Private So This Is Where You Went

[Dominick von Ascania]

He hadn't made any kind of trouble. None at all.

Dominick let out a sigh as he walked through the halls of the Jedi Temple, hands calmly behind his back. Some.. Misunderstandings almost got him kicked out. How was he supposed to know that man was actually a Jedi Master? It was unheard of for someone to wear such a robe in such a high position back home. It was important to look the part of leadership, after all. He sighed as he straightened out his shirt. Adjusted the medal that adorned his collar. They might not think much of station, but he would enough for all of them.

That aside, he wasn't here to talk shop with the Jedi nobility. He was here to find his sister. From what he was told, eventually, certainly not after almost being thrown out, was she liked the gardens. Just like back at home, no less. So, with a smile he went into the Thousand Fountains. And got lost pretty quick as he went deeper to try and find her.

The Heir let out a sigh as he found a bench to sit down on. Nabooian, from the flowers he could see. Which meant the room to the left was.. He squinted at the door. He'd been given a map, but that felt useless. Nope, he wasn't sure where he was at all. Lost in the Fountains, to starve to death.

"Ah well. It was a good life. If only I could have tea, one last time."

Melodramatics aside, he did smell tea no sooner than he spoke, which had him blink and stand. That meant another, right? Perhaps they could help him navigate his way to freedom. And help him find his sister, no less.

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

After hours in a meditation chamber - where she'd remained none the wiser to her brother's presence and ensuing antics - Cora had made for the gardens with a pot of Earl Silver.

The eldest of the Ascania children enjoyed routine. There was comfort in the familiar, even if the circumstances weren’t the best. It was one of the tactics she'd used to keep herself steady during the brutality of her marriage.

That was behind her now, she'd liked to tell herself. But it wasn't, truly. While she had her life, she'd lost her family, her rank, and her dignity in the process.

With a soft sigh, Cora tilted her gaze down into the teacup, watching her reflection shift in the amber liquid. Several cups and saucers were set aside on the tiny, iron-wrought table in case of company. It would simply be impolite to come across a friend or interesting stranger and not be able to offer them a cup.

Bringing the cup to her lips for a delicate sip, the exiled princess nearly choked on the tea as a startlingly familiar figure shifted through the greenery.

"Dominick??"

Dominick von Ascania

 

[Dominick von Ascania]

"Dominick??"

"Coco!?"

Dominick blinked in pure surprise. No wonder he smelled the classic Earl Silver being brewed. He smiled, after a moment the moment of surprise had faded. Before, he likely would've just charged her into a hug as he'd always done growing up. Before she left for the Jedi.

Now, he found himself taking a seat opposite to her, calmly. She'd done so well for herself as a Jedi. As Princess. He wanted to show that he'd grown himself. That he wasn't the same boy that had cried when she left for the Jedi estate. Not that he could hide his goofy ass smile even as he sat with perfect posture.

"They were right when they said you'd be in the garden. Enjoying some Earl Silver in a place like this is so much like you, Coco. I'm glad to see all your accomplishments haven't changed you. I-"

He paused for a moment, his smile dipping as instead he bowed his head.

"My condolences for what happened, though."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora marveled, wide-eyed, as Dominick spoke. How did…?

When she'd gotten over the momentary shock of him simply being here, she focused on her little brother as a whole. Little didn't quite fit anymore; he was no longer the lanky boy who'd only risen up to her shoulder. No, now he had the powerful build of their father and a jawline that could cut glass - but it seemed he'd been spared the man's cruel demeanor, mannerisms still as gentle as a lamb.

"Dom…"

As he expressed his condolence regarding Horace's death, she sighed. The surprise had fallen from her face, replaced now with a gentle sorrow - then, as she poured him a cup of tea, her eyes softened with affection.

"It's good to see you, little brother." Reaching out, she pressed her hand atop his own and squeezed. "I'm very glad that you've come to see me, truly. How was your trip? Did you manage to find the temple alright? Does father know that you’re here?”

A note of motherly concern wove effortlessly into her tone, one that she didn't bother to control. Still, the questions kept bubbling forth.

"How is everyone? How is the baby?"

Their mother had given birth recently, that much she knew. A sibling that she would never meet, and one that would perhaps only know of her in stories.

"How are you?"

Dominick von Ascania

 

[Dominick von Ascania]

"Oh the trip was fine. I flew on one of those civilian shuttles, actually. First class of course, but it was my first time flying outside of our families personal ship." He seemed quite proud of that fact, straightening out with a lighter smile once again on his face. He didn't want to linger on the sadness, not with how much it seemed to bring Cora down. He squeezed her hand in turn before taking up a sip of Earl Silver with an even brighter smile. And, rather obviously, avoiding the topic of father knowing where he was in the process.

This was a taste he'd been hoping to have here. A shame the Jedi didn't seem to favor it themselves.

"Everyone is good! The baby is healthy, laughing. The others miss you terribly, though. Father did not want us to intrude on your time away in mourning, but I felt it was important that we show our support for you, Coco."

His hand found hers again as he squeezed, looking her directly in the eye.

"We will always be here for you. All of us. And we're all very eager to have you come home when you feel ready."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora smiled, genuinely, at the thought of a healthy, happy baby. Their mother was a fragile, sickly woman, and she'd been worried for them both.

"That's good. I'm glad."

Her smiled turned somber and she squeezed Dominick's hand. For a moment, she simply appraised him and the man he'd become. Little Dom, all grown up. He may have been sheltered and naive - as she once was - but he was not stupid.

"I miss everyone, too." Cora admitted softly. She always had and she always would. His words, kind and affectionate as though they may be, were still troubling. Mourning? So the Ascania children had been sold the official story. In the end, her title hasn't been publicly stripped. That would've looked cruel, to strike an innocent widow from the records.

In a way, father was doing his heir a disservice by not exposing him to the realities of the galaxy. To the realities of Ukatis.

"Dom…" She began, choosing her words carefully. It wouldn't be right to dive in and shock him with the truth. Maybe it wouldn't come out at all. Maybe he'd revile her as father did, barring her from contacting the family.

"…what has father told you, about my situation?"

Dominick von Ascania

 

[Dominick von Ascania]

He could see it now. There was something more happening. Dominick had known that much just from talking to their father, but how Corazona acted, what Jasper Kai'el had said, it only confirmed what he'd already figured out. The story he was told, that their siblings believed, was not the whole story. He didn't let his smile fade, but there was a clear concern in his eyes. He had his assumptions.

But he long learned the importance of not blindly assuming things.

"He doubled down on the official story and even raised his voice when I tried to ask further. Master Kai'el also seemed to suggest there was something more going on, but he and I both agreed it would be best for you to tell me what was going on. .. And, there are rumors that you are, in fact, a murderer. When I heard such slander I made it clear that they should not speak of things they don't know."

Dominick paused for a moment, once again squeezing her hand.

"You can tell me what happened, Coco. And, you don't have to tell me. Whatever happened I will always be here to support you, but you don't need to explain yourself to me."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

When he squeezed her hand back, Cora could only stare at him. When did little Dominick grow up? She was proud, mournful, and fascinated all at once.

For a full minute after he'd finished speaking, Cora was silent, her expression one of quiet agony. How could she even begin to explain what she'd been through? What she'd done? Based on the language he used – the official story, the rumors of her being a murderer – she gathered that he knew more than she'd of liked for him to. But Dominick was a sensitive, delicate –

Cora shook her head. No, even if that was the case, he had a certain strength to him. A strength for his family, a strength of character. He was eighteen now. If father wouldn't let his heir become wise to the ways of their world, then she would.

"Horace was…" She swallowed once, thickly. "…a deeply unpleasant man. In public, we appeared the perfect happy, charming couple. In private, he was…"

She trailed off, looking away into the greenery of the shrubs surrounding them. "…ruthless. I did not want to marry him, but I did so because it was my duty." Perhaps, Dominick would be the only person on Coruscant who understood the depth of such duty, or perhaps he'd seen things differently. After all, he was father's favorite.

Cora inhaled deeply, letting a few long moments of silence pass between them as she gathered herself. Her voice was low, thick with rigid control lest she dissolve. Dom deserved the truth. She turned back towards him, suddenly, the whites of her eyes pale red with strain and stinging with unshed tears.

"The rumors are true, brother. I killed Prince Horace."

She fell quiet once again, giving him the space he needed to absorb all that she'd said. Details would come as they were needed, if they were wanted. He deserve the truth, but a selfish thought floated to the surface of her mind.

Please don't hate me.

Dominick von Ascania

 

[Dominick von Ascania]

He knew there was something more to the story. The rumors of murder, the official tale and how adamantly their father said it was true. But this wasn't what he expected at all. Dominick was there. He saw her engagement, her smiling face at her wedding. All the smiles she'd put on were the same he'd seen all their lives growing up. The encouraging, never let it get to her smile that she'd get even as father yelled at them for the most trivial things.

"Coco that's-" Impossible was his first thought. All their lives that smile had been an inspiration to him. The disbelief showed in his eyes just before she turned. Ah. The realization pierced through him like a hot knife.

"All this time you've-" He stood up, gently setting down his cup in the process. It was all fake smiles. Not for her, but for him. Their siblings. All this time. He gritted his teeth. Cursed himself for his own blindness to his sisters suffering. Then, wordlessly, he hugged his sister as tight as he could. He hid his face over her shoulder, all so she couldn't see the anger he felt for himself.

"I'm so sorry Coco."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Both of Cora's hands now clenched tightly around the teacup as she readied herself for whatever came next. She'd been prepared for Dominick to reject her, to revile his sister as a murderer who'd slain their Prince and placed their family in a potentially precarious situation.

She flinched when he stood, stiffened when he wrapped his arms around her, and blinked. Huh? Confusion didn't linger in her mind for long. Threads of anger pulled from Dom's presence in the Force, but they weren't directed at her.

Slowly, Cora returned his embrace.

"It's alright." She said softly, resting her chin against his shoulder. Her hand rubbed his back in a gentle, soothing motion, reminiscent of how she would comfort him over a scrape or bruise he'd obtained as a child from playing too roughly in the woods. "There are good people here who've helped me. I just…wish that it could've gone differently." She sighed.

"I wished that he hadn't threatened our family. I could bear what he did to me, but not…"

Cora bit her lower lip, barely holding back a swell of emotion that threatened to dissolve her into tears.

Dominick von Ascania

 

[Dominick von Ascania]

His mind was swimming with the implications. The full story, what exactly Horace had done to her. What would've pushed her to kill him. He had no doubt it was the last option, that was the faith he had in his sister. But knowing that there was something that pushed her to that extreme, and that it had been buried in such a way, was infuriating. Was that why Father hadn't dared to speak more about it? That he'd known what the truth was, but had to protect the family from the retaliation of the crown?

It was worse, though, to hear that the crown prince had chosen to even threaten their family.

Dominick gently started to rub her back, just as she had just done for him. He was angry, frustrated, confused. But he doubted he was more than Cora herself right now. "I don't have the words to give you any kind of comfort, but it's okay to not be okay, Coco. I'm sorry I wasn't there before, but I am here now."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Silence settled between the pair of siblings as they held one another. Cora had spent much of her life pinning a smile onto her face; she had trouble allowing herself to feel things that were naturally negative.

"Oh, little lamb…" She sighed, pressing her face against Dominick's chest. She was so proud of him, always had been.

Pulling back slowly, Cora placed either hand on her brother's shoulders and looked at him with adoring, watery eyes. "Just you being here is a comfort all on its own. You've no idea how much it means to me that you've come to visit, especially after father forbade me from contacting the family."

For that matter…

Understanding sparked some hardness into her gaze, and she frowned.

"Father doesn't know that you're here, does he?" She put two and two together, scrutinizing her brother with a look he'd recognize all too well. Cora sighed.

"You were never supposed to find out. You mustn't tell the others – you mustn't tell anyone about what I did, Dominick. It could put the family in peril."

Dominick von Ascania

 

[Dominick von Ascania]

"He.. Forbade you?"

That didn't click right in his head. Yes, with what had happened it would be good that they didn't get in too much contact with Cora less the royal family try to use that against them. He wasn't completely unaware of the noble game. But for their father to outright cut Cora off from the others wasn't at all what he expected. It made more sense as to why he'd been so frustrated with Dominick's insistence on meeting with Cora.

"No, he doesn't know I'm here. I wouldn't be surprised if he's already dispatched the retainers to try and bring me back, but after he told me not to come here it didn't feel right. .. I don't understand why he would isolate you like that, Coco."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

To Dominick's surprise, Cora could only give a half-hearted smile and a squeeze of his shoulder. It was so easy, as children, to believe in whatever father had told them. They didn't have to go through the agony of questioning a decision or figuring out what the right choice was.

They simply believed, and were happy to.

"A deal was made, little lamb. One that spared my life and would protect our family."

She looked away, gathering herself for a moment before turning her gaze back to her brother. A deep breath in, and her watery eyes had hardened with resolve and bitter memories.

"After I…after Prince Horace died, I was to be executed. Dear friends of mine from the Order caught wind of what had happened and came to bargain on my behalf."

Cora almost stopped herself, but - no, Dom deserved the truth, painful and ugly as it was.

"Masters Noble, Knight Kai'el, and Senator Terassi came to my aid the eve before I was to…meet my fate. They are the reason I still breathe, and part of the deal they'd struck for my life lead to my exile from Ukatis."

Dominick von Ascania

 

[Dominick von Ascania]

So that was it? Why their father would decide to keep Cora so isolated from her family? A deal? His expression didn't lesson from the confused state it was in. There were pieces that didn't add up. Marcel would never allow one of his children to be abandoned. He did everything he could to protect Dominick, even going so far to do some not so savory things. He knew about some of the bribery to get their younger siblings into the right schools.

Even a retainer would be all it'd take to send. Maybe even hire someone to relay a message.

The only thing he could think clearly on was the fact he couldn't be more thankful for Jasper Kai'el and the other Jedi mentioned. And the Senator. He reached up, pulling Cora into a gentle hug again.

"You survived."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Part of Cora wondered if she'd told him too much - Dominick may have been an adult, but she'd forever see him as her baby brother. The little lamb she'd spare no cost to protect.

What had been done to her at the behest of their father would likely shatter his image of their family. At the same time, there was a measure of catharsis in telling him.

The details, perhaps, she would keep close to her heart. Cora wasn't yet ready to talk about those.

You survived.

"Feels like…I'm still there…some days." She murmured before taking a breath and pulling away gently.

"I'm sorry, that was a lot." Her hands still lingered on his shoulders, her grip firm. "Are you alright, Dominick?"

Dominick von Ascania

 

[Dominick von Ascania]

"Coco I'm fine."

Mostly. The only real problems he was having now was with his own ignorance at his sister's suffering. And the apparent complacent nature of their father. Still, he smiled. Reached up to pat her shoulder in the same comforting manner she'd always done for him. Right now, he was going to be strong for her. Then looked to the table, to where the tea was still sitting. "It might've cooled a little, but why don't I pour you a cup for once?"

It was all he could think to do to try and brighten her mood. Or just help her at all. At least in a way that directly involved her. The world that allowed her to suffer this abuse, the complacent nature of Ukatis and the nobility, he'd handle that on his own. She no longer needed to suffer.

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Pulling away from Dominick, Cora nodded once.

"I'd like that."

Her voice was even and level, forcefully so. Drifting into her seat, she watched as her brother followed in suit. Such a kind young man; she was glad to see that circumstance had not minimized his gentle demeanor.

"I miss our family, but I am in good company here." A faint, quiet smile tried to assuage the concern she could see bubbling in his eyes.

"How are you finding the temple? Have you met anyone interesting yet?"

Dominick von Ascania

 

[Dominick von Ascania]

"Master Kai'el, but not many others yet. I hope to spend a little time here. See more of the Jedi to at least tell our siblings some fun stories." That would be ideal. And, well, he still wanted to make sure his sister was safe and happy. Call it protective, he wouldn't deny it. After failing to notice everything else, he should at least be willing to do this much. "Who do you suggest I should speak with? Any friends?"

He poured her glass before taking a seat across from her, smiling softly. He was incredibly curious, even without wanting to ensure she was at least happy.

Corazona von Ascania