[Getting a private moment with Regis while two sets of eyes track him--Ardyn's and the captain's, respectively--is the easy part in all of this. The hard part is looking the king in the eye in order to tell him the rumors of the empire messing about with daemon technology might be true. That it might be here in the Crown City. That it almost put the princess out of commission.
The expression that hardens the king's features into granite is a terrible thing to behold up close.
Nyx is relieved in his own right to be sent off for a healer; privately, he doesn't know how long Lunafreya can stay standing without medical attention. She'd put on a good face, but he'd seen her when Ardyn had a hold of her. The tremor in the fine muscles of her back and legs. The hastily brushed-off tears.
Even more privately, he thinks the decision not to act on the Chancellor right away is a wrong one, but he shuts his mouth. And manages to keep it shut remarkably well throughout the next twenty odd minutes for how close he comes to telling the healer he fetches to stop as the attempt at removing the corruption leaves the girl shaking in her chair like a prisoner after a round of enhanced interrogation. His fists clench ineffectually in white-knuckled mimicry of hers.
Watching makes Nyx feel uncomfortably like a voyeur to her pain. Still, he doesn't look away. Any time their gazes meet, he holds it, silently encouraging, willing her the strength to keep going. A second longer. A minute longer. Just to hold on until the worst is passed.
In the reprieve, he acts before he thinks, breaking from his stance behind the king to get a glass of water and kneel beside her chair with it. The black brand demands attention, but he can't seem to look anywhere else besides her face. She looks younger now than ever before, too young to be this ashen and bone-weary.]
Hey, you did good.
[Where did that come from? It takes Nyx a moment to realize he's thinking of Selena every time she'd gotten sick or hurt, fighting back tears to take a needle prick or get a bone reset. He curls the princess' fingers around the water glass before he can give that thought too much attention.]
Is it any better?
[The answer feels obvious before he asks, but he asks anyway.]
no subject
The expression that hardens the king's features into granite is a terrible thing to behold up close.
Nyx is relieved in his own right to be sent off for a healer; privately, he doesn't know how long Lunafreya can stay standing without medical attention. She'd put on a good face, but he'd seen her when Ardyn had a hold of her. The tremor in the fine muscles of her back and legs. The hastily brushed-off tears.
Even more privately, he thinks the decision not to act on the Chancellor right away is a wrong one, but he shuts his mouth. And manages to keep it shut remarkably well throughout the next twenty odd minutes for how close he comes to telling the healer he fetches to stop as the attempt at removing the corruption leaves the girl shaking in her chair like a prisoner after a round of enhanced interrogation. His fists clench ineffectually in white-knuckled mimicry of hers.
Watching makes Nyx feel uncomfortably like a voyeur to her pain. Still, he doesn't look away. Any time their gazes meet, he holds it, silently encouraging, willing her the strength to keep going. A second longer. A minute longer. Just to hold on until the worst is passed.
In the reprieve, he acts before he thinks, breaking from his stance behind the king to get a glass of water and kneel beside her chair with it. The black brand demands attention, but he can't seem to look anywhere else besides her face. She looks younger now than ever before, too young to be this ashen and bone-weary.]
Hey, you did good.
[Where did that come from? It takes Nyx a moment to realize he's thinking of Selena every time she'd gotten sick or hurt, fighting back tears to take a needle prick or get a bone reset. He curls the princess' fingers around the water glass before he can give that thought too much attention.]
Is it any better?
[The answer feels obvious before he asks, but he asks anyway.]