Aeotha was already decided, as usual, how this would go. She looked disappointed, and stern in the way she tended to look when it came to matters of Skandra and prison cells. What made this worse was the fact that Aeotha was beyond disappointed. She had always defended him. Always. Ever since she met Skandra and they had their first adventure together, they'd formed an unshakable bond. Or at least, she had. She'd always defended him. And there she'd stood between Iluvatar, a friend of her past, and Skandra, a lover from her past. And she'd chosen, blindly. The man who constantly kept things from her. The man who told her he loved her, and then told two other women the same thing in front of her. Onainat told her to lighten up, to stop being so serious. But she couldn't. As much as she trusted Skandra, and she did, that he'd do the right thing. That he'd always be on her side. He never did the same for her. He did not trust her in the way she trusted him. She didn't care if more than a decade stood between them, she'd forgiven him.
Forgiven him for trying to kill her.
But he didn't trust her. He told her nothing. Or what he told her was nothing but lies. Could she even trust that he'd tell her something now? Smiling at her as if nothing was wrong at all when everything was wrong. Everything was wrong. Elemmire had tried to kill them, both of them, without hesitation in Aeotha's direction. Aeotha could clearly remember the last time someone had tried to kill her without hesitation with Skandra around, he'd destroyed the man, without hesitation. But when Elemmire attempted the same thing, Skandra couldn't bring himself to do.. She was questioning it for all the wrong reasons. Being selfish about it. There had been more than a decade, where she was busy being High Priestess. Where he was enjoing his life in Ashara. It was unfair of her, but it was also unfair of him.
Because he assumed that she was going to accept whatever he had to say and move on wit that next big thing. That she would ignore her duty and her friends to release him so he could go after whatever, right? That's why he was smiling at her and Aeotha wanted to be furious with him. She wanted to pick up and throw something between the bars and yell at him until she was red in the face and she couldn't speak any longer. But here she was sitting. Sitting and watching him with disappointment lining her tired face. She had barely slept, and she needed it. Considering how much she had done, and how much more she would need to do.
Leironuoth had been quiet. Maybe considering what he'd need to do in order to kill Fenrir. Or if killing Fenrir was right? Aeotha would not weep when the elf was dead, not in the way she'd wept for Talmus. Because in the end Talmus had a moment of clarity. Where he wanted to ask for forgiveness, but thought he was unworthy. Fenrir would never ask, because he was never wrong or the rules didn't matter. Above them.
"I don't have any questions because I can't trust that you'll answer them honestly anymore, Skandra. You had every opportunity to tell me the truth, but you did not. You forced my hand, to give your description, to ask for your arrest. You forced me, again, to stand between you and a friend. And I chose you, again. But I can't trust you to answer anything honestly. So go ahead and just talk, tell me what you want to, leave all the true things out like you always do these days." Bitterness and disappointment was heavy in her tired voice. She could not return his smile, and it was difficult to continue looking at him without wanting to stand and assault the bars of his cell.
She wasn't even sure if he was glad that she was all right anymore. She wasn't sure of anything. Whether she loved him anymore, or if he loved her. If she could trust him or if she simply wanted to release him and let him go this time. Really let him go.