avitejkumara:
“Chambers? Ignore?” Avi repeated, as if all of this was news to him. But even amidst all the panic and drama around them, there was something that niggled the back of Avi’s heart. That little prickle whenever the Archduke Kumara spoke of Lord Dhavale. Tersely, with certain shadowed remarks that a younger Avi didn’t understand and didn’t really care about.
Avi denied that niggling feeling for now. “Don’t be dramatic, you’re too old now to act like a child, Lili. Come - we’ll go together and talk to Uncle. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
But when he saw tears in Aaliyah’s eyes, Avi looked completely surprised. Only a few moments ago, she was bravely dispatching rebels without a second thought. Now, her large brown eyes were as shining as the sea itself.
“Of course,” Avi murmured. “Why, I’ve done all that. I’ve sailed all the oceans and met many people. I’ve been free.” But Aaliyah hadn’t, not in all her years. Avi shook his head, still trying to deny it all. “Where is this all coming from, Lili? I always thought you were timid of the sea, and preferred staying at home…whenever you visited Rajayer, you were so…”
But now, of all times, he started to recall his memories of Aaliyah through a different lens.
“Your father only wants you to be a good ruler once he’s gone, Lili,” Avi said, but his tone was vague and unsteady now, lost in revisionist memories. Trying to discern what was real, and what he’d just wanted to see and believe because it suited him. All these years, crumbling before him like Glasswater crumbled now.
“Uncle loves you, we all do. Come home.”
Avi appealed to her one more time; but then why did he release her from his grip?
Finally, heavily, he spoke again. “There’s…bearing east, there is a muster point, where…people like us have gathered. Survivors…” he shook his head, frowning. Why was he telling her this? He needed to take her home. And yet, Avi stayed right where he was, frozen from heartbreak and shock.
Dramatic? Oh, Aaliya had been anything but dramatic. If he wanted drama she could give him drama. Her blood was boiling in her veins, but she bit her lip to hold back a retort when she noticed Avi tempered himself as well.
She snorted when he mentioned her father. “A good ruler? Yeah, sure.” she rolled her eyes.
“He never taught me anything, never bothered to invite me at meetings or anything. Everything I learned was with your family or any trips to the north... not at home. Father never allowed me to participate, even to share my newly required knowledge from foreign relations.”
The sudden change of subject confused her. He wanted to take her to his ship, was pressing to take her home, back to their family home, back to her father. Why was he suddenly talking about a camp? Of course, the survivors of the attack had gathered somewhere to treat their injuries and protect each other from any more danger. She felt a strong urge to go to the place and help the people with whatever she could, but she was suspicious at Avi’s sudden mention of the place.
“You mean like a refugee camp?” she hesitated. “Why are you telling me this? How do you know about that place? And what if I went there, huh? Aren’t you just gonna follow me to drag me home later? Let me tell you this... I don’t want to go home, Avi.”
