Chapter Text
Rook shivered as the door closed behind them, and began to pace around the room. Simon caught up and put a hand on his back.
“I could help. I was about to start the investigation myself – should I?” He turned to Simon, eyes stormy. “Am… am I doing the right thing, staying out of it? Should I be… be a part of this? Of all of it? I have the ability, I could –“
Simon came around and took Rook’s face in his hands, pulling him down a little so their foreheads touched. “Look at me, love. Just at me. And breathe for a minute with me.”
Rook’s gray eyes continued to dart around, but slowed as his breathing gradually evened out until he only looked at Simon.
“You’re all right,” Simon murmured. “We all are.” He pulled away, and pulled Rook over to sit on the bed. “Think for a moment.”
“I don’t – I don’t want to… to be part of Connor’s… court, I don’t, but I… is it responsible of me not to?”
Simon took Rook’s hands and began rubbing them gently between his. “You… could, but that’s not the question.”
“Exactly, the question is should I.”
Simon shook his head. “You could. But… can Connor handle this?”
Rook blinked. “I – I’m sure he… he could, but…”
“Do you think he can?”
“It… it’s ongoing, he’s still working on it, but…”
“Do you think he’ll be able to?”
Rook was quiet for a long moment, looking down at their hands.
“I – I think so,” he murmured. “I worry, though.”
“Of course you do.” Simon leaned into him. “Because you love him, and you love the rest of us, and you care about both kingdoms. Why wouldn’t you worry? But I think Connor can do it, too. And he’s got people around him he can count on. You know he trusts you and counts on you too, but he needs you for more than… official help, or your powers.”
Rook’s shoulders relaxed a little more. “It’s strange to be… sent away for my own safety,” he murmured at last. “Only you have ever done that before.”
“Well with you up here, we’re all safe.” Simon gently kissed his chin. “But Connor’s worried too. He doesn’t want you getting hurt.”
“I think I’m the least likely to get hurt, of anyone here.”
“But you’re the one he cares for the most,” Simon murmured. “You’re the one it would hurt him most to see hurt.”
Rook leaned into Simon, and shuddered after a moment. “…Then I should tell you while he’s otherwise occupied that Perkins struck my side. It’s not deep.”
Simon sighed and squeezed his hands. “Of course he did. I swear, I’ll break his kneecaps if I ever get the chance. Lie down and let me see.”
“North’s rubbed off on you.” Rook lay down and watched fondly as Simon gently cleaned and bandaged the wound. When it was finished, Simon sat and carded his fingers slowly through Rook’s hair.
“We’ll be okay. You and me, and Connor, and everyone. We’ll be fine.”
Rook smiled softly up at him, and caught Simon’s free hand after a moment. “I believe you.”
It didn’t take long for Markus to knock at Leo’s door.
“Yeah?” Leo called without moving.
“Can I come in?”
Leo sighed. “I guess.”
Markus slipped in quietly and sat awkwardly while Leo stayed flopped on the bed.
“Are… you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, nobody did anything to me.” Leo shrugged, staring up at the ceiling. “Coulda had some wine, might’ve been poisoned. Coulda had some cheese and fruit too, maybe that was poisoned too.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” Markus murmured, watching him closely. “Just in case.”
Leo didn’t respond, but after a minute he rolled over to look at Markus. “Is it… fucked up to not trust random strangers being nice? Or is that like… a normal people thing?” he asked quietly.
Markus made a face. “I think… it depends on the situation. It’s nice to trust people. I guess strictly speaking, it’s safer not to. I wouldn’t say you’re not normal, though.”
Leo snorted derisively. “Okay, Markus.”
“…Not because of that, anyway.” Markus smiled a little.
“Okay, that’s more like it.”
Markus smirked, then he glanced at the door. “Do you trust me?” he asked quietly.
“I – God, Markus, I didn’t want to go there, I was talking about the creep who tried to suck up to me.” Leo fidgeted. “I trust you more than… most people. I don’t even know you that well yet, I’ve only talked to you like five times and most of those I was drugged out of my mind.”
“I know. …I’m really glad we’re getting to know each other better, though.”
“Yeah, me too.” He scratched his head. “You trust me?”
“I – well yes. Ah – it’s a process, I – but mostly, I’d say yes.”
Leo nodded slowly. “Yeah, that’s fair. I wouldn’t trust me.”
“Well… you haven’t done anything lately that would make me not trust you.”
“Lately,” Leo muttered.
“I said it’s a process. …But it’s getting there.”
Leo smiled a little and sat up. “See, if you were all 100% okay with me now, no way in hell I’d trust you.”
Markus chuckled. “I’m glad you’re not taking that badly, because I don’t mean it that way at all. I just want to be honest with you.”
“Thanks.”
“Well, you know… I guess that’s… what brothers do.”
Leo nodded slowly. “Does that… make you feel better about things?”
“What?”
“Calling me your brother?”
“Uh – I… I don’t know if I’d say that, I…”
“Sorry.” Leo sighed, rubbing his face. “Guy kind of got to me.”
“I was afraid for a minute there,” Markus said quietly. “When Rook said someone had taken you away. I thought I’d lost you.”
“I mean… it’s not like we’ve… been good for long. It wouldn’t be much to lose,” Leo muttered. “And I’ve got like… one friend, I think Daniel’d miss me a little, but he’d get over it. Rook and Simon and Josh are okay, but I don’t really know them, they’d be fine.” He shrugged. “No big loss, honestly.”
“Leo.”
Leo looked up at Markus’s unreadable expression, and Markus got up and sat on the bed next to him. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re an idiot.”
“Oh thanks, that’s real hard to take the wrong way,” Leo muttered, turning away on his side. Markus grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it.
“I’d be crushed. And so would Daniel, I’m sure, and the others would be sad too, and probably people you’re not even thinking of, but honestly it doesn’t matter how many people would mourn you because it would be a terrible loss. To me and in general. I know we haven’t been… close for long, but… I’m not prepared to lose you.”
“I know,” Leo muttered.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, fine. I dunno. I’m fine.”
Markus gnawed on his lip for a moment. “Do you mind if I stay with you for a while?”
Leo curled in on himself a little. “If you want.”
He heard Markus shift a little. “You’re not… an idiot, I just… I need you to know that you’re important to me. That you matter.”
“Nah, you were right,” Leo mumbled. “It’s fine. I know it, I’m used to it.”
“Only when you say things like that. You see things a lot more clearly than I do sometimes, and you’re not afraid to tell me when I’m wrong. …Which I look forward to in the future, because it’s going to matter a lot more when I’m wrong, and I’ll need someone to catch that before it blows out of my hands.”
Leo turned and frowned a little. “I don’t know how long I’m sticking around, but sure.”
“You’re leaving?”
“I mean… yeah, eventually. Can’t stick around forever, right? I’m taking a room Simon and Rook could rent out.”
Markus frowned. “You know you’re still welcome to stay at the house, right?”
“Yeah, that’s… thanks. It’s still not… my place.”
“It could be. If you want it,” Markus said quietly. “I’ve been thinking… it would be nice to have you by my side. I’m trying to think of who I’d put on my own council, and there’s Josh of course, but… I thought of you immediately. I understand if you wouldn’t want to stay in… that house, but… you’ve got a place with me. …Like I said, if you want it.”
“What, like… unofficially?”
“No, officially. I think… you’d be great.”
Leo sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. “Well I mean… Daniel was talking about sticking around, so I kinda… wasn’t looking forward to going back anyway… I… I mean… if you really want me to… Maybe I could give it like… a trial run? So you’re… so we’re not stuck with it if it doesn’t work out?”
“I’d be willing to give it a try,” Markus said with a smile.
There was a loud clatter outside, and they both scrambled to their feet. Out in the common area Rook stood over a young man who was bent over a spilled platter of food, drinks, and dishes.
“Sorry, so sorry for the commotion, I’m so clumsy! Oh don’t worry about it, I’ll clean that up –“
“Jerry,” Leo said, and the others looked at him.
“You know him?” Rook asked darkly.
“Yeah – uh… maybe. I met Jerry 7. What number are you?”
Jerry’s face lit up, but he shrank back a little with a nervous smile. “Oh, yes! Yes, we – he met you. Sorry, I’m… I’m 29, I was chopping onions before when you were talking to us. I… I was asked to bring you some refreshments. And I dropped them on the floor.”
“Who sent you up here?” Rook asked icily.
“Ah, that’s… well… that’s a good question. It wasn’t the king.” Jerry smiled tensely as he swept up the fallen bits with his hands and a napkin.
“I guessed that.”
“But it doesn’t matter now, because I’ve gone and dropped everything, so you can’t eat any of it.” He smiled brightly.
“I met one of them before, he was saying they’re… they’re all one person, just a bunch of different bodies, but they can all see and hear the same stuff. ...They just turn it off when they want to,” Leo explained.
“Zlatko was banished for his abominations, even the queen couldn’t stomach his methods,” Rook muttered, glaring at Jerry.
“And… and he gave us all life, and keeps us… alive, makes sure we’re taken care of,” Jerry said quickly. “So we wouldn’t dare say a word against him.”
“Is he… keeping you against your will?” Simon asked slowly.
Jerry turned to him, standing up. “Like we said, we wouldn’t say a word against him. We know better.”
“What was in the food and drinks?” Rook asked.
“We – I didn’t… see what the bottle said, but… better safe than sorry, right?”
“You dropped that on purpose,” Josh said in a low voice.
“We would never say that.” Jerry grinned at him.
“Do you ever stop smiling?” Daniel muttered.
“Oh no, absolutely not. No, that would be… frowned upon.” He giggled.
“Zlatko sent you up here with… poisoned food for us, but you dropped it so we wouldn’t be harmed,” Simon clarified. “Would you… speak against him to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else?”
“Oh… well you see… Some of the others are still with him. And can’t… leave on their own. You met 7, he was the first… successful one, but 2-6 are… still in the laboratory, and can’t get out on their own,” Jerry mumbled, looking aside.
“What about… 1? The first one?” Markus murmured, horrified.
“He’s been dead for a while, I’m afraid.” Jerry’s smile was brittle. “We try not to think about it.”
“Will you tell us where his laboratory is?” Rook asked, forcing his voice to be gentle. “We – Connor will see that you’re all unharmed.”
Jerry looked distant for a moment, then perked up and nodded. “We’ve been hoping someone could, it’s so uncomfortable being stretched so thin and he’s already planning to make more of us!”
The talks were cut short, though Connor and Markus agreed to meet again to discuss more. They drew up a cursory treaty in the meantime.
Connor talked with Jerry, and then sent Allen and his best squadron to raid the lab. They found four Jerries in bad shape, and numerous other projects Zlatko had been working on. Jerry pointed out the bolt-hole he’d made to escape, and all kinds of hiding places he had around the Tower and the surrounding city. In a few days he had been captured and his equipment destroyed or repurposed under Kamski and Chloe’s command. Most Jerries remained in the Tower, but some headed out to see the world. A couple of them went back across the border with Markus’s entourage, and offered to send messages any time they were needed.
Captains Allen and Fowler ran a full investigation of each soldier and guard. Anyone with loyalties or connections to Perkins or Zlatko was given the choice of banishment or close monitoring around the Tower without the chance of promotion. Many left, and over the following weeks more trickled out. Chloe kept an eye on them from afar. Perkins and Zlatko, who had been collaborating since the queen’s death, were put on trial for their crimes. There were numerous Jerries on the jury.
North had not burned down Jericho by the time the others got back, but had banned a few customers. Simon apologized to the few who came to complain, but stuck with her decisions. He didn’t ask her to watch the inn again for quite a while.
Leo rented a room not far away and hung around awkwardly with Markus and Josh, or Simon, Rook, and North, until it wasn’t as awkward anymore. He assured Daniel that he would be fine, and most of the time he believed that.
Word spread that Markus was going to lead the Western Lands officially, and while it did raise some unrest here and there, most of the people accepted it. Leo slowly gained confidence in his new position. North stepped in as if she’d been doing it all her life and offered the aggressive push Markus’s fledgling council needed. Simon politely declined an invitation to join them, and Daniel laughed in his face. He didn’t bother asking Rook.
As flowers began to bloom and the river ran full with the melting snow from the north, Simon and Rook left early one morning. Jerry assured them that Jericho would be in good hands, and North told them not to take their time. Their shoulders bumped together as they sat listening to the noises of the city fade into birdsong and the clopping of hooves as the mule pulled the wagon along the winding road inland.
“He’s probably all packed already,” Simon murmured as they passed through a sparse pine forest. “He’ll throw his things in the cart and grab the reins, and we’ll just turn right around.”
“We’ll at least have to stop to give the mule a rest,” Rook replied. “And we’ll need to rest at that point as well.”
“Mm, we’ll make him give us a night, at least,” Simon agreed. “But it’s so pretty out here! I hope we can stay for a few days.”
They stopped for the night at a little waystation that was just a shack with little cold stream behind it. Once they’d made sure the mule was comfortable for the night, they ate and bathed before wrapping up in a thick wool blanket.
“I like it here,” Rook murmured as the first stars appeared in the last rays of the sunset. “The space. The quiet – well, different noises at least. All the green space.”
“Is this the kind of life you envisioned when you left?” Simon pulled him in.
“Mm… the setting, yes. But the rest is beyond my wildest dreams. A real home to look forward to returning to. A family. …The greatest love of my life.”
“I love you,” Simon breathed, hugging his arm and pressing closer. “Daniel and Connor and everyone too – but especially me.”
“And I never imagined such happiness as I’ve found here. With all of them, but especially you.” Rook kissed the top of his head softly.
Tomorrow would be busy, and both looked forward to seeing Daniel again. But for now it was just the two of them holding each other under the night sky, and that was more than enough.