Chapter Text
~Cassandra~
Tobias distantly registered the muted murmurs of the crowd around him. If he were to think about it, they probably weren’t quite so dull as he made them out to be, but he couldn’t be bothered to debate on the matter with the blood rushing in his ears. All he could focus on was his wife and the way his hand was cradling the back of her head, keeping it from touching the cold, marble floors.
A lone strand of hair had escaped from Cassandra’s usual neat hairstyle to stick to her damp forehead, and he could feel the heat radiating from her through the soft silk of his glove. Each of her shallow breaths lodged in his heart like a dagger, and for the first time in his life, he found himself at a loss for how to proceed any further. His hands had been swapped with those of a mannequin, awkward and rigid and so unlike his own that there couldn’t have been any other explanation.
There was no sense or reason for what was going on around him. None at all. The world had stopped, as if to give him a moment to kickstart his brain and finally do something, anything, and yet all he could do was stand there, stupefied at the sight in front of him. Because in his arms laid his wife, unmoving and unfeeling to the happenings around her, his wife who had very much been the epitome of perfectly fine just a few moments prior.
Except she was clearly not fine, nothing was fine, because she was laying in his arms, clammy and feverish, and the only thought going around in his head was how, how, how. Was she ill? Perhaps she had caught whatever virus plagued their own daughter back home? Cassandra hadn’t looked ill before they left for the party, and she had certainly looked well enough when they arrived. Positively radiant, actually. But then again, Caitlyn hadn’t looked ill either, until their little girl promptly lost the contents of her stomach during breakfast. The symptoms didn’t match, though. So what exactly-
His manic inner rambling was drowned by a choir of distant voices shouting “Doctor! Make way for the doctor!”, but what really broke him out of his stupor was the pair of unfamiliar hands that reached for his wife. Tobias sprung at once, bringing Cassandra closer to him, a very colourful string of words ready to spill past his lips when he made eye contact with the assailant.
The somewhat familiar face of a dark-haired man greeted him and he could vaguely recall noticing him stationed in a corner with some doctors when they entered the Council building a few hours prior. Behind him stood another person, a woman carrying a medical kit, accompanied by four enforcers who had created an opening for them to pass through the wall of people.
Help. They were here to help. Wordlessly, he loosened his grip and allowed the two to check on the unconscious woman, warily eyeing their movements. They seemed to come to a consensus rather quickly, which did nothing but disturb him more, a feeling accentuated by the look they gave him after a silent exchange between them.
"Lord Kiramman," the man addressed him in a light tone, composed, but off all the same, "It would be for the best if we were to move Lady Kiramman to a more private area."
The request might have seemed normal in light of the events, but Tobias could sense the poorly disguised urgency beneath it. Finally somewhat in control of his own limbs, he wasted no time in gently picking Cassandra up and holding her to his chest in a bridal carry. Her burning face slid into the crook of his neck and he wrapped his arms tighter around her vulnerable body, trying to cover her as much as possible from the greedy eyes he could feel burying into his figure.
Of course Piltover’s upper crust would be gathered around them, hoping to get a look. A Councillor had just collapsed in the middle of the Jubilee ball. Everyone in the city was bound to find out the news just in time for their morning coffee, be it from the morning newspapers or the gossip mill. These hyenas were ready to pounce and tear apart, but Tobias would be damned if he were to let them sink their fangs into Cassandra’s back. With the two medics leading the way, he breached the crowd and briskly walked out of the ballroom, the doors closing behind him with a damning thud.
· · ─────── ·K· ─────── · ·
The following events were... chaotic, to say the least. Just when he thought he had regained his footing, Tobias was plunged back into the storm, unable to keep up with everything going on around him. At some point, he ended up seated on a couch somewhere in a cramped office, isolated from the rest of the world, holding a trembling Cassandra upright with a bin in her lap so she could eliminate the contents of her stomach. Poison, he had heard being spit out as the two medics were hurriedly mixing ingredients, racing against the clock. Of course, there had been a lot more words flying across the room, but that was the only one he had been able to process. And once he did, everything around him went quiet all again.
Looking back on that hellish evening, Tobias wouldn’t be able to find the right words to describe his experience. He could see his wife slumped against him on that small couch, her pale and sweaty figure illuminated by the harsh lights of the office. Right next to the couch was a once neatly organized desk, full of trinkets and gadgets that were now littering the floor after a violent redecoration, thanks to the two doctors that had converted the wooden piece of furniture into their make-shift table of operation.
They were frantic in their movements, adding to the sense of quiet desperation stifling the room. In spite of that, Tobias found himself strangely detached, for lack of a better word, from the flurry of movements around him. He completely ignored the doctors’ presence, only having eyes for the woman in his arms. He counted each breath, each flutter of lashes, each twitch of a muscle and his heart broke again and again and again.
His wife, the other half of his soul, one of the women to whom he had chosen to devote his entire life, was fighting for her life right in front of him and he could do nothing to help. Somebody had tried to silence her, to topple the unmovable force that was Cassandra Kiramman, in her own damn building no less. The implications of that were more than disturbing. But no. Tobias wouldn’t think about that when she was toeing the fine line between life and death. He had enough time to go down that path later, when she was safe and sound at home. For now, he chose to gently rub Cassandra’s back as she was given the freshly mixed tonic, offering his unwavering support.
Time slowed down and sped up at the same time, warping reality around the couple. Seconds passed in minutes and hours passed in seconds with each tick of the clock mounted on the wall behind them. Time stood and Tobias Kiramman stood with it. He remained in the exact same position, tightening his arms around Cassandra’s body when the sight in front of him got too much to bear, the only indulgence he would allow himself during those heart-wrenching moments. Time passed, and the danger passed with it in the form of a bin filled with black ooze, the smell so foul it turned everyone’s stomach upside down, but a testimony nonetheless to the attempt made on the matriarch of House Kiramman.
Upon hearing his wife was out of the danger zone, Tobias wasted no time in sending word for their carriage to be brought to a back exit. The sooner they reached the safety of their home, the better, but the situation still had to be handled delicately and parading through the ballroom hosting Piltover’s high profile figures with an unconscious Councillor in his arms would have done more damage than good.
Somebody had tried to assassinate a leader of their city, the head of one of the most important houses. Tried and failed, luckily, but justice had to be brought and he would make certain of it. With that in mind, Tobias gently gathered his wife in his arms and walked to the doorway where the Sheriff had just appeared. The man painted the perfect image of an overworked and exhausted officer: the dark bags under his eyes could have been mistaken for bruises, his hair was messy and unkempt as if he had been running his hand through it, and the collar of his shirt had been unbuttoned. A frown was etched so deep into his face that it looked carved, and his shoulders were pulled taut.
Had it been any other day, Tobias would have probably sympathized with him and offered a small smile in support, but today, after everything that had happened, he just couldn’t find it in him to care. Because in that moment, the man in front of him was not the Sheriff of Piltover, no. He was just the man that had failed to secure the event venue, the man who had let an assassination attempt slip right under his nose during one of the biggest celebrations of the year, he was the man whose gross neglect almost led to the tragic loss of one of the city’s Councillors and main investors.
Which was exactly why Tobias Kiramman did not feel the slightest sliver of remorse as he said, “I do not care how you do it, but I will be expecting names by tomorrow afternoon at latest, Sheriff.”
“And do be mindful,” he added, harshly enough that he was sure his point would carry through, “that you are certainly not going to be the only one investigating this matter. Do not let me down.”
Later, he would remember that moment and he would hang his head in shame at his appalling behaviour, dumbstruck that he could have ever acted in such a repulsive manner. But today was not that faithful day yet, so all he did was coldly turn on his heels and leave, uncaring if the Sheriff ever gave him a response. He would find out soon enough.
· · ─────── ·K· ─────── · ·
Once Cassandra was settled into the silken sheets of their own bed, with the ever-vigilant eye of the family doctor trained on any possible change in her condition, Tobias dragged one of the plush armchairs situated in front of the ceiling-high windows to her side and allowed himself to ungraciously slump into it with a heavy sigh. More of an unconscious reaction than anything else, he let a small smile spread on his lips as he imagined the scalding look of disapproval his wife would have surely sent him, had she been aware of how he was acting in the company of a stranger.
Not that Doctor Kinsey could be considered a stranger at this point, what with how she had been their medical confidant for close to a decade now. Gods knew the middle-aged woman moved with way more familiarity around the master bedroom of the Kiramman Mansion than any other stranger could possibly claim to do. Tobias certainly saw her as more of a close friend with whom you’d catch up over a steaming cup of tea on a Friday afternoon, although he also suspected that Cassandra probably shared the sentiment, despite the cold and strictly professional façade she put up for the doctor whenever she dropped by, which was quite a lot by now.
Just that very morning (or was it the previous one?) she had come around for a quick check-up on the youngest Kiramman. Fortunately, she had departed after a few minutes, deeming the situation manageable enough even for those with no medical experience, leaving behind a bottle of medicine and strict rules on how to care for an upset stomach. Truly, Tobias did not think they would see each other again so soon. Rapidly sobering up at the realisation, he gently massaged his forehead with one hand.
He felt as if he had aged twenty years in a single day, a sentiment he had become closely intimate with ever since marrying into this family. The burdens of the Kiramman name were not for the faint of heart and he had been perfectly aware of what he was signing up for when he looked into Cassandra’s brilliant blue eyes and slid the wedding band on her finger. He would have been a fool not to. Death threats, blackmailing, and attempted kidnappings had tainted their almost fifteen years of marriage and Tobias wouldn’t waste a second of his time thinking they would see an end to it anytime soon. Any other belief would be positively idealistic and wishful thinking alone wouldn’t spare his family from future incidents.
But now, standing face to face with the terrifying realisation that there were worse things that could happen, other than the ones they were used to, he couldn’t help but pray to whatever gods were willing to listen that this would be the only time he would have to deal with such a situation.
A soft rustle drew his gaze back to the face of his still unconscious wife and, for a moment, he believed to have imagined it. The night had left him on edge, ready to jump at the slightest sign of something being amiss, and a quick look at the little lady doctor shuffling unperturbed through her medical bag only told him he was probably in dire need of a restful sleep. That being said, he still left a couple of seconds pass as he kept his eyes trained on Cassandra, tracing the outline of her features in the soft glow of one of their bedside lamps.
Then, just when he was about to chalk it up to his tense nerves, he saw it. The twitch of her arm. He didn’t dare move as she stirred again, this time drawing Doctor Kinsey’s attention. When a small groan left his wife’s lips half a second later, both he and the doctor were already at her side, waiting with bated breaths. Tobias’ heart jumped in his throat at the sight of the small grimace that now adorned Cassandra’s beautiful face and he saw himself thoughtlessly caressing her face while whispering sweet words of encouragement. Finally, dazed blue eyes found him and he swore he fell in love all over again.
“Hi,” her hoarse voice sounded out softly, wincing as the little word irritated her vocal cords.
At once, the heavy silence permeating the air around him ever since her collapse lifted and a small tear freed itself to run down his cheek as he reverently brought her weakened hand to his lips. Cassandra Kiramman was alive and well, and Tobias felt the world start spinning again.
· · ─────── ·K· ─────── · ·
Although Doctor Kinsey had left the confines of the Kiramman household after thoroughly checking the matriarch’s condition and reassuring the couple that she was truly and undoubtedly well, with the only additional remarks being about the rest she would need and the intake of the medicine supposed to help with the repair of the damage caused by the poison, Tobias couldn’t find it in himself to close his eyes.
Of course, his poor Cass had fallen asleep as soon as the doctor was done, not even able to keep her eyes open enough to wish the other woman safe travels on her way home. He knew she would be mortified come morning, but nobody could really hold it against her after the traumatic events she went through. She was exhausted and in dire need of a good and safe rest, so Tobias was more than happy to spend the rest of the night awake, guarding the sanctity of their bedroom. Laying down next to his wife, he propped his head in his hand and settled to watch the quiet rise and fall of her chest, silently holding her hand.
He didn’t know how much time had passed by the time he heard the soft creaking of their door being opened, although an educated guess would have pointed towards a short while, seeing as daylight had yet to break out. In any way, it was certainly not an adequate time for little intruders to be out of bed. Turning his attention to the painfully small figure peering shyly into the room, he couldn’t fight his smile as he softly called out to her, mindful of his slumbering partner, “Blueberry? What are you doing up, sweetheart?”
Apparently, that was as good an invitation as any, for the next thing he knew a gentle patter of feet had bought his one and only child to come stand in front of her parent’s bed, the only thing visible to Tobias over the mattress’ edge being a pair of startling blue eyes.
“Why did the doctor come back? Is Mummy’s tummy sick too?” whispered a small voice, surprisingly considerate of the sleeping occupant in the room. Not that Tobias was taken aback by this particular detail, knowing perfectly well just how aware of her surroundings his four-year-old was.
Relieved at having been unknowingly given a way out, the man confirmed his daughter’s speculation. Truthfully, it wasn’t even that much of a lie, but more of a slight understatement. It still proved to be a perfectly reasonable explanation to give to the young Kiramman as the little girl nodded and made her way over to her father’s side of the bed.
“Can I stay with you?” she quietly asked him, shuffling on her feet. Her eyes were glued to the ground, stuck in a silent debate with herself, clearly doubting her course of action for a moment. Despite that, she seemed to come to a decision rather quickly, picking herself back up and pinning her father with her gaze. Before he could even open his mouth to respond, Caitlyn had already beaten him to it.
“I wanna stay with mummy in case she gets sick ‘gain,” she whispered, giving him the greatest kicked puppy impression ever known to man. Gods, how could he ever say no to her in these conditions?
As he picked her up and settled her in the middle of the bed with a quiet warning not to wake her mother up, Tobias told himself he was feeling particularly indulgent that night. It most certainly had nothing to do with his still racing heart or with the fear nestled in the back of his mind. So, ever the doting father, he pulled the comforters over his daughter’s tiny body and kissed the crown of her head, wishing her sweet dreams. With an arm extended over Caitlyn, protecting her from anything and everything at all, he gripped Cassandra’s hand and let his thoughts wander.
Come afternoon, he would be alerted of the Sheriff’s presence in the foyer, waiting nervously to share his findings. The news brought by the exhausted officer would be a subject of discussion for months afterwards and shake the very foundation of the city, but justice had to be enacted. He wouldn’t allow any other outcome.
At the moment, however, it was not yet afternoon, so Tobias Kiramman was content to just watch over his family as they slept, safe and sound at home.