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Iobel gets up fairly early. There's a large table full of work from yesterday available, and she thinks Edarial sleeps later than she does - so Adarin probably does too, and so even if Isabella's awake, she can't visit without disturbing her.
She orders two people's worth of breakfast - hot cereal with fruit, fried eggs, buttery toast, on a hexed platter to keep it warm, the palace is practically lousy with expensive hexes - and nibbles slowly on her half while she goes over yesterday's notes and what still remains to be done.
She has drafted a letter to her great-aunt (who is, after all, a countess and related to her and occasionally inclined to remember this, and may be able to help in some ways with some things - the loan of this property in the moors, these words in those ears, her recommendation on who to hire for this project) for review by her husband before she sends it, and begun to tediously pick apart some of the incoming mail full of requests and separate out the sincere from the strategic from the insane, by the time Edarial is likely to so much as wander out of his bedroom.
come_midnight
In saunters Cricket. He hops up onto Iobel's chair to keep it warm for her. "Cream is very good," he observes.
prodigal_miser
"I'm glad you enjoy it," says Adarin, because his alt isn't going to say anything. "Hello there."
royal_obligation
Edarial frowns, but doesn't challenge this assertion and sort of scrunches in towards himself.
prodigal_miser
"Thank you. What - sort of thing would make him not terrible? I don't think he's terrible, just hurting."
"I think he is terrible," says Cricket, lashing his tail. "He ignored a tiny rebellion in his own home even though they kidnapped several people and I left lots of marks on one of them. He didn't talk to Iobel enough for her to find out what was going on until he tried to start a conversation about having babies with her even though if he touches her without her wanting it I will shred him." Cricket displays a pawful of claws. "He acted like she was stupid when she was first trying to do queen things even though she is very very smart so smart the smartest. And he has not apologized, I know, I know what Marlese is for 'sorry', Iobel made me learn it years and years ago. He has said the word but it was not about the whole thing, I asked her, she does not lie, Iobel is good."
royal_obligation
Quietly, Edarial says, "I don't think there's an apology that's - apologetic enough. For what's happened."
royal_obligation
Edarial scrunches in towards himself some more, looking kind of like he wants to cry.
"I'm sorry," he says. "That it happened. That you were kidnapped under my roof and she was - forced into this."
"I'm sorry," he says. "That it happened. That you were kidnapped under my roof and she was - forced into this."
prodigal_miser
Adarin's got a reply to that, but he decides that there's nothing to gain by antagonizing the cat and proving the 'terrible' pronouncement correct.
royal_obligation
Edarial will not be saying anything and will just - keep being over there. Miserable.
come_midnight
And Iobel comes in with a tray containing soup and bread and fresh fruit and cake. "Hi, sorry that took so long."
royal_obligation
"It's okay," says Edarial. Pause. "... I'm sorry. For - everything that's happened. It shouldn't have happened, and I'm partially responsible, and... I'm sorry."