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Much like Magnus, Leto had always been an early riser, finding the wee hours when the sun barely broached the horizon. With this being the day the Colchian forces would sail away, Leto knew that there was not much more she could do. The past weeks were spent working the the women-led civic organizations to package and inventory the supplies, but now all that needed to happen was to load them and the soldiers onto the ships.
Leto planned to be there, hoping to find a quiet moment to say farewell to Maleos, hopefully unassuming in front of her brother as a simple offering of a woman's favor to a departing soldier, mixed in among the others. Subtlety was necessary when your nearest kin was the Master Informer. In her mind, she had crafted a plan to be able to see him once more before he was away.
All of that planning was shattered the moment Rhea came in to do her hair, carrying a small, poorly wrapped package and letter in her hand.
"It's for you," she noted, curiosity creasing the space around the serving-woman's narrow eyes as she placed it in Leto's hands. Missives addressed to her had sharply declined since her tasks had been completed within the city, as the final supplies were gathered and crossed off her ever expansive list. Perhaps, she mused, it was a token of gratitude from the organization? Odd.
Rhea began to pull a comb through her mistress' wild mane of morning hair as Leto curiously unwrapped the package, forgoing the niceties of reading the letter first in the privacy of her chambers. The moment she did and the morning light from the window caught the first gleam of gold and blue, they both froze, Rhea's comb mid-stroke through Leto's hair.
Surprise and panic cut through her core for a moment, as her hands quickly covered the piece of jewelry with its crumpled packaging paper as if to hide it. Then, creeping slowly she pulled the paper back again to see the bracelet again, this time in more details. The way the blue sapphires were placed, with finely cut lines between them immediately took her mind to the rolled star-map that had been given to her only a few weeks before.
"Mistress, it's beautiful! Who sent it?" Rhea asked, crooning over the piece. Leto's hand shifted protectively over the unopened that was in her lap still, knowing exactly who sent the piece to her. A bubble of emotion fought in her chest for a moment, bouncing between anger and shock and sadness and joy, like dogs fighting over which would make its way to the front of the pack. At this point, she could not process it. Instead, she looked sightlessly ahead for a moment, and managed a cool, quiet tone.
"Rhea, I need a moment of privacy, please." The woman hesitated a moment but set the comb away, bobbing in a slight curtsey as she left, her eyes curious and wondering as she closed the door behind her.
Leto continued to sit frozen a moment in the silence of her room, trying to collect her thoughts and steady herself to bring her hands to take the bracelet from the packaging. All she could hear was her own breathing in that moment as she held it between her fingers, watching the way the light caught the blue of the stones and how they were connected, creating shapes that could have names and stories, just like the stars from that night on the beach.
There was a lump in her throat, forming as she was caught entirely off guard by the gift. In her drawer, she had written a response to Silanos, trying to clear the air of all the awkwardness caused by their last interaction. She had even gone so far as to inject a few humorous points to bring them back to their friendship. If she was going to miss him, she was going to miss him as a friend and companion and nothing more. It would be made easier with the distance and allow her to return all other inclined thoughts to Maleos.
Then, she opened the letter.
Her eyes scanned the scattered words on the page, noting the way the words had been scratched out and rewritten, as if finding another piece of paper was too much effort. For a moment, she nodded along, acknowledging that yes the gift was FAR too intimate - and what was worse, she swooned over it. Then, she audibly scoffed as anger flared when he continued to scorn Maleos, almost enough to make her crumple the paper right then and there as if to stop it, but...
Her fingers raised to her lips and her eyes strained in their attempt to stop the oncoming tears as she read the last few words on the page...
"Whatever happens, have this as a token of my affection for you. Too late and imperfect delivery, but there you go. You are weird, and your brother probably is arranging my demise even as you read this, but I don't want you to be weird with anyone else. I'll stay up and watch the stars with you."
Her eyes drifted back down to the bracelet, but it blurred immediately as tears washed over her vision and she had to force in a few shaking breaths that she thought would help, but only made it worse. Setting the letter down on her lap, both hands lifted to her face, not covering her eyes but curving around the sides of her face, as if making blinders to keep the world from seeing her this way. In a slight fit, a sob racked her and she squinched her eyes closed in frustration, pressing her hands hard into the sides of her face.
What am I going to do now?
That question rang in her head, repeatedly pealing like a bell from a tower. With each round of it, she realized that she did not know. Well, wrong - she knew she had to make a choice, but which choice? What choice was there to make? She had already shown her affections towards Maleos, not even considering otherwise, but now here came Silanos - her friend - confessing, or rather, uncovering his affections - affections that she was just as shocked to realize that she held as well.
How could she care for both of them so much and yet so differently?
Maleos had known her for years. He was stoic and steady, with a kind smile that he shared only with her. The gods literally brought them together, as they met once again in the Hall of the Gods, sharing in their devotion to the deities. Not only that, but he understood her passion for her family's craft, and never judged her for how different it made her. There was nothing that compared to the way she felt safe and steady in his embrace atop the cliffs outside of the Temple of Ares, or the thrilled that went through her when they kissed. Yes, her nerves made a fool of her in that moment as she could not string together a proper response to how she felt, but she spilled her blood on the altar to pray for his protection - something that she now knew she would do even more vehemently than before. The cut had yet to heal fully, which she blamed on a kitchen knife, and it rested mockingly beneath the bracelet as it laid in her hand again.
Maleos was heroic and valiant, like the heroes of ancient times, and he had given his heart to her, even as he went away. She swore to keep him in her thoughts - and she did, often - having memorized the way his expression shifted from focused concentration to a soft, smile. It was as if something spoke between them without words. They understood one another, and Leto could see herself standing at his side, safe and secure.
Then, there was Silanos.
Leto was not quite sure of the exact moment that they shared anything more than teasing friendship with one another. On more than one occasion, they acknowledged their consistent irritation with one another, but that never stopped each other. There was a different sort of kinship there, one that was all words and jests and teasing. And gifts. Not anything like the opulent thing in her hands now, but gifts that simply reminded them of each other - something that Leto realized now, looking back, was a huge sign that she had missed all along.
None of this made sense, though, as clearly both of them had been convinced that all they shared was a sense of humor and a penchant for writing letters. Or, had he known? When they last spoke, he held her hand - but it was not simply a seeking of comfort for the impending war, as she thought. They both had a realization and shemade the stupid choice to speak it into existence. If she had just not said anything, not pried into it, then they would have left it at that, and continued writing joking letters with doodles of strange faraway beasts or the latest Colchian gossip in the margins with nothing else.
Instead, here she was.
Both were so different, but the way she felt for them was not.
It was wrong. It had to be wrong. What was wrong with her???
It took a moment for her to collect herself, taking the back of her hand and haphazardly wiping it across her face in an attempt to clear her sight. Her sobs had turned into a sputtering bit of breathing as she looked down at the bracelet and then at the soon-to-be on her hand, momentos for the men who would be sailing to far off lands before the midday sun rose.
Two men she loved, who she could now not bring herself to say goodbye to. At least, not face to face.
Frantically, she stood, clenching the bracelet to her chest a moment, enough to feel the sting of the cut against her hand. Somehow, it fueled her anger - not at either of the men but at herself, knowing the coward’s approach she was about to take as she opened the drawer of her writing desk to place Sil’s letter and the bracelet in before taking out a bottle of ink and two pieces of parchment paper.
Gathering herself with a few steady sniffles, she put pen to paper carefully crafting the words across the page. Maleos, she knew, would be hurt by her not coming to the docks to bid him farewell. For all his stoicism, she saw a sentimentality in him and a depth of feeling that he did not show to many - she worried more about hurting him. Her apology was sincere, even if the phrasing was a bit vague as to the reasons for her tears and inability to come to the docks.
Then, as she set the pen to paper to issue a similar apology to Sil….she found that a flurry of words escaped her, baked into confusion and rage and hurt at him leaving after doing such a thing. They were both cowards in this and owned up to it.
Quickly, she sealed the letters, and held them in her hands, freezing where she stood.
No, she could not give these to Rhea to have delivered to the docks in her stead. In order to do so, she would have to give the names to her - and a name given in this house would inevitably find its way to Magnus’ ears - and that was the last thing she needed in her distressed state.
Agonizing over that for a moment, she resorted with a groan to knowing that she would not be able to send these letters on the same ships that departed. Instead, the next day, she would need to find a Taengean bound ship to deliver them.
The plan was clear and simple now - feign being indisposed to avoid venturing to the docks at Magnus’ side. It was easy enough to blame on a number of things: female sensitivity, monthly issues, something that would keep him from prying.
Then, on the next day, offer to deliver any of his foreign missives to a messenger ship as a way to get fresh air, which would help her feel better. After all, it was not the first time she would have done such a thing for him in passing weeks, and it gave her an excuse to ride Eteon, something that needed to happen with regularity to keep his training.
It could work and would keep the eventual names she would need scrawled on the outside of the letters from being seen by him.
Set in her decision, she slipped the two letters beneath an accumulation of books, ledgers, and other assorted things within the drawer, placing the bracelet beneath that and slipping Sil’s letter into one of the heavier tomes.
Moving her hand to wipe her tears again, she paused, letting them linger instead as she moved to the door, summoning Rhea again. Immediately, she complained of feeling unwell and to let Magnus know that she would not be going to the docks for the departure. Before Rhea could ask, Leto swore to tell her about the bracelet when she felt well but not to bring it up to Magnus at all - after all, being a woman herself, Rhea understood secrets.
Nodding and going about her way, Leto was once again alone in her rooms, the morning sunlight pouring in as if taunting her. Looking quite pitiful as it was, Leto sighed heavily and moved her way back to her bed, pulling her dressing gown around her tightly and curling in on herself. There, without the shock of sobs as she had before, she let the tears spill from her silently, soaking her pillow.
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Check out their information page here.
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Much like Magnus, Leto had always been an early riser, finding the wee hours when the sun barely broached the horizon. With this being the day the Colchian forces would sail away, Leto knew that there was not much more she could do. The past weeks were spent working the the women-led civic organizations to package and inventory the supplies, but now all that needed to happen was to load them and the soldiers onto the ships.
Leto planned to be there, hoping to find a quiet moment to say farewell to Maleos, hopefully unassuming in front of her brother as a simple offering of a woman's favor to a departing soldier, mixed in among the others. Subtlety was necessary when your nearest kin was the Master Informer. In her mind, she had crafted a plan to be able to see him once more before he was away.
All of that planning was shattered the moment Rhea came in to do her hair, carrying a small, poorly wrapped package and letter in her hand.
"It's for you," she noted, curiosity creasing the space around the serving-woman's narrow eyes as she placed it in Leto's hands. Missives addressed to her had sharply declined since her tasks had been completed within the city, as the final supplies were gathered and crossed off her ever expansive list. Perhaps, she mused, it was a token of gratitude from the organization? Odd.
Rhea began to pull a comb through her mistress' wild mane of morning hair as Leto curiously unwrapped the package, forgoing the niceties of reading the letter first in the privacy of her chambers. The moment she did and the morning light from the window caught the first gleam of gold and blue, they both froze, Rhea's comb mid-stroke through Leto's hair.
Surprise and panic cut through her core for a moment, as her hands quickly covered the piece of jewelry with its crumpled packaging paper as if to hide it. Then, creeping slowly she pulled the paper back again to see the bracelet again, this time in more details. The way the blue sapphires were placed, with finely cut lines between them immediately took her mind to the rolled star-map that had been given to her only a few weeks before.
"Mistress, it's beautiful! Who sent it?" Rhea asked, crooning over the piece. Leto's hand shifted protectively over the unopened that was in her lap still, knowing exactly who sent the piece to her. A bubble of emotion fought in her chest for a moment, bouncing between anger and shock and sadness and joy, like dogs fighting over which would make its way to the front of the pack. At this point, she could not process it. Instead, she looked sightlessly ahead for a moment, and managed a cool, quiet tone.
"Rhea, I need a moment of privacy, please." The woman hesitated a moment but set the comb away, bobbing in a slight curtsey as she left, her eyes curious and wondering as she closed the door behind her.
Leto continued to sit frozen a moment in the silence of her room, trying to collect her thoughts and steady herself to bring her hands to take the bracelet from the packaging. All she could hear was her own breathing in that moment as she held it between her fingers, watching the way the light caught the blue of the stones and how they were connected, creating shapes that could have names and stories, just like the stars from that night on the beach.
There was a lump in her throat, forming as she was caught entirely off guard by the gift. In her drawer, she had written a response to Silanos, trying to clear the air of all the awkwardness caused by their last interaction. She had even gone so far as to inject a few humorous points to bring them back to their friendship. If she was going to miss him, she was going to miss him as a friend and companion and nothing more. It would be made easier with the distance and allow her to return all other inclined thoughts to Maleos.
Then, she opened the letter.
Her eyes scanned the scattered words on the page, noting the way the words had been scratched out and rewritten, as if finding another piece of paper was too much effort. For a moment, she nodded along, acknowledging that yes the gift was FAR too intimate - and what was worse, she swooned over it. Then, she audibly scoffed as anger flared when he continued to scorn Maleos, almost enough to make her crumple the paper right then and there as if to stop it, but...
Her fingers raised to her lips and her eyes strained in their attempt to stop the oncoming tears as she read the last few words on the page...
"Whatever happens, have this as a token of my affection for you. Too late and imperfect delivery, but there you go. You are weird, and your brother probably is arranging my demise even as you read this, but I don't want you to be weird with anyone else. I'll stay up and watch the stars with you."
Her eyes drifted back down to the bracelet, but it blurred immediately as tears washed over her vision and she had to force in a few shaking breaths that she thought would help, but only made it worse. Setting the letter down on her lap, both hands lifted to her face, not covering her eyes but curving around the sides of her face, as if making blinders to keep the world from seeing her this way. In a slight fit, a sob racked her and she squinched her eyes closed in frustration, pressing her hands hard into the sides of her face.
What am I going to do now?
That question rang in her head, repeatedly pealing like a bell from a tower. With each round of it, she realized that she did not know. Well, wrong - she knew she had to make a choice, but which choice? What choice was there to make? She had already shown her affections towards Maleos, not even considering otherwise, but now here came Silanos - her friend - confessing, or rather, uncovering his affections - affections that she was just as shocked to realize that she held as well.
How could she care for both of them so much and yet so differently?
Maleos had known her for years. He was stoic and steady, with a kind smile that he shared only with her. The gods literally brought them together, as they met once again in the Hall of the Gods, sharing in their devotion to the deities. Not only that, but he understood her passion for her family's craft, and never judged her for how different it made her. There was nothing that compared to the way she felt safe and steady in his embrace atop the cliffs outside of the Temple of Ares, or the thrilled that went through her when they kissed. Yes, her nerves made a fool of her in that moment as she could not string together a proper response to how she felt, but she spilled her blood on the altar to pray for his protection - something that she now knew she would do even more vehemently than before. The cut had yet to heal fully, which she blamed on a kitchen knife, and it rested mockingly beneath the bracelet as it laid in her hand again.
Maleos was heroic and valiant, like the heroes of ancient times, and he had given his heart to her, even as he went away. She swore to keep him in her thoughts - and she did, often - having memorized the way his expression shifted from focused concentration to a soft, smile. It was as if something spoke between them without words. They understood one another, and Leto could see herself standing at his side, safe and secure.
Then, there was Silanos.
Leto was not quite sure of the exact moment that they shared anything more than teasing friendship with one another. On more than one occasion, they acknowledged their consistent irritation with one another, but that never stopped each other. There was a different sort of kinship there, one that was all words and jests and teasing. And gifts. Not anything like the opulent thing in her hands now, but gifts that simply reminded them of each other - something that Leto realized now, looking back, was a huge sign that she had missed all along.
None of this made sense, though, as clearly both of them had been convinced that all they shared was a sense of humor and a penchant for writing letters. Or, had he known? When they last spoke, he held her hand - but it was not simply a seeking of comfort for the impending war, as she thought. They both had a realization and shemade the stupid choice to speak it into existence. If she had just not said anything, not pried into it, then they would have left it at that, and continued writing joking letters with doodles of strange faraway beasts or the latest Colchian gossip in the margins with nothing else.
Instead, here she was.
Both were so different, but the way she felt for them was not.
It was wrong. It had to be wrong. What was wrong with her???
It took a moment for her to collect herself, taking the back of her hand and haphazardly wiping it across her face in an attempt to clear her sight. Her sobs had turned into a sputtering bit of breathing as she looked down at the bracelet and then at the soon-to-be on her hand, momentos for the men who would be sailing to far off lands before the midday sun rose.
Two men she loved, who she could now not bring herself to say goodbye to. At least, not face to face.
Frantically, she stood, clenching the bracelet to her chest a moment, enough to feel the sting of the cut against her hand. Somehow, it fueled her anger - not at either of the men but at herself, knowing the coward’s approach she was about to take as she opened the drawer of her writing desk to place Sil’s letter and the bracelet in before taking out a bottle of ink and two pieces of parchment paper.
Gathering herself with a few steady sniffles, she put pen to paper carefully crafting the words across the page. Maleos, she knew, would be hurt by her not coming to the docks to bid him farewell. For all his stoicism, she saw a sentimentality in him and a depth of feeling that he did not show to many - she worried more about hurting him. Her apology was sincere, even if the phrasing was a bit vague as to the reasons for her tears and inability to come to the docks.
Then, as she set the pen to paper to issue a similar apology to Sil….she found that a flurry of words escaped her, baked into confusion and rage and hurt at him leaving after doing such a thing. They were both cowards in this and owned up to it.
Quickly, she sealed the letters, and held them in her hands, freezing where she stood.
No, she could not give these to Rhea to have delivered to the docks in her stead. In order to do so, she would have to give the names to her - and a name given in this house would inevitably find its way to Magnus’ ears - and that was the last thing she needed in her distressed state.
Agonizing over that for a moment, she resorted with a groan to knowing that she would not be able to send these letters on the same ships that departed. Instead, the next day, she would need to find a Taengean bound ship to deliver them.
The plan was clear and simple now - feign being indisposed to avoid venturing to the docks at Magnus’ side. It was easy enough to blame on a number of things: female sensitivity, monthly issues, something that would keep him from prying.
Then, on the next day, offer to deliver any of his foreign missives to a messenger ship as a way to get fresh air, which would help her feel better. After all, it was not the first time she would have done such a thing for him in passing weeks, and it gave her an excuse to ride Eteon, something that needed to happen with regularity to keep his training.
It could work and would keep the eventual names she would need scrawled on the outside of the letters from being seen by him.
Set in her decision, she slipped the two letters beneath an accumulation of books, ledgers, and other assorted things within the drawer, placing the bracelet beneath that and slipping Sil’s letter into one of the heavier tomes.
Moving her hand to wipe her tears again, she paused, letting them linger instead as she moved to the door, summoning Rhea again. Immediately, she complained of feeling unwell and to let Magnus know that she would not be going to the docks for the departure. Before Rhea could ask, Leto swore to tell her about the bracelet when she felt well but not to bring it up to Magnus at all - after all, being a woman herself, Rhea understood secrets.
Nodding and going about her way, Leto was once again alone in her rooms, the morning sunlight pouring in as if taunting her. Looking quite pitiful as it was, Leto sighed heavily and moved her way back to her bed, pulling her dressing gown around her tightly and curling in on herself. There, without the shock of sobs as she had before, she let the tears spill from her silently, soaking her pillow.
Much like Magnus, Leto had always been an early riser, finding the wee hours when the sun barely broached the horizon. With this being the day the Colchian forces would sail away, Leto knew that there was not much more she could do. The past weeks were spent working the the women-led civic organizations to package and inventory the supplies, but now all that needed to happen was to load them and the soldiers onto the ships.
Leto planned to be there, hoping to find a quiet moment to say farewell to Maleos, hopefully unassuming in front of her brother as a simple offering of a woman's favor to a departing soldier, mixed in among the others. Subtlety was necessary when your nearest kin was the Master Informer. In her mind, she had crafted a plan to be able to see him once more before he was away.
All of that planning was shattered the moment Rhea came in to do her hair, carrying a small, poorly wrapped package and letter in her hand.
"It's for you," she noted, curiosity creasing the space around the serving-woman's narrow eyes as she placed it in Leto's hands. Missives addressed to her had sharply declined since her tasks had been completed within the city, as the final supplies were gathered and crossed off her ever expansive list. Perhaps, she mused, it was a token of gratitude from the organization? Odd.
Rhea began to pull a comb through her mistress' wild mane of morning hair as Leto curiously unwrapped the package, forgoing the niceties of reading the letter first in the privacy of her chambers. The moment she did and the morning light from the window caught the first gleam of gold and blue, they both froze, Rhea's comb mid-stroke through Leto's hair.
Surprise and panic cut through her core for a moment, as her hands quickly covered the piece of jewelry with its crumpled packaging paper as if to hide it. Then, creeping slowly she pulled the paper back again to see the bracelet again, this time in more details. The way the blue sapphires were placed, with finely cut lines between them immediately took her mind to the rolled star-map that had been given to her only a few weeks before.
"Mistress, it's beautiful! Who sent it?" Rhea asked, crooning over the piece. Leto's hand shifted protectively over the unopened that was in her lap still, knowing exactly who sent the piece to her. A bubble of emotion fought in her chest for a moment, bouncing between anger and shock and sadness and joy, like dogs fighting over which would make its way to the front of the pack. At this point, she could not process it. Instead, she looked sightlessly ahead for a moment, and managed a cool, quiet tone.
"Rhea, I need a moment of privacy, please." The woman hesitated a moment but set the comb away, bobbing in a slight curtsey as she left, her eyes curious and wondering as she closed the door behind her.
Leto continued to sit frozen a moment in the silence of her room, trying to collect her thoughts and steady herself to bring her hands to take the bracelet from the packaging. All she could hear was her own breathing in that moment as she held it between her fingers, watching the way the light caught the blue of the stones and how they were connected, creating shapes that could have names and stories, just like the stars from that night on the beach.
There was a lump in her throat, forming as she was caught entirely off guard by the gift. In her drawer, she had written a response to Silanos, trying to clear the air of all the awkwardness caused by their last interaction. She had even gone so far as to inject a few humorous points to bring them back to their friendship. If she was going to miss him, she was going to miss him as a friend and companion and nothing more. It would be made easier with the distance and allow her to return all other inclined thoughts to Maleos.
Then, she opened the letter.
Her eyes scanned the scattered words on the page, noting the way the words had been scratched out and rewritten, as if finding another piece of paper was too much effort. For a moment, she nodded along, acknowledging that yes the gift was FAR too intimate - and what was worse, she swooned over it. Then, she audibly scoffed as anger flared when he continued to scorn Maleos, almost enough to make her crumple the paper right then and there as if to stop it, but...
Her fingers raised to her lips and her eyes strained in their attempt to stop the oncoming tears as she read the last few words on the page...
"Whatever happens, have this as a token of my affection for you. Too late and imperfect delivery, but there you go. You are weird, and your brother probably is arranging my demise even as you read this, but I don't want you to be weird with anyone else. I'll stay up and watch the stars with you."
Her eyes drifted back down to the bracelet, but it blurred immediately as tears washed over her vision and she had to force in a few shaking breaths that she thought would help, but only made it worse. Setting the letter down on her lap, both hands lifted to her face, not covering her eyes but curving around the sides of her face, as if making blinders to keep the world from seeing her this way. In a slight fit, a sob racked her and she squinched her eyes closed in frustration, pressing her hands hard into the sides of her face.
What am I going to do now?
That question rang in her head, repeatedly pealing like a bell from a tower. With each round of it, she realized that she did not know. Well, wrong - she knew she had to make a choice, but which choice? What choice was there to make? She had already shown her affections towards Maleos, not even considering otherwise, but now here came Silanos - her friend - confessing, or rather, uncovering his affections - affections that she was just as shocked to realize that she held as well.
How could she care for both of them so much and yet so differently?
Maleos had known her for years. He was stoic and steady, with a kind smile that he shared only with her. The gods literally brought them together, as they met once again in the Hall of the Gods, sharing in their devotion to the deities. Not only that, but he understood her passion for her family's craft, and never judged her for how different it made her. There was nothing that compared to the way she felt safe and steady in his embrace atop the cliffs outside of the Temple of Ares, or the thrilled that went through her when they kissed. Yes, her nerves made a fool of her in that moment as she could not string together a proper response to how she felt, but she spilled her blood on the altar to pray for his protection - something that she now knew she would do even more vehemently than before. The cut had yet to heal fully, which she blamed on a kitchen knife, and it rested mockingly beneath the bracelet as it laid in her hand again.
Maleos was heroic and valiant, like the heroes of ancient times, and he had given his heart to her, even as he went away. She swore to keep him in her thoughts - and she did, often - having memorized the way his expression shifted from focused concentration to a soft, smile. It was as if something spoke between them without words. They understood one another, and Leto could see herself standing at his side, safe and secure.
Then, there was Silanos.
Leto was not quite sure of the exact moment that they shared anything more than teasing friendship with one another. On more than one occasion, they acknowledged their consistent irritation with one another, but that never stopped each other. There was a different sort of kinship there, one that was all words and jests and teasing. And gifts. Not anything like the opulent thing in her hands now, but gifts that simply reminded them of each other - something that Leto realized now, looking back, was a huge sign that she had missed all along.
None of this made sense, though, as clearly both of them had been convinced that all they shared was a sense of humor and a penchant for writing letters. Or, had he known? When they last spoke, he held her hand - but it was not simply a seeking of comfort for the impending war, as she thought. They both had a realization and shemade the stupid choice to speak it into existence. If she had just not said anything, not pried into it, then they would have left it at that, and continued writing joking letters with doodles of strange faraway beasts or the latest Colchian gossip in the margins with nothing else.
Instead, here she was.
Both were so different, but the way she felt for them was not.
It was wrong. It had to be wrong. What was wrong with her???
It took a moment for her to collect herself, taking the back of her hand and haphazardly wiping it across her face in an attempt to clear her sight. Her sobs had turned into a sputtering bit of breathing as she looked down at the bracelet and then at the soon-to-be on her hand, momentos for the men who would be sailing to far off lands before the midday sun rose.
Two men she loved, who she could now not bring herself to say goodbye to. At least, not face to face.
Frantically, she stood, clenching the bracelet to her chest a moment, enough to feel the sting of the cut against her hand. Somehow, it fueled her anger - not at either of the men but at herself, knowing the coward’s approach she was about to take as she opened the drawer of her writing desk to place Sil’s letter and the bracelet in before taking out a bottle of ink and two pieces of parchment paper.
Gathering herself with a few steady sniffles, she put pen to paper carefully crafting the words across the page. Maleos, she knew, would be hurt by her not coming to the docks to bid him farewell. For all his stoicism, she saw a sentimentality in him and a depth of feeling that he did not show to many - she worried more about hurting him. Her apology was sincere, even if the phrasing was a bit vague as to the reasons for her tears and inability to come to the docks.
Then, as she set the pen to paper to issue a similar apology to Sil….she found that a flurry of words escaped her, baked into confusion and rage and hurt at him leaving after doing such a thing. They were both cowards in this and owned up to it.
Quickly, she sealed the letters, and held them in her hands, freezing where she stood.
No, she could not give these to Rhea to have delivered to the docks in her stead. In order to do so, she would have to give the names to her - and a name given in this house would inevitably find its way to Magnus’ ears - and that was the last thing she needed in her distressed state.
Agonizing over that for a moment, she resorted with a groan to knowing that she would not be able to send these letters on the same ships that departed. Instead, the next day, she would need to find a Taengean bound ship to deliver them.
The plan was clear and simple now - feign being indisposed to avoid venturing to the docks at Magnus’ side. It was easy enough to blame on a number of things: female sensitivity, monthly issues, something that would keep him from prying.
Then, on the next day, offer to deliver any of his foreign missives to a messenger ship as a way to get fresh air, which would help her feel better. After all, it was not the first time she would have done such a thing for him in passing weeks, and it gave her an excuse to ride Eteon, something that needed to happen with regularity to keep his training.
It could work and would keep the eventual names she would need scrawled on the outside of the letters from being seen by him.
Set in her decision, she slipped the two letters beneath an accumulation of books, ledgers, and other assorted things within the drawer, placing the bracelet beneath that and slipping Sil’s letter into one of the heavier tomes.
Moving her hand to wipe her tears again, she paused, letting them linger instead as she moved to the door, summoning Rhea again. Immediately, she complained of feeling unwell and to let Magnus know that she would not be going to the docks for the departure. Before Rhea could ask, Leto swore to tell her about the bracelet when she felt well but not to bring it up to Magnus at all - after all, being a woman herself, Rhea understood secrets.
Nodding and going about her way, Leto was once again alone in her rooms, the morning sunlight pouring in as if taunting her. Looking quite pitiful as it was, Leto sighed heavily and moved her way back to her bed, pulling her dressing gown around her tightly and curling in on herself. There, without the shock of sobs as she had before, she let the tears spill from her silently, soaking her pillow.
Knowing the men was to go for war for the day, Magnus had rose early to collate most of the documents he would need in order to get the final updates necessary for the king and crown prince before they left. It was a habit he did, to ensure he could get them as up to date as he could, as once they returned, depending on the duration of the campaign, much could have changed. Sure, they could keep in contact via missives and homing pigeons, but Magnus much preferred a face to face communication, for missives took far too long, and was far too easy to be misconstrued or intercepted by undeserving parties.
Before the sun had rose, the man had already woke up and took his fortifying morning cup of goat's milk, a habit he's long had the moment he had started being a litigator, before starting his work.
What he had not expected however, was for his servant to come and inform not long after he had started work, that his sister had received a missive. While Leto receiving missives was nothing untoward, what got Magnus frowning was the hour of which the missive and package had arrived. A missive, he would perhaps let go with maybe just one extra glance - afterall, Leto's friends were at times odd, and while his informants had told him of seeing his sister in increasing company of two particular young lad's, as long as his informants were convinced they did not fall under the category of thievery or vagrant, Magnus was willing to let it slide, for now. She was growing past the marriageable age, afterall.
But the package however, was what got Magnus frowning. With everything that had been going on of late, he had grown increasinly protective of his family, going so far as to hiring two extra guards to escort his parents when they went to the market. Receiving nondescript packages were definitely unsafe, at least in Magnus's eyes.
Finishing the last note he needed to write with a messy scrawl quite unlike his usual delicate penmenship, Magnus quickly rolled up his scroll he was going to hand over to Vangelis, passing it over to his assistant before exiting his study to head to Leto's chambers.
Accosted on his way by her maid herself, while he nodded to Rhea's words of Leto being unwell, he couldn't stop himself for eventually finding his way to his young sister's chambers - but at the very least, he didn't barge in. The last time he tried that was when Leto had been far younger, and in return, he had gotten a face full of chiton thrown at him by the then-twenty year old Leto. Since then, Magnus has had to learn the hard way that his little sister was now a young lady, and should be given her own privacy.
But instead, Magnus gently knocked on the door, letting silence pause, before asking, "Leto, where are you unwell? Do you need me to get the physician? Or Mother?" he paused again, weighing his options, before continuing. "What did you receive this morning, mikros?" he intentionally used the nickname he had for her when she had been younger, hoping it would soften her up. She was his only younger sibling, and while Magnus may be overbearing at times, he genuinely did care over her wellbeing.
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Knowing the men was to go for war for the day, Magnus had rose early to collate most of the documents he would need in order to get the final updates necessary for the king and crown prince before they left. It was a habit he did, to ensure he could get them as up to date as he could, as once they returned, depending on the duration of the campaign, much could have changed. Sure, they could keep in contact via missives and homing pigeons, but Magnus much preferred a face to face communication, for missives took far too long, and was far too easy to be misconstrued or intercepted by undeserving parties.
Before the sun had rose, the man had already woke up and took his fortifying morning cup of goat's milk, a habit he's long had the moment he had started being a litigator, before starting his work.
What he had not expected however, was for his servant to come and inform not long after he had started work, that his sister had received a missive. While Leto receiving missives was nothing untoward, what got Magnus frowning was the hour of which the missive and package had arrived. A missive, he would perhaps let go with maybe just one extra glance - afterall, Leto's friends were at times odd, and while his informants had told him of seeing his sister in increasing company of two particular young lad's, as long as his informants were convinced they did not fall under the category of thievery or vagrant, Magnus was willing to let it slide, for now. She was growing past the marriageable age, afterall.
But the package however, was what got Magnus frowning. With everything that had been going on of late, he had grown increasinly protective of his family, going so far as to hiring two extra guards to escort his parents when they went to the market. Receiving nondescript packages were definitely unsafe, at least in Magnus's eyes.
Finishing the last note he needed to write with a messy scrawl quite unlike his usual delicate penmenship, Magnus quickly rolled up his scroll he was going to hand over to Vangelis, passing it over to his assistant before exiting his study to head to Leto's chambers.
Accosted on his way by her maid herself, while he nodded to Rhea's words of Leto being unwell, he couldn't stop himself for eventually finding his way to his young sister's chambers - but at the very least, he didn't barge in. The last time he tried that was when Leto had been far younger, and in return, he had gotten a face full of chiton thrown at him by the then-twenty year old Leto. Since then, Magnus has had to learn the hard way that his little sister was now a young lady, and should be given her own privacy.
But instead, Magnus gently knocked on the door, letting silence pause, before asking, "Leto, where are you unwell? Do you need me to get the physician? Or Mother?" he paused again, weighing his options, before continuing. "What did you receive this morning, mikros?" he intentionally used the nickname he had for her when she had been younger, hoping it would soften her up. She was his only younger sibling, and while Magnus may be overbearing at times, he genuinely did care over her wellbeing.
Knowing the men was to go for war for the day, Magnus had rose early to collate most of the documents he would need in order to get the final updates necessary for the king and crown prince before they left. It was a habit he did, to ensure he could get them as up to date as he could, as once they returned, depending on the duration of the campaign, much could have changed. Sure, they could keep in contact via missives and homing pigeons, but Magnus much preferred a face to face communication, for missives took far too long, and was far too easy to be misconstrued or intercepted by undeserving parties.
Before the sun had rose, the man had already woke up and took his fortifying morning cup of goat's milk, a habit he's long had the moment he had started being a litigator, before starting his work.
What he had not expected however, was for his servant to come and inform not long after he had started work, that his sister had received a missive. While Leto receiving missives was nothing untoward, what got Magnus frowning was the hour of which the missive and package had arrived. A missive, he would perhaps let go with maybe just one extra glance - afterall, Leto's friends were at times odd, and while his informants had told him of seeing his sister in increasing company of two particular young lad's, as long as his informants were convinced they did not fall under the category of thievery or vagrant, Magnus was willing to let it slide, for now. She was growing past the marriageable age, afterall.
But the package however, was what got Magnus frowning. With everything that had been going on of late, he had grown increasinly protective of his family, going so far as to hiring two extra guards to escort his parents when they went to the market. Receiving nondescript packages were definitely unsafe, at least in Magnus's eyes.
Finishing the last note he needed to write with a messy scrawl quite unlike his usual delicate penmenship, Magnus quickly rolled up his scroll he was going to hand over to Vangelis, passing it over to his assistant before exiting his study to head to Leto's chambers.
Accosted on his way by her maid herself, while he nodded to Rhea's words of Leto being unwell, he couldn't stop himself for eventually finding his way to his young sister's chambers - but at the very least, he didn't barge in. The last time he tried that was when Leto had been far younger, and in return, he had gotten a face full of chiton thrown at him by the then-twenty year old Leto. Since then, Magnus has had to learn the hard way that his little sister was now a young lady, and should be given her own privacy.
But instead, Magnus gently knocked on the door, letting silence pause, before asking, "Leto, where are you unwell? Do you need me to get the physician? Or Mother?" he paused again, weighing his options, before continuing. "What did you receive this morning, mikros?" he intentionally used the nickname he had for her when she had been younger, hoping it would soften her up. She was his only younger sibling, and while Magnus may be overbearing at times, he genuinely did care over her wellbeing.