and every broken heart will mend

[scourgingstars]

[Not too long after the trial, a note found its way under everyone's doors, all of them written in the same neat handwriting that had been asking after a ring not that long ago.]

If any of you would prefer not to be left alone after all of that, I propose we meet in the dining hall. Nari has taken up cooking at the moment, and should anyone wish to talk I will be present regardless of whether or not the group at large should choose to join us.

-Ardyn

[True to his word, Ardyn was at a smaller table in the dining hall with an untouched cup of coffee in front of him; lost in thought leaning his head on one hand as the other turned a silver coin over between his fingers.]

[King in an empty hall, and savior of nothing. All that effort to prevent bloodshed, and it had come down to a situation designed to force their hand from the beginning.]

Comments

[misanthropicprinciple]

Yeah. It's just a matter of... of keeping things together until then.

[scourgingstars]

...And keeping ourselves together, as well.

I know that was hard on you. But you aren't alone in that.

[misanthropicprinciple]

...

Ten years. She'd been holding that on her own for ten years.

[Junpei sighs and covers his eyes.]

That's what I keep thinking about. The little kid that didn't get saved. That's what made this happen: that she was alone, in that.

[scourgingstars]

All she was doing was what she thought was right. I don't understand how anyone could ever condemn something like that. Especially not to a point where things would ever get as terrible as that.

[misanthropicprinciple]

I... can.

[Y'know. 'Cool motive, still murder.' He's had moments like that.]

But not like that. It shouldn't--it shouldn't have come to that.