Down by the ocean [Allison]

The truth doesn’t matter

The two greenish eyes of the woman stared over the ocean. Ever since Trystane had provided her the house just outside the castle with the balcony, it was her favourite place to be. She could watch the sun set over and over again. Seeing how the orange ball of light sunk down into the cool blue water, vanishing every day to make place for the millions of stars. It was quite a small place, but luxurious to serve as a little home for her to be, since her home island Cois wasn’t that great of an option. With the wind picking up her long brown curls, dragging them over her shoulders to her back, Eve closed her eyes. Feeling how that moment of peace settled in, hearing the distant crushing of the waves on the beach. All perfect. Too perfect.

Surely Evelyn had to fix her own shit, reclaim her own island, recover that little crack in her and the islands reputation. But for now it didn’t matter, silently planning and negotiating along the way. It all went very slow, the letters took their time to arrive, and so did the boats with the optional trading goods. Giving the lady the time to really prepare for anything that could happen, which was all too fine. But, of course that really couldn’t be the way it needed to go, right? No, life really didn’t follow any rules, and had thrown unexpected turns at Eve more than once, why would this time be different?

Just a few days ago, the dark haired lady had heard quite some noise. Seen it also, because the same balcony provided few to the castle as well. At first, Eve didn’t really panic. Since it was Rhoynar, Brightwater Keep to be exact, raids happened more than often. It wasn’t really a state with much strict rules, and even if that was so, they weren’t followed that neatly. But after a day of silence, the worry began to raise within Evelyn, it was almost too silent. There were no prisoners, making her think they might’ve succeeded in their goal. They wouldn’t, right? The worry didn’t go away, the one day of silence becoming two, and eventually three. After that, the rumours started to spread, all around Brightwater. Making the lady decide it would be best to go on a visit herself. And so she did.

Even though Eve hadn’t been all that long there, she knew the way inside the castle pretty well, following the huge hallways until the lady reached the very fancy chair room. But as her eyes searched for her usual sight, they got a very different one, a woman to be exact. ’What is going on here?’ Evelyn started, her voice sharp while she squeezed her eyes a little bit in the confusion. ’Who are you?’ Was the second question that got fired towards the woman in front of her, reflecting exactly the chaos that was her mind at this moment.  

The truth doesn’t matter

The room felt different. Evelyn had sensed it ever since the lady had stepped in it, felt it like some sort of weird thing hanging around. Maybe it was the missing of Trystane she had felt from the moment she began to worry. The fact that she hadn’t seen him at all nor heard from him did not make any of that better. And then those rumours, at first Eve didn’t take that much note to them. There were rumours all the time, especially in a lush city like Brightwater Keep. But after the days progressed, the rumours flared up, making the lady to slowly give in to them. Horrible mistake that was. Even though they all varied so much from each other, they all were very negative about Trys. When she finally decided it would be time to see what was going on, the sight of seeing someone else on that very fancy chair wasn’t close to what Eve had hoped for.

Evelyn stopped herself from walking, crossing her arms over each other. No, this was not only a thing she didn’t hoped for, she hadn’t expected it either. The words made the brunette answer the raised brow with one herself, as she got even more confused on them. What was she doing there? Did she really not know who she was? Sure, Cois was a small island, but until now, Brightwater Keep and her island did always have a strong connection. ’Depends, on who you are.’ Slowly Evelyn spoke her words, the suspicion clearly hearable within her voice. ’Evelyn Keightly, Duchess of Cois.’ She spoke after, giving her her name and status. Hoping that it would give Eve the same in return.  

The truth doesn’t matter

Besides planning and contacting her own island, Evelyn was away from her Duchess like duties. Fixing the political status of her and Cois, that took it very easy as Eve could stay with Trystane for whole way through. Strengthening the bond between Brightwater Keep and Cois at the same time, it really wasn’t necessary to speed things up. At least, that was what Eve thought until now. Until the rumours about the Grand Duke started. She wasn’t in the castle every day anymore, eventually she had found herself an pretty great house right besides the castle. Just as the lady started to visit less often, a thing like this happened. Making her want to slam her head right through the wall, because now she needed to fix the whole thing herself. But that was for later, for now it were the questions Evelyn had that were more pressing. Why this lady was here, what she was and how she got there. With that came the question, how even hadn’t Eve known her already?

As the lady started to speak, it gave her at least some answers. Answers that Evelyn was almost desperate for, since she felt like her view of the last few days had huge holes in them. For sure what happened here, to say the least. Very shortly the lady smiled back, merely a flash before her expression faded into a more suspicious one again. It most certainly didn’t seem like her status meant a lot to her, and while she spoke about her being the new Grand Duchess, it all got that much clearer. ’What happened here?’ Evelyn squeezed her eyes together even more, not trusting the whole situation. At all. ’I think you can actually.’ She spoke after, flashing that faint smile once more. ’Where is Trystane?’ The question seemed almost too stupid to ask, but she did anyway. Hoping it wouldn’t be what firstly flashed into her mind, which was not a pretty picture.

The truth doesn’t matter

Slowly Evelyn pulled the gaze of her green brownish eyes off the lady. Looking through the room to see if there were changes she could notice right away. Despite the very obvious change of a woman on that very fancy chair, maybe there would be other changes that gave her some more information. But even as the lady looked closer, she couldn’t see anything. Everything was clean, just like it was two weeks ago when she had visited the man for the last time. The gaze shifted just very careful around the whole room, taking in all the details it had. Looking at the windows, the curtains, the floor, not missing a single centimetre. There were none, nothing seemed different and still it felt that way. Was it because of the lady standing in front of her? Although Eve most certainly didn’t trust this whole situation, she kept her calm. Besides some cautious looks from her, and her body language being not so friendly, she withheld herself from any action. For now that was.

And that “now” was almost ending, as Eve heard the words, forming the answer she didn’t want to hear. Words so simply spoken, but with meaning far beyond. Her eyebrows formed into a frown while her eyes flashed back to the brunette in front of her. ’What do you mean?’ Pushing her body off the spot, Eve made a few steps towards Allison. ’What happened here?’ She asked again, observing the woman with her eyes to see any reaction from them. A rush of emotion struck through, this couldn’t be happening right? This couldn’t be true.  

The truth doesn’t matter

Was he, just gone? Did he just stop existing, and Eve didn’t even know. There was a new leader, that had stepped in his place, and she didn’t even know. Living almost besides the castle she just got on with her day. Completely ignorant to what was happening, even when there was a raid. She had just expected it to be the same like any other, she hadn’t even worried and now he was gone. Evelyn couldn’t help but feel a little guild run through her body, asking herself if it would be any different if she wasn’t that unknowing.

Her step forward got an immediate response. The words clear, which made Eve let her arms fall next to her before she turned towards the window. Softly pushing her fingers through her hair while letting a sigh out. She knew how things went, being somewhat of a royal herself for her whole life had taught her that for sure. If she could avoid guards coming in and locking her up, it would be for the best. But that wasn’t that easy. Evelyn took a deep breath in to say something, opening her mouth before pulling it shut as Allison started to speak again. ’And you were here,’ The lady turned towards the brunette again. ’very conveniently, to take his place?’ Eve squeezed her eyes a little, still not trusting any of the situation.

The truth doesn’t matter

The thought that she never should’ve visited the castle in the first place ran through her mind. Maybe then she would never know, live on with her life in the illusion he would be just there. Maybe she would even forget him, and go on living like she did before. Now, everything but facing the harsh truth was better, if that was living in a lie, so be it. Of course, she couldn’t  be living in a lie for her whole life, and she couldn’t avoid it either. Or outrun it, or do anything else but facing it now. And, if Evelyn had to be honest, she didn’t care how she handled it, how it looked like for the woman in front of her. Not now anyways, and not that she could do anything about the way she felt her emotions burn through her face. Feeling how the tears collected themselves in her sockets, how her heart started pounding in her chest of the anger that came with the package.

In contrary of herself, the lady in front of her held almost no emotion, as she was the calm Eve couldn’t be herself. It angered her even more, in a weird way that was. But even though her face showed more than enough emotion, she held herself from doing anything. Staring out the window for a few moments whilst hoping it would calm her down, because even the slightest would be a win for now. The words were again not what she expected nor hoped to hear. ’Why?’ Eve asked, a question not really focussed on Allison or herself. Just a mere word lost in the space. ’And you expect me to want to have you on the very fancy chair?’ She turned around, while sighing softly. ’I know every leader, especially here has their enemies.’ She gestured around the room, her gaze not even remotely calmed down. ’What makes you stand apart from those, others? She squeezed her eyes, looking for any reaction coming from the lady.  

The truth doesn’t matter

It was the immediate guilt that struck Evelyn the most. An unforgiving mind that kept reminding her that she could’ve maybe done something to stop all of it. He, Trystane, had helped her, had saved her from sheer death that one night. That night her guards tried to poison her, and didn’t do anything to help. Because she was supposed to die in Brightwater Keep, just because her father would have something to say in Rhoynar. And he had helped her through that as well, making sure she made a good enough recovery. Offering her a place here in the castle, and later on even an apartment just around the corner. And now he was dead and she didn’t do a single thing about it. She didn’t even notice it when he was gone. Evelyn shook her head for a moment, staring out the window once more to regain the control over herself.

The calmness of the woman in front of her still pissed her off more. Though, Eve still held her calm, as she tried to think properly as best as she could. It was true what Allison said, even though she wouldn’t want to admit it. ’What were the Vikings even doing here in the first place?’ Evelyn asked, turning her body fully towards the lady again. Her voice troubled as she squeezed her eyes again. Following her movements as she saw her step off the very fancy chair. ’I can’t forgive you though.’ The lady spoke, feeling the tears burn before she swallowed them away. ’Not for killing him.’ It were honest words coming from the lady. She understood what the brunette was trying to say, but refused to give in just now. The question made her head tilt for a moment, surprised by the sudden move of the subject. ’Trystane offered me a place as guest here in this castle, since,’ Eve paused for a moment, looking up to Allison. ’my personal situation at Cois isn’t ideal.’ Sighing softly on the words she awaited the response, realising in what kind of mess she sat in.

The truth doesn’t matter

Slowly, the lady let out a sigh. Breathing out for as long as she could, while her gaze ran over the whole room once again. Still, she couldn’t see any difference, still, there wasn’t anything that had changed. Except for the lady that stood right in front of her, the new ruler, the new grand duchess. Who just told her the previous ruler had died. And there Evelyn was, she had been in Brightwater Keep for quite some time now. And just now, her being here for that time, instead of really forcing herself back to Cois, she had nothing. She stood there, in the very fancy chair room, with nothing more than empty hands. Not prepared for what was happening to her right now. Not able to do anything against it. Being forced to keep herself alive by not screwing up her words now, or actions that was.

Her question got answered, but not in the way she’d wanted it to be answered. ’They were quite a long way from home to just raid a city.’ Eve said, squeezing her eyes a little as she looked towards Allison. She didn’t trust all this, though she knew she really wouldn’t have any other choice. That didn’t meant she wouldn’t gather as much information as possible, it was the very least thing she could do. ’Good.’ The lady answered shortly at the statement. It was an important one, that was for sure. Smiling a little bit on it while her gaze trailed the lady in front of her until she looked outside. Following the set example, the greenish eyes stared to the outside for a few moments. ’That is, something that I can appreciate.’ It sounded a bit reluctant, because she didn’t want to say them. Scream at her, yell, declare war was the thing she’d really want, but it was the last thing she needed right now. So she settled, nodding at Allison before she gazed outside again.