Cynefin

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"Keeping secrets from me now?" His tone was as cold as his eyes, temporarily freezing any love that was brewing and putting them on edge. 

Esmai knew the consequences were going to be bad, but they did not expect such hostility. A little lie here and there and he had the audacity to be so offended by them withholding such minor information. No. That wasn't right. Even withholding was too strong of a word. They had merely forgotten to relinquish such information. Not a crime worth this much prosecution. 

They sighed, looking down in slight shame but mostly sorrow, "I apologize, love. I didn't realize that the death of a minor pawn in our plot would bother you. Otherwise, I would have informed you. I promise." 

"Person. Not a pawn. There are lives at stake, this isn't a game," Damien scowled, crossing his arms as if he was a cantankerous toddler.

 Esmai bit back a smirk, knowing that would be the opposite of helpful in this situation, "Her life doesn't matter half as much as ours do. We matter so much more, we deserve the most power. We are going to get where we belong, no matter the cost. So what if she and a few others die? They were bound to die, it is not like we are robbing a being of their immortality. Just hastening the day of reckoning for them." 

"Esmai, you are not the fates. You don't get to choose when someone's life ends. You shouldn't have that power," he sighed slightly, placing a hand on their shoulder. 

They recoiled from his touch, smacking his hand away from them, "Don't touch me."

How dare he? How dare he spit such vile words from his precious mouth? How dare he taint their affection for him with such...slanderous talk? How dare he insult them like this? They deserved all of the power, and they had thought to share it with him. But perhaps not. He had bothered them after all. They would not stand for this. Absolutely not.

"You do not get to be offended right now. You cannot possibly be offended that I reminded you of your own mortal status." 

Esmai glared, "Get out." 

"No," Damien shook his head.

"Yes. Leave." 

Another shaking of his head was the only comeback he tried to give.

Esmai turned their head so as if not to taint their vision with someone who had insulted them. 

Silence fell over their room, but not the fearful silence that had fell over their court.

No, this silence was different. There was not tangible fear circling around the room. There was no intimidation present. Damien did not fear them after all. Why would he? He had gotten to know them, encouraged their dreams, only to insult them now. 

A foolish mistake. Everyone should fear Esmai Jaccoud. Especially, people who had dishonored them even slightly. 

"You veritably do not deserve the power of the fates, and I will not grovel at your feet for telling you the truth, love. Someone needed to tell you this, even you need to be put in check occasionally," Damien placed the ring-less hand on their shoulder again. 

This time it stayed put, Esmai's pale one resting on top of it, tapping against it slightly. 

Silence, yet again. 

He smiled slightly. 

They pondered his worth in their life. 

Both of their eyes met, the lighter pair pleading with the calculating darker pair. They stayed that way for a moment, before Esmai nodded. 

"You are right. Her blood will not rest upon my hands. I will not promise that there will be no casualties from the chaos we are organizing," they offered a slight smile, signifying everything was okay for now. 

His smile grew wider, "Thank you. I appreciate you not killing innocents." 

"I know," they remarked, their tone light as if this was turning into one of the couple's trivial conversations rather than turning into the couples's last conversations. 

Damien relaxed, leaning back against the wall, "You know everything, or at least seem to." 

A tease. Maybe if he had not changed their thought process about him, it would have been humorous. But instead, it was mocking, rubbing salt into the minor scratch he had bestowed upon them. A grain here, a grain there. Overly meaningless, but they did not like it. And anything they did not like would be gone soon enough. 

"That I do. What kind of king would I be if I could not oversee everything, account for every possibility and remove any obstacles from my way? One would need to be all-knowing for those responsibilities, so naturally I am," they traced letters into the back of his hand, absentmindedly. 

The obstacle laughed slightly, a once attractive sound appearing to be as hideous as he now appeared to be, "You are not king yet, Esmai. Soon enough you will be where you belong, without killing every single person that ever joined in on the hardship known as life. You shall be king." 

Another mocking remark. Damien was not trying to stop the loathing at all, an interesting survival tactic.

"That is true. I shall, and we will both be where we belong," they relaxed as well, leaning against him while letting him wrap an arm around them. 

It would be true. 

Esmai would be on the other side of the board, claiming their crown, and Damien would be discarded onto the floor, never to be in play again.

 Right where they both belonged.

This would be the most fitting. 

After all, every obstacle had to be cleared to make progress in any game. 

And this was one game, Esmai Jaccoud knew they would win.