Kelard Valtair turned back toward the cell, extending his hand.
"Mother."
Vivienne sat on the stone bench against the wall, her hands folded in her lap. She looked up at her eldest son and took his hand.
Her grip was weak, trembling.
He pulled her to her feet gently, steadying her when she swayed.
Vivienne stepped out of the cell and paused, looking down at her dress.
It was the sa one she’d been wearing in the garden, now wrinkled and soiled. She smoothed it with shaking hands.
The guard led them through the corridor, up the stone steps.
At the side entrance, the guard stopped. He produced a small leather pouch from his belt and held it out.
"Your personal holdings were... confiscated. This is what the court allows."
Kelard took the pouch. It was light. He loosened the drawstring and looked inside. A handful of silver coins. Maybe enough for a week’s lodging and food, if they were careful.
The guard pulled open the heavy wooden door.
They walked out into the darkness.
The door closed behind them.
The wind blew, cutting through their thin clothes.
Above, the moon hung in the sky, a pale sliver mostly obscured by dark clouds. The street stretched before them, silent and empty.
Renard started walking, his stride quick and rigid, hands were clenched into fists.
"Three days," he muttered, his voice shaking. "Three days in that hole because of him. Because he couldn’t even fail quietly. Had to drag us all down with him."
"Renard—" Vivienne started.
"The embarrassnt, Mother!" Renard spun to face them, his face twisted with anger and humiliation. "Do you know what others will say? What they’re already saying?"
Kelard’s jaw clenched. His voice ca out low, controlled. "Soone orchestrated this."
"Soone planted that evidence." His dark eyes were hard, calculating.
Vivienne stepped forward, taking Kelard’s hand. She squeezed it gently. "It could be, my son. But the evidence was in his study. In his cellar. Hidden behind false panels."
"So what?" Kelard snapped. "Anyone could have placed it there! Anyone with access to the house, servants, guards, rchants. Hell, soone could have broken in and—"
Vivienne flinched at his raised voice.
Kelard’s expression imdiately softened. He squeezed her hand back, his other hand coming up to cover hers. "I’m sorry. I’m sorry for raising my voice, Mother."
She looked up at him.
"It’s okay," she whispered. "I know it’s confusing. But—"
She turned, noticing Renard had stopped walking. He stood twenty paces ahead, staring down the empty road. His shoulders were hunched against the wind, his silhouette was small and lost.
Vivienne turned back to Kelard. She reached up with her free hand, cupping his face. Her thumb brushed his cheek.
"Right now," she said softly, "we need to find sowhere to stay. A place to sleep. We can think about... everything else... tomorrow."
Kelard nodded. He leaned into her touch for just a mont, then straightened. "You’re right."
He hugged her. She let herself lean against him, just for a heartbeat.
Then he released her.
Together, they walked forward, closing the distance to where Renard stood alone.
The younger son didn’t look at them as they approached. His eyes remained fixed on the dark road ahead.
"Let’s go," Kelard said quietly.
Then three of them began walking.
--------
The carriage rattled through the empty streets.
Inside, Vivienne sat between her sons.
"Any inn nearby," she told the coachman through the window. "Sowhere... modest."
The coachman nodded without looking back. "Yes, m’lady."
The carriage swayed.
Renard’s head lolled against the wall, his breathing already evening out into sleep. Kelard fought it longer, his eyes heavy-lidded, but eventually his chin dropped to his chest.
After the three days of without rest. Three days of stone floors and fear and the constant drip of water sowhere in the darkness. Their bodies had finally surrendered.
Vivienne stared out the window, watching the city pass.
Then just as she saw figure moved under a streetlamp.
A tall man with broad-shouldered, wearing a fine tunic of deep green. A sword rested at his waist.
Vivienne’s breath stopped.
"Stop!" She leaned forward, rapping on the coach wall. "Stop the carriage!"
The coachman pulled the reins. The horses slowed, then halted.
Kelard stirred beside her, his eyes cracking open. "Mother...?"
"Sleep," she said quickly, her hand on his shoulder. "Just sleep. I’ll be back in a mont."
"Where are you—"
"Sleep, Kelard." Her voice was sharper than she intended.
He blinked at her, confused, but exhaustion dragged him back down. His eyes closed again.
Vivienne opened the carriage door and stepped down, her silk dress whispering against the stones. The night air was cold. The wind cut through her.
She ran.
Her slippers were thin. Her dress tangled around her legs. But she ran, following the figure as he turned down a side street, then into an alley between two warehouses.
"Evendar!"
The man stopped.
He turned slowly, and the lamplight from the street caught his face.
He was handso, in a rough way. Sharp cheekbones.
Vivienne smiled. She stepped forward, reaching for his arm. "Thank god, I thought I might not find you, I didn’t know how to—"
He stepped back.
Her hand closed on empty air.
"I’m not a guard of your household anymore." The man’s voice ca out flat, emotionless. "Just leave."
Vivienne’s smile crumbled. Her hand fell to her side. "What... what are you saying?"
"Exactly what I said." He adjusted his sword belt, not eting her eyes. "I don’t have any ti to entertain you, my lady. Find soone else."
"Entertain ?" Her voice rose, cracking. "Evendar, don’t you—? You said you loved !"
He scoffed, like she’d told a poor joke. "Please, my lady. Get on your way. I have business to attend to."
"Business?" Tears welled at her eyes. "We were together last week! In the gardener’s cottage, you held , we slept together, you told I was—" Her voice broke. "What happened? Is this because of what happened to Casten? Because you don’t want to be evolve yourself with us, with —?"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about." He turned away, dismissive.
Vivienne lunged forward, catching his wrist. Her nails dug into his skin.
"Renard is your son!" The words tore out of her. "Damn it, Evendar! At least think of him!"
Her eyes were welling with tears, spilling over, hot against her cold cheeks.
Evendar went still. For a mont, she thought she’d reached him. That the mask would crac...
But—
He spat. The spittle landed at her feet.
"So what?" His voice was ice. "I have dozens of children like that with different won. You think I’ll care for any of them?"
Vivienne’s grip loosened. "You... you don’t an that."
He grabbed her face roughly, his fingers digging into her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. She gasped, tried to pull away, but his grip was iron.
"It was you who ca to my bed, begging," he hissed. "You, playing the neglected wife. You, spreading your legs and weeping about how your lord husband ignored you. So don’t lecture now about responsibility."
He shoved her away.
Vivienne stumbled, catching herself against the alley wall.
"Fuck off, Vivienne." He said her na like a curse. "Go back to your ruined house and your heretic husband. I’m done with you."
He turned and walked away, his boots echoing off the stone walls.
"Evendar, please—"
He didn’t stop. Didn’t look back.
"Please!"
The word echoed in the alley, desperate and broken.
But he was gone. Swallowed by the darkness at the alley’s end.
Just... gone.
Vivienne stood there, her back against the grimy wall, her fine silk dress soaked with rain and filth. Her legs gave out. She slid down to the cobblestones, her skirts pooling around her.
And she sobbed.
Great, heaving sobs that tore from her chest. Sobs for her husband in chains. For her sons sleeping in the carriage. For the lover who’d just discarded her like trash.
For the lie she’d told herself that Evendar had loved her. That what they’d had was real. That soone, anyone, had wanted her.
The rain began to fall harder, mixing with her tears.
And Vivienne just sat in the filth of an alley, more alone than she’d ever been in her life.
Defeated.
Destroyed.
And with nowhere left to fall.
********
Pitter! Patter!Pitter! Patter!
Droplets of rain rang on the moderate rooftop of the tavern.
Inside bustled with light activity from the late-night hangouts and the ones taking shelter from the rain.
A figure stood up from the bench, wearing dark hood, their face obscured with a dark scarf with red thrones.
They stretched their neck and moved towards the door.
"System!" They whispered.
Remove Vivienne Valtair.
[Ding!]
[Subjugated Target: Vivienne Valtair (Removed)]
[Subjugated Targets: 2/3]
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