(hi, i'm. so sorry. I was busy, and my laptop broke, and it's just been. a lot. But i'm back again, and I'm still willing to continue this if you are. I know it's been like two months though, and I'm really, really sorry that I keep doing this to you)
(oh, hey there! don’t worry about missing time, it’s all good! life has this horrible habit of getting in the way, I completely get it. I’m just glad to see you’re all right! I’d love to keep going with this, it’s been a lot of fun, and I’d still like to see where it goes!)
(Awesome! Thank you for being so patient with me :') )
Rin was well aware that everyone's eyes kept coming back to them, but they didn't say a word about it. This situation was tense enough without him blowing up about something that wasn't even a big deal, all things considered. At the question about dogs, he grimaced faintly. "I… I don't know. I think… i know Arquis's father used to keep dogs there." hadn't Arquis told him that? Wasn't that where Arquis's fear of dogs had come from? "So… I don't really know, but I would think so. And, honestly, fuck them. We'll bring Sugar, and his mother will just have to deal with it."
Ari cleared his throat, looking at his best friend carefully. "Rinlos, tread carefully." he said in a soft voice. "You should not antagonize the woman any more than she is already likely to be." the two Kevran's made eye contact for a long moment and, again, there was that unspoken communication between the two, secrets that only they knew that they did not dare speak aloud here, with others around.
Rin was the first to look away, but it didn't seem that his mind was at all changed. "We'll bring Sugar." he repeated. "And if the Palace won't allow her, then there should be an inn in the town nearby that would let some of us stay there with her."
(yeah, no problem!)
Lovey, sensing some unspoken tension between the two, plastered on a bright smile. "Yeah! I'm sure we can work something out. Besides, she'll probably be so busy with the whole trial that she won't even notice. We'll keep her in our room for most of it."
"Ready to go, then?" Pretty asked. She picked up remaining luggage that was lying around with ease. Sugar yipped in her little case, most likely annoyed at the sudden movement, and Lovey shushed her. "I don't know if we'll be making a straight trip there, it's kind of far. We might have to stop to let the horses rest and get some food for ourselves. We'll still get there before the trial starts, though."
"Well, the sooner we get on the road, the better," her girlfriend responded.
"I guess we're finally quitting for good, then." Pretty said. Lovey flushed and looked at her, startled, the thought not having crossed her mind. "They're not going to let us take however many days off on this short of a notice. We've got a house we're going to move into. We've got some money saved. We'll work it out when we get back, find ourselves some new jobs."
"Right. Right, yeah, we'll make it work. But wait, what about Honey? I don't think he's ready to quit just yet, but he's set on going."
Pretty glanced at Rin and Ari, then back to Lovey. "Let's talk about this on the way down. Like you said, the sooner we get going, the better."
She and Lovey went out into the hall, speaking to each other in hushed, yet urgent, tones, and leaving Rin and Ari alone.
When Rin and Ari were alone, Ari turned to Rin, gaze focused and intense as he looked at his friend. "Rinlos, you can't go in there acting like you're invincible." he said, voice hushed so that it wouldn't carry outside of the room. "We don't… we can't really just assume that we are protected just on the basis of being foreign, and… revealing your status could get us into an even worse situation. Sure, it would protect you, but at what cost?"
Rin grimaced, but nodded. "I know. I just… I'm worried about him, Ari, and… and it feels like everyone is keeping secrets. And I know that I am too, so maybe this is hypocritical of me, but… I don't know. It's just all so frustrating, when I can't figure out anything that's happening or what to do about it."
"I know, Rin, but we have to tread carefully here. It's not safe." Ari's voice was calming and easy, just trying to help Rinlos keep a level head and consider things carefully, rather than rushing into everything.
Outside of the inn, Lovey, Honey, Pretty, and Ophia worked on loading the carriage. Doctor Lavin got out to help, but he stumbled, his knee brace bending wrong. Ophia helped him upright and into the passenger's seat. They exchanged quiet words while the younger adults finished their task. When they'd finished, Ophia took the reigns to the horses and waited for Rin and Ari to come out.
"I'm kinda worried," Honey muttered to his sister as he settled into the back seat. There were two parts to the carriage. Ophia and Doctor Lavin were in the front, which was separated by a divider that had a sliding window. The back was small to the point of being cramped. There was a ring of seats that were so close together that Honey's knees touched Lovey's when they sat across from each other.
Lovey hummed softly. "About Rin or Arquis?"
"About this whole thing." He didn't go beyond that, instead leaning over to look out the window for Rin and Ari.
"Let's go." Ari said, leading Rinlos out of the room and down the stairs, out to the waiting carriage, and then they both got in, squeezing into those little seats with all the others. "Alright. How long will this carriage ride take?" he asked, looking over at Lovey, Honey, and Pretty.
Rin was quiet, his face drawn and tense. It was clear in every line of his body just how worried they were for their partner, anddespite doing his best to try and relax, he just wasn't able to, still too consumed with worry about what was going to happen to Arquis. What if the carriage ride took tooo long? WHat if the trial had already started before they could arrive? WHat then? What could he do then? They ran their hands through their hair, closing their eyes for just a moment as he listened to hear about how long this was going to take. He really just wanted to know wht was going to happen.
(I'm assuming we don't want to play out the whole carriage trip lol)
Lovey shrugged. She'd travelled outside of the inn before, but not frequently enough by carriage to know the trip's length in time. Her guess would probably be about as good as Ari's, so she stayed quiet, eyes drifting to Pretty.
"I don't know, I'd guess maybe a day and a half if we go fast and don't take a lot of breaks. Maybe closer to two days, unless we get lucky. I can't give you a better guess than that. It's not, like, three hours away, even with the horses." She seemed frustrated. Unlike Honey or Rin, she didn't really know much about Arquis, other than that he could be a potential danger. She didn't like not having intel. It felt like walking onto a battlefield without a shield. Worse than that, even. It was like walking onto a battlefield without armor while the enemy was posed to attack. She slumped miserably back against the seat and traced her fingertips along her sword, which was strapped in its sheath to her back.
"We'll have to take some breaks, but maybe if we go quick, I don't know," Lovey piped up.
Honey reached over and took one of Rin's hands. He gave it a comforting squeeze. "We'll get there. It'll be fine. But while we're waiting, everyone should probably think about what they're going to say if they're called on to speak."
(nah lol I think that that would get repetitive haha. DO you wanna handle the skip, tho, or do you want me to?)
Rin looked over at Honey, soft concern in their eyes as Honey spoke. "I… yeah, i guess you're right. I'm just worried about him." still, still, worried about him. They had a feeling that they would be worried about Arquis until the trial finally ended. Hopefully with Arquis as the winner. He… wasn't sure what he would do if Arquis lost this trial and died. Sure, maybe he hadn't known Arquis all that long, but he still, well, loved him. And he really, really didn't want to lose him, either way.
Ari reached out to gently squeeze Rin's shoulder, also trying to comfort his best friend. "We're all going to be here for you. For both of you. It's going to be okay, alright?"
(nah, I got it! also sorry in advance this is kind of long lol)
Honey joined Ari in comforting Rin by giving them what he hoped was a confident smile. As he adjusted to make a little more room for everyone, the carriage began to rattle down the road. Honey sighed softly, closed his eyes, and, despite what he'd said, tried not to think about what was to come.
[Day Eighteen]
The carriage ride took longer than Pretty had predicted. They rode on through the rest of the day, stopping just before nightfall to let the horses rest. Early in the morning, long before dawn had broken, they'd begun again. They'd gone for only about half of that day before having to stop due a hazard in the path. It'd taken over an hour to clear it, even with multiple people helping.
The next morning, a sudden storm caused another unexpected delay. It passed quickly, but they still got on the path late. It was late evening by the time they reached the Palace. Honey poked his head out of the carriage window, marveling at not only the size and beauty of the Palace but also the amount of carriages being ushered to the back. He'd forgotten that High Court trials could be so public. Thjs one would probably be the subject of gossip for Anvillean nobles for weeks.
A harried-looking servant helped them all out of the carriage while another went to unpack their bags. As this was happening, someone came striding forward. She was wearing a dark gray dress with a high neck and garnet earrings, and her black hair was tied back in a neat bun. It took Honey a moment, but he assumed she was probably Quirisa de Vey and not Muria. This woman was young, no older than twenty, though she looked exhausted.
"Hello, and welcome to-" Her voice caught when she saw Rin. She stepped forward, hand outstretched but not touching them, uncertainty, confusion, and relief all warring in her gaze. "Wait. Wait a damn minute. Bard? Is that you?"
An even younger girl, who Honey figured was Marsiquia, came up behind her. Her eyes widened when she saw Rin, and she lunged forward, forgetting all about social norms and good manners.
"It's so bad," she whispered into his shirt, shaking visibly. "It's so, so bad. They won't let us see him. We can't even talk to him. I don't know what to do. I saw them drag him in. He wasn't moving. I'm so scared."
"Marsi," Quirisa commanded, confirming Honey's guess, "give him some room. We don’t know why he’s here.”
She didn't move, just looked up at them, her blue eyes huge in her small, pale face. "I'm so scared," she repeated, voice trembling just as badly as the rest of her.
(all good!)
Rinlos wrapped an arm gently around Marsi, letting her hold onto them for stability as he looked between the two sisters. "It's me." he confirmed to Quirisa, watching her quietly. "I… came to try and help Arquis, in… whatever way that I can." he didn't know quite what else to say, what else he could possibly even do about this. Nothing, almost. God. Was there anything he could do, other than show up and be there?
Ari was quiet, standing beside his friend and watching Arquis's two sisters. He could see the resemblance there, could see it in the way that they interacted and the way their appearances were. He put a hand on Rin's shoulder, but still remained quiet so that Rinlos could handle the introductions.
"Ah- Quirisa, these are some… friends. Ari, one of my best friends that i've known for a long time, and then Honey, Lovey, and Pretty are all, ah, new friends. Arquis has met them all, so…" Rin trailed off after a moment, shrugging a shoulder as he looked over at Quirisa, one arm still holding Marsi gently. That arm was very gentle, not at all holding Marsi too tightly. The young girl could have pulled away in an instant, should she choose to, and Rin would let her go. After everything he had gone through, he wasn't going to run any risk of making someone uncomfortable through his own actions.
Marsiquia continued to cling to Rin, even when Quirisa tapped her on the shoulder. With a sigh, she gently pried her off of them. Marsiquia took a small step back and clasped her hands together to stop from fidgeting.
"Nice to meet you all," Quirisa said. She glanced meaningfully at Marsiquia, but the younger girl didn't say anything, just kept staring sadly at the ground.
"Sorry if things are crazy here. It's not the nicest time for a visit. We heard there was going to be a trial and people just started showing up. They're treating it like it's a show." Quirisa rolled her eyes. She'd been aiming for nonchalant, but she knew it'd probably come off as bitter. She'd been living in a nightmare since Arquis had left. Those long days had weighed on her. She couldn't help but resent the situation they'd been left with.
"Everyone keeps saying Arquis is going to lose. I don't want him to die," Marsiquia whispered. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."
From behind Rin and Ari, Honey, Lovey, and Pretty all exchanged heartbroken looks. At barely fifteen years old, Marsiquia was the youngest one there. She was clearly having a hard time processing the fact that by the end of the trial, either her mother or her brother was going to be dead.
"You said that they wouldn't let you see him?" Lovey asked.
Quirisa nodded and let out a heavy sigh. "Not until the night before the trial. They're scared he'll plan something and sneak out of here, just like he did before. They're keeping him locked in a room. We haven't seen him since he got here earlier today."
"He wasn't moving," Marsiquia repeated, seeming to shrink in on herself, her shoulders slouching and head ducking down. "When they brought him in, he wasn't moving at all. I just saw him for a bit. But I called his name, and he didn't look up or anything.”
Rin grimaced. "He…" he trailed off. What could they even say, to try and soothe Marsiquia's worry? He didn't know anymore. "I don't know what to do, but I know that… that i should be here." even if Arquis had not wanted them to come, he knew that this was important. And… well, if Arquis lost, then Rinlos could not bear the thought of not seeing him one last time. "For him. I… needed to be here for him." he looked at Arquis's sisters, at the worry that was clear on their faces, and they took a deep breath. "I hope there is room for the five of us to stay here. Even if some of us must share a room? Pretty and Lovey," he gestured to the two women, "could stay together, and… I don't know. The rest of us can stay wherever there is room. If there is not, then… then we can stay in the village nearby, at the inn."
Ari had remained quiet, but god, Marsi reminded him of his younger sister. They were close in age, as far as he could tell, and that just made the resemblance and the reminder even stronger. "We're going to do our best to protect Arquis." he said softly, words meant partly to soothe Rinlos, but also mainly to soothe Marsi, to try and ease the fear in the young girl's face. "He's not going to die, if there's anything that we can do to try and save him." god, this whole thing was such a mess, and he didn't know much about the Anvillean legal system. All he could do was watch and hope.
(I can't for the life of me remember if we set a day for the trial so I'm just going to say it starts not tomorrow morning but the morning after that)
Quirisa looked behind Rin at Ophia and Doctor Lavin, who'd come over to see what the rest of the group was doing. Honey quickly introduced them. She nodded, too distracted to properly introduce herself, and turned back to Rin.
"Yeah. I get it. Let me think. Here, you three," she pointed at Rin, Honey, and Ari, "can stay in Arquis's room. He's not using it. They didn't want to put him on the same floor as Marsi and I because they haven't had time to scope out the whole place. I think they're scared of secret passages or something. Anyways." She gestured at Lovey and Pretty. "You two can have my room. I'll stay with Marsi. And as for you guys," her hand swept towards the two older members of the group, "I'll figure something out. But yeah, there'll be enough rooms."
Marsiquia didn't seem to be paying attention to the conversation. Her gaze kept worriedly drifting to the Palace, like she was expecting to see Arquis in one of the windows, and then back to the ground. She'd missed the assurance Ari had tried to give her, not offering so much as a grateful glance in response.
The servants that had gone to get the bags passed by Quirisa as she spoke. Ophia and Doctor Lavin had told them what bags belonged to who, and now that they had a vague idea of where to go, they took off to deliver them safely to the rooms. The two doctors followed behind, exhausted from driving the carriage for two days. Quirisa figured the servants would find them an empty room somewhere. She'd check in on them later.
"Do you remember how to get to Arquis's room, or do I have to show you?" Quirisa asked Rin. "If you can make your way there yourself, then here's the key. You three can go on up and relax a little. Like Marsi said, no one's gonna be able to see Arquis today, so you can crash tonight."
(honestly I can't remember either lmao so youre good!! Anyways i read through the entirety of the RP in the past few days so fbgkj i'm,, excited)
Rin listened quietly, then nodded. "I… I think that i can remember the way." he responded quietly. "Thank you, Quirisa." he glanced around at their small group, a little bit unsure of what to do about Ophia and Dr Lavin. He was grateful that they had come, but honestly he was so exhausted at that moment that he just wanted to get to the bedroom and sit down. He was tired from traveling, and from not yet having had a moment to himself to decompress. IT was taking everything that he had to hold himself together, to keep frm letting his worry about Arquis overwhelm him. His gaze flicked over to the windows, as if he too could catch a glimpse of the nobleman through them, as if somehow he could find his partner's gaze. Even from this far away. But it was all impossible.
They took a step back towards teh carriage, shouldering their lute and their bag, and gesturing for Ari and Honey to do the same. HE looked over at Quirisa, swallowing faintly. "Ah… thank you again." he looked over at Marsi, and gave her a soft smile as he tried to reassure her as well. "Marsi, if you need anything, you can come to me if you'd… if you'd like." he said, knowing the young girl probably needed that reassurance.
Ari grabbed his own bags as well. He was tired too, but not quite in the same way that he knew that Rinlos was. The carriage ride had been exhausting and overly long, but he had snoozed every now and again, usually by leaning back against the wall, or leaning his head against Honey's shouder. Either way though, he certainly wanted a nap as well, and maybe a shower. At least some time to clean up.
Rin waited another moment for Ari and Honey to be ready, and then he led them into the palace and through those winding halls. His steps were a little slower than normal, as he did his best to remember the route to Arquis's room. He kept an eye out, too, for anywhere that Arquis might be. Sure, he had been told that they wouldn't be able to see Arquis tonight, but… maybe he could still try. Maybe he'd be able to talk to him through the door? Send him a ntoe of some kind? But god, this whole thing was so… he didn't know what to do, now that he was here. He opened up the door to Arquis's bedroom, making sure to take the key out and keep it with him. "Here we are." he said to Ari and Honey, setting his bags down on the floor and looking around the familiar bedroom. After all, it was here that he and Arquis had first bonded.
(oh wow, the whole thing?? it's super long! I can't believe it's been over two years! also you'll definitely be more up on the lore than I am, I'm bound to forget a bunch of stuff haha)
Rin's words hadn't seemed to reach Marsiquia. Her gaze was still trained on the higher floors of the Palace, flickering back and forth between windows. She didn't even watch the group head off. It wasn't until Quirisa looped their arms together that she came out of her trancelike state, but at that point everyone else had already gone. Quirisa told her about Rin's offer as they walked back to her room, and she nodded but didn't comment.
In Arquis's room, Honey slowly spun around, eyes almost comically wide as he took it all in. The nobleman's harp alone was likely worth more money than he'd collected throughout his entire life. Times at the Inn weren't always rough, but he'd never had a balcony overlooking a grand estate. He wandered over and pushed the curtain even further aside so that he could see more of the world below. The carriages looked like little toys from so high up.
"I guess I kinda forgot," he mumbled. "I mean, I knew. But I forgot that he was so… that he… that all of this is his. That he has this. Y'know?" He shook his head. "We've gotta find a way to talk to him. Tonight, I mean. There's gotta be some explanation for all of this, yeah?"
(yeah! It took me a bit lol but i did it! And yeah two years is a huge milestone! I know i was pretty inactive for a lot of 2023, but I'm gonna try and be better this year :) and yeahh but ngl it's not a huge deal if we have a few inconsistencies here and there haha)
Ari watched Honey quietly, reaching out to take his hand and press a soft kiss to his cheek. "Yeah, but… I mean, his sisters said that no one was able to get in to see him. I doubt that any of us would be able to. It's not like any of us have any power here." he looked over at Rin, worry in his eyes as he watched his best friend. He knew that Rinlos had been holding in a lot of his emotions for most of that carriage ride, knew that the bard had been doing their absolute best to keep from melting down in front of everyone, but now that they were here? In a safer space, and out of the eyesight of most people? He wasn't sure what to expect next.
Rin drifted over to the bookshelf, fingers flickering over the spines until he found that book of love poems that he had read to Arquis, that first night after the nobleman had been poisoned, and he carefully slid that out to stare at the cover for a long moment. A tempest of emotions swirled inside them, and they weren't sure how to deal with it. They just felt so angry, even as they were sad and terrified for Arquis, they were angry with him. THe nobleman had turned himself in. He had chosen to alert the authorities of his own whereabouts, without even warning RInlos that that was what he was doing, and they just felt so angry. Because they had been right, and Arquis hadn't even tried to talk to him, and now look what was happening. Look what was going on.
(yeah, no pressure if you've got to dip out here and there! as long as this has been going, it's still an extracurricular/purely for fun thing, and it inevitably will end at some point—all that to basically say you're doing the best you can, and if that means hopping on only once every month or so then that's ok, too)
Honey squeezed Ari's hand and managed to tear his focus away from the horizon. His lips twitched into a frown. "I mean, I know. But another day is a long time to wait to get answers. There's gotta be some way we can get in there."
He watched Rin as they walked over to the bookshelves and take out the book. He couldn't see what it was from where he was standing, but he could tell it was significant just because of the look on his face. He wondered what his and Arquis's relationship had been like before they'd come to the Inn. Not public, of course, or he'd have heard about it through gossip. But it seemed like they loved each other. Or, he thought, his frown growing, it seemed like Rin loved Arquis. The latter's motives were hard to figure out.
"He owes you answers, Rin," he said.
(thank you for the kindness, but I still feel bad when I leave you waiting for too long ahaha)
(also i have been,, thinking about the big reveal where Rin tells Arquis who he is. ANd the plan was for Rin to tell Arquis kinda suddenly, bc Leander and the king arrive and Rin's lies just,, collapse around him. But i was thinking that what if maybe Rin has been like, hinting that he's got something he needs to tell Arquis, but for whatever reason they keep getting interrupted before Rin can tell him?)
Rin looked up when Honey spoke, mouth pinching faintly. "He…" he trailed off, setting the book aside again after stroking his thumb across the cover. "I am just so angry with him." he finally said, slowly, though his words were heavy and full of emotion. "And…and maybe that's not fair, when he could die, but… but I'm so angry-" he broke off, voice choked as he took a moment to try and collect himself. "He turned himself in, and… and he wouldn't…" he inhaled deeply, running his fingers through his hair and looking into the middle distance, not quite making eye contact with Honey or Ari. "He refused to discuss any of it with me and i just… if he had talked about it with me…" god, he didn't even know how to articulate this, just that there was so much anger and so much fear and so much sadness, all bound together right now, and he couldn't express one without the other leaking through.
(oh yeah! like maybe at some point after the trial—cause obviously Arquis isn't going to die, let's just get that out of the way—Arquis is talking about how glad he is to have everything finally out in the open, since I imagine most of his backstory will have been cleared up after that—which I'm soooooo excited to see your reaction to!!—and then Rin is all like hey about that, I really need to tell you something, but they keep getting interrupted)
Honey winced in sympathy, dropping Ari's hand to get closer to Rin. He stopped in front of him and took them in, fighting the anger that flickered to life in his own chest. Arquis may have had his reasons for doing what he'd done, but he shouldn't have left his partner out of the loop.
"I think it's fair that you're pissed off. I know I am, and I'm not going through even half of what you are. Maybe he didn't want to tell you everything, but he should've told you something. You should've had a say in all this." He reached out and touched the harp. The wood was cold to the touch. When he pulled his hand back, there was a light coating of dust on his fingertips. "Once we get through this whole mess, you can go ahead and give him a good scolding for what he put you through."
He didn't dare mention the other, seemingly more likely option, which was that Arquis wasn't going to make it out of the trial at all. Muria had called the trial. That put her in a better position than him, at least socially, if not legally as well, since she was putting her life on the line to ensure that he was brought to justice. He also didn't doubt that she'd prepared a pretty convincing case against him. Nobody summoned the High Court unless they felt good about their odds.
(i'm excited for the backstory reveal too!! and yeah exactly! Arquis is like "i'm glad everything is out in the open now" and Rin goes "well about that–" but then he never gets a chance to explain before his father and Lysander show up)
Ari followed Honey over to Rinlos, grimacing slightly as he realized just what was going on in his friend's head. "Rin, it's valid to be angry with him." he said gently. "Honey's right. When this mess is over, you can talk to him and figure this shit out. And if… if he doesn't come around, then… tough." he reached out, gently smoothing a hand down Rin's shoulder to try and reassure him through physical touch.
Rin took a deep breath, shaking his head a little bit. "But what if he loses?" they breathed, voice suddenly choked. "What if he dies, and I spend his last few days alive angry at him?" he tore his hands through his hair, closing his eyes and taking deep, shaky breaths. "I'm just… I'm so worried, and i'm so mad at him, and…" he swallowed hard, just trying to keep themself from overthinking this and breaking down.
(yeah that'll be such an interesting reveal!)
Honey stopped fiddling with the harp so that he could gently remove Rin's hands from their hair. He'd been tearing at it so hard that he was afraid they were going to rip some out.
"I know it's hard, but try not to think like that," he murmured, holding their hands in his own. "Anything could happen at the trial. As they're going through the evidence, maybe they'll find something that'll incriminate someone else, and he'll be let off the hook. Or maybe someone else will just straight up confess. We don't know what really happened with his dad, or if his mom really has any proof that he was involved with anything. She could be bluffing, and a couple of questions could tear her whole argument apart. So let's not give up hope just yet, okay? Let's wait for him to explain it all."
There was a knock on the door. Honey gave Ari a look, silently telling him to watch over Rin, before answering it. An exhausted servant handed him a warm, closed picnic basket, and guilt churned in his stomach as he took it. He'd been in their shoes before. It felt odd being on the receiving side.
"I think the Quirisa sent up some food. Let's see." He popped open the lid and froze. There were bread rolls and a few canteens of soup, but there was also a note. It had Muria's name on it. He read it slowly in his head, his brow creasing with frustration as he went. Then, hoping they wouldn't see, he shoved it in his pocket and held up the basket. "Um. Yeah. There's food, if you guys are hungry."
(fs fs, i can't wait)
(also a note from Muria and you're not going to reveal it?? dfgbskdhgkl)
Ari reached out to wrap his arms around Rin, holding onto him. "Take a few deep breaths, Rinlos. Arquis is going to be okay. He will. He's not going to lose this. He's a good man, and everything is going to work out. It'll be fine." he wasn't sure how much of his words were true and how many were just gentle lies that would only soothe Rin temporarily, but gods damn him he was trying. "If you want to sit and pray, we can do that. I have some supplies, I know you do too, we can find a private spot and… and do that, but…" he ran a hand through Rin's hair, just trying to soothe him still. "Whatever helps."
Rin shook his head a little. "No, I… I don't want to pray about it, Ari, i want answers. I want some fucking answers, because he lied to me, and… and he never even asked me, and now…" he gritted his teeth. "He was so sure that there was no chance of it going to the High Court, and now look where we are. It went to the fucking High Court, and I'm just… i was right, and gods damn it if he had listened maybe he wouldn't be in this situation, and…" he dropped his forehead onto Ari's shoulder with a frustrated groan.
(don't worry you'll get to know what it says soon)
Honey watched the two of them from afar, unsure of what to do. It didn't really seem like an appropriate time to break them apart so they could eat. He set the basket down on the bed and shoved his hand in his pocket. The note was there, written on sharp, crisp paper. It was so sharp that it nearly gave him a paper cut as he traced the edge of it with his thumb. He wondered if he should just hand it over, but Rin seemed really upset. The last thing he wanted to do was shake them even further. There was still the whole trial to get through, after all. He didn't want him expending all of their energy in the next day and have nothing left for the trial itself.
He decided he'd wait for Rin to calm down before giving it to them. It rustled in his pocket as he withdrew his hand, and he adjusted his shirt, hoping that would cover up the sound.
(fhbkj okayy)
Ari just held Rin for a few more moments, rubbing his back. "I know. Let's get some food and some rest, okay? YOu'll think a little clearer after you eat and rest. I promise." he knew if he couldn't pull Rin's thought process into something a little bit better, the bard would just keep spinning those same thoughts through his head until it consumed him, and that was the last thing that they needed.
Rin swallowed, then nodded. "I… okay." he said faintly. They followed Ari over to where Honey was, sitting down on the bed. He still looked upset, but he was trying. He looked over at Honey. "I… sorry." they said, clearing his throat and looking down at the food.
Honey passed them one of the canteens and a roll, offering him a smile. "Nah, no need to apologize. If there's anyone who deserves a good rant, it's you. But I think Ari's right. Eat some food, take a deep breath, and then we'll go from there, yeah?"
He handed out more food to Ari, then took the rest for himself. There was butter as well, a short yet thick slab of the stuff that was specked with thyme. He slathered some on his bread, then took a bite. His eyes widened. He'd had really good food before, but this was a different experience. The roll had a golden crust and was surprisingly light and fluffy on the inside, perfect for dunking in sauce or broth. He hurried to uncap his soup, pushed the roll inside, and then shoved it in his mouth. It tasted even better when combined. He knew he shouldn't be enjoying himself so much, but it was hard to think of anything serious when he was eating something so delicious.
He finished his portion quickly, then sheepishly looked at the other two to see how much they'd gotten through.
Rin was picking at his food, not all that hungry to begin with in the first place. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts, too wrapped up in the emotions swirling inside them about Arquis, about everything happening with Arquis. HIs gaze was off somewhere in the distance, but at least he seemed more relaxed than he had been. OR at least, not melting down as much, though that was all relative.
Ari was still working on his food, faster than Rin but not quite as fast as Honey. He looked over at the blond man, giving him a soft smile. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Enjoying the food?" the question was void of any judgement, it was just a genuine question. "Arquis's family must have some pretty good cooks, because this is fantastic."
Honey blushed. "Yeah, food's great. I mean, I've eaten well before, but this is like top notch stuff. Never knew something as simple as bread and soup could taste so good." He cleared his throat and fiddled with the top of his canteen. "I guess we just put the dishes back in the basket when we're done, huh?"
The question felt so mundane, given the circumstances, but he was struggling to think of something else to say that wouldn't cause Rin to spiral. He wanted him to have a calm few moments while they finished up their food. His hand went back to the note in his pocket, and he suddenly felt the urge to crumple it up and throw it away. He didn't, but the feeling was so overwhelming that his forearm flexed, and he had to actively prevent his jaw from clenching. The whole situation was so screwed up.
Ari nodded slightly. "Mhm. We'll put it back in the basket, put it outside the door for the servants to take." he replied, gaze following Honey's arm to where it was flexed, the hand balled up in the blond's pocket. "Honey? Is something wrong?" he asked, cocking his head very faintly as he tried to figure out what was going on. Why would Honey clench his muscles like that?
Rin kept picking at his food, sitting cross-legged on the bed. He looked up when Ari and Honey started speaking, cocking his head and eyes flickering between the two. They didn't speak just yet, since they didn't really have anything to truly add to the conversation. THis was all just… it felt strange, to be in Arquis's bedroom without him, but with Ari– who he could never have imagined coming here –and Honey, who he had only met recently, and certainly had never dreamed that the blond man would somehow end up at the Palace de Vey, and definitely not in these circumstances.
Honey's face scrunched up like he'd tasted a lemon. He'd been planning to wait a little while longer to reveal the note, but now that Ari had called out his behavior, he supposed he should just get it over with. With a sigh, he took the slip of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and held it out so that all three of them could read it.
"I didn't want you to have to deal with this until you were ready, Rin," he muttered. "I thought I'd give you some time to calm down, but, uh, I guess that's not happening. Sorry about that. And about this," he gestured to the note.
The note wasn't that long. In dark blue, almost black ink, Muria had written two simple sentences that were addressed to Rin: 'When you have finished eating, come see me in my room. Knock once when you arrive.' Below those words was her signature, which took up about half of the paper. Her signature was done in incredibly elegant, yet not-over-the-top, cursive, with just enough curls and swoops to make it beautiful without being illegible.