regency au } { of making plans and dramatic choices

[anendlesswar]

Dina: [her thoughts haven't quieted since the talk with her father in the woods, so she ventures onto the balcony to try and get some fresh air. She shed her fancy dinner dress for her nightgown and a robe, because she doesn't expect anyone to be able to see her at this time of night. But the sneaking shadow from above catches her eye, and she sighs, tightening her robe to wait and see what he does next]

Jason: [he's not paying attention to anyone inside the manor. For the moment, he was considering everyone there safe enough. But he and his mother had left unexpectedly, and Jason was waiting for someone to appear from the Crown, demanding information on why he left. The turret shadows gave him an advantage to memorize the layout of the town beyond, watching for anything moving or paying too much attention to the manor.]

Dina: [and she's just going to watch. she has an idea of what he's looking for, but she doesn't want to spook him either. that might lead to him falling off the roof. So she's there, leaning against her balcony, waiting to see if he notices.]

Jason: [eventually he will feel her eyes on him and slightly turn to find the direction of the stare. When he sees her, he smiles, but doesn't move. After all, it is her bedroom, and that would NOT be proper... at least without her invitation.]

Dina: [it would be very improper, and she really shouldn't invite him into her room, but at the same time, she can't have him sneaking around on the roof because the guards will get ideas, so she watches him for a moment, before tipping her head to the side, gesturing for him to come down. then she disappears off the balcony and back into her room]

Jason: [um... he's not sure if the invitation is a good or bad thing, but he's not about to pass it up either. So he will sneak across to her balcony and drop down, his leather shoes making his arrival all but silent to human ears]

Dina: [glances over as he drops down and sighs] You shouldn't be up on the roof like that. The knights might mistake you for an invading pack.

Jason: I was making sure there were no threats from the town aimed this way. [at him. Aimed at him]

Dina: We've been invaded before. We've taken precautions since. You and your mother will be safe here.

Jason: I know, but allow me a bit of paranoia for safety sake.

Dina: If you insist. [her room is fairly comfortable, with a four-poster bed and a fireplace with two comfy chairs resting beside it. she moves to sit in one of the chairs, settling in to get comfortable] I was simply trying to put your mind at ease.

Jason: I do appreciate it. I apologize if it seemed otherwise.

Dina: [she nods] Of course. [gestures to the seat across from her] You can sit, if you want.

Jason: [which he will, taking off his cloak before sitting, going to warm his hands by the fire] Thank you.

Dina: Who are you worried about? [just out of curiosity, since she knows his secrets now]

Jason: [sighs] Mother and I left without much notice to others. If the Crown gets suspicious, they may send someone to check up on me.

Dina: I see. Well, if they try to come through the woods, they'll be found out sooner rather than later.

Jason: I hope so. [but if it's his mentor, the guards may be the ones in danger]

Dina: [the guards can heal. and they're also not all werewolves, so they don't have the same weaknesses. And then silence as she shifts awkwardly because she still hasn't made a decision yet] I suppose you spend much of your travel with the same ... concerns?

Jason: [nods, focused on his hands still] If it isn't others like me from the countries I'm in, it's those within my own who find me as a threat.

Dina: Because of what you may know about them?

Jason: Or what I may discover. Or do.

Dina: [she nods, turning her eyes to the fire for a moment] I can keep a secret. That's not the issue. It's ... I don't want to get you into more trouble. My instincts may not bear well in a world where you're constantly in danger.

Jason: That's the thing, Claudia. As much as I am "good" at what I do, it's not the life I would have chosen myself. It was chosen for me, and the only reason I stay is for my mother and sister's safety. I never had a reason to want to escape it until I met you.

Dina: Then how do you escape safely? Is there a way to do that?

Jason: My mother says she has ideas. But we would never be able to return to London, or any of the English countryside. And it wouldn't change that I'd still be in danger. They'd send people for me.

Dina: Perhaps there are other ways. [big dangerous, free-will compromising ways, but let's be honest these people sound terrible] Hope might be able to help. If you have the names of the specific people who would give the orders, or that you would need to convince to release you. All of them.

Jason: [he smiles a bit, but sighs] It would go all the way up to the Queen, and I can't ask that of Hope, or anyone.

Dina: I'm not suggesting we kill them.

Jason: I know. But if something was done to the Queen and she realized it... it would bring more problems to your family than I am worth.

Dina: [if an Original did the compelling, like Kol or Rebekah, it would be hard to kill them, and therefore the odds would be low the Queen would ever find out but it's his life and she won't ask it of them without his blessing] Then what would you suggest? Because continuing to suffer isn't truly an option.

Jason: The only idea that I have is to swear fealty to the Duke of Norway and live here in exile. The Duke may want me to spy for him in his own court though.

Dina: He's been close to our family for many years. I don't think he'd ask that much of you.

Jason: I can only hope. [he looked up at Dina] Does your concern mean you've thought about a possible future with us?

Dina: I've considered it. I don't want anything to happen to you. [she won't lie about that] But this is more about my cousin than it is about you. I don't this to cascade down onto her.

Jason: Neither do I. [sighs and rubs his eyes] I was already intrenched in this life by the time mother told me I had a half sister.

Dina: [deep breath] Do you want to defect? Is there no way that the Queen will release you if you ask?

Jason: I only asked one time, about seven years ago. I was punished for even asking.

Dina: By the Queen directly? Did you speak to her or to simply someone above you?

Jason: I spoke to the Queen. She said I was too valuable to just let go. I refused to then take the job she wanted me to do, and she had me punished until I agreed to do it. I had to stay within the palace for almost a year until she felt I learned my lesson and would not to run away from the city.

Dina: I'm sorry. That sounds terrible.

Jason: [he just shrugged] After awhile, you just don't feel it anymore. [and it's why he was so persistent to save her father as fast as he could. He knows torture intimately]

Dina: That doesn't make it right.

Jason: No, but it also doesn't mean I don't deserve it after some of the things I've done.

Dina: Things that they ordered you to do.

Jason: [nods]

Dina: [deep breath because her anger is slow but right now it was getting there. But she inhales and exhales and tries not to lose her temper] I don't think simply defecting to Norway is going to solve the problem. If they know that, they'll know where to find you. [a pause] How attached are you to your dukedom?

Jason: Not at all. A cousin of my father runs the region for the most part. He's more of a Duke that I've ever been.

Dina: Then perhaps the best ruse isn't a true defection but rather ... dying for your country. [and because that's mostly been an idle thought, she is quick to clarify] Not literally, of course.

Jason: [laughs softly] I would prefer not literally. How do you suggest I do that?

Dina: I can't confirm this completely, but I believe Hope's aunt has a spell that creates a false death. Or will resurrect someone after they've died. [or they could turn Jason into a vampire, and she's not sure he wants to go that route] I'm not completely sure of the details of the spell, so we would have to discuss it with Hope or Freya but it could be a possibility.

Jason: So I will be Juliet to your Romeo?

Dina: Though hopefully less tragic.

Jason: Well, you'll know so you won't drink poison over my body.

Dina: That is true. [she leans back in the chair to watch him] You probably wouldn't be able to rejoin court again, but ... we could find somewhere quiet to live. [somewhere nearby to the pack, maybe with Peter and Kate at the summer castle, or find a plot somewhere on the Hale lands ... or perhaps they retreat to the bayou and the Mikaelson lands when Hope and Ben finally marry and she has to officially take over the property. There are options]

Jason: And you? You'd never be able to publicly acknowledge being married, and would end up living a life in seclusion. Is that a life you'd want to live?

Dina: You make it sound as though I have a great love of being at court. [she does not. she very much does not] As long as I can see my family, that is all I need.

Jason: Half my family is already here. [his face fell] My mother.

Dina: Maybe she'd like to retire to Norway? Or Orleans? The bayou would be one of our options, and I'm sure Hope wouldn't mind a dowager duchess in her corner.

Jason: I think mother would want to be near her "remaining" child in her retirement.

Dina: Then there are ways that this could work.

Jason: I think so. [and he relaxed into his chair, the tension he carried melting away for a moment]

Dina: We would just ... have to arrange a death in front of the right people. The ones who wouldn't let it go if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes.

Jason: [he tensed up again at a thought] The person I was watching for outside... my mentor. He's probably learned that we're here by now and coming to retrieve me. He'd be the best - his word is trusted by the Crown above all others.

Dina: We would need time. Both to confer with Hope and to plant the right scenario. We don't want him to be able to use your death to start a war with the Duke.

Jason: No. But stopping him needs to be done in a way that doesn't bring scrutiny to your family either.

Dina: My initial thought was you dying on the next mission you work together. A ... long game, so to speak.

Jason: [and he will lean in and focus on her] Go on.

Dina: You return to England, you go back to your work. We would have to confer with Hope about the spell's logistics but I believe that she can set it prior to you leaving and it will hold until your death and resurrection. We would have to prepare to recover your body before you resurrect and be sure that there's a safe place for you to do so. That way, your death could be viewed as a heroic one, rather than something he manipulated. We don't want him to be the one wielding the blade.

Jason: And there'd be no after effect to this spell?

Dina: That's what we'd have to confer with her about. I'm not a witch, I don't understand the magic as well as she does.

Jason: I guess we know what's on our to do list tomorrow then.

Dina: We should probably not do it within earshot of my brother.

Jason: He'd probably volunteer to be the one to kill me. [smiles, teasing]

Dina: And we can't have that.

Jason: He'd hold it over me the rest of my actual life.

Dina: He would. And it wouldn't solve the "starts a war with Norway" problem.

Jason: That is true.

Dina: [and she nods, before getting up and moving towards the balcony again] No, we'll want to have as much plausible deniability as possible. If it's too neat, he might not buy it.

Jason: I'd like it to be a little neat. I have enough nasty scars.

Dina: [glances back with a small smirk] This scar wouldn't stick.

Jason: Good. [and he will stand and slip his cloak back on] I should leave before someone notices I'm here.

Dina: [she doesn't want him to, but that's probably the smart thing to do] Of course.

Jason: [and he will stop at her side] Would it be too presumptuous on my account to ask permission to kiss you?

Dina: [looks up at him and shakes her head] I was hoping you would.

Jason: [and he will smile, cupping her cheek gently and leaning in to kiss her firmly, having wanted this moment since he had left the tourney back for England months ago]

Dina: [and she pushes up on her toes, her hands moving to his shoulders to keep herself steady]

Jason: [and he will drop his hands to her hips to aid in that steadiness as well as inching her closer]

Dina: [and she will easily go closer, winding her arms around his neck as she settles against him]

Jason: [and after a minute, he knows he's not leaving anytime soon and he will lift her up a bit to walk them both away from the open balcony and more into a shadow of her bedroom the guards wouldn't accidently see him inside]

Dina: [and she will let him take her, sinking more into the kiss with him as one hand slides up and into his hair]

Jason: [and he will find a nice wall to press her up against so he can lower her and help her stay standing as his hands start to slide up her stomach]

Dina: [she leans back into the wall and takes the opportunity to pull him closer, her hands wandering over his shoulders and keeping him close. Her robe suddenly feels like too much, and she feels a little too warm, but she doesn't make any move to take it off, at least for now]

Jason: [well, his cloak is heavy so that's going to get shrugged off pretty quickly if he's staying awhile]

Dina: [well, he can do that if he wants, with his cloak. She might even help so that she can touch more of his shoulders and slide her hands over his back]

Jason: [there is a strong desire to carry her to her bed, but he doesn't want to be presumptuous. But his hands will sneak inside of her robe a bit, gliding over the soft fabric of her sleeping gown.]

Dina: [there's a soft sucking in of breath as his hand slips closer, but she doesn't push him away. she probably should. it's a bad idea, especially considering all they have to do to but her will save was not that high, and she likes the way he touches her]

Jason: [and he knows his own lines that he won't cross with her. He wants their first time to be special, since all his own first times were stolen from him.]

Dina: [which is fine, but for now she's just going to keep kissing him letting her hands explore slowly, and keeping him close]

Jason: [he will slide one hand down, running over her butt before guiding one of her legs up to wrap around him so he can step closer and press himself against her]

Dina: [she lets him move her, letting out a small gasp as she feels him press closer. it's a bad idea, she knows it's a bad idea, but she doesn't push him away. but she is losing her breath, so her head tips back, exposing her throat as she tries to make the room stop spinning as much]

Jason: [and he's going to just enjoy kissing her along her throat, knowing he needed to go. The wolves in the manor were sure to hear or smell them soon. But he just needed this moment with her, pressed against her and never wanting to leave]

Dina: [the smell would take more time. Most people are asleep, and the walls are thick, the scent won't travel far. But sounds are a different story - the walls could echo on occasion, and that would draw attention. She closes her eyes as her head tips back more, letting him stay close for as long as they're allowed]

Jason: [the longer they stay at it, the more Dina would feel Jason's excitement pressing against her. His kisses get harder, and when he finds that spot on her neck, he's going to suck and nip there enough that there'd be a mark left behind]

Dina: [and that spot is good, very good, even has her arching up a bit to press even closer, but just before she can turn to putty in his hands she manages to roll an 18 for her will save, and gently pulls back into the wall. her voice is barely a whisper, but she tries to say it] You really should go.

Jason: [he's panting, but he nods and sets back slowly, making sure she has her balance] If that's what you want.

Claudia: Want is not the word I'd use. [flies out of her mouth before she can stop it. she's clearly responding to him, flushed and breathless, but she also knows he can't be caught in her room] But if you're caught, this is over before it even begins.

Jason: That is very true. I don't want to be on your father's bad side. I will see you tomorrow, though?

Dina: [she takes another deep breath and nods] Yes. Tomorrow, I will try and pull Hope aside.

Jason: Thank you.

Dina: [and she will walk him back to the balcony, just in case someone is wandering the hallways at night] Good night, your grace.

Jason: Good night, m'lady. [he will give her one last, quick kiss before he shrugs himself back into his cloak and climbs back up onto the roof to use the shadows to get back to his room]

Dina: [and once his feet are out of hearing range, she will relax with a sigh before going to try and get to sleep. Which is going to be an adventure, given how attentive he was]

Jason: [yeah, he's going to try and handle his own arousal when he returns to his room, leaving his clothing to air out before sliding into bed with just his underwear on.]

Dina: [good job working yourself into a state, kids. But in the morning, she will borrow Hope from her brother under the guise of girl things and leave Jason a note for where to meet them later in the day. and she and Hope will be having a girl chat, possibly about Jason while they wait for him]

Jason: [and it will be the first night in a long time he actually got a deep, good rest. So much that he's still waking up when he finds the note just before lunch. He will eat with his mother, telling her an edited version of the previous night, and then once he's cleaned up and dressed, off to find the girls]

Dina: [which is out in the woods, not her grandmother's bench but a quiet clearing where they're less likely to be disturbed. the two girls are there under the guise of a picnic, chatting until Dina hears him coming closer, and turns to find him]

Jason: [he'll enter the clearing with a smile] Ladies.

Dina: [smiles in return] You Grace.

Hope: I assume you have to do with all the secrecy?

Jason: [holds his hands to the side] Unfortunately, it does.

Hope: Well. Then perhaps I should hear it from you. [she gestures for him to sit with them]

Jason: [and he will sigh and sit down.] Are you both sure we are alone and unable to be seen or heard?

Dina: [she nods] The guards don't come this far into the woods.

Hope: But if it will make you feel better ... [she reaches into her satchel and lights some sage, murmuring a quick incantation before placing it down in the center of their blanket] ... As long as the sage burns, no one will hear our conversation but us.

Jason: Not your guards that I worry about. [he relaxes with the sage, then proceeds to tell Hope everything he had told Dina]

Hope: [nods as she listens because yeah this is not great and she's glad she found out before she took him to the bayou, but also:] So what do you need from me?

Dina: We were ... hoping you would help us manufacture an escape.

Hope: [glances between them] And what, exactly, would I be manufacturing?

Jason: Faking my death.

Hope: ... Oh. [she glances between them again, before nodding] Well, there are two options. My aunt knows a spell that would revive you once, but it's a delicate thing. It would rely a lot on timing. Or you could bind your life to a creature that can't die like an original vampire or a phoenix. I happen to know several of each who might be willing to help.

Jason: [looks at Dina] You were thinking of the first one, right?

Dina: [she nods] I'm not sure if my uncle would agree to the second.

Hope: Oh, you'll want it to be a phoenix who's out of view. I know another. But the first one only works once, and once it triggers, it breaks. If you happened to be injured again as you were escaping you could die again, but this time you may not revive.

Jason: [nods] I understand the risks with either, and since you are the expert on magic here, I will defer to your choice on what would be better.

Hope: Personally I would rather go with the phoenix. That protects against unexpected surprises. But unless you want to speak to your uncle, which I would not recommend, it would take time for Landon to get here. So I hope you intended on a long term plan.

Dina: I did. There are some other things we need to get into place first.

Jason: And I hate to say it, I have a bad feeling that my time here is going to end soon. Mother and I didn't exactly tell people we were coming here. If they summon me to court, my mentor will come personally to fetch me.

Hope: [nods] Then I will bring Landon with me to the London tournament. We can cast the spell then, if you think we will have enough privacy.

Dina: And I will ... figure out how to tell my parents.

Jason: I should help you with that, m'Lady. Especially since i still need to speak with your father seeking permission to court you.

Hope: [smirks as she gets to her feet] I'll leave the sage. You two can start making your plans.

Dina: [and she will just look away awkwardly as Hope makes her exit, and she'll inch closer to Jason] I'm sure my father will be thrilled to know that you intend to marry his daughter and then fake your death and whisk her away to a cabin in the woods.

Jason: Well, I think we're faking my death first, then whisking away to your uncle's castle, and then I court you proper and we marry once everything has died down.

Dina: Oh good. We'll have to address this with Peter too.

Jason: Unless you want to go to a cabin in the woods?

Dina: [she shrugs] It might be nice to have something that is ours, and less likely for visitors.

Jason: [takes her hands] Dina, whatever you want, I will give to you. All you need do is ask.

Dina: I don't know what I want. [her thumb brushes against the back of his hand] Most of the time I feel sensible and sane, and yet, when I'm alone with you, I only can seem to be desperate and foolish.

Jason: [smiles and reaches up to stroke her face] Normally I'm calm and in control. It's how I've been trained to be. But when I'm alone with you, I just want to stop being proper and just be in your arms, holding you.

Dina: So we're both weak-willed, is what you're saying. [leans into his hand with a small smirk]

Jason: That, or there is something magical between us that knows we're meant to be together and we cannot help but act as the universe wants us to.

Dina: What if it's not? [which is the thing she's concerned about because everything seems to be happening so quickly] What if it's just ... infatuation and lust?

Jason: If I was just wanting sex, Claudia, I would get it. And while I'd love to show you just how passionate I can be, I don't plan on having sex with you until it's proper. I refuse to dishonor you or your family, because I do care for you.

Dina: That's not what I'm worried about. [reaches up and brushes her fingers against his temple] And I do care about you. I just ... I'm not sure how this should feel.

Jason: I don't pretend to know how mating really works within your pack, but it seems that you know who you are meant to be with by instinct? Am I right in that assumption?

Dina: I don't know. My mother took a long time to see my father that way. My aunt was engaged to someone else so I'm not sure when she began to feel the way she did, and my uncle had ... many varied experiences. I don't think there's one way that this works.

Jason: [nods] Then I don't know what to tell you. Beyond that you have my heart, and I trust you with it.

Dina: I trust you with mine. [she does. she doesn't know why she does, but she does] And were my feelings not what they are, I would still want to ensure that you had your life. I just seem to have inherited my mother's uncertainty when it comes to matters of the heart.

Jason: As well as her passion of saving servants from tyrannical masters.

Dina: [she smirks] Yes, but our approaches are a bit different. She's much more of a battering ram.

Jason: Where I'm the pull you into shadows and kiss you senseless. [smiles, leaning in a bit]

Dina: [she laughs as he gets closer] I don't mind that. You showing your passion. [she doesn't quite meet him in the kiss but her voice does drop to a whisper] Sometimes feels like one of the only times I know how you're feeling without you telling me.

Jason: Well, that is my intention. I'm not good at speaking of my feelings.

Dina: Then I suppose we'll have to learn to read each other better.

Jason: [looks at the sage] How much time you think we have left?

Dina: [she glances down, then shrugs] I'm not sure. I suppose you just need to decide if it's worth the risk.

Jason: How much of court signing have you been taught? It's an old art, but something still used in London.

Dina: [she shakes her head. Nope, she hasn't learned that]

Jason: It's a language of hand, head, and body motions to "talk" to people. Like this [he lifts his right hand and makes a small twisting manner back and forth] is asking the person you're looking at for a dance.

Dina: So you can communicate subtly from across a room?

Jason: Exactly. When rooms are boisterous, it makes it easy to communicate. Spies have a version of it to communicate with either other as well.

Dina: Are you going to teach me?

Jason: Yes. That way you can talk to me while in a crowd or somewhere we can't be next to each other.

Dina: [she nods and offers her hands to him. it's not what she thought he was going to use the sage for, but never let it be said she doesn't like to learn]

Jason: [it's not like they can't be seen. But he'll show her the basic alphabet, and then terms of endearment including "You are beautiful", "I Love You", "Meet me in the Garden", and "I want a kiss"]

Dina: [and she will take all of it to heart, watching him carefully as he goes through each motion]

Jason: [and he will lick his lips, and then teach her things that are a little more... intimate, his cheeks reddening a bit in a blush]

Dina: [and she raises and eyebrow curiously at those, because as much as she knows she needs to not give in to those things, she's also a little bit of a tease, when she has the proper tools]

Jason: It's a way to say what we want, without doing it. [and he will smile and show her a few more, these being just "I am feeling ___" with a list of emotions. Including "scared" and "watched"]

Dina: I may need you to remind me of some later.

Jason: I had figured as much. I can stop here for now.

Dina: [she nods] I should go speak with my father, but I'll find you after?

Jason: Of course. [he'll help her stand, then signed if he could give her a kiss]

Dina: [and she'll nod, because she's more than fine with that]

Jason: [and he will lean in, his hands sliding around her waist as he gives her a loving, gentle kiss]

Dina: [and she will sigh as she melts into it, but still keeping an ear out just in case someone is coming]

Jason: [and when he pulls away, it's the soft look on his face that only she and his mother get to see. He holds a hand up to his heart and signs "i love you"]

Dina: [and she smiles, pushing up on her toes to give him one last kiss, before pulling away to head back to the house to find her father]

Jason: [and he will smile as he watches her leave, then will pick up the sage and blow it out, not wanting to set the woods on fire]

Dina: [and off she will go to find her father, starting with his office and working her way through the manor as she goes]

Stiles: [he is resting on the window seat of their library, just staring off at the world, an open book upside-down on his lap. When he was younger, he used to recover easily from beatings and whippings. But now, while they are healed on the surface, he knows that the muscles and bones underneath aren't there yet. He tries his best to hide the fact he's still in pain from his family, but with everyone being a werewolf, the easiest way was to go to a room that held stronger scents to overpower the scents he was giving off]

Dina: [and she will make her way closer, knocking on one of the book shelves to get his attention] Do you have a moment?

Stiles: [and he will twitch a bit, then groan as he adjusts his position to look at the doorway] Of course, Dina.

Dina: [frowns] Everything alright?

Stiles: Yes, fine. Just been sitting in the same position too long. [no need to worry face] And you? Everything good?

Dina: [she nods] I just ... wanted to talk to you about something. An extension of our conversation last night?

Stiles: Okay. [she has his attention, and he will motion for her to sit on the window seat with him]

Dina: [and she will, taking a breath as she settles and tries to figure out where to start, and eventually it'll all come out, Jason's history with the crown, their plan to get him out and the imposition it will likely be on the Stilinski clan as Dina will probably disappear from the world as a result. Also they'll have to build a house]

Stiles: [and this... isn't at all what he's expecting Dina to talk about. He had sent letters trying to learn more about the Duke and his Duchess mother, as well as talking to Derek about what he knew. There were rumors about the Duke having the Queen's favor. Most assumed he was sleeping with her as the King wasn't able to satisfy her. A few compared him to a raven, always watching until it swooped down to peck a man to death. He'll nod through it, letting her get it all out before he asks] Do you feel he's worth all of this?

Dina: I feel ... like he deserves to be free of all of this, whether what I feel for him is true or not.

Stiles: I understand. However, your aunt Laura can do the same, and she has the Duke of Norway's ear. There would be no need to fake a death, or hide either of you.

Dina: There's no guarantee of that. The way he speaks of his mentor, he would not be above using him to start a war. The man seems like a creature of control, and the things he can't control, he kills.

Stiles: [smirks a bit] Handling those types is a task left to Peter and Kate.

Dina: [it's funny how she seems more comfortable asking Hope to link his life to a phoenix than ask her uncle to potentially murder a man] He knows all about our family. The Argents fed them all our secrets. I don't want to put them at that kind of risk.

Stiles: [and while he doubt Peter or Kate would mind...] I don't see why you'd have to stay hidden. The only time we have Englishmen near the manor is during tourney. And he can go to the summer castle long before it even arrives. You'd never be able to go to tourney or court again. Either of you.

Dina: Does that matter? [she honestly does not care that much about court]

Stiles: No. As is, Ben will probably be the only one who will need to attend court after he marries Hope.

Dina: [takes a deep breath] I don't care about court, or appearances. I just want him to be safe.

Stiles: So you do care for him.

Dina: I do.

Stiles: If this is how you three feel it will best be handled, then I am not against it. However, I need to speak with your mother on this, since we make decisions like this together.

Dina: [she nods] I understand.

Stiles: And if we agree to this, should I be expecting the young Duke to seek an audience with me as well? [a smile, playful smile]

Dina: [s i g h dad don't make this weird] Maybe.

Stiles: [nods] Well, seeing him admitting all of that to you without even a promise you'd accept him... I approve.

Dina: Are you going to be able to convince Mother of that as well?

Stiles: I will try. But I do think that she will trust your judgement, Dina.

Dina: You know how she worries.

Stiles: I know. Pretty sure that's my fault. Fragile human, after all.

Dina: She worries for all of us.

Stiles: And she always will.

Dina: Which is what concerns me.

Stiles: [reaches over to hold her hand] Everything will work out fine. Somehow, with this family, it always does.

Dina: [she nods, and squeezes his hand] I hope so.

Stiles: [and he will lean back, smiling] You grew up too fast.

Dina: It did take eighteen years.

Stiles: Still too fast. But I'm very proud of who you are today.

Dina: I had good examples.

Stiles: [nods] Go tell your mother I need to speak with her.

Cora: [Dina nods and off she goes to find her mother, and not long after Cora will appear, letting her hand rest against the bookcase] Everything alright?

Stiles: Yes... and no.

Cora: ... And no?

Stiles: Sit. I'll explain.

Cora: [sighs and she goes to sit across from him on the window seat]

Stiles: It seems that Dina has found her own lord to rescue.

Cora: And why does the Duke of Concord need rescuing exactly? [she's going to just hazard a guess]

Stiles: Because he has someone more powerful in control of him. [and he will pass on what Dina told him about Jason's issues with the crown]

Cora: [she nods slowly] So he's planning to defect then?

Stiles: Our daughter has a more... creative plan.

Cora: [her eyes narrow] How creative?

Stiles: Faking his death in a way that won't be refutable.

Cora: Is that necessary?

Stiles: He's more scared of his mentor than the Crown, from what Dina says.

Cora: Then that sounds like a Kate problem versus a dangerous magic problem.

Stiles [shakes his head] She doesn't want to drag Peter or Kate into it.

Cora: Of course she doesn't.

Stiles: She believes in Hope. So does Ben, though I'm pretty sure he isn't in the know yet on the situation.

Cora: I doubt it. He would not be pleased. He's not a fan of the duke.

Stiles: Which is going to be interesting... because Dina also fancies him.

Cora: I assumed as much, or I didn't think she would be going to such lengths. [sighs] I assume that she intends to still be with him after he "dies."

Stiles: Yes. She was thinking a cabin in the woods. I'm certain you and I can figure out something more suitable.

Cora: [sighs] It seems like an easy solution with rather long term ramifications. What about if they have children?

Stiles: I have an idea for that. [winces as he shifts] It's been awhile since we visited Austria.

Cora: For good reason.

Stiles: Yes, but I do keep my uncle appraised of our lives. He continues to promise me that if I wish to visit, or one of the children want to move there after marriage, there is a smaller manor house near the border of our lands. It's a bit south from where we cross into the country when traveling.

Cora: [considers quietly] So that clarifies the where, but that doesn't exactly explain what will happen with any children they have. How they'll be able to enter the world and not spend their entire lives in a small house because they shouldn't exist.

Stiles: My uncle doesn't know of Jason. Austria doesn't court often in London. So to Vitez, Jason will be whoever he is introduced as. He can take a new name, a new life in another country. They may live a smaller life, like Elena's family in Mystic Falls, but it would be theirs.

Cora: [deep breath as she considers, leaning against the window] But she'll be very far away.

Stiles: I know. The summer castle is another option. Or they just stay here and we find room for one more child who doesn't move away and leave an empty room behind. [smiles] I'm not sure if the Duke of Norway has met Jason - that will determine if he can take a new identity in this country.

Cora: [sighs] I suppose we don't have much of a choice in it, do we?

Stiles: Probably not, but Dina is also worried about one thing.

Cora: What is that?

Stiles: [and he will take his wife's hand] You. She's worried that you'll worry too much over this, and she doesn't want to upset you.

Cora: [deep sigh] There are a number of ways this could go wrong.

Stiles: Of course there are. There always is. But if it goes right...

Cora: [she takes a deep breath] Its her heart. She needs to make her own choices. [that doesn't mean she isn't going to worry, mind you, but she will try not to be obvious about it to anyone other than Stiles, who feels everything she feels anyway]

Stiles: I think she'll be fine. [lifts her hand to his lips and kisses it] She has an amazing role model.

Cora: [there's a half-laugh because she feels like she made so many mistakes] I'm sure. She may be following in my footsteps, but she's more like you than me.

Stiles: Then I hope that poor boy knows exactly how lucky he is.

Cora: I'm sure he does.

Stiles: So, if he asks to court her... should I let him sweat it out a bit, or be nice? [smiles]

Cora: [she laughs] I think her brother is going to be giving him enough grief, but that is your prerogative as her father. Just know that she will likely be rolling her eyes in the background.

Stiles: All the more enjoyment for me. But yes, I should probably talk to Ben about that too, though I was hoping Hope would have handled it on her own by now.

Cora: How do you mean?

Stiles: This animosity between the Ben and the Duke goes back to the day they rescued me.

Cora: Ah. I think Hope tried, but there's a certain amount of ground she won't concede.

Stiles: He really inherited both of our stubbornness.

Cora: Maybe I should speak with him.

Stiles: [nods] Why don't you? Maybe you can make him see reason.

Cora: I will certainly try. [squeezes his hand] And while I do that, you should scope out our daughter's suitor.

Stiles: I will do that. Once I'm feeling up to walking again.

Cora: [frowns] Everything alright?

Stiles: Just feeling old today.

Cora: Anything I can do to help?

Stiles: Perhaps after dinner, you might give me a massage with that warm oil your like?

Cora: [smirks] I think that can be arranged. Maybe a warm bath first to loosen the muscles?

Stiles: Yes, that sounds perfect.

Cora: Good. [leans in to kiss him softly] Until then, I will go find Ben.

Stiles: [kisses her back, his hand bushing her cheek] I love you.

Cora: [small smile] I love you too. [and with that, off she goes to find her oldest son]

Ben: [who is practicing sword fighting with his uncle Derek. Some of the other knights are standing around, watching, and Jason is just in view by the stables, watching the fight but keeping his distance]

Cora: [and she'll wander over to watch as well, waiting until Ben is finished, but she sees you there, Jason. But they're not going to have a conversation about Dina where her brother can hear it]

Ben: [yeah, he knows Jason's there too. Idiot is standing upwind. Which is why he's really putting everything into his fight with his uncle. When they finally finish, they are both panting and spent. Derek gives him praise, then sends him to rest. As Ben walks away, he sees his mother and straightens.] Mother?

Cora: [smiles] Are you done for the day? I was wondering if we could take a walk.

Ben: [nods] Yes. Hope is with Dina so I'm free. [he's happy, because he rarely gets mom time because of the younger siblings.]

Cora: [the pains of being the oldest. She'll wait for him to put his gear away before taking his arm gently and walking him towards the woods] Is everything going well?

Ben: [he's going to take a quick look to see where Jason is, but he is gone but from sight and scent. So he'll relax as he starts to walk with his mother] Yes. Uncle Derek keeps pushing me, but as you saw, I can keep up with the old man.

Cora: Easy. He's not as old as he seems. [just teasing lightly] But good. It seems as though you're doing well with your training.

Ben: I hope so. It keeps me busy though.

Cora: Good. [and then, because she's not one to idle around something] I wanted to speak with you. About the Duke.

Ben: [oh, so she didn't come to just be with him. He huffs] What about him?

Cora: [she'll stay after if you want, but would you prefer she ambush you with it later?] I was hoping you might be able to clear the air with him. Or at least help me understand this anger you're holding on to.

Ben: [he takes a calming breath] Instead of keeping Hope safe, he took her with him to go after Father. He could have gotten her killed.

Cora: [she nods, considering] You say that as though Hope wasn't her own person making her own choices. Or that she's not quite capable of taking care of herself.

Ben: She can, but she lets herself get caught up in the violence if I'm not there. She... the things she did. If they had just waited for me to join them. [growls softly] Plus, he's not the polite and perfect Duke everyone thinks he is.

Cora: That isn't the Duke's fault either. [the things Hope did, that is] And yes, Hope may be violent at times, but her pack has different rules and different means of survival. Those are things that you need to address with her. [but that's also not the point] And whether or not he is, your sister has taken an interest in him, and he in her.

Ben: [sulks, then snorts] You can't be serious.

Cora: [and she's just going to let that silence sit there because she's very serious]

Ben: [and he will stop walking] Mother, you can't. He's dangerous.

Cora: Is he? [she doesn't seem surprised by the accusation but she will wait for him to elaborate]

Ben: He never participates in tournaments, but he goes to them. People say they've watched him enter tents with other Lords and when he leaves, they back up and leave camp overnight. When in London, some turn up dead on the roads into the city. He's slept with women, but the older Lords talk about how he is willing to serve men who prefer boys.

Cora: [her observant son. He gets it from his father. Part of her is proud, but part of her also knows that this is going to be complicated to explain] There's an explanation for that.

Ben: Of course there is. He's an assassin. I just don't know he works for yet.

Cora: The Queen, Ben.

Ben: [blinks] The Queen? Like the Queen of England Queen?

Cora: [she nods and takes his arm to continue to walk again] He told your sister as much. And he's looking for a way to leave that life.

Ben: And she's sure he's just not trying to get his hands onto our family secrets?

Cora: He already knew them. And she trusts him. I have yet to speak with him on the matter, but it seems he was very forthcoming.

Ben: [and he's thinking, that look Stiles gets when he's trying to piece things together in his head] Patience?

Cora: I don't know what she knows.

Ben: No, who told him about us?

Cora: The Argents. Or rather, the Argents told the Crown who told him.

Ben: Great Aunt Kate's family?

Cora: [she nods] A long time ago. Before our families became more ... involved.

Ben: [runs his teeth over his lower lip] And Dina still is taken with him knowing all this?

Cora: She is. She wants to help him escape his life.

Ben: That could get her killed.

Cora: She has a plan. A very dramatic one, but it could work.

Ben: How dangerous?

Cora: I said dramatic. She wants to fake his death.

Ben: [closes his eyes] Magic, I take it?

Cora: I received the information from your father, so I don't know the specifics. You'll have to ask your sister about that.

Ben: [rubs his forehead] I don't like magic, Mother.

Cora: You're in love with a witch.

Ben: Yeah, I know. And I love her so much, but sometimes I think she loves the magic more.

Cora: You make it sound as though magic is a choice for her. It's no more a choice she makes than you make a choice in being a werewolf. It's a part of her and it's not going to one day disappear.

Ben: [huffs. He doesn't know how to speak about it. It's not the same to him. But he just nods and shrugs. It's his problem to deal with]

Cora: [stops them, taking his arms and turning him to face her] I know you love her, Ben. But sometimes I wonder if you love the person you want her to be and not the person she is. And if you don't find a way to reconcile the two, you're going to wind up very unhappy, and I don't want that for you.

Ben: Maybe she deserves someone better than I.

Cora: It's not about better. [she reaches up and brushes a hand against his cheek] Love isn't about better or worse. But if you don't think you can be a good partner to her, maybe that's something you should speak with her about. Especially if you're intending to be an alpha's mate.

Ben: I'm not good at talking about how I feel.

Cora: I know. Unfortunately, you get that from me. [she gives him a small smile] But sometimes it's necessary. Because Hope can't help you, and she can't be a good partner to you if she doesn't know when something's wrong.

Ben: I know. I'll figure it out eventually.

Cora: I know you will. [squeezes his arm] You get that from your father.

Ben: Maybe I should talk to Jason myself too. See where the misunderstanding between us lies.

Cora: I think that's a wonderful idea. I think your sister would feel better if her brother and her intended weren't at each other's throats.

Ben: Well, I can't promise that, but I'll try.

Cora: [smiles as she gives him a kiss on the cheek] Trying is all I would ask for.

Ben: [smiles at that] Mom? Can we do this again, but it just be about us?

Cora: Of course. I would like that.

Ben: Me too. I... we don't spend a lot of time together anymore. I miss that.

Cora: As do I. [it's not that she's been intentionally ignoring him, but he's all grown up. She didn't think he needed her as much]

Ben: [he's a momma's boy, obviously] I just know when I move to live with Hope, our time will be few and far between.

Cora: It will. But we will find a way. This is going to be an alliance, after all.

Ben: [nods] I know. And it's a whole different pack.

Cora: But it could be good for you. Getting out into the world, getting to know new people.

Ben: I thought that was what tourneys were for.

Cora: Superficially, yes, but that's not the same as living in a new place and building a home of your own.

Ben: Is that what you would have done if you hadn't met father?

Cora: That's what we were going to do, in Austria. But yes, if I had married someone else, it would have been the same. And there would have been no guarantee of if I would have found another pack. You're lucky, in that respect.

Ben: I guess. And there's a good chance I'll be fine and happy. But I'm still nervous.

Cora: I know. That's normal.

Ben: [nods, not really knowing what else to say]

Cora: [she squeezes his hand, before turning to head back towards the manor] We probably should get back for dinner soon.

Ben: Yes. And I'll figure out how to talk to Hope about my feelings.

Cora: Good. And I'm sure your sister will help you if you need it. [a pause] Joy, not Claudia. [because she loves Dina but she is not the greatest at refining emotional issues]

Ben: [wrinkles his nose because baby sister] I'll think on that.

Cora: She sees more than most people give her credit for. [that's her reasoning for the suggestion, anyway.]

Ben: Yes, mother.

Cora: [and they reach the manor and she gives him another kiss on the cheek] I'm going to go get ready for dinner. I'll see you then.

Ben: [and he will kiss her cheek in return and let her go. Once he is sure she is gone, he will sigh and lean his head back to stare up at the sky. How did his life get so complicated so fast?]

Cora: [you're an adult Hale now. That's how these things work]