#p:kasha

[ryes-up]

How to Bait a Wolf || Kasha & Rye

Timing was something tricky and carefully planned as of late for Rye. He was doing too much sneaking around, with too many far-reaching consequences to not be absolutely certain his alibis lined up perfectly. Maerel helped him considerably with that. It was more of a blessing than he’d first realized it would be when he discovered the guard was a Nighthawk. But they were each able to cover for each other fairly well when one or the other was on a job for the Nighthawks. It helped that even before Rye joined the Nighthawks, Maerel had taken it upon himself to volunteer as Rye’s personal guard when he was in or around the castle, so no one of the Court had any reason to be suspicious of the pair.

Today at least though, Rye didn’t need an alibi for his excursion. He’d found a time to speak with Titania, none-too-subtly suggesting his worries about the riots in Wisteria, and talk among the Court of their concerns over the alliance with the Wolves. It wasn’t a lie; Bone had come to Rye with such concerns. But Rye knew the Wolves wouldn’t turn on the crown until there was absolutely certain in its destruction. Still, his feigned concerns got him what he wanted: a delegated trip to the Wolf Clan territory to speak with Kasha. He could’ve made the trip without the Queen’s wishes of course, and Oberon likely wouldn’t have batted at eye, but he thought Kasha may find it amusing that Titania had sent him with a gift for her.

Gaudy and heavy as it was, the jeweled dagger was impractical and clumsy, and certainly spoke to the fact that the Wolf had spent too long in the comforts of the city to remember the practicality desired by the Solitary, and the general disdain for overdone, showy gifts. Still, the dagger was tucked into the satchel Rye threw over his shoulder as he headed for the Wolf Clan. He took Nissa, which he knew was an odd sight when he rode in; he didn’t usually take her to the Clan, as his own land was so close, but he didn’t want to leave her at the castle.

He had timed his trip so he arrived just as the Clan Elders were finishing their meeting. Something tugged at his chest, watching them all standing, muttering quiet words before the each departed from around the large bonfire. He didn’t even know if it would’ve been true, but some part of him knew if his mother had survived the war, she’d be soon to join them in these meetings. Rye pushed away the thought as he swung down from Nissa’s back, removing her bridle and loosening her saddle so she could wander freely. She never wandered far, and had been with Rye long enough to know her way back home if she truly grew bored of waiting on him. He didn’t mind admitting it here, but those of the Court would reprimand him for the disobedience of his horse. She was her own being though, and he didn’t mind that she wandered, so long as she came back.

“Kasha, may I have a word?” He called out as he approached. “The Queen sent a gift for you,” he added, no small amount of amusement in his tone when he pulled the garish dagger from his satchel and held it out to her.

@alphagreywolf-kasha

[ryes-up]

Test of Alliances || Kasha, August & Rye

Several weeks after the King’s visit, Rye’s mornings were less predictable than they had been before. Before, he had been concerned with Court proceedings, often being at the castle even when he wasn’t strictly needed, always with Keelin in tow. Now though, his mornings alternated between days wandering through the Shambles or Nightshade Row, for no particular reason other than looking for some kind of direction that he knew he wouldn't find there, and running through the forests that bordered Belladonna and the Wolf Clan lands, training with his bow and arrow, or just running with Nissa for the sake of running. It never accomplished anything, but it gave him a peace of mind, if only for a short time.

And about every third or fourth day, a messenger would arrive from the castle, knock, and leave the same letter at the door every time when Rye didn’t answer. Today, Rye picked up the letter and tossed it onto the table with the others. He had only read the first couple, knowing the rest contained the same message: the upcoming weddings promised to change the political sphere of Midsummer, and the King wanted to ensure that the alliance with the Wolf Clan was as strong as ever. As such, he had made numerous requests for Rye to go and visit Kasha and speak with her about the upcoming weddings.

As much as Rye wanted to put off the request, the recent…. punishment, from the King for his failure to return Robin to the castle had made Rye more than a little reluctant to push his luck. Though he still knew the King would never hurt him, he was concerned with who the King would hurt in his stead.

So Rye carried his bow across his back, quiver of arrows over his shoulder, and set off on foot towards the Wolf Clan lands. It wasn’t far at all from his home, which made it easy to forgo taking Nissa along. Since his mother’s death in the war, just over three decades ago, Rye wasn’t sure if he was as welcome around the Clan, or if he just imagined that they all questioned why he still hung around. It still felt like his family, and with everything that had happened with the King recently, a small part of Rye wished that the Clan could be his only family. But without even having a blood relation still alive in the Clan, he knew it was a hollow wish.

Today he made a beeline for the center of the Wolf Clan lands, straight for Kasha’s tent. He spoke only brief pleasantries to a couple of Wolves that stopped him, mostly commenting on his three month long absence, to which Rye only responded vaguely about ‘familial obligations,’ which he assumed they all translated to mean ‘King’s orders.’ It wasn’t really a lie, as it did explain why he had been gone for over a month; it was just the last several weeks that he’d been avoiding contact with most people he knew, trying to wrap his head around everything that had happened.

“Chieftain,” he nodded his head respectfully to Kasha as he approached her outside of her tent. “May I have a moment of your time? The King sent me to speak with you,” he said, the words sounding too formal on his tongue. He had only referred to Oberon as King once in the presence of Kasha, right after she had become Chieftain of the Wolf Clan and he was sent as a messenger with a gift from the King and to assure her that even with the change in power, the Unseelies would stand strong beside the Clan. Since then, and before when he had known Kasha through his mother, he had only used the term ‘brother’ to refer to the King, as it felt less overbearing, and more like they were all family, or close and familiar allies at least. Now though, he couldn’t bring himself to use the familial term.

@lone-greywolf

@solitary-chief

[ryes-up]

Powerful Alliance || Kasha & Rye

A business transaction of fantastic proportions, with all the grand display expected of the wedding of a future King. That’s all it was, and while Rye love this brother dearly, and even cared for Titania as much as she was part of his Clan family, he still felt a bit off kilter as he stepped into the ballroom after the ceremony. The ceremony had been nothing short of grand and and spectacular. The celebration after? This was already something Rye expected to be both unforgettable and surreal.

Rye found Oberon first, his new wife by his side, and surrounded by dozens of people clamoring to wish them happiness. His elder brother’s smile widened when he saw Rye approach, waving his hands in a clear gesture for those around him to let Rye through.

“Congratulations, brother, and to you as well, sister,” Rye said, turning his attention briefly form Oberon to Titania. Oberon laughed, his joy pulling a smile form Rye as his brother wrapped him in a tight hug. It had been so long since he saw true joy from his brother, and though Rye knew it was less because of his new wife and more for what this solidification of the alliance provided him, it was good to see his happiness all the same.

It still felt surreal as Rye excused himself, allowing others to greet and congratulate the new couples. His gaze traced the room, jumping form one familiar face to another; except the familiar faces didn’t go together.

He looked from a nobleman he’d known since birth, to the Wolf Chieftain, to a knight he’d trained with, to a Wolf he’d known for decades, to his mother. One of the rare times Celine Hawthorne had come to join Rye in the city, and the only time she had done so by an invitation other than Rye’s. Oberon had insisted on inviting her, and Rye wasn’t sure if it was for his benefit or Titania’s, to prove to her that he was serious about their people joining as one in this war and standing beside each other as equals. That’s what he claimed, and what he’d told the Chieftain, at least. Rye’s mother had expressed some amount of disbelief, but Rye stood by his brother.

Looking around the room, at the Solitary in their traditional clothing for traditional and celebratory events, against the gleam of knights’ armor and noble’s flashy clothing, it felt…jarring, was really the only word Rye could think to describe it. It was as though his two worlds had collided and exploded together, and this odd mixture was it’s result. He wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about it. He loved his two worlds, separately. Together though? He felt too overdressed to speak to the Wolves, in clothing fit for a Royal Knight, though he hadn’t the official title, not until Oberon took his place as King, but Oberon had insisted that he dress for the part he would have one day. Yet still the nobles sneered at him, or made offhanded comments about how nicely a Wolf bastard cleaned up. The degree to which he fit in neither world felt heightened by the collision of the two.

Celine was moving to congratulate Oberon and Titania, so Rye turned his attention to the remainder of the room. He stopped one of the servants carrying a tray of drinks, smiling and offering a polite thanks as he took one of the glasses. A vaguely familiar face caught his eyes as the servant moved on. He caught her eye, and being in the castle among the nobles and their unspoken rules, found it rude to simply break eye contact and say nothing to her.

“Odd isn’t it? So many city and Solitary fae in one place," he mused. He knew her father; Valen was a friend of Celine, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever been formally introduced to the man’s daughter.