In the days following the ball, Malik had been busy, more busy than usual, but that was to be expected. Something like that couldn't happen and not have everyone a little on edge. So the first chance he got to make his way to the Tilani household, had him there faster than a carriage could take him. The Lord of the house was out for the day, Malik had confirmed that she had been seen in the leisure club only thirty minutes back, so now was a good time for him to go see his 'sister' and niece.
Novella had been the one to bring him into the fold, those ten years back, the manipulation had been masterful, but what had made him chuckle, now, years, and years later, was that it had created a bond between them that neither could have anticipated at the time. True affection. So when the older slave woman let him into the house, knowing who he was, the slave handed off the child Annie to him, and he instantly melted. There's my favorite girl. He cooed softly to her as he was ushered into the sitting room, bouncing the child in his arms as he bent at the waist, up-ending them both, and then back up standing, Annie laughing loudly, and happily at the attention, before he tucked them both into the sitting couch.
He continued to play with his niece until Ella showed in the room. Father will most likely be by today, if he checks the townhouse. You finances were a little askew, so I took care of it. He accepted a cup of tea, that was brought in by the older slave woman, and nodded to her. I know your wife was sending money along with the Jolfy woman, so it was an easy enough fix that won’t raise any questions. Smart of your wife to do that. He sat back on the couch, Annie on his knee, being bounced gently, as he sipped the tea. It’s a good place to hide some of your more, questionable, purchases.
In the garden, she was plucking ripe tomatoes despite the fact she heard the servants greeting someone upon their arrival. Little Annie had run of the house moreoften than not, with servants her mapa knew and truested, Kaczor was less protective.
She was wiping her hands off on a towel as she entered the sitting room, grinning at the happy squeals of the child. Oh, she furrowed her brows, Yes. I see, thank you. It wouldn't do to leave their adopted father with evidence; because he was bound to report on it. Just as he had when she'd reported her wife, he'd been unable to stop things from being in motion, even though he'd wanted to.
Mmm, Kaczor is quite smart. It's her most endearing quality and her most damning. She snorted, reaching to tousle her daughter's hair. And hopefully, this one doesn't get her mapa's ego. If she wanted to break her wife, she knew exactly what to do, what to say, to do so. She was just as dangerous to the woman as Kaczor was to her.
She settled next to Malik, and flashed him a smile. Thank you, for the cover-up. You didn't have to. Though if anything came back to them, Kaczor was likely to be the first suspect even before Ella due to her imprisonment.
How've you been? You've not come around in a while.
My perfect little niece? Inherit that ego. Never, she’ll get her grandpa and uncle’s egos, isn’t that right, Bean? Malik, was not a mean man, and when it came to his niece, he was a downright teddy bear, as she acted like he was going to eat all the fingers off Annie’s little hand, making the comic sound of eating that those in plays affected.
Even if he had swore to never have children of his own, to not risk passing on the blood curse that ran through his veins, Annie made him question all of that. Every time he visited, to see her growing like a sprout, thus the nickname of Bean, he longed more and more for something like what Ella had. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but marriage wasn't.
He realized it was jealousy, after Malik had spent most of the last year keeping Ella’s wife alive in the prison. Jealousy that Ella had someone who seemed to love her, enough so to have a child, to go to prison, and to come back and be less... herself, to not cause problems. Yes, but, I did, because I knew had the tables been turned you’d have done the same for me. And I didn’t want to have to make Bean grow up without a parent. She never have missed Kaczor for up until this point, but going forward, if either of you are incarcerated for any reason, Bean will know, she’ll miss, and she’ll hurt, and I won’t see that happen.
How strange it was, that he could be so loving to Ella, to Annie, and yet, Seraphine he was cold as ice with.
I took father’s asset back to Oralis and came back, I did bodyguard duty at the Archon’s side this week. And I played with the cats in the garden. I’ve been thinking about trying to secure the townhouse next to yours, but your wife has such expensive tastes and what feels like a never ending cheque book. He raised a brow slightly, before the smirk on his face was patted away by a small hand, and the smirk faded into a small grin. Am I not paying enough attention to you, Bean? He picked a little cookie off the plate, and broke a small chunk off, before he soaked it in the cream placed on the tray for tea, and then let Annie nibble at it. How have things been here? Do I need to arrange a midnight visit and a half-hearted threat?
Pffft. She rolled her eyes, Father's ego is not much better, you know. She gestured between the two of them, He made us. Handcrafted, with love. She liked seeing how at ease Malik was with Annie — but even still, there were days where Ella found herself jealous that he was child-free and unmarried. It was the same kind of envy that ate at her, when she saw anything she wanted but could not acquire (such as, prior to the child's birth, being envious of women with children).
Mmm, that's quite true. She'd never have missed Kaczor if she never left the prison. But Ella would have been eaten alive with guilt — an amusing concept, certainly, given the things she'd do at an order and the glee she took in those orders.
She settled back in her seat, watching her adoptive brother with the child, who was absolutely giddy at having all of her uncle's attention. Mmm, busy-busy. I worked the ball, front door. Been helping Kaczor get over her nightmares, she snorted, because she knew those nightmares were never going to leave. She'd been the person people were sent to for re-education before. It wasn't something that left. Mmm, you want her to buy the townhouse for you? I can write a check. She offered, without really considering what it'd cost.
Call it a thank you, for the cover-up. Even if he'd done it because they were family; in a fucked up sense. She reached for a cup of tea, sipping it for a moment. Debating what to tell him, because he wanted to know whether he needed to make a half-hearted threat.
I'm in a sexless marriage. By choice, of course. She's used sex to manipulate me for most of our marriage, she crinkled her nose. To be fair, I was doing the same thing. Though neither of those reasons were why she refused to sleep with her wife, or let the other woman touch her. No, it was more with figuring out what she liked, versus what other people expected her to like, to please them.
In the time that she was gone, I realized... almost everything about myself, was carefully crafted as a ploy for her. To do my job, get my objective. Even having the child, and the way her eyes flitted to the girl said as much. I don't... know if I like when she uses her hands, or the silks, or her mouth. I don't even know if I wanted a child. She was just... part of the cover. Though she did love the girl, and nurtured her as much.
She swirled her tea in her cup, staring down at the liquid. Where does the job stop and Novella begin? I dunno, so... we don't have sex. We go on dates, sometimes. But none of it's helped me figure out who I am, when I'm not a war dog.
She shrugged as if that was that. And finished her tea.
The day he choses to have any biological children of his own, well, let's say that child will never have a worry in this world. Their infant sibling would be protected, loved. And raised in such a way that they'd never know that their family was full of assassins and killers, the torture they had all endured to twist their senses into that of loyalty and obedience. Bean, was already going to grow up cherished and loved beyond measure by more than one murderer, it was only fitting that as the next generations of their family came about that the Old Guard protect them with the same ferocity that they protected one another. Absently, he wiped the cookie crumbs, cream, and spit on his pant leg, from where Annie had finished the cookie bit, not even paying attention to the fact he had just ruined the velvet -- it would be replaced, and his niece was worth every penny.
It would make it easier for me to take Annie on overnights when you need time alone with your spouse. It sounds as if you could use it here and there, and even if you did bring back the slaves that Tilani trusts, I don't trust them to keep a good enough eye on Bean. So that was settled, he would be taking possession of the house next door. It was no secret that the two of them were like siblings, among the upper echelons of society. The left and right hands of the Eye, he'd heard whispered in the past in the hallways of the Palace. And being out in the townhome would get him away from Seraphine. He would be able to breathe, and Mal would too, knowing that if Malik ever succumbed to the curse, Ella would be there to end him without a second thought. If he would be allowed the place to be outside of the Eye, it would be there. And now the plan was set in motion.
So, you refuse to have sex, but won't have sex to refigure out what you actually like. Ella, this may be quite simply a case of fucking your wife, and if not your wife, taking a lover to figure it out. You can always pay a whore to eat your cunt, just like I pay one to suck my cock when the need comes about. Male, female, a mouth is a mouth, and it's the one way to ensure no extra little Beans start baking anywhere in the mean time. But then there was the part about not knowing if she wanted Annie, and something inside him ... raged.
Slow, liquid heat in his veins that Annie would be called just a part of the cover, but he let none of that show, another plan in motion now, throwing away every bit of the rest of it. Sari, come here. I need you to pack all of Mistress Annie's sundries, toys, bottles and everything I will need to watch her for the week, pack your own things too, you'll be coming with me to the Palace for the week. Mistress Ella and her wife are going to go on a vacation of which they are not to be bothered. The elderly slave came into the doorway, and nodded along with Malik, before looking to Ella -- after all, Master Malik was ... yes family, but Mistress Ella was the Lady of the house, and her word was law. Malik noticed his hesitation and then looked pointedly to Ella. I'll get father involved if I have too. Besides, you can't continue on like this, and it'll be good for me to take time with Annie, him too. And you know Deme will delight in having her around between office hours.
Sari hesitated, and then regardless of what Ella indicated, went off to do the packing. Things could be unpacked later if a different decision was made, and the air in that room was enough to make Sari want to flee the entire townhome.
Novella snorted, and let her gaze flit to the child. Annie shan't have a sibling for a few years. They'd agreed on that much; letting their firstborn grow up first. And she didn't turn the man down, about taking Sarianne. She'd simply tell Kaczor later.
Even when Malik ordered Sari to pack her things and Annie's, Ella didn't object, simply nodding once. Write a note for Kaczor, explaining that Annie is with my brother, in the townhome next door, please.
Though she imagined her wife would. But just next door would ease Kaczor's worries. I'm fine. And don't involve Father, he'll just dispose of her. It'd been her choice to call the hit off.
She waved a hand, dismissing the servant, the child, and her brother. Go away. You're not my handler anymore, so stop acting like it. She muttered, sourly. As far as she knew, Malik hadn't been assigned to anyone else, which meant he was simply guarding the Archon instead.
