Mint and Honey

[KieranSoares]

"It's fine," he murmured. "We all come to the end of our ropes sometime." He took a seat beside her with a sigh. "So... What's the plan on your part?"

 

[heartofcourage]

“I honestly don’t know if any of us have a plan at this point. Plans haven’t worked.” Kate said softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Then we'll just roll with the punches." Alex opened up his journal to look over what little he'd deduced of Brogan's situation. "For now, we're going to stay away from milk. He might not be able to process it. Instead, we'll try rich broths. We'll add and take away things from it to try to boost his immune system. We'll start there, and I'll keep watching to see how he reacts. Because he's so young, I can't experiment too much. Just keep him warm and away from stressful environments."

 

[heartofcourage]

“We’re in the middle of a war, Alex. There is no more stressful an environment than the one he was born into. I wish...gods, I wish things could have been different.” Kate said softly, a look of guilt and shame crossing her features.

 

[KieranSoares]

"There's no point in wondering what could've been, love. We'll deal with what we have, and make the best of it that we can. For now, just keep him away from too many people, and you should probably do the same. No crowds of people fighting for your attention. One at a time."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Qira and I will personally ensure that happens." Rissa said as Kate seemed unable to make that promise. "Qira will stay posted at the door and I will make sure that no one that gets past him makes too much of a pest of themselves."

"In the meantime, my mission to make sure that you gain back all of the weight that you lost." Rissa said, stepping around to stand in front of Kate. "And it starts with this meal. You might not have realized it, but you're nothing but skin and bones. We need to get you healthy again."

Kate looked up at Rissa, a determined look in the woman's dark gaze. She knew that if Rissa and Kell were working together there was little she could do to fight.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell leaned down to kiss Kate, nuzzling her cheek lightly before he stood beside Rissa and Qira appeared to join them. Alex soon left them to go talk to Mariko, sensing the four were close and wanted time alone together.

Qira shared a look with Rissa before stepping forward to wrap Kate in a gentle embrace, the other two soon joining in and holding the currently weakest member of their little pride between them protectively.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate immediately burst into tears as the three of them held her so tightly. The fear and uncertainty of the situation made her feel so angry and upset. It wasn't her fault, but she felt like such a failure as a mother. Her little cub wasn't well and might not survive. He was trying his hardest, but it felt like the entire world was against her in that moment.

 

[KieranSoares]

Qira was the one to scoop Kate up carefully after setting everything aside for the moment, sitting to cradle her close between the three of them. While Qira was certainly new to their group as far as sharing a bed on occasion, he had been there for Kate, undyingly loyal, from the moment Kell assigned him. Many times, he ignored orders in order to focus on her, and he would even put himself between her and Kell if he felt it was in her best interest, though such an occasion had never come around. It stood to reason that not long after they'd welcomed Rissa into their lives, they'd welcomed Qira who so dearly loved Kate and Rissa both and was beginning to find a spark for Kell as well.

Between the three, nothing could touch Kate even if the world was ending around them. And that would extend to her cub.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate sobbed against Qira's shoulder as he scooped her up and cradled her tightly against his chest. Soon, she was spent, lying against him limply as Rissa and Kell tried to support her as much as they could. She was practically almost asleep as she was lifted up and soon tucked into bed, fighting against whomever was tucking her into bed.

"I have to be up to take care of Brogan." She protested, knowing that the baby could sleep for hours more if they let him.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We're all here for him," Kell whispered. "You know Rissa and Qira would treat him as their own." He brushed back her thick red hair and kissed her forehead. "Sleep, love... Please."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate looked up at Kell as he encouraged her to sleep and she slowly nodded, relaxing until she drifted off to sleep for the first time in what seemed like days. Her eyes looked bruised from the dark shadows that had formed and her face was thin and gaunt. She was truly fading away if something didn't change.

Rissa and Qira were standing in the entry room when Kell returned, concern written on both of their faces. "I'll make sure she sleeps as much as possible today. I'll take care of the cub personally." Rissa said softly to Kell, knowing that he was beyond worried about his wife.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I may have to join her soon..." Kell sighed. "For her sake, you have my permission to refuse anyone who doesn't have an emergency. Wake me first if you absolutely need to." Kell stepped forward to kiss Rissa's cheek before passing them by to go to his desk. "I have s few things to send off first."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Leave them and we will make sure that they get sent off." Rissa said, knowing that Kell was just as exhausted as Kate was. "We know who your trusted people are. If we can't find them, we'll send it with Kate's cousin, Mako."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Arguing is for Kate, not me," Kell insisted. "It'll only take a minute."

"This is what you say before hour of work," Qira muttered in his broken English.

"Qira..."

"Bed. Or I carry you too," Qira warned, making the dark Wolf sigh and pause.

"Alright... Alright." Kell turned slowly, heading for bed himself as Qirs let out a silent sigh.

 

[heartofcourage]

Rissa watched as Kell finally left before she let out a long sigh and turned to face Qira. She was soon stepping forward, kissing him gently before she gave him a small smile.

"You have the patience of a saint, Qira. Dealing with the both of them hasn't been easy, I know." Rissa said in his native tongue, nuzzling against his soft, furred cheek. "I should have come sooner, but my estate needed attentions. I've house as many of the displaced drakes as I can on my property and they needed to be settled."

 

[KieranSoares]

At the sound of his native Erygonian, Qira's rounded ears perked forward and he gladly returned Rissa's kiss. "They aren't so bad... It's just stubborn pride," he muttered in Erygonian.

 

[heartofcourage]

“They’re worried parents. That’s something we have no experience with. However, we will protect that cub as best we can until he’s able to stand on his own.” Rissa said softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"He's the answer to many prayers... And many fears." Qira glanced at the door to Brogan's nursery. "Sometimes Kate makes me feel like Brogan is my own... She made me his guardian before he was even born."

 

[heartofcourage]

“It’s an honor that you deserve, eldere.” Rissa said softly as Qira practically beamed in pride. “And I know you’ll teach him all you can to make him a strong ruler. He’ll be a great king one day.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"It isn't just me. You're his godmother, after all," Qira drew her closer against his side, laying his head against her own.

 

[heartofcourage]

“We should tell them at some point about the both of us.” Rissa said softly as Qira held her against his side. “But I honestly enjoy keeping you my secret for the moment.”

She rested her head against his chest, feeling content to be with him for the moment. They had been apart for too long due to duty and personal commitments.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don't think it's a secret," Qira muttered. "I think they're just too busy to prod us about it." Their relationship was really one of chance. Qira was Kate's guardian from the start, which put him in immediate contact with Rissa when she joined the court and quickly became Kate's closest lady-in-waiting. Rissa had met Qira in a rather unsettling way when a Lord lost his temper at Kate when she denied his demands for lower taxes despite his estate being among the richest. The lord had grabbed Kate's arm and before even she could blink, the lord was on the floor in a one-arm headlock under Qira.

With that being their first encounter with one another, it had taken some time for the two to even speak together, especially thanks to Qira's general dislike for talking much.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Let me have my fun." Rissa said softly as Qira mentioned that they probably already knew but they were too exhausted to even question things. "Go on and deliver his messages. I'll check on the little prince and make sure that he's still slumbering."

 

[KieranSoares]

With one last kiss, Qira left her side to finish Kell's work.

Meanwhile, Alex was sharing theories and findings with Mariko Varno when Yasmine was approached by none other than Durban Ghis. "Yasmine," he spoke up. "Good t'see you made it back."