Archive of Our Own

Like all stupid things, it was Lucius's idea.

No, Raven reflects as he stands in the crowded Etruria streets, that was unfair. It wasn't a stupid idea, per se. Just a terrible one. Then again, he was the one going along with it, wasn't he?

"All right, I know where we're going now." Lucius slips out of the crowd, map in hand. "I've gotten some directions."

Raven tries to say "good," but it comes out as more of a pained grunt.

Lucius takes his arm. "Are you all right, dear?"

"Do you have to ask?"

"We don't have to do this." Lucius's voice is low and soft. "It's up to you."

"We've come this far. And we should. You're right." Raven sighs heavily, dropping his head. "But…"

"It's frightening?"

"...Maybe."

"We can go tomorrow instead, if you like."

"No, let's...let's get this over with. Lead the way."

Lucius looks down at the map. "House Palermo's estate is just a mile north of here, if we follow this side street. We're quite close. Shall we?"

"Mm."

Following Lucius's guidance, the two follow the signs to the indicated street and peel off from the bustling main crowd, onto a quieter side street. Lucius hums softly as they walk. Raven knows full well it's part of an act - trying to keep them both calm. Still, he welcomes it. Lucius's presence is the only thing that keeps him putting one foot in front of the other.

Raven swallows. His throat is dry enough to hurt. "How much further?"

"Not much."

Raven plays with the frayed edge of his glove. "Do you think...she'll even let us in?"

"I think she will. I'm sure she misses you."

"Mmm."

The houses are getting fancier as they walk, Raven notes. Every fence is lined with gold, every yard has a marble fountain or a towering statue, and every high-nosed person is clad in velvet or silk. The very air stinks of excess. People are giving them odd looks, ranging from confused stares to open disgust as they notice Raven's shabby jacket and Lucius's rather threadbare robes.

Or, possibly, it's just Raven's scowl.

Regardless, he's uncomfortable. Rich neighborhoods make him think of things he'd rather not, like -

- smoke curling in the distance, a horrible stain on a vivid blue sky, and the sinking pit in Raymond's gut as his eyes traced it to the source, Lucius's horrified gasp the only sound ringing in his ears as the world turned foggy around him -

Raven hurriedly pulls his mind away from that train of thought.

"I'd forgotten what this kind of place looks like," says Lucius, looking with interest at the elaborate houses and formally-dressed people. "It's been awhile."

An uncomfortable lump forms in Raven's throat. They could be living like this, too, if he'd accepted Ostia's offer. But the idea of returning to this world, without his parents, had been far too much. When he'd made that choice, Lucius had supported him, of course. But then again, if Lucius had wanted differently, would he even have said so?

No, Raven knows what Lucius wants. He can see it whenever Lucius lays eyes on a child, or a stable home. But there's little call for mercenary work lately, especially if they're trying to avoid being found out by the major houses of Lycia and Etruria. They rarely even get a chance to stay in inns, usually camping out in forests and fields, hunting and gathering for meals whenever possible, mending and re-mending clothes to make them last. All their worldly possessions are in their bags right now, and the bags don't weigh a lot.

They could barely afford the trip here, even though they'd scrimped and saved. Buying a house is far out of the question - let alone a place big enough for an orphanage, or any children at all. It might be Lucius's dream, but it's something Raven simply can't do.

Raven wishes he could, though.

He would give Lucius the world, even though he'd never ask.

"You needn't make that face," says Lucius, ever the mind reader. "I don't mind, you know."

Raven grunts. "Don't mind what?"

Lucius only sighs. "...We're nearly there."

Indeed, Raven can make out a massive white roof looming in the distance, far greater than any of the houses they've passed - probably the manor.

Lucius takes Raven's hand. He doesn't say anything, but the slight pressure conveys all he needs to.

The walk doesn't take nearly as long as Raven would like it to, and before he knows it, they're drawing to a halt at an elegant wrought-iron gate. There's a small bell and pulley system affixed to it. Lucius reaches towards it, then looks at Raven, who gives a stiff nod. Lucius gives it a tug, and the bell rings out high and clear in the summer air.

While they wait, Lucius cranes his neck to look up at the towering manor and sweeping green lawns. "It looks lovely."

Raven feels as though he will be sick if he opens his mouth, so he doesn't answer. Lucius squeezes his hand.

A stout little man in formal attire approaches the gate. He stops at the other side, looking at the two men as though he has found something stuck to the bottom of his shoe. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid we've no need for mercenaries at the moment…" his eyes land on Lucius, "...and we've already made our donations to the Church this year."

"We're not looking for work or donations," says Lucius, smiling as he releases Raven's hand and steps forward. "We're here to see Lady Priscilla. We're...old friends."

The butler lifts his chin even higher as he looks down his nose at them. "The lady is not expecting any visitors. This is most irregular - "

"Tell her it's Raymond," Raven blurts out. The butler looks affronted at the interruption, but only gives a sniff and returns to the manor.

"Why do they always think I'm asking for donations?" Lucius asks of the empty air. Raven gives a half-shrug.

They wait several more minutes, Raven suppressing the urge to simply grab Lucius and make a run for it.

The butler returns, looking even more disgruntled. "Lady Priscilla has generously made time to see the two of you. Please follow me, er... gentlemen."

"Thank you for your time," says Lucius pleasantly. Raven grunts.

The butler unlocks the gate and leads them down a stone pathway. It is standard fare for a noble garden, lined with a low hedge and small flower bushes, not a petal out of place. Raven's iron-toed boots clang against the flat, even stone -

- and Raymond is running up the path towards the blazing mansion until Lucius tackles him from behind and they both crash through the hedge and sprawl into the grass, and even Raymond's own tear-choked screaming can't drown out the sound of Lucius's quiet, desperate pleas, "It's too late, they're gone, it's too late, I won't lose you too - "

He hates places like this.

Lucius takes his hand again.

The butler draws to a stop when they reach the manor. "Wipe your feet, sirs, if you would," he says over his shoulder, nodding to a small woven mat as he pushes open a set of towering oak doors. Lucius does as told, almost automatically, but Raven stands stock-still, unable to quite muster the courage to move at all.

"Welcome to Palermo Manor," says the butler, holding the door open and gesturing with a bow. "Do not keep the lady waiting."

"Here we go," Raven mutters under his breath.

"I'm right here," Lucius answers, even more softly. Raven takes a deep breath, nods, and steps in.

The doors creaking shut behind them sound like the closing of a coffin.

Maybe that's a bit melodramatic.

The foyer is high-ceilinged and elegant, lined with artwork and small tables of flowers, but it is the woman standing in the center of the room to whom Raven's eye is drawn.

Seeing her feels like a punch to the gut. She is the picture of a noble lady, wearing a forest-green gown and dangling earrings, her auburn hair is neatly swept back and pinned up, and she looks…

"You so take after your mother, Lady Priscilla," says Lucius softly. "It's very nice to see you again."

Priscilla is staring at them as if she's seen a ghost. Raven suspects his expression is much the same, although for different reasons.

"Er…" Priscilla seems to shake herself. "Thank you, Lucius. Raymond. It's…" She coughs, a smile spreading across her face. "It's very good to see you! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Raven should probably answer her, but instead he just stands there, clinging to Lucius's hand like an anchor tying him to shore, a piece of driftwood in an open sea. This was a mistake.

Lucius quickly fills the silence. "We were in the area, and heard of your marriage. We wished to extend our congratulations, and catch up, since it's been so long." It's a bit of a white lie, but the butler is still standing beside them, with the expression of one who is listening very intently and pretending not to.

Priscilla notices too. "Ah, that will be all, Perkins. Please, if you would bring a tea set to the parlor? I'll lead our guests there myself."

"Very well, milady." Perkins bows so low he nearly snaps in half, and then disappears down a hall.

With the butler's prying eyes gone, Priscilla rushes forward in a rustle of taffeta and flings her arms around Raven, who staggers backwards. "Brother, I'm so glad you're safe! I was terribly worried! Nobody's heard anything from you - I wrote to Lord Hector but he said you disappeared after the war - Lord Eliwood didn't know either, nor Count Reglay - and I feared the worst, and - "

Raven makes a sputtering noise.

"I think you may be suffocating him, Lady Priscilla," says Lucius.

"Oh - I'm sorry!" Priscilla releases Raven and steps back as the latter coughs, gasping for air. Priscilla smooths her hands over the skirt of her dress and looks nervously between the two of them. "I, um - "

"We wished to express our congratulations," says Lucius brightly. "On your marriage, that is. I apologize for our lateness."

"Oh." Priscilla twists a ring on her finger. "That. Yes, I wanted to invite you, but…" She gives a small shrug. "As I said, I hadn't any idea where to find you."

"Please, don't worry about it."

Priscilla turns and gestures to a large painting hanging on the wall behind her, of a tall, handsome-looking man with curly blonde hair. "I'm afraid Count Palermo, my husband, is away for the month, but I'm sure he would have liked to meet you."

"That's him, then?" Raven eyes the painting critically. Looks decent enough, he supposes. Well-dressed.

"Yes." Priscilla smooths her skirt again. Her constant fidgeting only makes Raven even more uncomfortable. "My father arranged it. It was a strong match for both of us. Count Palermo is very kind to me. I must ask, though...how did you find me? You said you happened to hear of me?"

"Lucius," says Raven shortly, nodding to him.

"What I said earlier wasn't quite the truth," Lucius admits. "We took a job in Etruria, and it made us think of you...so we - well, I - did some investigating, and learned Caerleon's daughter had been married to Count Palermo."

"Why…" Priscilla drops her head slightly. "Why did you go to such trouble?"

"We wanted to see you. To ensure you were well, and to speak with you. That is the truth," Lucius answers.

Priscilla's eyes dart to Raven. "I...I appreciate it, I do. It's just...I didn't think you had any interest in me, Raymond. And it had been so long...I know I wasn't easy to get along with, but..."

Her voice is quiet and sad, and white-hot shame burns in Raven's chest.

"That isn't true, Lady Priscilla," says Lucius gently. "But Raymond should tell you himself."

Raven clears his throat. "Uh…"

Small footsteps draw all of their attention. Raven turns and sees a small face peering around the corner. Lucius's face brightens immediately.

Priscilla blinks. "Callie! What are you doing down here?"

The little girl doesn't answer, only darts over to Priscilla, hiding behind her skirts.

"This is my daughter, Calliope." Priscilla rests a hand on her daughter's head. "Callie, please greet our guests."

Calliope peers around her mother briefly, one hand fisted in the dress and the other sucking on her thumb. She looks at them once, then darts behind the taffeta curtain of Priscilla's dress once more.

"I apologize. She's rather shy." Priscilla pets her daughter's hair.

Her daughter's green hair.

Raven glances at the portrait of Priscilla's husband on the wall.

The man is still very blonde.

Raven looks over at the green-haired little girl, then at Priscilla. His sister's smile looks very forced, one hand tight on Calliope. He then slides an eye over to Lucius, who appears to be doing the same mental calculations under a slightly glazed smile.

"Priscilla…" says Raven slowly.

Priscilla rapidly shakes her head. Her entire demeanor has shifted, her smile falling, her eyes flicking nervously around the room. "Not - not here. Please, follow me, and I'll - I'll tell you everything. This way."

Priscilla takes her daughter's hand and walks quickly down a hall. Raven glances at Lucius, who shrugs, and they follow her.

They step into a parlor, as neat and marble and curlicue'd as the rest of the house, with high-backed sofas and a massive pianoforte.

- they'd found his parents' bodies, or what was left of them, in the parlor, hand in hand. The table had still been set for tea, although all the cups had burst into shards or melted to nothing, and when he'd heard that his first thought had been, Mother's going to kill me, she loved that pattern -

"Please, seat yourselves," says Priscilla, shutting the door behind them. "Anywhere is fine. You can set your bags down, too." There is a tremor in her voice.

Raven perches on the edge of a brocade sofa, Lucius sitting beside him. Priscilla takes a loveseat facing them, and Calliope clambers up beside her, still clinging on like glue.

There is a tea set sitting on the table between them. Priscilla pours out a cup, her hands shaking so badly the tea sloshes into the saucer.

"Lady Priscilla," says Lucius gently. "Would you like me to do that?"

"I - I - " Priscilla shakes her head. "No, you're my guests - "

"It's no trouble," says Lucius, gently taking the teapot and neatly filling the cups. "I'm happy to help."

Priscilla sits back, looking both grateful and frightened. "Thank you. I shouldn't - I should try to control myself. I'm sorry."

"Are we alone?" asks Raven.

"Yes."

"Then, Priscilla," says Raven. "Tell us what's wrong." He tries to sound as gentle as Lucius, but the words still come out with far more bark than he intended.

Priscilla takes a deep breath. Lucius holds out a teacup, and she takes it in both hands, staring down into its depths like it contains answers. "I...I scarcely know where to begin. But…" She glances at her daughter. "I suppose you've likely already guessed. It's rather obvious, isn't it? I was so fortunate, I thought, when she was born resembling me, but then her hair grew in..."

"Are you safe, Priscilla?" Raven leans forward. "We can get you out of here. Your daughter, too, if we need to."

"Yes, I'm perfectly safe." Priscilla looks shocked. "No, no, Count Palermo is very kind to me. We have an...understanding, you see."

"An understanding."

"She's not even two. She's too little to understand." Priscilla hands Calliope a biscuit from the tea tray. She takes it in a chubby hand, still staring intently at Lucius. "But...it's what's best for her."

Raven simply waits.

Priscilla takes a deep breath, almost a gulp. She sets down her undrunk tea and spins her wedding ring around her finger. "Her father...he was in Lord Eliwood's army with us. You may remember him."

Raven frowns. "You did hang around with that green-haired…"

"Yes." Priscilla is stroking her daughter's own green hair. "We kept in touch, for a time, after the war. And we met up...more than once. But my parents, my adoptive parents...they didn't approve. He wasn't considered suitable for a count's daughter. So, eventually...I begged him not to, but he left me behind. And then I discovered…"

Priscilla lets out a small, broken sob. Calliope stares at her mother, putting a small, biscuit crumb-covered hand on her knee.

"Lady Priscilla, you needn't continue if you don't wish to," says Lucius.

Priscilla shakes her head so hard her earrings jangle, taking a small handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbing at her eyes. "No. No, I want to tell you. You should know. Just...it's hard. I searched for him, desperately. I wrote to everyone I could think of, though I didn't share the details as to why. If he wanted me to find him...I would have found him. But it seems...he wished to make a clean break. And I could conceal the truth from my family no longer."

"They don't take kindly to that sort of thing around here, do they?" Raven grunts. "Even Lycia's got less of a stick up its - " Lucius glares at him, eyes darting to Calliope, " - uh, is less strict than Etruria."

"They weren't happy, no." Priscilla gives a rueful smile. "Father had to arrange something. No daughter of Caerleon could have a child out of wedlock."

Calliope has lost interest in the conversation, and has slid off the sofa, playing with the tea set.

"So they found you a match," says Raven.

"Yes." Priscilla wrings the damp handkerchief between her fingers. "Count Palermo had no living family, and, well...they call him 'eccentric.' He needed a bride, and an heir. I needed a father for my child. It was a perfect arrangement. They signed the papers, and I was married within the month."

"I think I see." Raven scoffs. " Nobles."

"It's not as bad as it sounds, really. We don't even share a bedroom. He goes off on his excursions, sees his lover, and pays me an allowance...we don't get in each other's way. Nor am I lonely - I have friends, I see my family often, and I could take a lover if I so wished. There are rumors, of course. But it matters not. Legally speaking, Calliope is Count Palermo's daughter, and he's a good father to her when he's home." Priscilla shrugs, the weak smile still plastered across her pale face as she smooths out her skirt. "It isn't ideal. But it's fine."

The ensuing quiet is broken when Calliope holds out a biscuit to Lucius.

"For me? Thank you!" Lucius beams.

"...What have you two been up to, then?" Forced cheer fills Priscilla's voice. "Traveling around again?"

"...yeah." Raven watches Lucius and Calliope sharing the biscuit. "You know how it is."

"Wanna see my dolls?" Calliope asks Lucius, her voice even tinier than her frame. Raven hadn't realized she could speak.

Lucius blinks. "I'd love to, if your mother is all right with it?" He looks over at Priscilla, who looks even more surprised than Lucius himself does.

Priscilla nods. "Er, yes. Callie, you can show him the way, right?"

Calliope takes Lucius's hand. "This way."

"Are you all right with me leaving?" Lucius murmurs to Raven.

Raven shakes his head, managing a smile. He's not all right with it, not really, but he can't hide behind Lucius forever. Besides, Lucius so rarely gets to spend time with children. Which is kind of Raven's fault. "Go ahead. Give the dolls my regards."

Calliope painstakingly leads Lucius from the room, the latter half-bent over to reach her hand. The door falls closed behind them.

"That's unusual." Priscilla is watching the door, her expression still startled. "She rarely speaks in front of anyone, let alone to a complete stranger."

"He's good with kids," says Raven.

Priscilla turns back to face him. "Have you ever thought about…"

"He wants to. Actually, he wants to start an orphanage full of 'em," Raven confesses, staring at the teacups like they've done him a personal wrong. "But…"

"You don't?"

"It's not that I don't. It's just...money. We're barely getting by as is. He knows that, so he's fine with it, but..."

Priscilla looks thoughtful, but says nothing.

Raven sighs and sits up. "No use moping about it. I'll figure something out."

"He's good for you," says Priscilla softly. "I've only ever seen you smile...at him."

"Maybe that's true."

"It is. And you've grown. You seem so much...happier."

"...I am."

"And quicker to open up, too!" Priscilla's eyebrows are so high they nearly rise off her forehead. "It's not just children he's good with, then."

Raven scowls at her.

"That's more like what I've come to expect. So, have you married him yet?"

Raven had just chosen an unfortunate time to drink his tea; he swallows it too fast in a gulp and chokes. Priscilla hurries around the table and slaps him on the back as he coughs.

"...Really?" he gasps out, glaring at her through streaming eyes.

"Meddling is what sisters do, I'm told." She's smiling, which is encouraging, considering she was crying ten minutes ago. A worthy sacrifice of Raven's windpipe.

Raven straightens, setting the extremely dangerous teacup back on the table. "No. I haven't. I've...sort of asked, though. Like, four times."

"Sort of?"

"I kind of chickened out before the important part."

"Oh dear. It's worse than I thought."

"Are you any person to talk?"

Raven wishes he could take back the words as soon as they're out of his mouth, but Priscilla doesn't look hurt, just thoughtful. She sits back. "I suppose not. But at least I could blame extenuating circumstances."

"Circumstances are extenuating. I can't exactly afford a ring, anyway. Not that he'd want one, but he deserves one."

"I see." Priscilla leans back on the sofa next to him, her expression calculating. "Well, if he wanted things to move quickly, he probably wouldn't be with you, so…"

"Priscilla."

She smiles. "You're not the only one who's grown up, Lord Brother."

"To think, you were always so polite. What happened?"

"Life, I suppose." Priscilla smooths her skirt down again. The thing must be as tight as a fitted sheet by now. "There...is something I wanted to ask you. On a more serious note."

"Yeah?"

"Did you...ever find out what happened to our parents?"

The last of the playful atmosphere in the room dissipates at her words. She and Raven are sitting only a few inches apart, but the space between them seems infinite.

Still, he has to bridge it somehow.

Raven takes a steadying breath. "It's not easy to talk about."

"I understand. If it's too difficult, you needn't tell me."

"No. You're of Cornwell too...you deserve to know." Raven stares at the wall. He feels trapped again, locked in a marble jail cell, with the fancy expensive teacups and the fancy expensive furniture and the fancy expensive sister.

With the fire.

He wishes Lucius was here.

Raven pictures Lucius's face, his hand over his, and takes a shuddering breath, grounding himself. "After the war, I went to Ostia. I confronted Hector. I told him everything I know...and asked him to tell me what he knows."

Priscilla swallows, audible in the quiet room.

"Back when we met in Lycia, I never told you what happened to them," says Raven dully.

"I know they're dead."

Raven turns to her in surprise. "...You do?"

"At sixteen, I may have been a bit of an idiot, but I wasn't blind, Raymond." Priscilla is staring at her lap. "I was suspicious, from the way you spoke of them...and eventually, much like you, I dragged the information out of one of Lord Hector's men."

"...I should have told you myself."

"You should have. But it's all right. Go on."

"Anyway…" Raven rubs a hand over the back of his neck. "Hector and his men shared their information. And, in the end...nobody is responsible for the fall of House Cornwell. Our parents...took their own lives."

Priscilla releases a breath in a long sigh.

"His spymaster still had the evidence they'd collected. Do...do you know how they died?"

"I don't know the details. Sir Oswin told me only that it was suicide."

"Officially, it was ruled as such. But back then, I refused to believe it. Right after it happened, I learned that they had been stripped of their peerage by Ostia just a few days beforehand, and the alliance was about to seize their land and assets. I was an angry, grieving kid, desperate for someone to blame, someone to take it all out on. I was certain they'd been set up, that Ostia was behind it all, that they hadn't been satisfied with only taking my parents' nobility, but their lives as well. I would not contemplate the alternative. I was in a pit of despair, and I thought vengeance would save me. And for a long time, even Lucius couldn't pull me out of it."

"Tell me everything, Raymond. Tell me what you should have told me seven years ago."

Raven leans back in the elegant sofa, staring at the arched ceiling. "The day they died, Lucius and I were in town. We saw the smoke from there, and ran back. By the time we arrived...the whole manor was in flames."

Priscilla sucks in a breath.

"I tried to run in." Raven shakes his head. "Lucius stopped me. He and some of the other people there had to hold me down. They knew...it was already far too late. By the time the blaze was extinguished...the manor was a charred husk. They found our parents' bodies, or what was left of them, in the parlor. The entire estate was destroyed."

"So they died in the fire?"

"Not...exactly. This is where...it got complicated." Raven leans forward again, shifting on the velvet cushions. Panic and fear are still clawing at his chest, but he keeps his breathing steady. Lucius would tell him to breathe, and he tells Lucius that, too, on dark nights full of the sounds of a belt cracking and the jeering laughs of children. Raven clenches his hands together, steadies his breathing, and closes his eyes.

Priscilla deserves to know. Tell her, so she can know, and then it can be over.

He sticks to the facts, the ones a public investigator had recited to him years ago. "The bodies were examined, and it was found they had taken a massive dose of a sleeping agent. They were probably dead before the flames even reached them. The parlor door was locked from the inside, but the fire had been started in the study. Servants testified that the glass of the parlor window had only been broken after the fire reached the room, and nobody saw anyone suspicious about the place all day. And…"

Raven has rarely ever talked about Cornwell's fall, especially not in so much detail. But now that he's started, he can't seem to stop. Talking helps. When he's talking, he's doing something, and he feels less frenzied, less like a caged animal. "Our parents were the only two people in the house, and therefore the only casualties. Every servant had the day off, was working out in the gardens, or had been sent on an errand. Father had personally told me and Lucius to go to a store in the town square for him, less than an hour earlier."

"Did you know all of this from the start?"

"Most of it. There was an investigation, of course. Even what I wasn't told, I followed carefully. In the long run...there was absolutely no sign of foul play, and...although much of the evidence was destroyed in the fire, it was suspected that House Cornwell was involved in shady dealings. Theft from the Lycian League. And they were being found out. That was why...they did what they did. It seems Ostia had known even more that they'd never revealed to the public, and Hector shared it with me. He had more evidence of these dealings than I had ever suspected existed. Faced with that...even though I had known it, deep down, for years...I was forced to admit the truth. The investigation...was completely correct. Nobody murdered our parents."

Raven opens his eyes. "That's it."

Priscilla is staring at the wall. Her face is sorrowful, but her eyes are dry. "That...lines up with what I was told. I'm sorry, Raymond."

Raven stares at her. "Why are you sorry?"

"Because you had to go through all of that, alone. Father and Mother sent me away...because they were starting to get involved with things they shouldn't have. But you were too old, so...you had to live through it. And with them gone...you must have been terribly lonely. I wish I'd been there for you."

"I was lonely, but I wasn't alone. It wasn't easy, but...I had Lucius. So it wasn't as bad as it sounds."

"Of course," Priscilla smiles softly. "How silly of me."

"And you've got nothing to apologize for. You were six when you went to live in Etruria. None of that's your fault."

"When we met again, I was a spoiled child," says Priscilla. "I hadn't seen you for so long, and I had idealized you, and I was controlling and unfair...I treated you and Lucius poorly."

"You said yourself, you were just a kid." Raven shrugs. "I don't hold it against you. Yeah, you were kind of a brat, but you were going through a lot."

"But that simply isn't true. I've...never suffered. Never struggled. I've lived a life of ignorant bliss."

And yet, now you're a porcelain doll in a cage. Raven doesn't give voice to those thoughts. "I'm sorry too, Priscilla."

She looks puzzled. "For what?"

"I was a brat too. Runs in the family, maybe. I probably wouldn't have even gone with you if you weren't traveling with Hector. I used you as a chance for revenge. And you tried to reach out, but I just kind of brushed you off. Then I didn't even keep in touch, and ditched you again...because I was too scared to face you."

"But you're here now."

"Only because of Lucius." A self-deprecating smirk crosses Raven's face. "It's him you should thank. If he hadn't talked me into it, and brought me here…"

"You still came, though. It was your choice. It's not as if he forced you."

"I guess that's true. I did miss you, Priscilla." Raven's chest is tight. "I haven't been a great brother. I'm sorry."

"Then perhaps we're even?" Priscilla smiles, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I can't say I've been an exemplary sister."

"But - "

"Even." Priscilla's eyes narrow. She really looks like their mother. "I mean it, Raymond. Drop the subject."

"Okay, okay," says Raven hastily.

"Good."

The quiet this time is solid, but less uncomfortable. Raven's still tensed, but not ready to bolt. It's progress, he supposes.

"I still feel bad, though," he admits. "You went through all that alone, and I should've been there to help you."

"It's all right. It was tough, but I made it through." Priscilla's smile doesn't reach her eyes. "They thought I cried on my wedding day out of joy."

"Priscilla…"

"I've gotten used to things. As I said, it's not as though I'm isolated. I have several friends, and my adopted family, and Calliope, of course."

"It can't be easy for you though, living here."

"It really isn't so bad. I always knew I'd be married off one day." Priscilla manages another shaky smile. "I'm happy enough, Raymond. It's kind of you to worry."

"Still, if you need us to…"

"No. This is fine. We're safe here."

"All right. But the offer still stands."

"I won't take it, but I appreciate the thought." Priscilla giggles. "It's funny seeing you as the protective big brother, though. It's a new sight."

"Guilty, I guess. I deserve that."

Priscilla bumps him with her shoulder. "At least you're starting now."

Raven looks around the parlor. The paintings of Count Palermo's family stare back at him. "It's...odd, being in this world again."

"Do you miss it?"

"Not a bit," says Raven, honestly. "I could have come back to it, actually. Hector...I could tell he felt bad for me. He offered me funds and support to rebuild House Cornwell, on Ostia's behalf. He said Ostia should have intervened before our parents were driven to desperation. Something about how they should've done more to prevent the events leading up to it, and that the blame was on his family. On him."

"Is that true?"

Raven shrugs. "I don't really know. But I turned him down. I don't...want to be in this world. Not anymore. Money won't bring our parents back, and they're the only things I miss, not the fancy stuff. I'm done with nobles and their politics."

"I can't say I'd like to be a mercenary, either," says Priscilla.

"But, sometimes I think I should have taken the money." Raven thinks of Lucius carefully rationing out their coins. "Then...I'd be able to…"

Priscilla looks deep in thought.

"I'm sorry for intruding, anyway. All I did was come in, dump all my problems on you, and make you cry. Some big brother."

Priscilla blinks, eyes wide with shock. "Apologizing, yet again? This must be a new record. Perhaps you aren't Raymond after all…"

"Don't push your luck."

Priscilla smiles. "I won't, then. Would you care to spend the night? We have many spare rooms, and it wouldn't be a trouble…"

Raven shakes his head. The panic is quieted, but it's still there, thumping insistently against the back of his mind. "I don't want to stay in a place like this. Uh, no offense, or…"

"None taken. It's understandable."

"We, er...really should get going, actually. Long way back." It's not really the truth - they aren't staying anywhere.

Priscilla gets to her feet. "Should we go see where Callie dragged Lucius off to?"

"Uh, sure." Raven gathers up his and Lucius's things, then follows Priscilla out of the room and down the hall.

"It really has been nice to see you again," says Priscilla as they climb a carpeted staircase. "I honestly never expected you to come here."

"...Like I said, it was Lucius's idea."

"I know." Priscilla stops at a carved oak door, knocks softly, and lets herself into an extremely pink, beribboned room. "Callie? What are you up to in here?"

Calliope looks up from where she and Lucius are kneeling next to a dollhouse as tall as she is. "Showing Lucy my dolls, Mama."

Raven coughs. "Lucy?"

"She had trouble with the pronunciation, yes," says Lucius, smiling fondly at the little girl. He looks...happier then Raven has seen him in awhile, actually, and Raven's heart twists. "She hasn't been any trouble, Lady Priscilla."

"That's good." Priscilla watches her daughter carefully arranging tiny furniture. "I've never seen her take to someone this quickly. Would you two mind staying with her for a moment, before you go? I have to grab a few things."

"Of course," says Lucius, and Priscilla leaves the room once more, door shutting behind her.

Raven sits down in a heart-patterned rocking chair. Everything in the room is fluffy, flower-patterned, or both, and there are more doilies than he can count. He is very out of his element.

Calliope is staring at him, doll in hand, head tilted to one side.

"Uh…Calliope." Raven forces a smile. It probably looks like a dog baring its teeth. What do children like to talk about, anyway? "How old are you?"

She clutches her doll and shrinks back towards Lucius.

"She's almost two," Lucius fills in. "He's not as scary as he looks, Callie."

"Hey."

Callie shakes her head, now standing behind Lucius's kneeling form.

Raven sighs. "Good talk."

"Be patient with her, Raymond. You weren't a very talkative child either - "

"Oh, don't start…besides, by the time you met me I was a lot older than her."

"It took you six months to answer me when I greeted you, and you were so tiny, it was adorable - "

"We don't need to talk about that. And you're not even two years older!"

"It has nothing to do with age, love. You're still tiny and adorable - "

"I'm not answering that."

Calliope giggles, peering around Lucius's shoulder.

Raven groans. "Stop embarrassing me in front of the toddler, Lucius."

"Yes, I'm sure she'll tell everyone she knows." Lucius turns his head towards Calliope. "Aren't grown-ups silly sometimes, Callie?"

Calliope nods, her expression serious.

"Did you and Priscilla...work things out?" Lucius asks, bending over to help Calliope put a dress on a doll.

"We're good. I think. She wanted to know about Cornwell, and I told her."

Lucius looks up at him with concern. "Are you all right?"

"It wasn't so bad. I'll tell you later."

"Okay, if you're sure."

"Hey, Lucius…?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Uh...thanks for finding Priscilla. For bringing me here. I think it was...good for me?"

Lucius blinks. "You're welcome. Are you...certain you're feeling all right?"

"Just introspective." Raven scowls. "What, is it that weird?"

"A little weird."

The door creaks open before Raven can retort. "I'm back." Priscilla has a purse over her arm. "Did you all behave?"

Lucius brushes off his robes and gets to his feet with dignity. "Most of us, milady."

"Oh, come on… "

Priscilla glances between them, wry amusement on her face. "I won't ask. Come, Callie. Let's go say goodbye…can you help me show them out?"

Calliope takes Lucius's hand again. "Yes. Come on, Lucy."

Lucius lets Calliope tug him from the room and back the way they came, Raven and Priscilla trailing behind. Priscilla's purse jingles softly along with their footsteps.

When they're back in the entryway, Calliope points to the door. "That's the way out."

"Thank you for showing me, Callie. You've been very helpful," says Lucius.

Calliope nods proudly.

"This is for you," says Priscilla, handing the purse to Lucius. "A gift."

Lucius blinks. "I'm afraid I didn't prepare anything to give you in return, I can't accept…"

"It's not optional." Priscilla nearly shoves the purse into Lucius's arms. "I can be quite as stubborn as Raymond when I want to, so don't try and fight me on this. It's yours."

"But…" Lucius goes pale as he feels the weight of the purse, and hears the jingle of coins inside. "This is too much…"

"It's no trouble. Truly. It's what I had on me. I wish it was more." Priscilla smiles. "It should be enough to get you started, at least. I know you'll do good with it."

"I…" Lucius looks from Priscilla to Raven, who nods. "I...thank you so much, Lady Priscilla. I honestly don't know how to repay you…"

"You needn't," says Priscilla, and then turns to Raven. "There's something I want to give you, too. Step over here, please, Raymond?"

Raven follows her around the corner of the hall. Once they're out of Lucius's sight, Priscilla slides her wedding ring off her finger and presses it into Raven's palm. "Here. Take it. For him."

Raven feels his face heat up. "What? I can't - "

"Not you, too." Priscilla shakes her head and sighs. "Raymond, my husband has more money than he even knows what to do with. I'll simply tell him I lost it, and he'll purchase another. To me, that ring is nothing. It certainly isn't a sentimental keepsake. But for you...it could mean something more. You needn't give it to him. You can pawn it and use that money to purchase another. Whatever you like. But I won't take it back."

Raven stares down at the small gold band.

Priscilla grips Raven's arm, surprisingly hard. "Raymond. Look at me."

Raven looks up. Priscilla's face is set and stern.

"Hold onto him, tightly, and don't let him go. Don't...don't let love slip out of your hands. Love is...transient. If you lose it for good, you can't get it back." Priscilla's voice breaks. "Don't be as foolish as I was. I don't want that for you. Be happy."

Raven curls his fingers around the ring. "...All right. I will."

Priscilla releases his arm. "That's all I ask."

"But, Priscilla…" Raven shifts awkwardly. "It doesn't have to be for good. If we find Calliope's father, if we hear anything about him...we'll tell him where to find you."

Priscilla freezes, and then a small, wan smile replaces her frown. "I doubt he wants to be found. But, if you happen to meet...then yes, I'd like that. Thank you."

"I'm not much of a brother. But it's the least I can do."

"We make quite a pair, don't we?" Priscilla sighs. "But I mean it. Be with Lucius, and be happy. Never let him go."

"You act like it's all up to me. Trust me, Lucius won't just let me run off. He's a lot more persistent than he looks."

Priscilla smiles. "That's reassuring to hear. Well, we should head back, before he gets worried."

Raven slips the ring into his jacket pocket, and they return to the foyer, where a confused Lucius is standing with Calliope.

"Is everything all right?" Lucius asks nervously.

"It's fine, don't worry." Raven walks over to him. "Ready to go?"

Lucius nods. He's slipped the purse from Priscilla in with their other things. "If you are."

"Thank you for visiting. I'm very happy to have gotten to see you two again." Priscilla smiles. "You're always welcome here, whether or not Count Palermo is home."

"I don't know if we'll be in the area again," Raven mumbles. "But we'll stop by, if we are."

"That's all I ask." Priscilla hugs Lucius (who looks surprised but hugs back) and then releases him and turns to Raven, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders.

"You'd better hold to our agreement," she whispers in his ear. "I mean it. I'm not letting you mess things up for yourself."

"I got it, I got it," Raven grumbles, and Priscilla steps back. She scoops up Calliope, balancing the child on her hip.

Calliope reaches out and grabs the hem of Lucius's shawl. "Come back and play again...okay?"

"I hope so, Callie," says Lucius. "It was very nice to meet you. Thank you for showing me around."

Calliope nods, and buries her face in her mother's shoulder.

"And thank you as well, Lady Priscilla. It means a lot to me." Lucius bows. "You are truly as kind as your parents."

"Thank you for saying so," says Priscilla. "And you're most welcome. I hope things go well for you." She nods to Perkins, who has appeared silently at her elbow, and he opens the grand front doors, letting the afternoon sunlight stream in.

Raven takes Lucius's hand, and they step out into the light.

Raven looks over his shoulder. "Thank you, Pris - er, Lady Priscilla. For everything. And if you need us, we'll be there. I mean it."

Priscilla smiles, and waves with her free hand. The doors swing shut behind them.

They make their way silently down the walkway, and through the gate, out into the street, and off into a side alley before Raven sinks slowly to the ground, face in his hands. Lucius sits next to him, arms around him, heads resting together, for a long moment.

"That...wasn't easy," Raven manages at last. He turns his face into Lucius's shoulder. "Just being in there…"

"I know. I'm very proud of you." Lucius rubs his back.

Raven takes deep breaths, leaning into Lucius's steady, reassuring weight. "I couldn't have done it without you there. Thanks, Lucius. For everything."

"You're more than welcome, dear."

"No, really. I don't know where I'd be without you. ...I love you, you know."

"I do know." Lucius tightens his arms around Raven. "And I love you too."

"Just thought I'd make sure. Because it's still true."

Lucius's voice takes on a light, teasing note. "It's nice to be appreciated."

"Har har." Raven smiles as he pulls back from Lucius's arms and then leans up to kiss his temple. "Don't push your luck."

Lucius smooths Raven's hair back. "Do you feel any better?"

"I do. Priscilla helped me think about some things. And I'm glad to see she's all right. I was worried."

"I'm glad. I could tell it meant a lot to Lady Priscilla, too." Sorrow touches Lucius's voice. "It's terribly sad...she's safe, but I can tell she misses Calliope's father."

"Yeah. I told her we'd keep an eye out for him."

"Of course. What did she help you think about?"

"It's a secret, for now."

Lucius's eyebrows go up. "Really? Hm. Should I be concerned?"

"Nah, don't be. You'll find out soon enough." Raven nods to Lucius's bag. "She gave you a lot, didn't she?"

"I haven't looked inside, but it's...it's no small sum, certainly. Enough to buy a place." Lucius's voice is filled with tremulous hope. "If...you're okay with that?"

Raven takes Lucius's hand, holds it to his own face and presses a kiss to it. "Whatever you want. If that's what makes you happy...the mercenary life's been getting old, anyway. Where are you thinking?"

"Well...there was that little place in Araphen, a few months ago? The old cathedral? We could go back there…"

Raven looks up at Lucius incredulously. "You're still thinking about that? Fine, if nobody's snapped it up yet. Araphen it is. I'm sure we'll find some kids who need a home there, right?"

Lucius's smile is brighter than the sun, and certainly more beautiful. And this, Raven thinks quietly, as Lucius kisses him, is home. No mansion, or tent by the road, or old stone building, makes any difference. Wherever Lucius is, that's enough. Wherever Lucius is happy, that's perfect.

They're going home, and a wedding ring is a warm weight in his pocket, and the future is bright, and, Raven reflects as he wraps his arms around Lucius's neck, tugging him closer to kiss him again...maybe this is what true happiness means.