What she would tell and explain to whoever it was that saw her was good enough for him. He could see no clear holes in the plan and as long as the guard agreed to speak out against his father then it was likely perfect. "Yes, it works perfectly. I can see no issues with that and it is unlikely they would have reason to suspect otherwise." The plan was starting to come together and he could feel that same feeling of satisfaction he felt last time.
"I know Celeste, I know." Her frown had cleared when he responded but he had not missed it. She had clearly been thinking about his suggestion and thinking hard. Her brow only furrowed like that when she was considering things seriously and in depth. "Perhaps. However, if I here it so often that I get used to it I might start to believe it." He laughed and looked at her, his heart felt heavy when he thought about what she had been through and he would give anything to be able to have gone back and stopped it. The women had been through so much he really hoped her new position might mark an end to that unfortunate streak.
She nodded and spoke again and he too nodded, agreeing it best he talk to Andráska first. Then once he had returned they could approach the Kings Guard and try to do what they had planned. "I will leave today then, we should try to get onto this as fast as possible because the longer we wait the more suffering they must endure." Xander could not allow the torture to continue, it was not right and he did not wish it just for his own nightmares to stop but because it was his duty and the right thing to do, the just thing. With the knowledge that his mighty immortal Ethelynda believed in him and trusted him he would do what was right and bring justice on the matter.
Xander felt his jaw tighten as Celeste began to speak further after the decision that he would go to see Andráska. She spoke of the attack and he felt the same feeling he had that night she had been stabbed, the same feeling he had experienced when he found out about the attack originally. Rage. It bubbled within him like a witches cauldron, spitting out red hot droplets of pure hatred. His fists curled into tight balls as Celeste held her own close, pulling tightly closed his shirt around her body. His nails dug into his palms, the skin threatening to tear under the pressure of the finger tips.
He was drawn back to what was happening by her standing and walking towards the wardrobe. Xander watched her curiously as he wondered what she was doing, kneeling before it and sliding out a dress. He could still sense the sour taste of hate and rage in his mouth as she continued again to speak of the monster who happened to be his father. He tried hard not to picture the beast atop Celeste, fighting the images and ideas from his mind as best he could. He looked at the dress and struggled with the urge inside him to break something, he wanted to scream and lash out but he knew it would solve nothing and with Celeste as emotionally fragile as she was he wished not to scare her.
"I should have slit his throat." Xander knew now and reiterated his earlier thoughts, he blamed himself and now he was living with his own mistake. Still it was not her fault or his and so when she bowed her head with a look of shame poisoning her expression Xander shook his head. "You have nothing to apologise for, it is not your fault and you should not apologise. There was nothing you could have done so please do not apologise." Xander tentatively placed a finger on her chin and raised her saddened face to look at him. His eyes expressed his concern and he did not try to hide his anger and sadness, both of which had reddened his cheeks and forced a strong straight face on him.
He gently stroked a thumb over her cheek, the rosy skin smooth under his touch. "It will never be your fault and you will not apologise for it again, nobody could have guessed he would act like that."
"I know Celeste, I know." Her frown had cleared when he responded but he had not missed it. She had clearly been thinking about his suggestion and thinking hard. Her brow only furrowed like that when she was considering things seriously and in depth. "Perhaps. However, if I here it so often that I get used to it I might start to believe it." He laughed and looked at her, his heart felt heavy when he thought about what she had been through and he would give anything to be able to have gone back and stopped it. The women had been through so much he really hoped her new position might mark an end to that unfortunate streak.
She nodded and spoke again and he too nodded, agreeing it best he talk to Andráska first. Then once he had returned they could approach the Kings Guard and try to do what they had planned. "I will leave today then, we should try to get onto this as fast as possible because the longer we wait the more suffering they must endure." Xander could not allow the torture to continue, it was not right and he did not wish it just for his own nightmares to stop but because it was his duty and the right thing to do, the just thing. With the knowledge that his mighty immortal Ethelynda believed in him and trusted him he would do what was right and bring justice on the matter.
Xander felt his jaw tighten as Celeste began to speak further after the decision that he would go to see Andráska. She spoke of the attack and he felt the same feeling he had that night she had been stabbed, the same feeling he had experienced when he found out about the attack originally. Rage. It bubbled within him like a witches cauldron, spitting out red hot droplets of pure hatred. His fists curled into tight balls as Celeste held her own close, pulling tightly closed his shirt around her body. His nails dug into his palms, the skin threatening to tear under the pressure of the finger tips.
He was drawn back to what was happening by her standing and walking towards the wardrobe. Xander watched her curiously as he wondered what she was doing, kneeling before it and sliding out a dress. He could still sense the sour taste of hate and rage in his mouth as she continued again to speak of the monster who happened to be his father. He tried hard not to picture the beast atop Celeste, fighting the images and ideas from his mind as best he could. He looked at the dress and struggled with the urge inside him to break something, he wanted to scream and lash out but he knew it would solve nothing and with Celeste as emotionally fragile as she was he wished not to scare her.
"I should have slit his throat." Xander knew now and reiterated his earlier thoughts, he blamed himself and now he was living with his own mistake. Still it was not her fault or his and so when she bowed her head with a look of shame poisoning her expression Xander shook his head. "You have nothing to apologise for, it is not your fault and you should not apologise. There was nothing you could have done so please do not apologise." Xander tentatively placed a finger on her chin and raised her saddened face to look at him. His eyes expressed his concern and he did not try to hide his anger and sadness, both of which had reddened his cheeks and forced a strong straight face on him.
He gently stroked a thumb over her cheek, the rosy skin smooth under his touch. "It will never be your fault and you will not apologise for it again, nobody could have guessed he would act like that."
