last one in my family, so to speak. There's not much of us left within Vitross territory, not much support. It was what made the transition into becoming Empress even more difficult and terrifying. The only one I had was Payne, which I know you question my reliance on him, some days I do too. But I was left without much of a choice, without a chance without him."

"I know," Kaid nodded, squeezing her hand, letting her know it was okay to continue, that he would not judge her.

"My mother watched my father deteriorate the more he sat on that throne. He was once a man who swore he'd never be like his father, or grandfather before him. He promised to make things better, and he did, but only for a small percentage of people. My father turned from a very open minded, optimistic man, and witnessed this world's cruelty, seized control of it, before it grabbed ahold of him as well. Their arguments got worse overtime, and the final straw was the incident with Mattias. My mother wanted him punished and my father didn't see anything deemed worthy of punishment, other than my withholding of the deal.

"She was going to leave him, to come here and remain with family. She said she was going to take me too, maybe even Alec but he was practically already shadowing the Council of Jurors and a grown adult. He would have stayed. My mother tried to find a solution, but because it wasn't what my father wanted, it angered him beyond anything I had ever seen. Like Ingrid said of most Monnier's, we are figments of jealousy. My father thought there must have been another man, he didn't realize that 'other man' was just his rotting corpse, the man he used to be."

She took a deep breath, shaking her head slightly before looking at Kaid.

"There's a dent in that piano, it's not noticeable unless you're playing it. It's where he bashed her head in before pretending she had fallen down the gallery stairs. The impact had killed her instantly and everyone fell for the lie, after all, the two were considered the most beloved couple in Vitross. Alec and I knew different, so did Payne. All it took was proof. I broke my rule about Persephone, wanted to push myself so hard so I would be able to know the truth. And I did, one night. My father slept so much heavier after that, with the help of alcohol. Her death wreaked havoc on everyone, even the man who had committed the crime. Sneaking into his room was easy, infiltrating his mind was harder. But I found that memory, I found it multiple times to make sure it was true, it wasn't just his drunken imagination.

"That throne destroys people, and I'm worried it's going to destroy me too," she shamefully admitted, tears welling into her eyes. Kaid immediately moved closer, his fingers brushing gently across her sunburnt skin, prepared to wipe any tears away.

"Jessamine, I know that won't happen. The work we are doing now, everything we are trying to do, it's not going to destroy anything. We want to make things right for Vitross, for its people, and most of all reverse whatever actions your family might have done."

"I killed him, Kaid. I killed my father. Everything the press speculates, everything the other empires question about my legitimacy, it is all true. I sat there that night and told him I wished he would just stop breathing. I didn't realize I had actually forced that to happen. I went to bed and woke up to chaos, an Emperor dead, no clear medical explanation as to the reason why. Alec knew immediately it had been me, he just knew," Jessamine cried, "and god, I remember the relief I felt. I still feel it sometimes, that twisted, gut wrenching feeling of taking someone's life, someone you hate."

Kaid pulled her closer, the embrace only making her sobbing worse as she pressed into his neck. He could feel the hot tears down his neck and shoulder, his arms wrapping around her gently. No sympathy was held for Emperor Kristoff, in fact, Kaid would have killed him if he were still alive today. What that man did was horrendous, and he was just like Jessamine's grandfather as well, a cruel man who took whatever he wanted by force.

"I thought I had fixed things, I thought that for once I had used my Oblivion for good. Alec would take his place and he would figure it out from there," Jessamine spoke, her breathing heavy as she tried to console herself with deep breaths, "a week later, Alec was gone. He took nothing of his, no clothes, swords, anything...he just left with a bit of coin in his pocket. All he left was a note behind for me. The man destined to be the heir suddenly didn't want to be."

"What did the note say?" Kaid asked, seeing her lip quiver in fear.

"That the people who sit on that throne are monsters, and I deserve to sit on there above anyone else," she closed her eyes, the last bit of tears streaming down, "That was it. He was never seen again. Payne and the others spent months searching and found not even a single bit of evidence he was even alive. He could have gone to the Black Cliffs up north and jumped off for all we knew. He was gone, and everyone thought I got what I wanted. The woman who was pushed so far away from that throne, from politics, from the schemes, now was at the forefront of it all."

Her entire family had abandoned her, one way or another. Besides her mother, who seemed to die trying to protect her, everyone else tossed her aside like street garbage. And when she finally took a position of power, they degraded her, belittled her, and believed her to be this person she wasn't.

"You're here now, and I know you are not a monster. Far from it," Kaid whispered, brushing a strand of loose hair from her bun.

"Some days I want to be," she admitted, gazing at him, wondering if that would change his mind about her, "I want to burn this world and everything inside. Everything except you. What happens tomorrow might just turn me into one, permanently. All for what? Trade routes that should be protected regardless if Grotto likes me or not. I can do everything right, play by their rules, cheat the way they cheat, yet I'll end up the villain."

"Villains all depend on who's telling the story, on who is controlling the narrative. You know your story, Jessamine. You don't need to tell anyone who you are, you only need to show them. You are given a clean slate right now, a blank music sheet only needing new notes to play. So play your song, play it how you want to play it, not caring how any audience may think," he spoke softly, "This world is full of cruelty and pain. I used to think the world was black and white but that was only what Caladin wanted me to think. This empire needs someone like you, who will stand up for what is right, even if it's by unconventional means, even if it means killing. You're fighting a system only you can see from where you stand, and I will help you fight it."

"Kaid you shouldn't have to-"

"I want to, Jessamine. It's the same system that kept me in Caladin. We do this right, then maybe we can destroy that place too. Judgment will come in one form or another, but if our hearts are in the right place, which I know yours to be, they need to be worried about judgment too. I know we have to play this smart, without direct violence or aggression. I believe in you, Jessamine. I know you'll make the right decisions."

"I never wanted to drag you into this," she whispered, shaking her head.

"You didn't have much of a choice when you were thrown into my cell," Kaid corrected, offering a small smile. Her hand still held his firmly, tightening her grip slightly.

"I'll need you, Kaid. I'll need your kindness, your bravery...all the goodness in your heart and also all its pain. Without it, I'll be lost."

"Consider me yours, Jessamine," he nodded, knowing he would be here for her, no matter what. She leaned further into him, their hands parting as she wrapped her arms around his neck, needing to just be held closer by him. Her fingers tangled into the wavy curls on the back of his neck, a pained smile on her lips.

What was the point in needing him as her compass, when she already knew her destination? It felt too late to change their heading as the tides of their past already determined it for them. Time was now the helmsman, but luckily there was someone also capable of controlling that.

They remained up there for nearly an hour, neither saying much. Jessamine finally calmed down, able to make herself presentable as if she hadn't just emptied her pent up sorrow and frustration like a powder keg full of graphite. The stars looked brighter than they did in Vitross, no light pollution other than the dimming flames capable of diminishing their beauty. Kaid spent that hour calming her down, knowing the worst was still ahead, and their night was far from over.

They said their goodbyes to Ingrid, who seemed eager to retire for the evening, but also excited to see them again. After Arilla, Jess hoped they could stop by for a longer visit once that entire political nightmare was dealt with. It would only get worse if they didn't handle tomorrow's negotiations. Everything was relying on it all going smoothly, on how it was planned. But both Jessamine and Kaid knew if it went how Payne meant it to, these negotiations would not go smoothly at all.

Leaving the Sand Castle with the truth of her past, Kaid knew there was only one way forward and that was by her side.

Once back on the ship, everything seemed alright, Jessamine leaning her head against Kaid's shoulder to get some rest. Kaid knew all the guards had gone underneath into the small helms bridge underneath, probably to just play another round of cards. Everything seemed just as it should be, until it didn't. Kaid felt that raise of his hairs, glancing around at the darkness of the night before feeling Jessamine shift as well.

She felt it too, the subtle change, their paths changing.

"What's going on?" Kaid whispered, seeing Jessamine clench her jaw in frustration.

"They're changing our heading. They've already changed it, slightly by a few degrees. I thought perhaps I only dozed off and imagined it, but it's happening. We won't be reaching the Duke tonight if it stays this way," she whispered in return, taking a deep, controlled breath.

"Are they preparing for a fight?" Kaid asked, wondering if he should pull out his blade by now.

"No, they're preparing for a delivery. And I'm not going to wait and find out who they're delivering us to," she muttered, her eyes narrowing.

The night was indeed far from over.