11-30-2016, 01:08 AM
“I will be here should you need me, my dear.”
The hushed words had been affectionately breathed in Angelo’s ear as soon as Seirye was satisfied that the quartet of men had settled into what she assumed would be a bittersweet eve of drunken reconnection. She had allowed her enchanted gaze to meet Vieri’s eyes for a brief moment as she straightened, and had been greeted by a small smirk and an offered glass that the young woman quietly refused.
She had little doubt her brother and Red would be good company for her fiancé and his brother. At the very least, Vieri and Red were both cheerful enough that the chance of the mood being completely darkened by sad memories (or the inability to make them) was slim. Yet the idea of allowing herself to get lost in blissful inebriation was not one that appealed to her.
For one, given how Baroness Centri had received the understandably upsetting news, Seirye wished to stay abreast of her condition for as much Angelo and Giovanni’s benefit as the lady Centri’s.
For another, it had taken nearly all her mental fortitude to keep from simply drowning in the sudden surge of overwhelming emotion from the battered family. Adding alcohol into the mix after she had spent so many years avoiding it hardly seemed to be the most sound plan.
It was a night for Angelo and his brother to catch up on the years they had lost. At the very least, the strength of that particular echo of hurt would begin to lessen until, eventually, it just vanished completely.
Thus, it was after the sorceress had slipped from sight that she allowed herself to fall back against a wooden wall and breathe a soft sigh of relief. At least one good thing had ultimately resulted from Kuthven’s fall. She doubted the situation would have allowed for the two Centri brothers to be forced into such a small vicinity otherwise. Even so, the price for it had been far more than should have been fair.
Seirye allowed her eyes to drift back in the direction she had come as the sound of Red’s booming laughter caught her attention. For a moment, a soft smile adorned her lips as she straightened again and began to traverse the rest of the distance to the sleeping space the majority of them shared.
The brothers would be fine.
From what Seirye was able to see down below, aside from the resting form of Baroness Centri, the cots were empty. She picked her way carefully around them - aided by her enchanted vision and her well-practiced steps - and came to rest at the other woman’s side. She delicately tucked her legs beneath her body as she slowly dropped into a kneel and reached out with a slender finger to brush a stray strand of dark hair from the Baroness’s face.
There was nothing. For a brief moment, the healer’s heart skipped a beat as she frantically tried to pick out any traces of the lady Centri’s psyche. She reached out to press her fingers against the other woman’s wrist, but relaxed as soon as she picked up the faint throb of a heartbeat.
Sleep at least seemed to be offering the older woman a reprieve from the multitude of emotions that had been plaguing her mind.
As the moment of panic passed, Seirye allowed her gaze to hover over her future mother-in-law’s face much in the same manner she frequently looked at Angelo. Her eyes lingered on minute details as she focused on committing them enough to memory that, even while blind, she would be able to picture the sleeping woman’s face. Everything from the soft slope of her nose. The cheekbones that Angelo seemed to have inherited. Delicately arched brows and smooth skin that made the Baroness seem much younger than she truly was.
It was a face that belonged to her more than it did not - regardless of whether or not it had been the one she always wore.
Seirye’s soft smile returned as she allowed her fingertips to slide off the other woman’s wrist. Clearly, Baroness Centri seemed to be at peace for the time being. There was really no reason for her to remain.
The healer rose silently to her feet and cast the sleeping woman a final, gentle look before she retreated carefully back to the stairs that led back up to the galley.
“Well, you’re marrying into the right family.”
Seirye froze halfway up the small flight of creaking starts as she caught ear of the voice. Without hesitation, she focused on the bloodied man that had materialized at the top of the stairs and was leaning heavily against the doorway with his arms crossed.
She kept her gaze focused on him for a moment before she ascended the last few steps and strode quickly past him without a word.
“I am right, sister. An imposter as the baroness of the Centri house? And the two sons have accepted such a thing? Tch tch tch. House Murcatio would have never stood for such an insult. Then again, Vieri’s little bird always did have a weakness for plucked heartstrings. Seems she found her nest.”
“Not now, Luciano,” Seirye responded cooly. She had only paused long enough to glance over her shoulder, but when she turned her eyes forward again she found herself staring at her deceased brother’s blood-smeared face.
“Oh? You were so eager to talk to me before. Come now, sister. Your fiancé is busy bonding with his brother. Why don’t you have a nice chat with yours?”
Seirye stared at him for a moment before she skirted around his form and continued walking. Luciano promptly rounded on her furiously as the illusion of calm her wore rapidly dissipated.
“Fucking bitch. You are so willing to dote upon someone else’s fake mother, but oh, her own blood is involved and dear Seirye turns her back.”
The sorceress paused again and loosely cradled her arms against her torso as she turned partially around to look at Luciano again. “And what would you have me do, brother? You have already made it clear that anything I say will not appease you… and I have made it clear your words no longer hold any sway. Truthfully, it seems any conversation we have rests at a stalemate.”
For a moment, Luciano met her gaze with his furious glare, and then his expression softened as the corners of his mouth turned upward into a slight smirk. “Ah… but you cannot lie to me, sister. Your mind is as much mine as it is yours. Every once in awhile, that mad mage’s idea creeps into your head, and you wonder if it may be worth the risk to be rid of me.”
“Considering is quite different than doing. I accepted as soon as Shaath presented such an option that doing so was not worth the potential outcome.”
“Ah, but what if I beg? What if I tug on your delicate little heartstrings? What if I seem so sad?” Luciano took a slow, sauntering step towards her as he smeared a trail of blood beneath one of his eyes like the streak of a tear. “It worked for that little boy when he wanted his books. You do not know what I am, little bird. I could be little more than the manifestation of your memories of me, it’s true. I could actually be Luciano mercilessly trapped in the mind of the sister he so despises - such a cruel fate that would be… Or perhaps I am a personification of the thoughts you refuse to admit you allow yourself to have. The cruel ones that you believe have no place in the sweet little lie you have woven.”
He paused for a moment to allow the statement to sink in before he leaned forward.. “And my, how deep that lie has delved. Mother tried ever so hard to ensure her sweet little girl married well and did our family proud without any sort of unfortunate scandal, and here she is, convinced she is in love with a spoiled child from a now defunct family that probably fucked any cunt he could woo when he wasn’t too busy throwing a tantrum about the ones that spurned him. I wonder how quickly he’ll get bored once you aren’t the only willing sheath for his cock?”
Seirye’s normally gentle expression had hardened into a defiant glare as a faint light flashed dangerously in her cloudy eyes, though her voice remained calm. “Have you ever considered, Luciano, how priceless these conversations would be if we spent them trying to heal our relationship rather than causing further harm to it?”
“What? Did I finally strike a nerve, little bird?” Luciano’s mouth had twitched into a grin again as he allowed his face to hover no more than a few inches from his sister’s. “You know, you could be rid of me. It would be so easy… and you'd never have to hear the truth from me again. You could live undisturbed in your precious little lie. Or perhaps I should bring up the convenience of your engagement? Secure the affection of the pretty little dove mere days before he is stuck on a ship with a bunch of ragged dogs… that way he will never be left wanting, hm?”
Again, the healer started to turn away from him but was halted as her gaze connected with Luciano’s own once more. For the briefest of moments, her hard expression faltered to betray the faintest inkling of sadness, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
“No.”
The response was simple and punctuated with a moment of silence during which the siblings stared at each other. Seirye’s eyes still glistened threateningly with a dim white glow, while Luciano’s grin had darkened into an angry scowl.
“If you will excuse me, Luciano. I wish to check in on my fiancé… And my brothers.”
The sorceress once again turned away as she allowed emphasis to be placed on the pluralization of “brother” - a direct reference to Giovanni as well as Vieri - and continued walking. This time the man remained where he was, though he continued to glare after his sister’s retreating form.
Slowly, however, his scowl flickered back into a smirk.
“Send dear Vieri my regards. I'm sure he'd love to hear from me. Remember sister, I’m the one person you can’t hide from. Not anymore.”
There was no response. In fact, Seirye had not even bothered to look back as she covered the remaining distance to the galley. She paused outside the doorway and took a small breath as she allowed her expression to gradually soften. The glow in her eyes blinked out as she absentmindedly ran a hand along her other arm, and she took a few moments to simply listen to the banter that was occurring inside the room.
She caught Angelo’s laugh mixed in with Red’s booming chortle and another chuckle that she assumed was Giovanni’s as Vieri presented one of his amusing observations, and her lips curved into a gentle smile again. She stepped quietly back into the galley.
There was no sense dwelling.
The hushed words had been affectionately breathed in Angelo’s ear as soon as Seirye was satisfied that the quartet of men had settled into what she assumed would be a bittersweet eve of drunken reconnection. She had allowed her enchanted gaze to meet Vieri’s eyes for a brief moment as she straightened, and had been greeted by a small smirk and an offered glass that the young woman quietly refused.
She had little doubt her brother and Red would be good company for her fiancé and his brother. At the very least, Vieri and Red were both cheerful enough that the chance of the mood being completely darkened by sad memories (or the inability to make them) was slim. Yet the idea of allowing herself to get lost in blissful inebriation was not one that appealed to her.
For one, given how Baroness Centri had received the understandably upsetting news, Seirye wished to stay abreast of her condition for as much Angelo and Giovanni’s benefit as the lady Centri’s.
For another, it had taken nearly all her mental fortitude to keep from simply drowning in the sudden surge of overwhelming emotion from the battered family. Adding alcohol into the mix after she had spent so many years avoiding it hardly seemed to be the most sound plan.
It was a night for Angelo and his brother to catch up on the years they had lost. At the very least, the strength of that particular echo of hurt would begin to lessen until, eventually, it just vanished completely.
Thus, it was after the sorceress had slipped from sight that she allowed herself to fall back against a wooden wall and breathe a soft sigh of relief. At least one good thing had ultimately resulted from Kuthven’s fall. She doubted the situation would have allowed for the two Centri brothers to be forced into such a small vicinity otherwise. Even so, the price for it had been far more than should have been fair.
Seirye allowed her eyes to drift back in the direction she had come as the sound of Red’s booming laughter caught her attention. For a moment, a soft smile adorned her lips as she straightened again and began to traverse the rest of the distance to the sleeping space the majority of them shared.
The brothers would be fine.
From what Seirye was able to see down below, aside from the resting form of Baroness Centri, the cots were empty. She picked her way carefully around them - aided by her enchanted vision and her well-practiced steps - and came to rest at the other woman’s side. She delicately tucked her legs beneath her body as she slowly dropped into a kneel and reached out with a slender finger to brush a stray strand of dark hair from the Baroness’s face.
There was nothing. For a brief moment, the healer’s heart skipped a beat as she frantically tried to pick out any traces of the lady Centri’s psyche. She reached out to press her fingers against the other woman’s wrist, but relaxed as soon as she picked up the faint throb of a heartbeat.
Sleep at least seemed to be offering the older woman a reprieve from the multitude of emotions that had been plaguing her mind.
As the moment of panic passed, Seirye allowed her gaze to hover over her future mother-in-law’s face much in the same manner she frequently looked at Angelo. Her eyes lingered on minute details as she focused on committing them enough to memory that, even while blind, she would be able to picture the sleeping woman’s face. Everything from the soft slope of her nose. The cheekbones that Angelo seemed to have inherited. Delicately arched brows and smooth skin that made the Baroness seem much younger than she truly was.
It was a face that belonged to her more than it did not - regardless of whether or not it had been the one she always wore.
Seirye’s soft smile returned as she allowed her fingertips to slide off the other woman’s wrist. Clearly, Baroness Centri seemed to be at peace for the time being. There was really no reason for her to remain.
The healer rose silently to her feet and cast the sleeping woman a final, gentle look before she retreated carefully back to the stairs that led back up to the galley.
“Well, you’re marrying into the right family.”
Seirye froze halfway up the small flight of creaking starts as she caught ear of the voice. Without hesitation, she focused on the bloodied man that had materialized at the top of the stairs and was leaning heavily against the doorway with his arms crossed.
She kept her gaze focused on him for a moment before she ascended the last few steps and strode quickly past him without a word.
“I am right, sister. An imposter as the baroness of the Centri house? And the two sons have accepted such a thing? Tch tch tch. House Murcatio would have never stood for such an insult. Then again, Vieri’s little bird always did have a weakness for plucked heartstrings. Seems she found her nest.”
“Not now, Luciano,” Seirye responded cooly. She had only paused long enough to glance over her shoulder, but when she turned her eyes forward again she found herself staring at her deceased brother’s blood-smeared face.
“Oh? You were so eager to talk to me before. Come now, sister. Your fiancé is busy bonding with his brother. Why don’t you have a nice chat with yours?”
Seirye stared at him for a moment before she skirted around his form and continued walking. Luciano promptly rounded on her furiously as the illusion of calm her wore rapidly dissipated.
“Fucking bitch. You are so willing to dote upon someone else’s fake mother, but oh, her own blood is involved and dear Seirye turns her back.”
The sorceress paused again and loosely cradled her arms against her torso as she turned partially around to look at Luciano again. “And what would you have me do, brother? You have already made it clear that anything I say will not appease you… and I have made it clear your words no longer hold any sway. Truthfully, it seems any conversation we have rests at a stalemate.”
For a moment, Luciano met her gaze with his furious glare, and then his expression softened as the corners of his mouth turned upward into a slight smirk. “Ah… but you cannot lie to me, sister. Your mind is as much mine as it is yours. Every once in awhile, that mad mage’s idea creeps into your head, and you wonder if it may be worth the risk to be rid of me.”
“Considering is quite different than doing. I accepted as soon as Shaath presented such an option that doing so was not worth the potential outcome.”
“Ah, but what if I beg? What if I tug on your delicate little heartstrings? What if I seem so sad?” Luciano took a slow, sauntering step towards her as he smeared a trail of blood beneath one of his eyes like the streak of a tear. “It worked for that little boy when he wanted his books. You do not know what I am, little bird. I could be little more than the manifestation of your memories of me, it’s true. I could actually be Luciano mercilessly trapped in the mind of the sister he so despises - such a cruel fate that would be… Or perhaps I am a personification of the thoughts you refuse to admit you allow yourself to have. The cruel ones that you believe have no place in the sweet little lie you have woven.”
He paused for a moment to allow the statement to sink in before he leaned forward.. “And my, how deep that lie has delved. Mother tried ever so hard to ensure her sweet little girl married well and did our family proud without any sort of unfortunate scandal, and here she is, convinced she is in love with a spoiled child from a now defunct family that probably fucked any cunt he could woo when he wasn’t too busy throwing a tantrum about the ones that spurned him. I wonder how quickly he’ll get bored once you aren’t the only willing sheath for his cock?”
Seirye’s normally gentle expression had hardened into a defiant glare as a faint light flashed dangerously in her cloudy eyes, though her voice remained calm. “Have you ever considered, Luciano, how priceless these conversations would be if we spent them trying to heal our relationship rather than causing further harm to it?”
“What? Did I finally strike a nerve, little bird?” Luciano’s mouth had twitched into a grin again as he allowed his face to hover no more than a few inches from his sister’s. “You know, you could be rid of me. It would be so easy… and you'd never have to hear the truth from me again. You could live undisturbed in your precious little lie. Or perhaps I should bring up the convenience of your engagement? Secure the affection of the pretty little dove mere days before he is stuck on a ship with a bunch of ragged dogs… that way he will never be left wanting, hm?”
Again, the healer started to turn away from him but was halted as her gaze connected with Luciano’s own once more. For the briefest of moments, her hard expression faltered to betray the faintest inkling of sadness, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
“No.”
The response was simple and punctuated with a moment of silence during which the siblings stared at each other. Seirye’s eyes still glistened threateningly with a dim white glow, while Luciano’s grin had darkened into an angry scowl.
“If you will excuse me, Luciano. I wish to check in on my fiancé… And my brothers.”
The sorceress once again turned away as she allowed emphasis to be placed on the pluralization of “brother” - a direct reference to Giovanni as well as Vieri - and continued walking. This time the man remained where he was, though he continued to glare after his sister’s retreating form.
Slowly, however, his scowl flickered back into a smirk.
“Send dear Vieri my regards. I'm sure he'd love to hear from me. Remember sister, I’m the one person you can’t hide from. Not anymore.”
There was no response. In fact, Seirye had not even bothered to look back as she covered the remaining distance to the galley. She paused outside the doorway and took a small breath as she allowed her expression to gradually soften. The glow in her eyes blinked out as she absentmindedly ran a hand along her other arm, and she took a few moments to simply listen to the banter that was occurring inside the room.
She caught Angelo’s laugh mixed in with Red’s booming chortle and another chuckle that she assumed was Giovanni’s as Vieri presented one of his amusing observations, and her lips curved into a gentle smile again. She stepped quietly back into the galley.
There was no sense dwelling.