location: in harlon's study in hornhill. a few weeks after the birth of his son. @rhea-florent
harlon sat in his dimly lit study, the faint glow of a single candle casting flickering shadows across the room. the sharp scent of smoke curled around him, a joint balanced between his fingers burning slowly. he exhaled a long, measured breath, watching the smoke dissipate like the worries in his mind refused to. this wasn’t a habit he’d ever meant to pick up, but tonight, the quiet crackle of the burning leaf felt oddly comforting. familiar. it was something to focus on, something to do when his thoughts grew too loud.
the guilt gnawed at him. rhea was just down the hall, hopefully fast asleep, or at least pretending to be for the baby’s sake. she deserved the rest after all she had endured—bringing their son into this world while still managing to pull the strings of the realm like a master puppeteer. she made it look effortless. graceful.
and then there was him. harlon, the bastard lord, stumbling through his duties like a child learning to walk. he knew he wasn’t doing poorly; horn hill was steady under his watch but it wasn’t enough. it didn’t feel enough. people’s quiet reassurances echoed in his ears, but they did little to soothe him. he wasn’t like his wife, who wielded secrets like weapons, nor like his friends, whose voices carried weight at council meetings. he knew he couldnt join them. best to keep his distance to quel the rumors.
he took another drag, letting the ember eat away at the roll. highgarden. it seemed the next step. an attempt to make himself useful, to build alliances, to do something. but the thought of leaving her—leaving them—so soon after their son’s birth felt like a betrayal.
harlon rubbed at his temple and let his head fall back against the chair. the candlelight flickered, the smoke curling upward like a silent prayer. but then he heard a noise and quickly turned to see his wife illuminated in the doorway. “shit…you shouldn’t be in here with all the smoke” he said trying to fan it away. “i thought you went to sleep”