Silence, you Uneducated Peanut

Adaria’s shoulders slumped, her eyes tracing the pattern on the windowpane, avoiding Rafael's gaze. She wanted to believe him, to lean into the comfort he was offering, but the thought of returning to Antiva felt like stepping back into a gilded cage.

Raffy… she began, her voice barely above a whisper. It’s not just about the stuff. It’s everything waiting for me back there. I’m not sure I’m ready to face it.

She glanced at him, her eyes searching his face, trying to gauge if he could truly understand what she couldn’t quite put into words. My brothers, they will expect me to just fall back in line, like nothing’s changed. Like I’m still the same girl who left Antiva all those years ago. The baby sister. But I’m not, and I can’t be that person anymore.

Her gaze shifted to the chaotic scene outside the window, where people moved hurriedly, shoving crates and furniture into wagons, as if trying to outrun something unseen. It mirrored the turmoil inside her.

And what about Antiva? Everyone’s playing their own game, and I’m supposed to just walk back in and pretend? As if our Father’s death wasn’t still hanging over everything. Enzo is drowning under it. I’m worried about what’s going to happen. About what they’ll expect of me. What they’ll expect of us, she added, her voice faltering slightly on the last word.

She took a deep breath, fighting back the tightness in her chest, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. And then there’s us. I don’t want to be someone’s pawn, Raffy. I don’t want them to use me against you, or vice versa. I don’t want to drag you into my mess, not when… not when it could end up tearing us apart or worse. You, dead.

There was a moment of silence, and she turned back to him, her expression softening, a rarity, almost as if she was pleading with him to understand. You’ve always had a trick up your sleeve, but this… this isn’t like the games we play. It’s the court, Talons, everyone with their own agendas. I don’t want you to be a piece on their board, one taken out in a manoeuvre to win.

Her hand reached out to him, fingers brushing against his, finding a small sense of grounding in the familiar warmth of his touch. I’m scared, Rafael. I’m scared of going back and losing myself, and I’m scared of losing you. I’m scared that once we’re there, everything will change, and I’ll have no control over it.

The words hung in the air, raw and heavy, and for a moment, she wished she could take them back. But they were out there now, and she looked at him with a mix of defiance and vulnerability, bracing herself for whatever came next. I just… I need to know that we’ll still be okay. That no matter what happens, no matter how tangled things get, we’ll find our way through it. Whatever comes.

She forced a small, almost bitter laugh, shaking her head. Expressing her feelings, her fears had never been a comfortable discussion. Because if I’m going back to face my brothers and the chaos of Antiva, I need to know that I have something real, something solid to hold onto. You’re the only thing that’s solid ground.

@Rafael Acosta