A Dance Of Blades and Hearts

liquor and masks

I make funny faces at aria who sits on my laps, she giggles, eyes squinting into crescents, small hands holding my face and it makes me smile.

"you're so good with her" lia comments and i look towards her

" she's a sweetheart lia" I say and lia smiles at me.

I had been coming over to see them a lot, and everytime aria stayed sitted on my lap without fail. I was incredibly fond.

She smiled so easily and it made me want to smile.

I had started going for the meetings again and everything was pretty much the same between us,

It hurt that much more everyday, the meetings won't last much longer, I'd have to leave.

Lia and I had gotten close again, closer even, like I never left. It was easy to talk to her, her eyes were always understanding.

She told me about her life now, how she works part time at arias school and how she owns a store that sells kimonos.

She's happy, practically glowing and I couldn't be more happy for her.

"how's the palace?" she suddenly asks but we both know she means something else

"choking"

She nods in understanding before her eyes goes soft

"and the emperor?" she asks and I shake my head,

It takes aria squeezing my cheeks for me to look down at her, her big doe eyes stare back at me.

"your eyes, not pwetty now, sad. They sad" she says and I startle at how intense her gaze is,

I force a smile, placing a kiss on her forehead head

" sad? How can I be sad when you're here to make me smile?" I say hugging her and she squeals in my arms,

Wiggling for me to put her down before she runs and plops down on the floor, attention back on her toys.

I look at her fondly before looking at her mother

"how do you keep up with her?" I ask and lia giggles

"clen has the energy to match" she says playfully and I laugh,

Her eyes suddenly take on a serious look, and I see the question there

"he still won't talk to me" I say, heart aching

"I'm sorry Kiara" she replies and I shake my head

"I deserve it" I say past the lump in my throat and it's quiet for a while

"don't stop trying, have no regrets"

I look up at her.

"he ignores me lia, how am I supposed to make him listen? what am I supposed to say?" I ask, the feeling of helplessness settling in my chest.

"you'll figure out how to get through to him, and you should tell him how you feel, raw unfiltered honesty" she advises with an encouraging smile,

Sounding so sure that I desperately want to believe her

**********

"Common"

"no"

"why are you even making me convince you? You're going, its tradition, so get your royal ass ready"

I look away from the parchment and up at song

"no" I repeat, looking back at the parchment before looking back at him, eyebrow raised.