The library was relatively warm, even in the dead of winter. Estella thought that might have something to do with all the books as well as the large hearth against one of the walls, its logs stacked carefully to keep the fire in the back of the space, well away from delicate paper.
None of that kept her from layering her clothes against the chill, and Leon in the chair next to her did the same. Turning a page, she absently stroked Gil, smiling slightly at the soft rumble of his purring. She had no complaints about the warmth of her lap, anyway.
Carefully tracing the newest rune onto a loose sheet of parchment, she repeated the process until her strokes were sure and she was confident she could reproduce the shape from memory without error. She didn't want to copy anything into her blank book without knowing what she was doing.
The soft roll of glass over wood drew her attention to the Commander. He smiled mildly, setting the vessel back down on the table next to his elbow.
“How is it?"
Leon nodded. “I like it; is it a family recipe?"
“Of a sort." She half-smiled and went back to her work. The shuffling of paper told her Leon did the same. It was... nice. Quiet, but companionable.
But of course, Estella knew that they merely sat in the eye of a storm, so to speak; everything outside still moved swiftly. To say nothing of the sheer tumult of it. She'd like to be optimistic and say that things would settle once Romulus completed the ritual to prove his heritage, but... most likely it would only mean different difficulties.
A knock on the open door brought the man himself to their attention. Romulus had entered the library quietly. He'd been outside in the cold for a little while, judging by the overall redness of his face, and the light dusting of snowfall still clinging to his cloak and hair. He was alone, and looked somewhat relieved to have found them both in the same spot.
"Commander, Estella," he greeted, nodding to both in turn. "Um... I wanted to apologize. This has all been very sudden, and I didn't consult either of you. I'm sorry."
Estella stood automatically, dislodging Gil, who hopped off her legs with a dissatisfied noise. He jumped onto the back of Leon's chair instead. She smiled at Romulus and gestured to one of the remaining armchairs in their corner of the library. It, like the rest of them, was a bit squashy, but comfortable enough.
“Would you like to sit?" From the end table between herself and Leon, she took up an empty cup, hooking the handle of a heavy glass bottle with the first two fingers of her other hand. “Cider?" It was cold out there, after all.
"Ah, yes. Thank you." Romulus had seemed a little caught off guard by the response, as though expecting to jump right to the heart of the matter. Somewhat awkwardly he shuffled and sank into the chair she gestured to, accepting the cup once she'd poured him some of the cider. After testing it, he drank deeply, exhaling in satisfaction. "I'm not intruding, am I?"
Estella shook her head, retaking her seat. “I was just working on... well, it's not important." Certainly nothing official. She glanced at Leon, who shrugged slightly.
“I was only here to enjoy a bit of quiet. It still seems intact to me." He smiled mildly, setting his book to the side and lacing his hands over his abdomen. He slouched quite a lot in the seat; Estella found it surprising for someone who was usually so upright.
“I do admit the news was quite sudden. And perhaps a bit of forewarning would have been appreciated. But I'm not your jailer, Romulus. And the only thing I command is the army. While I think all of us make the best decisions when we make them together, this is a personal matter."
“With maybe some not-personal consequences," Estella added wryly.
Leon snorted softly. “Just so." He tilted his head slightly, straightening a little. “Of course... the consequences it has for the Inquisition are a matter for all of us to decide, as much as possible. There will undoubtedly be some people who push us to place you in charge, if you are successful in your trial, perhaps as a condition on their support. There will be others who push for the opposite, seeing someone in your position as a viable political threat who should absolutely not be given a personal military."
He paused very intentionally there; Estella supposed he wanted to feel out what Romulus was thinking before contributing any of his own thoughts.
It was obviously something that troubled Romulus as well, for he did not immediately respond. "I..." he trailed off momentarily, reconsidering his words. He then half-smiled. "I wish the personal consequences weren't bound up with the political ones. It was never my intent to disrupt the balance we have." He took another long drink, briefly touching the end of his sleeve against the beard around his lips. "Assuming this works, and I'm alive this time tomorrow, I'd prefer for nothing to change. I don't have the experience or training to lead an army, but you do." He looked to Leon.
"And regardless of whether they believe in me or not, they trust you. Both of you. I don't think I can say the same for me. As you said, I might be seen as a threat. I want to use this to help the Inquisition, not usurp it."
Estella furrowed her brows. There surely had to be some way to actually do that. She was by no means a political expert, but she'd been around enough people with more subtlety than she had to know that there was surely an opportunity to be found here somewhere to help the Inquisition.
“I'm sure we'll figure something out," Leon said. “Some bridges just have to be crossed when we get to them, and not any sooner."
Romulus nodded in agreement, then fell silent, seemingly contemplating the remains of the cider in his cup. When he did look up again, it was at Estella. "Are you alright with all of this?" he asked, voicing the question carefully. "Between almost dying, to meeting my father, to finding out about my ancestors and trying to track down some proof... it occurred to me that I haven't thought enough about how it might affect you. We've always been in this mess together." He paused again, shifting his weight slightly in his seat.
"Anais, for whatever reason, doesn't care for you and makes no secret of it. Throws the word fraud around far too liberally. I just... I want you to know that I don't share her opinion, and that I never meant to undermine you."
“I know." Estella offered a small smile. It was true that all of this was quite... well, momentous. And she likely looked even smaller than usual trying to stand where she did because of it. But that wasn't Romulus's fault. “But there's no reason this has to undermine anything. We're not on opposite sides of a power struggle here. We're two people in the same strange situation, trying to navigate it."
She didn't have any desire to make this about anyone's legitimacy or right to be here. “It's... a little more difficult, since some people are going to construe it the wrong way, either on accident or on purpose. But you're not to blame for that. And I'm not upset." They were still in it together.
He was visibly relieved at that. "Good. I'm glad." He finished the cider in his cup, and stood with rather more energy than he'd entered with. "Will you come with us tomorrow? It's not a long journey, just to an island off the coast. Shouldn't take more than a day or two."
Estella glanced at Leon. Having all three of them away at the same time should be fine, but he would know better than she did.
He considered it a moment, then inclined his head. “We can do that, certainly."
“I'd be honored," Estella added.
None of that kept her from layering her clothes against the chill, and Leon in the chair next to her did the same. Turning a page, she absently stroked Gil, smiling slightly at the soft rumble of his purring. She had no complaints about the warmth of her lap, anyway.
Carefully tracing the newest rune onto a loose sheet of parchment, she repeated the process until her strokes were sure and she was confident she could reproduce the shape from memory without error. She didn't want to copy anything into her blank book without knowing what she was doing.
The soft roll of glass over wood drew her attention to the Commander. He smiled mildly, setting the vessel back down on the table next to his elbow.
“How is it?"
Leon nodded. “I like it; is it a family recipe?"
“Of a sort." She half-smiled and went back to her work. The shuffling of paper told her Leon did the same. It was... nice. Quiet, but companionable.
But of course, Estella knew that they merely sat in the eye of a storm, so to speak; everything outside still moved swiftly. To say nothing of the sheer tumult of it. She'd like to be optimistic and say that things would settle once Romulus completed the ritual to prove his heritage, but... most likely it would only mean different difficulties.
A knock on the open door brought the man himself to their attention. Romulus had entered the library quietly. He'd been outside in the cold for a little while, judging by the overall redness of his face, and the light dusting of snowfall still clinging to his cloak and hair. He was alone, and looked somewhat relieved to have found them both in the same spot.
"Commander, Estella," he greeted, nodding to both in turn. "Um... I wanted to apologize. This has all been very sudden, and I didn't consult either of you. I'm sorry."
Estella stood automatically, dislodging Gil, who hopped off her legs with a dissatisfied noise. He jumped onto the back of Leon's chair instead. She smiled at Romulus and gestured to one of the remaining armchairs in their corner of the library. It, like the rest of them, was a bit squashy, but comfortable enough.
“Would you like to sit?" From the end table between herself and Leon, she took up an empty cup, hooking the handle of a heavy glass bottle with the first two fingers of her other hand. “Cider?" It was cold out there, after all.
"Ah, yes. Thank you." Romulus had seemed a little caught off guard by the response, as though expecting to jump right to the heart of the matter. Somewhat awkwardly he shuffled and sank into the chair she gestured to, accepting the cup once she'd poured him some of the cider. After testing it, he drank deeply, exhaling in satisfaction. "I'm not intruding, am I?"
Estella shook her head, retaking her seat. “I was just working on... well, it's not important." Certainly nothing official. She glanced at Leon, who shrugged slightly.
“I was only here to enjoy a bit of quiet. It still seems intact to me." He smiled mildly, setting his book to the side and lacing his hands over his abdomen. He slouched quite a lot in the seat; Estella found it surprising for someone who was usually so upright.
“I do admit the news was quite sudden. And perhaps a bit of forewarning would have been appreciated. But I'm not your jailer, Romulus. And the only thing I command is the army. While I think all of us make the best decisions when we make them together, this is a personal matter."
“With maybe some not-personal consequences," Estella added wryly.
Leon snorted softly. “Just so." He tilted his head slightly, straightening a little. “Of course... the consequences it has for the Inquisition are a matter for all of us to decide, as much as possible. There will undoubtedly be some people who push us to place you in charge, if you are successful in your trial, perhaps as a condition on their support. There will be others who push for the opposite, seeing someone in your position as a viable political threat who should absolutely not be given a personal military."
He paused very intentionally there; Estella supposed he wanted to feel out what Romulus was thinking before contributing any of his own thoughts.
It was obviously something that troubled Romulus as well, for he did not immediately respond. "I..." he trailed off momentarily, reconsidering his words. He then half-smiled. "I wish the personal consequences weren't bound up with the political ones. It was never my intent to disrupt the balance we have." He took another long drink, briefly touching the end of his sleeve against the beard around his lips. "Assuming this works, and I'm alive this time tomorrow, I'd prefer for nothing to change. I don't have the experience or training to lead an army, but you do." He looked to Leon.
"And regardless of whether they believe in me or not, they trust you. Both of you. I don't think I can say the same for me. As you said, I might be seen as a threat. I want to use this to help the Inquisition, not usurp it."
Estella furrowed her brows. There surely had to be some way to actually do that. She was by no means a political expert, but she'd been around enough people with more subtlety than she had to know that there was surely an opportunity to be found here somewhere to help the Inquisition.
“I'm sure we'll figure something out," Leon said. “Some bridges just have to be crossed when we get to them, and not any sooner."
Romulus nodded in agreement, then fell silent, seemingly contemplating the remains of the cider in his cup. When he did look up again, it was at Estella. "Are you alright with all of this?" he asked, voicing the question carefully. "Between almost dying, to meeting my father, to finding out about my ancestors and trying to track down some proof... it occurred to me that I haven't thought enough about how it might affect you. We've always been in this mess together." He paused again, shifting his weight slightly in his seat.
"Anais, for whatever reason, doesn't care for you and makes no secret of it. Throws the word fraud around far too liberally. I just... I want you to know that I don't share her opinion, and that I never meant to undermine you."
“I know." Estella offered a small smile. It was true that all of this was quite... well, momentous. And she likely looked even smaller than usual trying to stand where she did because of it. But that wasn't Romulus's fault. “But there's no reason this has to undermine anything. We're not on opposite sides of a power struggle here. We're two people in the same strange situation, trying to navigate it."
She didn't have any desire to make this about anyone's legitimacy or right to be here. “It's... a little more difficult, since some people are going to construe it the wrong way, either on accident or on purpose. But you're not to blame for that. And I'm not upset." They were still in it together.
He was visibly relieved at that. "Good. I'm glad." He finished the cider in his cup, and stood with rather more energy than he'd entered with. "Will you come with us tomorrow? It's not a long journey, just to an island off the coast. Shouldn't take more than a day or two."
Estella glanced at Leon. Having all three of them away at the same time should be fine, but he would know better than she did.
He considered it a moment, then inclined his head. “We can do that, certainly."
“I'd be honored," Estella added.