Blood from Stone [AU]

[Smith Family]

Kyle scowls. "Hey now, none of that! Cindy can't be expected to take all this on her own self, that's what caused this entire mess! Well, the latest mess I mean."

[Vigile]

Looking abashed, Vigile ducks his head. "You're quite correct, my apologies Goodman Smith. Lady Cindy, hero she may be, is not pavitra and should not be judged as such. That was very poorly done."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"She nearly died," she whispers. "She tried to kill herself. It's more than simply failure, as if she were attacked by a mugger."

[Vigile]

Vigile frowns. "She did not. Did you not hear lay Seeker Varric's investigation and summary? He says that she was careless, wretchedly so, but that she did not intend to cast aside her life."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"She... she's a good liar," she protests, with a shudder. "You didn't hear her apologies, feel her slump when I said she'd done it on purpose. She knew what she was doing."

[Vigile]

"And lay Seeker Varric is a good investigator and knows his daughter well. I know not all his thoughts, but it was clear as SHE-THAT-IS-ASTEA's light that he was certain of that conclusion." He hums softly. "Perhaps it would serve you well to speak to him and ask him his reasoning?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I don't want to cause any more trouble," she says quietly. "Liz deserves her father's care."

[Smith Family]

"I hardly think a simple conversation, especially one that shares concern for his daughter is going to bother him." Kyle has... mostly gotten past the talking cat surprise by this point. Not the first I've seen or anything but I was not expecting that right now. Bit reassuring, come to think of it. Who better than a pavitra, right?

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I already... he came looking for me, earlier."

[Smith Family]

Kyle nods. "I know, he said as much when he told me about this... talk we're having." He offers a hopeful smile. "He was worried about you, I think. And not just for his own daughter's sake either."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I..."

She shudders, misery clouding her features. "When he understands what I've done, when he sees what she's really like, he won't. He'll hate me. It's only secrets and lies that ever make people like me."

[Smith Family]

"How would you know?" Kyle shrugs at their looks. "I just mean... you say you've never told anyone the full truth about yourself, so... how can you know we wouldn't love you if you did?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Those that know me better, knew me before I started lying, hate me," she whispers. "My father ordered my death."

[Smith Family]

Kyle growls softly. "Sick fuck," he grunts, too upset to remember to censor his language or even apologize for it. "Knew the bastard was a cruel, hard man, but that's..."

[Coquette Blacquin]

And to her credit, she doesn't so much as flinch. "He had to protect his real family," she says quietly. "It would have destroyed Alisenne's chances if word had got out."