Requiem for a King [MxM]

Quiet Musings

Jaredeth tossed his jacket over his shoulder and finally exited his office. It was the dead of night. The halls were quiet, and his eyes were so tired that if he stared at one thing too long, it became a blur of colour. But he'd be remiss if he went to bed without kissing Jaliah goodnight.

He mounted the steps and caught a glimpse of the moon setting high in the sky. Gods, how late was it? He'd lost himself in paperwork at some point in the afternoon and when he raised his head again, it was dark outside his window.

When he reached the second floor, the sounds of conversation reached him—one voice unmistakably his mother. The door opposite the steps was ajar, soft firelight spilling from beyond. He gave it a soft knock before stepping inside. His mother sat in an armchair, one leg folded under her hip and a book in her lap. Across from her, Octavia was on the couch with a sleeping Jaliah in her arms. Amadeus squatted near the hearth, stoking the flames with a poker.

"Goodnight," Jaredeth greeted with all the warmth he could muster. "I'm surprised to see you still up, mother." He draped his jacket over the back of an armchair.

"The little one was being quite ornery, so I came to take over. But even I couldn't calm her down." She turned a page in her book. "Luckily, Octavia here seems excellent with children, and with a lovely voice to boot."

He gave a tight smile. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the person who'd threatened to take his fingers holding his child. "I'll take her now." He lifted Jaliah from Octavia's arms and cradled her in his own. A heaviness settled on his shoulders as he looked down at her. Was he really about to deprive her of a parent? Little girls need their mothers, Elaine had said, and the words had haunted him since.

"Jaredeth," his mother said. "You're enough. More than enough." She closed her book and stood. "I think I'll retire for the night. Try not to stay up too late." She squeezed his shoulder as she walked by.

Amadeus rose and stretched. "I think I'll call it a night, too. Thanks for the talk, Octavia."

"Of course," Octavia gave him a little smile as he left, an expression that disappeared when she laid eyes on Jaredeth.

He shifted a little in his seat and debated running up to bed too. Then again, this woman was Quintus' friend and probably the closest thing he had to family. He should at least try to get in her good graces. "Uh. How is Quintus?"

"No better or worse than he was earlier," she answered. "But we need to talk about Amadeus. He needs glasses."

Jaredeth opened his mouth to protest, then shut it again. He was at least half sure that Amadeus had glasses, but he didn't recall the boy wearing them the last few times they crossed paths. And he was in the tower when the Bone Dragon destroyed it. "I told him to tell me if he needed anything." He roughed up his hair with his free hand.

Octavia breathed a sigh through her nose. "That boy has been on the run for some time. He's not so quick to trust non-necromancers. You can't expect him to come to you. Just do it. Don't ask him if he needs clothes. Send someone to get his measurements."

Jaredeth winced. "Understood."

"These are the things you need to be cognizant of if you plan on making Avaly a haven. If you're too busy to pay attention, then pay someone else to do it. This is not going to be easy for you. If you think I'm being harsh, those toads at the archives are much, much worse."

"Of course." He added that to the mountain of things that needed his attention. "Is it alright if we put this haven business off for a fortnight? I'll accommodate you for as long as you need."

She waved a hand. "There's nothing I can do right now either way. I came here with only the clothes on my back. And I'd rather wait for Quintus to wake up."

"Ah." He made a mental note to send the castle's outfitter to her room tomorrow. "You said Quintus has been in purgatory before. How long did it take for him to wake up?"

"Five days if I'm remembering right." She paused a moment, her eyes getting that faraway look again. "How, exactly, did you two come into each other's company?"

Heat crept into Jaredeth's face. "It's quite the tale."

"Give me the short version."

Jaredeth settled Jaliah more comfortably in his arms before he began. He told her of his departure from Avaly, Lazarus' request, Daniel's betrayal. He recalled waking up in the abandoned city, his subsequent travels with Quintus through the waypoint, and Ewell, and finally recovering his memories.

Octavia planted her elbows on her knees and rubbed her face. "I had no idea things had gotten so bad on this side of the range. It doesn't surprise me that Quintus came here. And it's a good thing he did. Having a bone dragon running amuck is not ideal. However, I'm surprised he stayed to fight."

Jaredeth shrugged a shoulder. "He was going to leave. I'm still not sure why he came back. He told me of his immortality, said we could never be more. I don't expect him to stay once he wakes up." But I want him to, he added in his head.

"Ah. He gave you the Quintus Special," she said, her voice light with understanding.

"Uh, excuse me? Quintus Special?"

"The Fuck and Flee is what Celesta calls it. I'm nowhere near as crude, but I can assure you it's an apt description. Don't beat yourself up about it. You're not the first man he's left twisting in the wind. Doubtful you'll be the last." She stood and stretched her arms over her head. "Thank you for enlightening me. I have much to think about."

"Of course." Jaredeth sat there long after the door clicked shut. He felt like such a fool. It meant everything to me, Quintus had said. Or lied. No... Quintus wasn't one to lie about his intentions. He could be cryptic, but never dishonest.

He rubbed his eyes. It didn't matter. He and Quintus couldn't be. And while he hadn't fully convinced himself of that, he'd keep repeating it until it rooted itself so deep in his mind, it became an immutable fact.