Wyn was sitting in the sitting room that joined her room with Nerini's, staring at the blank page of her journal for far longer than she should have been. She had been trying to write for about an hour so far and she had been unable to do more than try to fight tears and desolation as she sought to record everything that had transpired.

 She felt the need to put down words but knew that whatever she had to say could not be recorded quite yet, that her heart was too tender to acknowledge it as reality. The heartache for her friends had faded to a dull pain but if she tried too hard to think about it, the tears still simmered beneath the surface.

As conflicted as she was, Wyn started as a knock came firmly on the door and was still in the process of standing up when the door opened of its own accord and in strode Caelur followed by Lyana, who closed the door behind her as softly as she could. Wyn glanced between the two of them for a moment, before closing her journal and offering Caelur a bow. "Majesty, come in."

"Wyn." He said sharply, crossing his arms over his chest and she realized just by watching his expressions and movements that whatever she was battling with was about to be forced to the surface. "Let's pretend that we don't need to use formalities, just for a moment. Talk friend to friend, not King to foreign guest." His tone spoke a different message than his words, his expression barely concealing anger. He wanted to be treated as a friend, but he was speaking to her like a King.

Wyn quirked a brow and motioned to the chairs as she forced herself to play the game despite her bone wearying grief. "Would you like to sit, Caelur? Lyana?"

Lyana sighed and sat down off to the side, like she was trying to stay away from the fight that was brewing, watching Wyn with a pleading expression. "Thank you."

"I would like to stand, actually, I've spent all day sitting listening to petitions." Caelur continued to glare, angrily, clearly blaming her for that as well.

"Alright." Wyn sat down once more, easing back into the chair and watching him with as much feigned casualness as she could muster. She waited, knowing that silence would tell exactly what he was upset about. He stood for a moment, as if unsure how to continue, before looking towards the door of Lady Nerini's room then back to her, his expression communicating that he had noticed.

"It's been two days and I haven't seen Nerini. Not since the night the Aupanan ship arrived with trade goods and diplomatic documents from your Regent." Caelur said distinctly, amazing Wyn at his ability to stay so well informed about the oddly inane parts of his Kingdom.

"No. She left on the morning tide." Wyn said simply, offering a shrug, keeping her cool and watching him dispassionately, the lies tasting bitter on her tongue. "Issues at her estates, she was needed. Quite urgently."

Caelur's expression darkened and he held himself back from saying something rash, shaking his head and letting out a breath before speaking. "Alright, so that is what I will say, when the topic is broached and I say I was properly given the respectful farewells as is custom in Sellexu. Only in private, because of the lateness of the departure."

Wyn nodded, letting out a breath as tears threatened to spill. "Good." That was the main concern, keeping the entire court of Sellexu from knowing that Nerini wasn't where they thought she was.

"Now tell me what's really going on." Caelur demanded, slipping between the role of friend and Regent though he may not have even noticed he was doing it, his words more of a command than an offer of support, of friendship.

Wyn watched him for a moment, reading him as best she could, before looking at her hands, keeping her expression as neutral as possible. "We do not mean to deceive you, nor disrespect the amazing welcome Sellexu has given us, but we thought it best to be discreet."

"I know Nerini was finding a great deal of friction here but she has never been unable to deal with as long as I've known her. And for her to leave without saying anything..." Caelur offered, his expression softening, moving closer to Wyn's chair. "If it was too hard for her or if she caught one of her urges to leave, I don't understand the secrecy. But everyone and their dog knows that Nerini being at court is more odd than her not being around."

"No, well... yes. She's been adrift again these past weeks in the capital, but not because of that, and she wouldn't run from a few misplaced egos." Wyn winced, closing her eyes and tilting her face up towards the ceiling, swallowing back those damned nonsensical tears that threatened, try as she might to stay calm.

"Then what, Wyn? Have you not learned to trust me? Do you not consider me a friend?" He sounded almost hurt as his voice dropped to a whisper, watching her, though his expression was controlled when she saw it out of the corner of her eyes. "Whatever weight you two are carrying, allow me to help you."

"We seek to protect you as much as everyone else." Wyn said softly as she lowered her head and  looked to Lyana, then back to Caelur. "Kanny is missing. He disappeared on the road from his lands to the capital. Him and his soldiers, gone. Without a trace. In the middle of their own country, in his own provinces. Nerini is going to try and find him, but we fear it's a trap or ambush, either to draw us in or scatter us for another attack. Rael must pretend her fiancée isn't missing and carry on as if nothing is wrong to keep the Court from going into a disarray." She watched him carefully, reaching up to stubbornly wipe a stray tear away. " We did not want to alarm you, or cause undue stirring in your court, in case that's what whomever did this wants chaos. Add all that to the fact that Nerini needed to get there without anyone realizing she was even gone from here so she can move without them being aware she's on the hunt."

" Alone? You think it is a possible ambush and she went alone? I could have sent Shiar with her, to watch her back." Caelur murmured as he began processing the information, clearly trying to argue against their logic. "We have resources here that could help."

"No offence, but High Lord Shiar has been a fair bit distracted as of late. I haven't seen him wear his Alliance cloak in three weeks. Half the time he doesn't even wear a sword anymore, and he hadn't spoken to Nerini or I since we arrived in the capitol."

Wyn stood then, giving Caelur the bluntest look she could manage. "I'm not criticizing. this is his home, this is where he is comfortable, fine. But even if he hadn't dropped all his talk of the two of them working together, the moment he was amongst his own people, how much practice does he have in not being High Lord Shiar, Commander of Sellexu's armies, Champion of the Alliance? Nerini knows how to drop all that and live in the shadows, I've walked by her on the street before without realizing it was her. I've looked my friend dead in the eye and not recognized her. Something none of us really know how to do, and she's not even the best. She's just hoping that she's good enough that she can find something without triggering the trap."

"She's gone back to being a fox, is what you're saying." Caelur nodded and let out a slow breath, "Ok. But there's got to be something we can do, Sellexu doesn't ignore its allies when they're in need. Anything you need, please, tell me."

"I know it doesn't help the big picture, I could stay here with her, in Lady Nerini's rooms." Lyana said softly, offering them a shrug when they both turned to look at her, realizing she was still in the room with them. "She's right, Shiar hasn't been around a lot, so I'll have more company here, anyways. We can keep each other company and we work most days together as well, people will pay less attention to us that way, I think."

Wyn nodded, letting out a slow breath. "As much as I appreciate the offer, unless you have a contract with one of the street runner companies in Aupana, Nerini's on her own. She has allies in one of them, but they... operate with different rules. Sometimes allegiances don't trump jobs."

Lyana blinked a couple times as Wyn's words settled in. "So even if she does have friends out there, she can't trust them?"

"Nerini never called any of them friends." Wyn shook her head slowly, not knowing enough about that side of her friend's life to offer any suitable explanation, "but there are some she knows. Maybe she'll be able to build some sort of alliance with them, or maybe she'll have to avoid them. That's why smaller groups matter. If a bunch of new people show up into an area, people take note." 

She let out a slow breath, before offering Lyana a smile. "But I would welcome a room mate and with how distracted your brother is, I think you're safer here with me, anyways."

"Your brother's behaviour does bother me, you know" Caelur murmured, looking a little scandalized from what Wyn had been saying about Nerini. He had known she was trained in the more subtle arts of intelligence, but seemed clearly upset at the fact that the woman was running around on her own. 

Instead, he addressed the part that he could understand and cope with. "He's always been reliable, I've never seen him completely abandon any of his duties before, nor any of his friends and family. It isn't something Shiar does, he's loyal to a fault, even if he were angry with me, he's never abandoned me. But he hasn't shown any interest in anything but gallivanting around. He's even failed to show up for my council meetings. I thought perhaps I was being unreasonable, that he needed a break from things, but if you two have noticed it as well, I may rein him in."

Lyana was about to answer, relief clear on her face, when suddenly there came loud knocking on the door to the apartments, strong enough to shake the door in its frame. Wyn frowned and walked towards it, half drawing her swords as she reached the door knob. She paused before pulling it open and stepped back in surprise when High Lord Shiar carried Lady Emeltra in his arms, into the room. He didn't hesitate, striding in and putting her on a couch in front of the fire with a reverence that sent chills down Wyn's spine. "Lyana, she needs your help."

Shiar stood there, completely oblivious to their surprised and guilty expressions on their faces, his tone panicked and desperate, his expression near fanatical. It was only after they realized that he had no idea or concern about them that they responded. He was there because Lyana was of use to him, he didn't see his sister but a healer, which was the loudest warning bell so far. Shiar would never use his sister, if he were in his right mind.

Wyn closed the door behind him, frowning thoughtfully as she slid the sword back into its sheath but staying to the side of the room and placing a hand on Caelur's arm when she realized he had walked with her to the door and was standing at her side. Both of them watched the exchange from an easy distance. Concern darkened Caelur's expression, though his eyes didn't once move to the woman who was lying with surprising artfulness on the couch.

Lyana frowned for a moment, looking down to Emeltra, then back to her brother. "What happened?"

"She fell, screamed in pain and fainted." Shiar's expression belied his worry, though his words had an odd mechanical sound to them, as if the emotions he were feeling were detached, or half drugged. "She hasn't responded to anything, I think she may have hit her head."

He didn't even seem to notice the other two people in the room despite one being his Regent, nor the fact that his sister was hesitating at a time when Lyana did not normally hesitate. She was wired to help people in need, couldn't help herself from being dragged towards an injury and yet she stood there for a long moment, watching the woman placed before her.

Lyana looked to Wyn in askance before letting out a breath and moving to kneel by Emeltra's side. She visually checked the woman over, then finally placed a hand on Emeltra's forehead and closed her eyes.

Wyn let out a slow breath, whispering barely loud enough for Caelur to hear, hopefully for Lyana to hear. "Remember the journal."

Caelur looked at her curiously, though he didn't ask and to her relief, Shiar was still completely oblivious to their presence. Caelur watched her for a moment longer, then looked back to Lyana as she in took a sharp breath and stood quickly, shaking her head. "She's okay."

Wyn had seen Lyana heal sicknesses and serious wounds without paling as much as she did right then, the young woman's whole body beginning to shake as she took several steps back, towards where Wyn and Caelur were. She looked as if she were backing away from danger, not a fainted courtier.

Emeltra took in a breath and opened her eyes as if on cue, her surprise plainly feigned. "Shiar, kitten, where am I?" 

Wyn would have bet money that the woman was faking it, though the only person who appeared to not think so was Shiar, who's features relaxed in relief when he was addressed.

"My sister knows some things to help with injuries, she's been looking after you, are you okay?" Shiar spoke quickly, moving to step closer to the couch as Lyana turned to Wyn with a worried expression, her body wracking with tremors.

"Lyana, you've overdone yourself, c'mon, come lay down for a moment" Wyn said softly, taking the girl by the hand and giving Caelur a hard look. He raised a brow in silence, watching her as she led Lyana into Nerini's room.