The closer Leon approached without a smile on his face, the more Emmett reconsidered his use of the word stroll. It didn’t fit him well. Stroll was too much of an amble. Too leisurely a request to set upon his soldiered footfall. A march, maybe? Yes, a march. But the spy smiled still the same at his approach, be it amble or march, in hope he may abandon the war-like demeanour for only the length of the carnival’s stone. Everyone deserved a respite, a chance to feel no weight upon their shoulders. To smile without strain.
For a moment though, as the man marched towards him, Emmett looked at his arm, at the branding glare in the gaps between passing bodies. The sight came in glimpses, like frames from an ending film roll, sputtered and merely suggestive. It was not judgemental, his stare, or even crude. It was curious, and as soon as Leon was close enough to see the direction of his early morning eyes, Emmett redirected them calmly. He wondered, as he awaited the cutting stride to meet his stagnant one, if it hurt him, the contraption. He hoped it didn’t.
“Thank-you” He nodded with a warmth in his voice, not trying to dispel the offer as he might have usually done, Leon giving it more as a statement than a question.
“I mustn’t speak too much of it. You understand. But the loss of His Highness’s brother has hit the family quite… hard,” Emmett answered, a tone of latent disdain the only acting hint that his words were not sincere in their restriction. He had to be careful though, he always had to be careful, “A frightening time.”
“And I trust I can count on your discretion in my home, Leon? My family they ah, know as much as they need to. I would prefer to keep it that way.”
Leon gave a nod to indicate that he did understand. What Lake and Emmett did was not an easy job, and he had to admit he held a lot of respect for them being able to do it as long as they had. Imagining himself in the same spot was enough to make him cringe. He wouldn’t be responsible for either of them compromising their position just so he could hear what happened behind closed doors.
He didn’t miss Emmett’s tone, and he gave another slow nod at the other man’s answer, acknowledging the hidden meaning. “I’m sure it is,” he said, conveying a somber tone. Leon couldn’t bring himself to give two shits about the King’s brother, knowing his rank in the military, but he was sure the family was absolutely pissed about the death. What he was most worried about was the retaliation. It was gonna get worse before it got better, and he wondered if the guard was prepared for that. Raids would be nothing compared to what was coming.
“I won’t say anything.” Emmett was putting a lot at risk to keep them at his home. Leon wouldn’t dare put his family in any danger, or go against Emmett’s wishes, even if he weren’t already doing so much.
They approached one of the many food stands, and only now did Leon realize he had no idea what he even wanted. The Silvers had a certain taste for the unusual that he wasn’t used to. The best way to describe Choke and Naercy food was bland, something their food was far from. He settled on getting a cup filled with a variety of fresh fruits, topped with a dollop of cream. And it would have been fucking delightful if he didn’t have to worry about holding the cup too tightly.
“Anything you want?” he asked, turning to Emmett.
