faderift | [closed] so baby welcome to the ball

That smile puts her a little on edge. Whether it's because his confidence gives her misgivings or just because his smile is smug as hell and she doesn't like it, she's not sure - but it still makes her feel ill at ease. The seller's nervousness just makes it even worse.

She fights the urge to gnaw on her lip, and fights the urge to say something. It'll be suspicious if she does. So she just stays quiet, and still, and unremarkable.

There's a bit of a wait, and then the master of the house returns with another person, and Benedict is off like a shot. The person he embraces so quickly is a woman likely in her forties, who clutches him back with tears streaming from her eyes.
It's a heartfelt display, interrupted only by the appearance of the bill of sale, which Benedict readily takes, signs, and returns-- but before he can go to leave, the seller, dabbing a bit of sweat from his brow, offers a second folded note.
"You'll want to--" he says awkwardly, "--from-- your mother, I believe."

Narrowing his eyes, Benedict takes the note and opens it, reads over its contents, and then proceeds to stare at it for several long moments before looking up, first to Micaela, then to Kitty.
"Let's go," he announces, calmly enough, but he seems eager to get back to the carriage. He grips Micaela's hand tightly, and though she's as confused as anyone, she offers a smile of greeting to Kitty.

Is that really it? Kitty doesn't quite relax yet, but with every passing moment, an ambush seems less likely. Especially after that note is passed. Maybe this was a set-up, but a set-up with no purpose aside from getting Benedict to take some note from his mum. That's not so bad.

Kitty doesn't smile back at Micaela; she just offers a small, grave nod. Then she stands, and smooths out her skirt, and follows.

It's when they're back in the carriage that Benedict opens the note again, contemplating it before crumpling it up and holding it between his knees, his expression cross and a bit worried.

"We've got another stop to make," he announces, glancing to Kitty, his gaze softening when he returns it to Micaela. "...if you'd rather just return to Kirkwall, I can hire another cab." The side of his mouth twitches upward. "Kitty, you can set her up in my room until I can make better arrangements--"

Micaela is still smiling faintly, but sitting still, hands folded and not even considering speaking up for herself.

"What's the stop?" Right; here it is, then, she supposes. The bit that goes wrong. Evidently, there was something in that note that's made Benedict go stupid - because obviously he's gone stupid if he's talking about another stop and starting to complicate the plan once they've already accomplished what they set out to accomplish. And she has got no appetite for stupidity right now.

"Unless it's picking up supplies, I'd say don't do it."

Irritated by Kitty's insistence on talking when he's trying to think, Benedict casts her a glare, but then tosses the crumpled-up parchment over so she can read it.

Benedict,

If you're reading this, we need to talk. Come to the beach house immediately.

Mother

He folds his arms and leans back in his seat with a frown as worried as it is petulant, and though he glances at Micaela, she gives a little shrug. She doesn't know any better than he does what's going on, and showing her the note would be pointless when she can't read.

Kitty's eyes narrow, and her lips move, as she works through the Tevene, and - Yeah. No great surprise there. She can't read the whole thing, but she gets the gist.

"Don't much fancy being - Having what happened to the others happen to me." She stops herself before describing the slave branding process - because Micaela would have gone through that, wouldn't she? So it's wrong to treat it flippantly.

She runs a hand through her hair. "Look - I don't trust for a second that this meeting would go well. Especially since - " She gestures around herself - "As far as I can tell, this whole bizarre sale was to get you in the right place at the right time. I mean, think about it, Benedict - why this, and why now? And why to this estate? You can't even know that note's really from your mum."

"I know it's from her," he mumbles, "it's her handwriting, and I just... do." With a sigh, he buries his face in his hands, pushing his fingers up through his hair.
"I have to. You don't understand. I'm inheriting her title, and if she needs me, I have to go." Straightening again, he looks from Kitty to Micaela and frowns.

"...but I don't think Micaela should go near her," he says, surprising himself. "Maybe... she can stay here until we come back." He rubs his temple.
Micaela looks tired.

"You're probably going to get murdered," Kitty replies bluntly, crossing her arms. "And if you do it for something this stupid, I'm not helping you."

Kitty looks at Micaela. Her manner gets a little less severe. "What do you want to do?"

"It's not stupid," Benedict snaps, "I'm not going to get murdered by my mother."

Startled by being addressed, Micaela blinks at Kitty, then looks nervously at Benedict, as though awaiting direction. Having a say isn't something she's used to.

"You two can just go back to Kirkwall," Benedict insists, "thank you, Kitty, you've been very helpful." There's a bit of a bite to this last statement: she has been helpful, but still, it seems, knows how to be a pain in his ass.

"Unless it's not your mother," Kitty replies. "Unless they forced her to write that letter and then murdered her or something." A rather cold thing to say, she realizes once it's out of her mouth, but - Whatever.

So. She flicks her hair from her face. "Well, you can do whatever you'd like," she says. "Walk into an ambush, jump off a cliff, whatever. I'm not going to send you on the road alone," she says to Micaela. "So don't worry about that."

A pang of something strikes Benedict, and he realizes it's a wish: he wishes that Kitty's theory were more plausible, and that it's not entirely believable that he'd receive a letter of this nature from his mother.

With a sigh, he lets his head sink back against the carriage wall behind him, and it's only the restive stamping of a horse outside that reminds him their time here isn't infinite.

"Fine," he decides, "there's no sense in both of you coming north with me. We'll find an inn and hire a new--"

"I... have family in the north," Micaela says, looking first, timidly, to Kitty, then to Benedict. Her accent is thick, and she cringes a little after speaking, as if already regretting it.

"Family?" Benedict repeats, as if he doesn't quite understand.

Kitty gets it, though. Which - this makes things harder. The fierce anger drops out of her face, replaced gradually by a vague sort of worry.

"Who?" she asks. There's a few strands of hair that have gotten caught in the corner of her mouth; she finds herself chewing on the ends. "Can they join us themselves? Or do they need our help?"

"I'd..." Micaela hesitates, pulling at a strand of her hair, "I'd like to see them, if you're going that way anyway." This to Benedict, to whom she next quickly assures, "if-- I'm not being returned to your home."

Your home. The pronoun strikes him, but Benedict is still struggling, and looks between her and Kitty. "What?"

Micaela looks down again and shakes her head. Never mind.

Kitty hesitates, then lets out a breath. "I'll come with you, then," she says. "For that."

And then, with a sardonic bite coming back into her voice, she looks over at Benedict once more. "Someone's got to collect your corpse after you're murdered, I suppose."

"I'm not getting murdered!" Benedict snaps, and it yields a little smile from Micaela, which becomes more gracious as she looks to Kitty.

[and now I post a new prompt whee]

[closed] so baby welcome to the ball

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assuming the language of the note, correct me if necessary

it's all good :>

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