The Amell Legacy: Transgressions

[Aveline Vallen]

"I... perhaps I should find lodgings in town and... give you both some time to... process all of this," Aveline says quietly, reevaluating the mission she was given.

[Carver Amell]

"Fine," says Carver, his voice resigned, dull. She won't go away. You know she won't. You knew you had to face this eventually. But-- why now? why--

"How did she die?" he asks, suddenly. 

[Bethany]

Beth tenses a little, pressing her face against Carver's shoulder. Please don't be... please have been an- an accident. Not-

[Aveline Vallen]

"She... she took her own life," Aveline says quietly, not seeing a way to gentle or hide it from them. She could lie, yes, but they'd find out eventually and then what would her lie have gained? Just another betrayal and the same heartache from the truth. "She had been acting increasingly... erratic after the two of you went missing and... " She winces. "It was... rough. But unfortunately, the servant that found her... was disloyal and... it's public rumor by now. Do you... do you want to know details now or...?"

[Bethany]

Beth swallows. "We're together and we'll get through this," she mumbles into Carver's shoulder. "It's up to you." Probably Jennie. Stupid bitch, she could never be trusted with anything more delicate than stoneware, much less privacy.

[Carver Amell]

"Yes," says Carver, and his voice has no inflection, his eyes stare off into the distance, unfocused.

[Aveline Vallen]

Aveline nods, a bit of respect in her eyes at them both being willing to face this head-on. "She took poison after writing a confession. About... some indiscretions she had with her brother. And about a... burden she passed onto her eldest, a taint of some kind." She hesitates, then asks carefully, "I'm assuming that's the curse that Raplin broke for you?" And not, as some are speculating, an incestuous relationship with your own twin, that your flight was an elopement to somewhere they wouldn't know you share blood.

[Bethany]

Beth hisses at the nature of Leandra's death, hating her mother even more for choosing that particular manner of death.

[Carver Amell]

I'm not even the eldest, not really, he thinks, but he can't put words around it. Instead, he nods. "I'm a boy. I've always been a boy. She made me-- she made me try to-- I tried so hard to be a girl but I'm just not. Dau fixed it, made my body match my soul." And Mother decided it's better if I'm dead than a boy, and better she die than see me this way. I killed her, trying to live.

[Bethany]

Having been just about to encourage Carver to run with that idea, Beth blinks as he voices it first, a mix of pride and regret filling her. Huh. Guess he did pick up some of the political maneuvering stuff after all. Wouldn't have expected such a... clever lie from him. He was always the most honest of us... He needs some of that savviness, I think... but it's a shame that he does.

[Aveline Vallen]

Aveline nods slowly, sure there's more to it but deciding it's not her place and serves no Good to dig deeper. "I'm sorry for your loss. And more so for your suffering in the past. If... do you have any questions or... I'm only two days out of Nyra, so my knowledge of current events is still fresh."

[Carver Amell]

Carver swallows, then swallows again, clearly picking his words carefully. Finally, his need wins out over his caution, and he half-whimpers, "Jadan?"

[Aveline Vallen]

"Missing as well," Aveline replies promptly. "He's wanted for questioning but no charges have been made." Yet.

[Bethany]

"What?" Beth blurts out, lifting her head. "For what?"

[Carver Amell]

"Do they-- do they suspect-- for questioning? He's a-- he's a suspect? In what? Mother-- and-- for abducting us?"

Carver's mind is an interesting place sometimes, but he manages to string together a series of words that are almost, but not quite, the sentences a lady of his breeding would be expected to be able to ask. Comportment under duress is a key element that Carol never did manage to get his head around.