Best Friends Forever

CW: Themes of substance abuse and murder.

In a restaurant beneath the indefinite rain, wearing casual clothes instead of armor, Dillon scopes his surroundings. He keeps his head low, and his white hair is hidden beneath a beanie. He isn’t too worried about being recognised by anyone, but he was told to draw the least attention possible. Soon enough, his eyes meet with another man’s, who sits at a booth. Must be him. the knight concludes, walking over to the booth and sitting without objection.

The other man, darker skinned than Dillon, has dark eyes and angular eyebrows, one of which is parted by two slits toward its arch. Black hair is cut low with a high fade, and his beard is thick and full. Dillon can’t help but notice the man’s cauliflower ear. And still, his ears are adorned with silver earrings. One is a simple stud. The other appears to be a dagger, or perhaps a star. It dangles from a chain. He wears a black sweater. This man is Jared Simmons. A bounty hunter known as The Badger.

“You here on business, or are you here to stare?” Jared questions, his voice deep. He stares into the other’s hard Cyan eyes.

“I need you to take care of someone for me?” the knight answers, speaking on behalf of the queen, and with a certain enthusiasm.

“Do you have a name? First and last.”

“Jacob Rai.”

“That's a common ass name. Gotta picture? Or can you describe him?” and so Dillon nods, taking a photo from inside his bomber jacket and placing it face down on the table before sliding it to the other.

“How much will it be?” Dillon inquires as the bounty hunter looks at the photo before setting it back on the table. His eyes return to the knight’s.

“He’s a Rai. Unknown, but still a Rai. So seven.”

“You will have it.” Dillon assures, scooting from the booth before rising to his feet. He starts to leave.

“You take care, Sir Dillon.” hearing this, the knight looks back, and Jared waves, mockingly. Bounty hunters, the scum of the Earth. Or at least it's easiest to think of them in that manner. It could be argued that the person ordering the hit is the bigger scum, depending on the circumstance. Though all of that is a conversation of morality, which doesn’t matter. To Dillon, duty trumps morality. No matter what.

✸✸✸

Brielle gets as close to the bed as possible. She exhales before bending at the knees. The king stands nearby, cradling Bianca with one arm, and holding onto his wife's arm with his free hand. After retrieving the infant Noelle, Brielle stands upright. Thankfully, all three of the children were sleeping now. The third being Mikael, who rests on a couch next to a weary looking Diana, who bites the nail on her thumb and taps her foot, occasionally glancing at Mikael. A boy, with soft white hair like his sisters, but his skin is a tad darker. Diana constantly tries to convince herself that what she’d seen concerning Mikeal was a fluke, but she’d seen it multiple times.

“She was glowing Bri.” the king says, looking at the child in Brielle’s arms with the utmost adoration. He’d said this before. Brielle could hardly believe it, but the doctors and Diana had backed the king’s claim. If not with their words, then with the looks on their faces every time they’re reminded of the event. “Our baby is a Pinnacle Bri.” he continues, his gaze not leaving the sleeping Noelle for even a second. His trance breaks his rhythm, and Bianca starts to wine.

“Oh no, take her down the hall somewhere.” Brielle commands, not wanting one to wake the other two. Getting all three to stop crying was a nightmare when they really got going. Brielle swears it's like they’re linked or something, the girls specifically, the way they often start and stop crying seemingly in sync. As the door shuts behind the king, Brielle can hear Bianca’s cries worsen. A close call indeed.

Everytime Brielle looks down at one of her newborns, it's like the first time. A baby’s features are so soft and innocent, and their hair is silky smooth. When their eyes are open, they’re filled with wonder. Never had Brielle fallen in love so quickly and so constantly. No one should be kept from this. This is everything.

Slowly, the queen makes her way toward the couch, on which her baby boy rests. The heir to Eluuf’s throne. He’d be on top of the world one day, and his sisters would be there at his side.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” Brielle asks, looking down at Noelle, then at Mikael, and then towards her best friend.

“Yes,” Diana answers, shifting on the couch and clearing her throat, “they are. Would you like to sit?”

Brielle shakes her head. “No, I'm fine.”

“Hm.” the other sounds, picking at her nails. She’d been off ever since Brielle woke from the surgery. The queen had thought little of it before, everyone was on edge at the hospital given the high stakes presented. Now though, that it was all over. They aren’t in a hospital, they’re in the Palace of Central Eluvia, home. The king and queen’s home at least.

“You and your family can go home if you want Diana, I'm ok. And I'm sure your husband is missing you.” the queen proposes, and the other rubs the tiredness from her face before standing.

“No, I’m ok,” she insists, sighing, her eye contact unsteady, “it's just…”

Brielle leans in. “Just?” she urges.

“Bri I… I… Are you sure that these children are Malachi’s?”

The question causes a lump to form in Brielle’s throat, and her arms tighten around Noelle. “Excuse me?”

“Have you seen his eyes?” Diana questions, not taking her eyes off of the queen’s as she points at the sleeping boy. “His eyes, they’re like the girls, but…”

“But what, Diana?” the queen growls, stepping forward.

“Electricity runs through them from time to time, Brielle. Sometimes he shocks me when we touch, that wouldn’t be of any concern, but it happens too often. Those are Rai traits. You’re lucky that-”

“Shut your mouth!” Brielle orders. “Have you lost your mind? What’re you accusing me of?” and with this, Diana steps forward.

“I made an observation, Bri. I didn’t want to believe it, but it's true.” hearing this, Brielle pulls her eyes away from Diana’s, and she starts to pace. “I thought you said that you two were done.” Diana presses.

“We were! We are! There was nothing to finish.”

“Clearly there was Bri.” and so Brielle stops, to lock eyes with her friend yet again.

“I don’t believe you.” the queen says, starting to pace again, and cradling Noelle more intensely. “I don’t believe you.” she repeats.

“Why would I lie about this Noelle?”

“I don’t believe you!” the queen shouts, and not a moment is wasted as the room’s entrance bursts open.

Dillon scopes out the scenery. The women look startled, and Noelle has started to wine. Mikael continues in his sleep. “Is everything ok, my queen?” the knight asks.

“Yes,” Brielle answers with a sigh, “here, take her to her father, quickly.” she adds, and so Dillon hurries over to retrieve Noelle before exiting the room. Another close call. The queen turns to look down at Mikael. “There has to be a mistake.” Brielle decides, massaging her temples before motioning to sit. Diana moves to the queen’s aid, but is swatted away. With a groan, Brielle finally finds her place on the couch. She stares at her baby boy. Her beautiful baby boy. The heir. But he’s a shade darker. A few pounds lighter. A hybrid? “The girls are Malachi’s.” Brielle says, confident in her words, a confidence that causes Diana to frown.

“Brielle…”

“The girls are Malachi’s.”

“I… Brielle, how could that be?”

“Do you remember that book we read about the mother with twins that had two different fathers?”

“Bri, that's…” it wasn’t impossible, just outrageous.

“The thing that happened. What was it called?”

“Heteropaternal superfecundation, Bri, that's insane. You just had triplets. One is a Pinnacle, and one is a hybrid. And now you think that you were, what, hyperovulating?”

All of a sudden, and with a pained groan, Brielle pulls Mikael closer to her, waking the baby in the process and allowing his head to rest on her thigh. He was surprisingly quiet despite his sleep being disturbed. In the last two days, he’d definitely cried alot less than his sisters. Now that Brielle thinks about it, he does always cry when she hands him off to Malachi. Just a thought. Now a realization, its validity coming in the form of a surge of dark blue that taints the child’s light cyan colored eyes. Brielle’s breathing becomes rapid. She folds her lips before lowering her head, hiding tears as she kisses the baby on the forehead. The child smiles. Brielle looks away from the baby, toward the ceiling, and then she sets her sights forward, her eyes plain.

“He isn’t the heir.” the queen concludes before turning to her friend, eyes pleading. “What should I do, Diana?”

“I… I think you should tell Malachi the truth. You won’t be able to hide it forever.” the other advises, and the queen gestures, brushing off the notion.

“And ruin everything?”

“You brought this upon yourself Brielle!” Diana boldly proclaims, stepping toward the queen, whose brow has puckered. “This, this is on you. I mean why Bri why? Why didn’t you just end it?”

“I did!” Brielle shouts, causing Mikael to wine.

“It doesn’t look like it Bri!”

Knock. Knock. The sudden sound causes both women’s attention to whip toward the door. “You’re sure that everything is ok my queen?” Dillon asks from the otherside of the door, speaking loud enough to be heard clearly. Dillon, a sworn knight. Loyal no matter what. A queen’s ultimate playing piece. Waiting, begging to be used.

“Come in Dillon.” the queen says, rubbing Mikael’s belly, calming him. And Diana shoots the queen a glance, her face contorted.

Dillon steps into the room, shutting the heavy door behind him before turning toward the women and bowing his head. His left hand rests on the pommel of his blade, always. Always at the ready.

Diana turns toward the queen, trying to conceal the unsteadiness of her breath. “What are you-”

“Diana, you may leave us.” the queen permits. Commands. Diana glances at Dillon. His eyes are so cold, and all the time too. They’re too cold, even for a Cyan. But when Diana looks back at Brielle, she finds something colder.

“Why do I have to leave all of a sudden?” Diana questions.

“I have matters to discuss with Sir Dillon.” the queen replies, her hand still resting on the baby.

Eyes becoming teary, Diana musters courage. “What are you going to do Brielle?”

“Take your family and leave Diana, this is none of your business.”

“I’m not leaving you with that baby Bri, you’re not thinking straight.”

Brielle scoffs, smirking, and then her expression fades. “What do you think, that I’m going to hurt the child?”

“The child? He’s your-”

“I won’t hurt my child Diana.” the queen assures, her words lingering in the air.

“You should tell the king, and you should take the boy to his real father.”

“I… no.”

“Why not?”

“I just can’t.”

“Brielle-”

“I told you to leave Diana. So leave.”

“I can’t.”

“But you will.”

Diana starts to pace, fingers gripping her temples. Her eyes dart back to the queen’s. “Let me take care of the child Bri. I’ll-”

“You’ll what, disappear at the same time as the king’s heir and hide from the most powerful nation in the world?"

“I-”

“Leave us Diana.” and so Diana stands defeated. With no further argument, she starts toward the door. She could tell the king herself, but she didn’t have the gall. It wouldn’t be the same coming from her as it would be coming from Brielle. Although the proof was all there. Maybe she could go to the king. Maybe she will. The sudden revelation makes Diana’s steps lighter. On the other hand, the revelation hardens Brielle’s heart further. “Sir Dillon,” the queen chokes out, “cut her down.”

Diana stops dead in her tracks. She looks at Dillon, who looks past her and at the queen with a furrowed brow.

“My queen,” Dillon starts, stepping forward, hand loose around the pommel, shaking even, “I-”

“That is an order Dillon.” the queen says, averting her gaze. Diana’s stomach drops, and she whips around to face her former friend.

“Brielle please! I have children! You don’t have to do this! I won’t tell anyone! You don’t even have to see me again!”

“Dillon!” the queen urges, and just like that, the knight steadies his hand. His blade pierces Diana’s heart, and blood soaks her white clothing. Brielle doesn’t watch, but she can hear her friend gurgling, choking on her own blood. Trying to say something, but failing. Slowly, Dillon lowers her body to the ground. He’d just killed someone's wife, and a mother. Why? He looks to the queen, eyes searching for an answer. Why’d the queen even give that order? Why’d he carry it out despite his ignorance? Why was it so easy? Why were these questions arising again? These dangerous questions. Threats to duty. “Dillon,” the queen calls, quivering cyan eyes meeting the knight’s and avoiding the corpse, “I need you to do something for me.”