[2] WEEPING MONK║you're not what I was looking for

42| Lighthouse Keeper - 𝐈𝐕

[TW// repressed grief, referenced past trauma, mild mature content]

Lancelot learns a bitter detail of his past whilst Ari is conflicted further about the choices she is to make in this war to keep her people safe. Elsewhere, Hector voices a concern for his brother.

They began to walk back to where they had been, away from the creek quietly trickling across the ground between the mounds of earth. Each of them brushed the dirt from where they had quite literally rolled in the grass off of their clothes. Lancelot picked at a bushel of red winter berries as they moved past, rolling the small punnet that he'd broken off between his fingers. They reminded him of her, even though she was right beside him and a reminder was not necessary.

Ari glanced to him, talking with a bated breath, "There... is something that I must tell you also." She had meant to tell him sooner, but she was not quite sure how he would react. Finally he was happy here, and she did not want to disturb that, but her conscience overruled her and whilst they were here, alone, Ari thought it best to tell him then.

It worries him instinctively each time she begins a sentence this way. Lancelot heard in her tone how she was serious, he inferred the weight of whatever it was that she were going to say. Slowing himself, he looked down and across to her with concern, pinching on one of the rounded berries.

Ari took a quick glance back through the forest ahead of them as she crossed her arms over herself for comfort, wetting her lip and feeling the tension beginning the radiate off of him at her side the longer that she was silent, "The Church's Pope has put a price on your head, and from what I have heard... it is no small price." She twisted her body towards him, her eyes rounding to perhaps emphasise her worry over this news that she had been given at the castle.

Lancelot rolled his eyes inwardly, not knowing if it had shown on his face or not and started to walk on at his regular speed again.

Ari was almost stunned, expecting some rebuff, a retaliation, or at least a frustrated grunt but none came. Her feet picked up with haste over the levelling ground to catch up to his side. "You are not worried?" Now she was the one concerned, how can he brush this off so easily?