The Silver Queen [AU]

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I'll stay," she whispers, swallowing hard. "I can't... I'm done rebelling," she adds, wiping at her eyes. "That life is over."

[Smith Family]

"Cindy..." Kyle whispers, eyes widening. "No. Don't decide now. We'll have lunch and talk of lighter things."

"Ky-"

"Jaina, no," he says firmly, hand cupping her cheek. "Let it go for now. Please."

"...alright," she sighs. 

[GamesMaster]

Seeing Cindy glance away from her parents, Vig speaks softly: "Whatever you choose, I will be here to watch over you."

[Carver Amell]

Bela was missing again.

In truth, she'd been harder to find than usual during their stay at the Oak. She'd spent time with Dau, certainly, but apparently she'd found other things to occupy her time rather than return to the ship most days. She'd spent time on the ship, but precious little of it; she'd even slept elsewhere each night, not bothering to mention where. On the one hand, that gave Carver time to spend with Zevran getting used to the idea of them as lovers. On the other, Zevran was clearly getting more and more worried about his beauty as the days went on.

Coquette and Vig returned for dinner, far later than expected; Carver and Zevran sat at the table with them in the galley, Carver nodding to Coquette as they sit. "How's it going?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Today was... strange," says Coquette slowly. Clearly not a good strange: she's looking down at her plate, which has less food than ever on it, despite Vig's fretting. 

"We met Cindy's parents," says Vig, sitting on the table watching Cindy prod at her greens without eating them. 

"Yes. I... I believe I shall be remaining here, now that I have found them."

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran blinks a few times. "That is... fortuitous," he says with bemusement. Perhaps Isabela will... Bah. You know it is more than that. "They are well?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"My.. My parents are well, yes," she says softly. "But... I also spoke with Ray Lightsong, about the situation in Glaley and... and..."

Vig's ears go flat against his head, and his tail lashes. "I believe the word 'purge' was thrown around."

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran stills. "I... rather suspect you do not mean that medically," he says with a tight voice.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Please," she says quietly. "My brothers are in there, fighting to save the city. If there's any aid you can render... And my sister, my friends. They didn't want anything like this."

[Tethras Clan]

"Brothers? Sister?" Zevran asks, slightly startled. "I did not realize... What have you learned?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I.. I wasn't sure until I saw Kyle that he... that they..."

She takes a deep breath, steadying herself. "I have one sister by blood. I have, there was a girl who was like a sister to me, and her parents are the ones we ran into today. Their son, Will, is in the resistance, and my... a boy who was like a brother to me is there as well. None of them have escaped."

She rapidly runs down the highlights of the situation according to Lightsong. "The mastermind behind most of this is likely Judge Blaquin -- or, I'm sorry, he's calling himself a Duke now. That happened after he married his eldest daughter off to a noble in Jalzaid," she adds. "The noble ladies almost certainly had nothing to do with this. They... the type of husband I was wed to... is not uncommon in Glaley."

[Carver Amell]

Carver scowls. "Sounds like we go in and kill the noblemen, then."

[Tethras Clan]

Married his eldest daughter to... "That is two sisters," he says instead of the many other things he could, much of his mind mulling over the impersonal details.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Mel was... was sold," she whispers. "I tried, but I never found her."

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran winces slightly. "Ah." Mel... did we ever save a Mel? The odds are so low but... "Describe her?"