[Gideon gives Felix a long, appraising look at this bit of quietly provided intelligence. But of course, Felix lies horribly--and he seems genuinely worried now
He glances down at his daughter, then back to Felix, and shakes his head 'no.' There's no one helping him with her; before he spoke with Mildmay that morning, he'd assumed that everyone in the castle was on their own.
And for a brief moment, it feels as though the dividing line is not between him and Felix-and-Ashura; it's Felix-and-him and Ashura, with Zipporah and Ryuga on either side as appropriate. Something shifts in Gideon's chest, leaving him momentarily breathless. Things feel both as they should and terribly wrong. He hasn't earned this, and the desire to have it can't win out over his refusal to take it from Ashura.
He takes a step away from Felix, only vaguely aware that Zipporah is currently trying valiantly to find out what a fallen leaf tastes like, and regards them both at once. Gideon's expression is no longer angry, but it's undeniably grim; this isn't a story he enjoys sharing, but if he's going to, he's not going to hide the way his past is always at his shoulder.]
You have my apologies, Ashura. Felix tells me you were unaware that my tongue was cut out two years ago.
[Wielding the truth, in carefully metered doses, is more satisfying retribution than any blow could be.]
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He glances down at his daughter, then back to Felix, and shakes his head 'no.' There's no one helping him with her; before he spoke with Mildmay that morning, he'd assumed that everyone in the castle was on their own.
And for a brief moment, it feels as though the dividing line is not between him and Felix-and-Ashura; it's Felix-and-him and Ashura, with Zipporah and Ryuga on either side as appropriate. Something shifts in Gideon's chest, leaving him momentarily breathless. Things feel both as they should and terribly wrong. He hasn't earned this, and the desire to have it can't win out over his refusal to take it from Ashura.
He takes a step away from Felix, only vaguely aware that Zipporah is currently trying valiantly to find out what a fallen leaf tastes like, and regards them both at once. Gideon's expression is no longer angry, but it's undeniably grim; this isn't a story he enjoys sharing, but if he's going to, he's not going to hide the way his past is always at his shoulder.]
You have my apologies, Ashura. Felix tells me you were unaware that my tongue was cut out two years ago.
[Wielding the truth, in carefully metered doses, is more satisfying retribution than any blow could be.]