forum The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

"Arquis, take a deep breath." Was the first thing that Rinlos said, when he heard the wway Arquis was starting to get panicky. "Ma'am, Arquis is… he's not going to feel comfortable undressing with you in the room, even if you aren't looking. Please don't worry about it. I know you're doing your best, but so is he." he leaned his head against the doorframe, closing his eyes and picturing his lover. "Arquis, everything is going to be fine. Just focus on washing off and cleaning up, okay? I'm right here. I…I can't come in, but I'm right here for you to talk to."

He shifted a little bit, sinking down so that he could sit and be a bit more comfortable. "I love you, Arquis." he wondered if Arquis had heard the shouting match between themself and Quirisa. But he didn't want to ask. If Arquis had not heard, then Rinlos did not want to have to explain what had happened, and if Arquis had heard… well, Rin would let him be the one to bring it up.

Ari smiled over at him, gaze soft and sweet. "Well I like you too." he replied. "And, well, I'm glad that youre sticking around." his gaze flicked around the hall, looking for Quirisa, but he didn't see her, which was good. He wasn't sure if she'd actively try to stop Arquis from being fed, but he didn't really want to find out, honestly.

Arquis was quiet, but he did take a deep breath like they'd suggested. The guard shuffled around, her armor clinking, before speaking. Her voice was slightly louder than usual, making it clear she was addressing both Rin and Arquis.

"Okay. I get it. I'm going to step back and stop talking about it." To just Arquis, she added, "Let me know if you need anything. There's a towel right by you, but tell me if you need another or want something else."

Softly, breathing a bit on the heavy side still, Arquis thanked her. He didn't say anything to Rin until he was actually in the water, the fact of which was made evident by a splash as he settled in. Only then, after the room had become quiet again, did he address his partner.

"I love you, too. So, so much, my dear. To be able to hear and not see you is cruel." He sniffed. The water shifted as he grabbed something, then calmed when he sat back down. The lid of whatever he'd gotten made a pop as it opened. "Yet I understand why it must be so. They believe me to be a danger." Another pause, though brief. "I heard some of the shouting earlier. You were fighting with my sister. I know you must be terribly upset with her, but I understand why she is angry."

——

Honey blushed again and hid a grin. They were approaching the room now, and to his surprise, Marsiquia was there but Rin was not. Standing by Marsiquia was someone who looked vaguely familiar. He couldn't remember their name, but he was pretty sure he'd seen them before at some point. They didn't look like a guard, but there had to be a reason why they were let up on this floor, which was locked down to ordinary members of the public.

"Hey. We brought your brother some food," he said to Marsiquia. His eyes darted to the stranger. "Uh. Hi there. I'm Honey, this is Ari. I don't know if we've met?"

"Ivanaya. Have seen you? Maybe? Hm."

"They're part of the Court. Well, sort of, they're like a temporary member." Marsiquia gestured towards the door. "My brother is cleaning up right now. They let the bard go in and sit outside the door, so the two of them could talk."

"What should we do with the food?"

"Probably give it to the guards. He shouldn't be in there for that long."

Rinlos listened, wincing faintly when Arquis brought up the fight. "Ah. I… wasn't sure if you had heard that." he responded, exhaling. "Yes, Quirisa has been…" he trailed off, letting his words trail off for a very long moment. "She and I had a fight about, uh, what she did with tattling on you to the Court and shit. I uh… called her some things that I maybe should not have." he wasn't really sorry, though. He knew that he had called Quirisa some names that he should not have said to her, he knew that he shouldn't have, but at the same time… he wasn't really sorry for doing it. He honestly felt rather… almost vindicated? Like he was in the right for it.

Ari had no idea who this person was, just listning to the conversation. "Alright." he looked around and found one of the guards, coming over. "Hello, we've brought food for Arquis, once he's done in the bath." he said, holding up the container that he had been given. "Where would you like us to put it?" was he just to hand it to the guard, or? He wasn't quite sure what exactly was expected, but he wanted to make sure that Arquis got the food and was able to eat. The fact that Arquis wouldn't have been fed, without the four of them making the effort, was… well, it was kind of pathetic, really.

(for the sake of space since there are so many characters now I'm just going to say that if anyone isn't mentioned that they're still there, just listening haha)

There was another pause before Arquis responded, though it was difficult to tell if he was thinking about what to say or focusing on the bath. In that pause, the faucet began to run again, then stopped quickly after.

"I heard what you called her. And I heard what she called me." He didn't sound mad, just tired. He let out a heavy sigh. "I am sorry that you two fought. You are not the one she is angry with, but since she could not get to me directly, she did what she knew would hurt me the most. She is not a bad person, my love. You must understand that. She can be aggressive and quick-tempered, and she does not always think before she acts, but she is not a bad person. She lashes out when she is hurt, and I hurt her terribly. I lied to her for years. She must be grieving the loss of our aunt, and I imagine the wounds left from our father's death have re-opened as well. She is in a lot of pain."

It sounded as if he was trying to convince himself, too. He supposed he probably was. He selfishly wanted to believe that her actions weren't the result of real hatred but of heartbreak, though he'd also feel miserable if it was the latter.

——

“I can take it,” the guard said and collected the food from both Ari and Honey. He slipped into the room quietly, so as to not disturb Rin's conversation, and set the meal on the nightstand. The cloche holding the omelette was warm to the touch. The smoothie, although still cold, was beginning to condensate. He left it anyways. It might not be super cold by the time that Arquis got out, but he could still drink it. It wasn't like it'd go bad in twenty or so minutes. He stepped back outside of the room, empty hands at his sides. Satisfied, Honey looked at Ari.

"Mission accomplished, I guess. Good job, us." He stretched, then scratched idly at his jaw. "We should probably wait for Rin before we go get ourselves something to eat, huh? Don't wanna leave the poor guy."

(understandable haha)

Rin shook his head faintly, exhaling and frowning. "She is your sister, and I do not want to badmouth her to you, but I… well. I do not think her behavior is justified, and…" he let the sentence hang in the air, unsure where he even wanted to go with it. "I don't know. I just dislike all of her behavior. I think she is being vindictive, and cruel, and I don't want anything to do with her. Even when this is over." he hadn't quite expected that last sentence to come out of their mouth, but… he did mean it. Even when this whole thing was over, he wasn't sure he wanted to be around Quirisa. Even if she apologized. And, to be honest, she didn't seem like the type to apologize and have it be a true apology. So he wasn't sure that he honestly would believe her if she did apologize. "She doesn't even think you deserve to be fed, Arquis! That's not a normal fucking response, even for someone who is supposedly quick tempered."

Ari smiled at Honey happily, listening to him. "Yeah, we should probably wait for them. He'll, ah, need the support." he reached out to knock his hand lightly against Honey's, lips still pulled into that soft little smile. "We can all go grab some lunch, decompress, and uh…prep for tomorrow, i guess." he grimaced just a little bit, at the thought of everything that the next day would contain.

"Well, it seems her and I are in agreement on that," Arquis laughed, then stopped, either because he realized how bleak it sounded or remembered that someone else was listening. He went silent for a bit after that. The occasional sound of shifting or splashing came through, but that was it for a while, until he cleared his throat.

"I understand that you think she is cruel and awful, and I do not blame you for that. I do not forgive her for what she has done. What she said hurt." His voice cracked. He cleared his throat again, then sniffed. When he spoke again, it sounded like he was fighting back tears. "But I do not want to believe that she meant any of it. I would rather believe that she is in pain, and that she is acting out of some sense of revenge, then think that she truly hates me. I do not know what I would do if she hated me, Rinlos. She is my sister."

The tap ran again for a second. Arquis shut it off. The sound of draining water followed, and the noble said to the guard, "I am finished."

——

Honey stepped closer and tugged Ari into his arms, so that Ari's back was flat against his chest. There was still enough space that he could get away if he wanted to, but they were close enough that Honey could let his chin rest against his head.

"Yeah. It's gonna be a lot. I think it starts in the morning, so we've gotta get everything, all our clothes and stuff, set out overnight. I wanna make sure we get there early enough to get good seats. Judging by how busy the kitchens were, I'm sure it'll be packed tomorrow." He glanced over at Marsiquia and Ivanaya, as if just remembering they were there. "Hey, you guys have any ideas on how we can make sure we'll get seats tomorrow?"

"Family gets to sit in the front, so I can save a few," Marsiquia offered. "Probably not more than two or three, though. The rest of your group might have to sit further back."

“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.” Honey hummed and swayed gently with Ari in his arms. “Wonder what my sister’s up to today? Haven’t seen her yet.”

"I understand." Rinlos replied, biting back any further words about Quirisa. No point in discussing her any longer, not when Arquis soundd done or nearly close to done. "Arquis, uh… a guard brought in some food, it's from Ari and Honey. Please eat it. You'll need the strength. And… we've worked so much on your eating habits, please don't throw that away just because I can't sit with you while you eat." he looked down at his hands, exhaling slowly. "Please, darling. At least some of it." he cleared his throat, and slowly stood up, knowing that he would need to leave the room once Arquis was completely finished up.

"I love you, Arquis. And… and please try your best at the trial. NO matter the end result, I love you." they exhaled quietly, wishing once again that they could give Arquis a hug, or a final goodbye kiss. Anything.

Ari leaned into him, listening to Honey's soft words. "Agreed. We'll make sure we get some decent seats, then. Though… probably we should keep Rinlos from being seated next to Quirisa. I wouldn't want a repeat of earlier to happen in the courtroom." he exhaled, closing his eyes and just relaxing into Honey's gentle grip, swaying with the blond. "We can go find your sister once Rin is back, if you'd like." he paused, and his stomach rumbled softly, and he laughed. "Mm, maybe food before we go find her? I'm hungry."

Arquis stayed silent on the part about eating, though when Rin said that they loved him, he responded with a soft, "I love you, too, my heart. I love you so, so very much.”

The water was still draining, but there was enough left to make a splashing sound as he rose. Something squeaked, not dissimilar from a shoe sliding against a polished floor, and then there were several thumps, a crash, and a yelp. Rapid footsteps were followed by a ragged intake of breath.

"Unhand me," Arquis snapped, not to Rin but to the guard.

"I- I'm sorry, I just- you fell, I was worried you might've hit your head. I was just trying to catch you, I-"

"I am fine. I slipped. Now, please, if you would-"

"Yes, yes, of course, sorry. Do you need help-"

"No," Arquis said flatly.

"Okay. Okay. Sorry. Are you sure you didn't hit anything?"

"Yes."

"Sorry. Okay. You can get dressed now, I'm going to, uh-" She cut herself off and came near the door. To Rin, she said softly, "Hey. Sorry, you're going to have to go, he'll be out there in a second. If you're still there by the time I open the door, it's going to be a problem."

——

Honey laughed, gently squeezing Ari. "Yeah, of course. There’s no rush to find her, I'm sure she's okay. Well. Maybe. Aren't they staying in Quirisa's room?" He shrugged but didn't let go of Ari. "She's probably still fine. Quirisa can be as horrible to her brother as she wants, but the worst she could do Lovey and Pretty is kick them out, and if that happened then I'm sure they'd just go to Ambrose and Ophia's room until they worked something else out. Pretty's too good at fighting for it to go any other way. Also, the Court's literally, like, here, and there are a bunch of guards, so I doubt she'd try anything."

He paused. His posture stiffened and his eyes narrowed as a thought crossed his mind. "Hey, do you think she did it? Quirisa, I mean. Think about it. Maybe Arquis confessed cause he's covering for her, and she's going along with it to save her skin. We already know she's easily pissed off and has no problem getting violent. Maybe she got mad at something her dad said and attacked him, and her aunt walked in or something, so she killed her, too. And maybe Arquis found out about it, so he helped her hide the mess she made. That'd also explain why she doesn't want anyone to be able to talk to him. She could be scared he'd tell the truth."

Ivanaya looked like they were considering it, but Marsiquia shook her head adamantly. “I don’t like how she is behaving, but I do not believe she did it.”

Rin winced at the slipping sound, wishing he could come inside and help, but knowing that doing so could get them all into trouble. When the guard spoke to him through the door, they exaled. "Right. I'll…I'll clear out." he stood up straight, looking at the door with a soft sadness in his eyes. "Arquis, I have to leave now." he said, a bit louder so that Arquis could hear him. "I love you, please eat something, and take care of yourself. I'll…I'll see you later." well. Later. At the trial, or maybe just after the trial. Assuming Arquis won. He didn't want to consider what would happen if Arquis lost.

Ari listened to Honey's theory, a thoughtful hum escaping him as he considered the blond's theory. He glanced at Marsi, shrugging a shoulder. "I don't know. It's an interesting theory, and Arquis does seem like the type to lie to protect his sisters. But… I don't know. Quirisa does seem genuinely upst. And, if he was covering for her, why would her response be to do everything to keep us from talking to her? If he's already covered for her to this point, why would she assume he would suddenly backtrack that?" he shrugged, leaning his head on Honey's shoulder and looking up at the ceiling. "I don't know. It's an interesting theory, though."

(after your next response do we wanna maybe skip to night? I didn't have anything else planned for the day, but if there's something you want to do then we can keep going)

Frantically, Arquis said, "Wait! If I were to stay in here, then they would not have to leave. We could keep talking. We would not have to say goodbye again."

The guard's boots creaked as she shifted around. She waited for a moment, then softly went, "Sir, I do not think that would work. Perhaps for a little bit, but… you need to go out there to eat, and he needs to eat as well. Your friends are waiting for him to join them outside."

"They could come in as well."

"Sir, you cannot stay in this bathroom all day," she said a little more firmly. He sighed.

"I know. I just… I know." To Rin, he said, "Goodbye, Rinlos. I love you, too, and I will miss you. Thank you for looking out for me, my heart. Try not to worry too much tomorrow. It… well. We do not need to speak of it further. Goodbye, my dear."

——

Honey mulled over what Ari had said. Eventually, he shrugged again. "I don't know why she'd be worried that he'd change his mind and tell us. Maybe she was concerned that Arquis would talk to Rin, see him so upset, and then realize that it's not a secret worth keeping. He's now got something to live for." He glanced at Marsiquia and hastily added, "Not, uh, not that he didn't before, of course. I just meant that now he has something else going for him. He has a partner and some new friends now, that's gotta count for something."

Marsiquia frowned. "I still do not think she did it. She was never particularly close to my father, but she did not hate him, either. And besides, she has an alibi for that night. She was out visiting the town, I believe."

"Yeah. I don't know. It's just a theory. Who knows what really happened." He turned to kiss Ari’s cheek, then paused. "Well. I guess we'll know tomorrow, huh?"

(sounds good to me!)

RIn took a deep breath, a lump in his throat as he smoothed his hands over the hems of his shirt in a quick, nervous gesture. "I…yeah. Goodbye, Arquis. I'll, uh, see you on the other side of this." on the other side of the trial, when this was all over, who would still be standing? He ran his hands through his hair, just needing something to do with their hands. "I uh… well. Goodbye. I love you. Make sure you eat something, we went through a lot of effort to get that for you." he smiled faintly, then stepped away from the door. Once he was over to the main door, he called out, "I'm leaving and closing the door behind me, so, Arquis can come out." and he did just that, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Ari hummed a little, leaning into Honey again. "We will know tomorrow." he echoed softly, thinking for a long moment of everyhing that was happening, everything that was changing and everything that would continue to change. Gods, it wasn't that long ago that he and Rin were exchanging letters, and Rin had told him about a gig. Just a gig, at the Palace de Vey. A lot of rumors about that place, Rin had mentioned, but the bard hadn't known much about it all. Just that they were going to pay pretty well, and that he would get a good room and a place to wash off, which was always a great bonus. And now… they were all here.

(this part at night shouldn’t take super long haha and then we'll be at the trial, I can't believe it's finally happening)

After Rin left, Arquis did end up eating, although he only had about half of his breakfast and even less of the lunch that he was eventually brought. By the time dinner rolled around, he hadn't had an appetite. He'd taken a few small bites and then sent the dish away only minutes after it had been delivered to his makeshift cell. It was better than nothing, he reasoned, although the thought made him feel strangely guilty. He'd tried his best, but he still ended up feeling like he'd failed.

He changed into the pajamas Rin had brought after the guard had cleared away the food. For a moment, he stood silently, staring over at the empty bed. He glanced back to the table, where an array of drawings—the result of all the time he'd spent in his solitary confinement—were spread out. His lips twitched as his eyes landed on a sketch of Rin, but that bare hint of a smile faded when he looked back at the bed. It looked so lonely. He tried to convince himself that it wouldn't be so bad, but all he could think about was how nice it had felt when he and Rin shared a bed, how lovely his arms were around him.

He swallowed and looked down, which was when he spotted the sweater Rin had brought. Humiliation flooded through him and he flushed a bright red. He knew what he was going to do, but he wasn't proud of it. He'd only ever done it a couple of times in the past, when he'd been lonely in a horrible, suffocating way; so lonely that it felt like he was being crushed. He picked up the sweater, carried it over to the bed, and grabbed a pillow. He tugged the sweater on over the pillow, then filled the sleeves with the shirt he'd worn that day and tied them off. After checking the door to make sure no one was coming in, he propped the pillow up against another pillow, went to dim the lights, and sat on the bed. Embarrassed, but secretly grateful, he shifted closer to the pillow-person he'd created. He rested his head over where the heart would've been and wrapped one of the fake arms around himself. In the dimness of the room, he could almost pretend the embrace was real.

——

Back in the main bedroom, Honey stripped down to his pants and yawned. He'd gotten the chance to see his sister briefly before dinner. She'd been fine. Pretty and Sugar had both been fine as well. They hadn't heard a peep from Quirisa, which Honey was admittedly a little confused by. He would've thought she'd turn them out of her room, but apparently she hadn't so much as stopped in. He couldn't say he was displeased. The less he or any of their friends saw of her, the better.

He clambered tiredly onto the bed and flopped out on his back, like a big, blond starfish. Lazily, he grinned at Rin and Ari, motioning for them to join.

"C'mere," he said, clearly drowsy. “Else ‘m gonna freeze to death.”

(i knoww it's so exciting sdfjg)

Rin had been worrying a little too much, and Ari had been doing his best to soothe his friend's worries and help him feel better about everything that might happen the next day. The fact that they had seen no sign of Quirisa again was odd, but probably a good thing. Ari was also a touch worried about the trial. Sure, Rin could probably sit with the family section, but there was no way that RInlos should be next to Quirisa. But at the same time…there would only be so much room in the section. But that was a concern for later, not tonight.

"Alright, I'm coming." Ari said to Honey, finishing up with working a little bit of hair oil into the ends of his hair. All the traveling recently had been a bit rough on his curls, especially with the departure from his normal hair care routine, so his hair needed a little extra love. BUt he came over to the bed and snuggled up to the blond man, leaning his head on the man's shoulder. "Mm. Been a long day." he looked over at Rin sleepily, lazily putting his arm over Honey's chest in a soft, easy little grasp.

Rin had already changed into his pajamas, and came over to the bed, sitting down on Honey's other side. "It has." he agreed with Ari in a quiet voice, shaking his head just a little bit. "i don't know how much sleep I'll get."

Time ticked away in either seconds or hours. It was hard to tell, being alone in that room. Arquis kept his head pressed to the sweater-clad pillow. Even though he was too restless to sleep, just holding onto the pillow was helping to calm his nerves. Every time he breathed in, he could smell Rin's cologne, which made it feel even more like he was holding his partner. If he kept his ear against the cloth, the sound of his blood pumping almost sounded like a heartbeat. He let it soothe him, despite knowing that none of it was real. His mind started to wander. He wondered what would've happened if he'd never turned himself in. He and Rin likely would've stayed at the inn for a few more days, though inevitably the guards would've found him. He wondered if in those few days he would have told Rin the truth. He doubted it. No matter how hard he tried, he would always be a coward.

He felt himself beginning to fall into that space right before sleep, where everything went fuzzy and his thoughts were more like dreams. He wasn't actually asleep, but he wasn't awake, either, and his brain started to play tricks on him. It really did feel like he was curled up in Rin's arms. He nuzzled into their sweater. It was odd, he normally didn't feel so cold when he was with him.

"Can you pull the blanket up?" he mumbled. When they didn't respond, he nudged his shoulder with his cheek. "Rin?"

He opened his eyes and squinted at them. Of course, they weren't there. His heart dropped, and he rose off of the pillow, disgusted with himself. Then, he dropped back against it. He felt like crying. It was the last day of his life. He didn't want to be alone.

——

Honey positively beamed when Ari snuggled up with him, then felt a little bad about it, since they were right in front of Rin. It wasn't that he thought they were doing something that warranted privacy, but rather that he was worried it might remind Rin that they didn't have someone to cuddle up with. He thought about moving away but didn't want to hurt Ari's feelings, so he stayed where he was.

"Anything we can do to help?" he asked softly. "Could get you a hot chocolate or an extra blanket or something. Whatever you think might help you out. You're gonna need all the energy you can get for tomorrow. I have a feeling it's gonna be an even longer day."

"I can go make you some tea?" Ari suggested in a soft tone, looking over at his best friend with a soft expression. "It wouldn't take long, and it might help you get settled for going to sleep." he stayed snuggled up to Honey, but his gaze was on Rinlos as he waited for an answer from his best friend. He didn't really want to get off of the bed, but he would if Rin needed anything.

Rin exhaled, slowly laying down at the bed and looking up at the ceiling. The bed still smelled like Arquis. The pillows, the blankets… the whole room reminded him of Arquis in so many ways. He closed his eyes for a moment. "No, I… I don't know." he replied, slowly. "It's all just… I don't know. I don't think tea would really… help. Or hot chocolate." much as he enjoyed both drinks… gods, he just wasn't really sure what to do about it.

Mentally, Arquis kept going in circles. One moment, he was so ashamed that he wanted to throw the pillow across the room. The next, he was grateful that it was there, that it at least allowed him to pretend he wasn't alone. It was strange. As he was thinking, he kept hearing this odd, high pitched sound, like someone whimpering. He realized after a moment that it was him. He honestly hadn't even meant to do it, he was just so scared that he couldn't help himself. It was almost like he was crying, but somehow different; deeper, almost, like a scream he was trying to keep inside.

He just wanted someone near him. He didn't care who it was. He'd even take Muria if it meant he wouldn't be alone anymore. For someone who'd spent his adulthood by himself, it was almost shocking how much of a profound effect the solitary confinement was having on him. He supposed it was made worse by the fact that this was his very last day to live.

——

"Maybe something else, then," Honey suggested. He leaned over, flicked the lamp off, and let his body fall back against the mattress. In the faint moonlight, his eyes almost seemed to glow. He reached out and cupped Rin's cheek.

"Close your eyes," he murmured, his hand moving up to brush the hair back from their forehead. "Think about the happiest memory you've had with him. Try to let everything else fade. Just focus on that memory. Focus on what you saw and heard. Focus on how it made you feel. Don't think about now. Let yourself live in that one moment, just for tonight. Tomorrow, you can worry as much as you want. But right now, just think about that memory."

Rin relaxed into Honey's touch, eyes sliding shut as he took a deep breath. "I… okay." he said softly, trying to follow Honey's instructions as he searched his memory for a good moment. An easy, happy moment, where they had both just been happy. Maybe the day that he had been reading, and Arquis had drawn him? They had spent so much time together, just hanging out in those quiet moments. It had been nice. And then they had snuggled together afterwards… that had been nice.

Or the time that they had bathed together, and helpe to wash each other off. Just… spending the time together, doing those calming things together. He tried to relax into the images of those memories, tried to let himself sink back into those moments, the softness of them, Arquis's arms around him… but even as he tried to think of them, he couldn't help the worry that kept cropping up. The fear and worry that he would never be able to have one of those moments again. He and Arquis would never have those moments again.

Arquis eventually began to drift again. Despite having stayed in a single room for almost the entire day, and rarely having moved, his body was exhausted. He had a bunch of small bruises from where he'd been roughly moved in and out of the cart by the guards. The worst bruise of all was the one Quirisa had left on his face. But worse even than that was the heavy tiredness that really sunk into his bones. He felt like someone had wrapped him in a lead blanket. He could barely move.

With his cheek still up against the pillow, he began to think of Rin. But it was more than just Rin. It was Honey and Ari and Lovey and Pretty, and everyone else he'd met on his outing to The Cecilia Rouge. It was Doctor Lavin and his daughter, and Ophia in an apron. It was even his specialist, Elsie, who he'd only met with once. In such a short period of time, he'd gotten to do so much and meet so many new people. He wondered what they would all think of the trial, whether they attended it in person or heard the details after.

——

Honey, who'd been watching Rin, saw the moment their thoughts shifted from good to bad. With a sad hum, he gently carded his fingers through their hair, then smoothed away the tension in his forehead.

"I know it's hard. I can't even begin to imagine what you're feeling. But you don't need to feel all of that right now. You just need to sleep, okay? That's it. Just think about going to sleep." He kept his voice at a low murmur, not fully a whisper but not really speaking, either. His thumb traced over his temple, going back and forth, back and forth. "You're okay. He's okay. Nothing bad's happening at this moment. You're both safe. Think about how much you love him, and how warm that love makes you feel. Think about the first time you realized that he loved you back. Let those be the memories that come to mind. The rest don't matter, at least not now.”

(sorry for the wait!)
(also i just,,,, oogh the emotional scenes we're gonna get with Rin and Arquis after the trial, like. it's gonna be so good)

Rin relaxed a bit as Honey gently traced over his forehead, the gentle, soothing touch just helping him to wind down. "Okay." he replied in a quiet whisper, taking a deep breath and really just trying to relax into the bed, trying to let himself fall asleep. He did his best to follow Honey's instructions, listening and just really trying. He focused on HOney's voice, and on the feelings from his memories, letting that surround him. The bedsheets smelled like Arquis, and that, too, helped to soothe him and send him slowly down the realm of sleep, his breathing slowing as sleep finally began to take him deep into its arms.

(you're good! and I know, I'm excited for it! I'm actually just going to skip to the morning cause they're both asleep/almost asleep haha)

[Day Twenty]

Arquis was a nervous wreck. He had every right to be a nervous wreck, given what was happening, but it didn't make getting ready easy. He'd managed to dress himself in the suit Marsiquia had brought, but it'd taken several minutes for his shaky hands to do his tie right. His hair had been even harder. It was still falling out, and when he'd combed it he could see patches that were thinning. He'd had to style it carefully with a bit of gel to hide those spots. It ended up looking normal in the end, but that didn't do much to calm his nerves.

Breakfast had been a whole other ordeal. The guards had brought in a few dishes, all of which were leftovers. The kitchen was still refusing to cook for him, it seemed. He'd had a little bit before promptly getting sick. It hadn't been his choice. His stomach was just so tied up in knots that he couldn't keep anything down. Even the water they'd brought him had come right back up. He'd given up on breakfast completely, brushed his teeth several times, and resigned himself to an armchair, where he waited until the guards entered again to fetch him. It was finally time for the trial.

They shackled his gloved hands together behind his back and wrapped a chain around his forearms. One of the guards tried to put another cuff around his neck, but the woman that had stood guard in the bathroom the previous day shooed him away. She smiled at Arquis.

"We'll be going to the ballroom. Everything's already set up. Do you need to do anything else before we go?" He shook his head, so nervous that he didn't think he could speak. She gently picked up the chain and hooked it to her arm bracer. "Okay. Let's head down."

——

Even though it was early, the ballroom was packed. Honey, who'd had to rent a suit from an on-site tailor, since he didn't have any fancy clothes that were appropriate for such a serious occasion, stayed close to Rin and Ari so that they wouldn't get separated in the crowd. At the very opposite end of the ballroom from where everyone entered, there were two large, gilded desks with chairs that faced the crowd. That was where Muria and Arquis would sit separately during the trial. Slightly closer and off to the right was a big, half circle desk where the judges would sit. The chair in the middle was topped with a medallion for the Highest Justice, the elected leader of the judges. Across from that was the podium, where each side would present their case and question witnesses. They'd face the judges as they spoke, but the podium was slightly angled so that the crowd could see their expressions as well.

The crowd took up the rest of the massive ballroom. It was divided in two, with half of the pews on Muria's side and the other half on Arquis's. It wasn't required, but traditionally, people would sit on the side they favored to show their support. That's why a majority of people were crammed into Muria's side. Some had even brought their own chairs from the dining hall so that they could sit around the edges of her side of the room. Honey supposed that was kind of a good thing, since it meant the rest of their group wouldn't have a hard time finding a seat on Arquis's side. Sure enough, they were all there in one of the middle pews in a group. Lovey waved as they passed.

Marsiquia was sitting alone in a little cordoned-off area at the front of the pews on Arquis's side. There was an identical section on Muria's side, where Quirisa was slumped. She was staring intently at the ground, not seeming to pay any attention to her surroundings. Marsiquia, however, was very much on high alert. When she saw the three of them, she hurried out to them and quickly pulled them into her area, despite the nearest guard's complaint.

"I didn't get any sleep last night," she said miserably as she sat. She did look exhausted. "I just want this to be over."

(aaa we're finally at the trial!)

Rinlos had not slept very well, to be honest. He had woken up repeatedly throughout the night, usually tossing and turning or just, in general, unable to get some good rest. But he was awake now, and he was going to do his best to stay alert and awake for everything. He had dressed in the best clothes he had with him, and had run a comb through their hair to clean it up. He hadn't hardly eaten anything at breakfast, just drinking some coffee and doing his best to push past the way that their stomach had tied itself into knots over this. This whole thing was terrifying. Of course he would go to the trial, but he was so worried about Arquis and the outcome of it all.

Once they were in the room for the trial, he greeted Marsiquia with a weak smile, sitting down with her and looking around the room for a long moment. "I didn't sleep much either." he admitted softly. "I'm just… I'm worried for Arquis."

Ari had slept better than his friend had, but still not perfectly. He didn't know Arquis well, sure, but he was still worried for the man, if only for Rinlos's sake. He knew that if this didn't go well, Rin was going to be devastated. Gods, it would suck. He dressed nicely as well and, like Honey, had ended up renting a suit. He hadn't brought one with him, thinking that he wouldn't need one. He had been wrong, but at least he could rent one and still look decent. His curly hair was pulled half up, and he had worked some creme through it to make it look nice and defined. If there was only going to be a few of them on Arquis's side of the room, then it mattered that they looked good. Ari knew how these court games were played, he knew how much appearances mattered, he knew what it meant to have the people on your side of the court looking more put together. Yeah, it was sort of shitty how it equated having the money to look nice with having the morality and such on your side, but at that moment it was not the time to try and fight that. He just went with Honey and Rinlos to the court room, staying near his friend.

(I know I'm so excited!)

“Me too,” Marsiquia whispered. She returned Rin's smile, her own knowing and sad.

A moment later, she slumped against Rin, letting her head drop onto his shoulder. They were possibly one of the only people in the room that understood what she was going through, and although the two of them hadn't spent that much time together, she really did feel like he was sort of a brother to her. She was glad he was there. At least she wasn't alone.

The chatter in the room, which had already been loud, grew to an almost painful uproar. Marsiquia lifted her head, worried that her actions caused the commotion. But when she turned, her heart stopped in her chest. Muria was walking down the main aisle. She was the perfect picture of grief. Her dress was long and black, with a dark veil that floated elegantly behind her. Under the veil, her hair was neatly pressed, though not done in a showy style. She also wasn't wearing much makeup, either, just a little bit of mascara and lipstick. Her eyes were teary. When she reached her desk, she stopped to dab at them with a handkerchief, smudging her mascara slightly. A couple people—mostly women in her age group, possibly some of her friends—got up and walked over to offer their condolences. The rest just stayed and watched from afar, some scared, some merely curious, and some visibly thrilled, like they were watching a drama.

The crowd grew louder still. Arquis had entered. Marsiquia let out a soft gasp. His face was bruised from where Quirisa had hit him. If that wasn't bad enough, he didn't make eye contact with anyone as he was guided down the aisle. Multiple guards had to walk with him, though that didn't stop people from yelling out questions. He stayed silent and kept his head down. Even when he got to the front, he didn't look up. He just sat and stared down at the desk.

"Should we go- should we go talk to him?" Honey suggested, uncertain. Arquis didn't look like he wanted to talk, but nobody else had gone up to see him. It looked bad for him to be sitting all alone, while Muria, just a few feet away, was being reassured by a small group of people.

(sorry for the wait, we had to put my dog down and I've been sick all week)

Rin watched as Muria came in, lip curling faintly, but his gaze softened when Arquis came into the room. He didn't like the way that Quirisa's hit had bruised, didn't like the way that it looked. It wouldn't help turn things in Arquis's favor, that was for sure. He sat, frozen in his seat, for a long moment, until Honey spoke. "Uh– yeah, that's a good idea." he replied, gently shifting Marsiquia a little bit so that he could stand, moving over to Arquis. "Hey, lover." he greeted in a hushed tone, not sure if the room knowing about their relationship would hurt Arquis's chances with the judges. He wished he could greet him with a kiss, but he really wasn't sure how well that would go down.

Ari let Rin be the first to approach Arquis, knowing that it would mean a lot to his friend. Knowing that depending on how the trial went, this could be the last conversation that they had. It was… really sad. His heart hurt for Rin, he couldn't imagine what Rin was feeling or thinking about. This trial wasn't going to be easy, and that thought kept circling back into his head.

(hey! oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, don't apologize for that at all. if you need to take more time, please take it! this can wait, if you need it to!)

Arquis didn't look up at Rin until he spoke. Even then, when he did finally look into their eyes, it was as if he wasn't really seeing him. His face was blank.

"Hello," he responded in an almost disinterested tone. It was close to the tone he'd used when first meeting Rin. There was no trace of the warmth or familiarity that had bled through when they'd talked to each other just the day before. It was like they were perfect strangers.

The nobleman's neutral gaze floated over the crowd behind Rin's shoulder. Again, it was as if he was watching but not really seeing, like it all wasn't registering in his mind. He was merely a passive observer, not a piece of the puzzle. Not a man on trial. His eyes refocused on Rin, and he offered them a polite, bored smile.

"I believe the trial is about to start. You might want to take a seat." He gestured, his gloved hand stiffly sweeping towards the audience. That cold smile stayed in place. “I am certain the staff will help you if you are unable to find a place to sit.”