Akibrus was thankful that Ronan was gone on a trip, when Lyric received a summons to her parents in Orlais. He was even more thankful the Reaper was gone when he received word through the grape-vine that a contract hit was placed on his head. With Aria riding in front of him, in a special saddle-seat, he began the journey to Val Roy. He'd meet with his songbird in the dead of the night, he needed to see if she was safe, if she was okay.
And he wanted Aria to get to see her mother. She'd been asking for her, pitifully demanding 'mama' at every meal. The house was empty, with the both of them gone.
His arrival to Val Roy then led to finding the correct estate, and convincing someone that they could retrieve the Lady Lyric without alerting her family to her messenger. He was merely a messenger, delivering something to her from abroad. He'd convinced them after hiding the baby away in a nearby bush, and telling her they were playing the quiet game. She loved that game for the treats her papa slipped her when she succeeded.
Lyric had been beside herself with worry about Aria and even though she knew that Akibrus and Ronan could handle themselves, that didn’t stop her from worrying about the men she loved. She’d even considered murdering her parents herself, but she assumed they had a plan in place in case of their demise.
With a sigh, she peered out of the window, the moonlight casting long shadows in the estate's gardens. She wondered if they were safe, and when they would be able to be together again as a family. It was then she heard from a servant that a messenger was there with something for her. She perked up and rushed to the door herself. Fortunately her parents were busy at some party, that she had gotten out of going to by feinting sick. Her eyes went wide when she saw who the messenger was. She turned to a servant. I’m going for a walk to clear my head and read this, very important message this messenger I’ve never seen before has given me.
With that Lyric didn’t even wait for a response, she just walked outside and shut the door behind her, then looked to Aki but didn’t dare hug him just yet. Where’s Aria, is everything all right? Ugh, you should see this guy they expect me to marry, such a stuck up stick in the mud! She explained as she looked around for somewhere they might speak without interruption or fear of being watched.
Akibrus pressed a finger to his lips. Calm down, songbird. He stepped back one step, and then two. And as he held a hand out towards the bush, Stay quiet. Remember our game. Aria peered from the bush, little fingers dipping into her fathers' hand, before she departed from the bush.
C'mon, Lyric. Take a proper walk with us. No-one'll question that. Just old friends, who bumped into you along the way. And once they were far enough from that house, Akibrus would let their daughter hug her mother. But for now, Aria walked beside her father, thumb in her mouth, eyes on her mama.
Lyric tried to keep her emotions in check as she saw Aria emerge, walking between Aki and herself. She crouched down and offered a small wave to her daughter. Hey sweetpea, mama missed you.
She straightened up and looked at Aki, her voice barely above a whisper. Let's walk a bit further away, then we can talk freely. With that, they began to walk further from the estate. Once they were far enough away to not be overheard, but not so far away that they’d wonder where she was, Lyric began to talk more freely.
My parents are threatening to put prices on your heads with the House of Repose if I don’t go along with their plan. She understood that if it were just Aki he could take care of himself, but they also had Aria to consider. It was crazy to think that the family who had voluntarily shipped her far away with the Templars, suddenly wanted her back in, but only because her older sister had died.
Akibrus snorted, They couldn't afford the Repose if they wanted 'em. But he understood the threat; and with Aria... He nodded, as he let Aria go to her mother.
I can send Aria away. Until this is over. I've some contacts from the Coterie, A way to have the girl close, but keep her from danger. He didn't like the idea of letting her out of his sight.
Lyric looked at Akibrus, her eyes filled with worry. I don't like the idea of sending her away... but you're right, it might be the best way to keep her safe. She sighed heavily, holding Aria close. Just promise me she'll be looked after, Akibrus. Not that she needed to say those words, but she was afraid for her family and not entirely thinking as logically as she might have otherwise.
I need to at least see this through to the point of leaving Orlais. Lull my parents into a sense of false triumph. Once I can figure out what sort of person Tiberius really is, if he can be trusted. It’s too early to tell and the last thing I want to do is tell him about you and Aria just to find out he’s as bad as my parents or worse.
Akibrus sighed, nodding. I'm sending her to the Coterie, there's someone there who owes me a favor. She'll stay safe, and I can keep following after you from afar. Because he would, even if she left Orlais like she was saying she had to. He'd follow. Stalk.
Bide his time and wait.
And if he had to, he'd kill for her.
If he's as bad as or worse than your parents, I'll just kill him. Aki shrugged, flashing her a reassured grin.
Lyric knew that Akibrus would do anything for her and Aria, but the thought of him killing someone made her stomach churn. Nonetheless, she nodded, squeezing his hand tightly. Just...be careful, Akibrus. We need you. Not that she doubted Aki’s skills, but she also knew nothing about Tiberius’s skills.
She looked down at Aria, who was now asleep in her arms. Let's get her to safety. Then we can discuss the next steps. Lyric knew they were in a difficult and dangerous situation, but she trusted that they would find a way through it. Together.
I’ve never met a Vint before, he’s about as arrogant and pretentious as I would have anticipated, at least that’s how he seems, but I also suspect he may have genuinely loved my sister and may be grieving, grief does things to people. She wished she’d known her sister better, but as she’d only been roughly eight years old when she’d been sent away from her home, her memories of her older sister and twin brother had faded with time.
Be my little bird, give me insight into who this man is and what his reasons for everything are. Akibrus murmured, reaching to tap Lyric's cheek. I'll get Aria out of Tevinter in the morning, don't fret.
It wasn't what he liked; his lover being so far from him, in the care of another man. But he wasn't stupid enough to compromise her safety, before he had everything he needed prepared. And information was one of the things he lacked, desperately.
Mmm. Hopefully he doesn't want to actually wed you, then. Does he know about Aria?
Lyric flinched slightly at Akibrus's touch, feeling the weight of his request and the complexities of the situation that they were in. She looked into his eyes, trying to gauge the sincerity behind his words. She knew this was a delicate situation, one that required careful navigation.
I'll do my best to be your little bird, Akibrus, she replied softly, her voice tinged with concern. I'll gather what information I can about him and his motives. But you must understand, this isn't easy for me. Tiberius is... complicated. He's not just some man I can easily manipulate. He's a Magister with his own set of rules and expectations. She simply didn’t know him well, and that was a problem.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself. As for Aria, no, he doesn't know about her. And I'd like to keep it that way, for her safety. Tiberius is suspicious by nature, and if he knew about her, it could complicate things even more. I can't risk her getting caught up in this mess. Until she knew if he was as bad as her parents, until she knew if he could be trusted, the less he knew the better for everyone involved.
She paused, her eyes searching his for a moment. And as for the wedding... I don't know. He might actually want to go through with it. He's a practical man, and an alliance through marriage could be beneficial for him. But I'm not giving up on finding another way out. I'll keep you informed of everything I learn.
