Bound By Madness

36. Whispers Unheard

I enjoyed the time spent conversing with my dearest friend, for Cicero had many tales of his own to share during the moments I would grow quiet from my memories. He shared tales of his childhood, although he too did not share any names that might give clue to where he grew up. Another tale he shared was of the time he was first found by the Brotherhood, how he'd killed a man for how cruel he was to those around him.

He spoke of some of the Brothers and Sisters he'd had and lost over the years since he'd joined the Family, of how they had helped him feel like he finally had a place where he belonged in the world. In turn, I spoke of my own family and how I had left them so that I could provide in the one way I felt I could give them what they needed, what Bastian needed. I told him about how I met Ellery and how I kept running into him as he performed for the public, how we became friends and I eventually fell in love with him.

I gave him the papers that told of how I had found him with another woman, the betrayal I'd felt and the contract I'd offered to the assassin that had been sent, the one who eventually rejoined me as Amicus, and the completion of said contract.

"So Amicus is Faith's special friend! Cicero was right!" The man cackled as he wiggled his eyebrows at me, the familiar wicked smile on his face as he saw me blush.

Soon enough he was looking back down at the papers, reading the details as he slowly grew silent again, his eyebrows lowering in concentration. It might have been the contract itself, the way I described the completion of it, or perhaps even the part where I'd written down the weeks and months that followed and how I'd grown to regret my decision, but something about it seemed to make the man... uncomfortable.

"So Ellery was Faith's lover once?" He questioned as he looked up only enough to glimpse my lips.

Yes, but such things are left in the past. Now he is simply my friend, my companion. Someday I will earn his forgiveness for having stolen his laughter away from the world, even if he has returned. It is not the same when I am the only one who can hear it.

He looked down again for a time before tilting his head and giving a small grin.

"And Amicus, did Faith really not mind that he took so much from her before he left that night? Did she really think he performed well enough to deserve taking whatever caught his eye?" He spoke softer than he usually did, peeking up at me almost shyly as he asked the questions, causing me to blush once again.

I wouldn't have offered what I had if I hadn't felt it worth the price. Besides, it wasn't like I couldn't replace what I wanted to in time. And he came back to me and that is a far greater treasure than anything he could have taken that night!

"You really consider an assassin able to become a treasure to you, even knowing that he killed your lover?" His hands fidgeted as he asked the question, his eyes flickering between my lips and my eyes.

Of course! How could I not consider him a treasure when he came back to me and brought me so much happiness? I... I don't think I would be alive right now if him and Ellery hadn't returned to me. They helped me stitch myself back together again when I had fallen apart. It was... not a good time for me. Oh! And now I have you as well to call treasure and that makes me smile every time I think about it!

The blush that spread slowly across his cheeks had me grinning at him as his eyes widened.

"Cicero will do his best to be worthy of such a title as Treasure to lovely Faith," he spoke gently before looking back down at the sheets of paper he held. "Cicero is learning much about Faith and will have a lot to think about in the coming days. But he wants sweet Faith to know that he is always willing to stay by her side, so long as the Night Mother allows it."