Ghosts Can't Talk :: 4/20 Morning Corbin, Alaine

[Alaine Fitzwulf]

She had barely moved from her bed. Alaine had kept herself confined for the most part. Spending her days alone in Westerland were boring and dull. She had no one to comfort her. She was alone with just her maids and there was only so much one could do. Alaine didn't trust them. She hated not having people from Heldenbrecht with her but her city was gone. Her home was gone and this was her home now. Idly she sat by, knitting of all things. She was determined to keep herself occupied, that was until someone announced she had a visitor. What? A man no one had recognized. Hooded and cloaked, hell bent on seeing her. She had said no visitors.

“Fine then, send him in. But tell him he has only five minutes.” The Queen of Arbrecht sat up in her seat more, her skin pale, her eyes cold. All the light had gone out from her eyes. Alaine Fitzwulf was stone.

[Corbin Blanchard]

Getting inside The Wolf Keep had been difficult, but fortunately Corbin almost all of the Fitzwulf family was away, having already left for Forsilvra. He himself was on the way there, but had insisted upon stopping to see his sister, Alaine. He had heard that she was pregnant, with the Fitzwulf baby, and Corbin had just needed to speak with her. It had been years now, and he wondered how much had changed… Would she even recognize him? He hoped so.

Corbin entered Alaine’s room, not moving until the door was shut behind him. There could be no servants around when he dropped down his hood. Once he felt sufficiently secure, and they were alone, Corbin took a few steps forward.

“My Lady Fitzwulf, thank you for seeing me,” he said, and gave her a deep bow. When he straightened himself, he let the hood drop, revealing his face. Corbin waited, wondering what Alaine would do.

[Alaine Fitzwulf]

Alaine was not in a particular mood for visitors today. She was going completely mental. Jon was away which meant she had to indulge herself while he was gone which was harder to do. Madelaine was now in Forsilvra as well, or at least on her way and she truly was lonely. “You have five minutes Sir before I tell the guards to escort you out.” She said to the man before her and then when she saw his hood dropped and his face, Alaine had gone pale.

He was a ghost. He should have been a ghost. She had thought him long dead by now and only Madelaine, herself and now her growing child as those with Blanchard blood- of course counting their cousins their aunt had borne. Alaine stared straight faced at a ghost- and was far too shocked to answer him. An eerie silence fell across the room for sometime before she did speak and even then her voice was above a whisper.

“Are you a ghost?” Alaine stood up from her chair with more effort than she would have liked- blasted pregnancy- and moved forward to touch her long departed brother. How many times had she chased him around the gardens...snuck away with him to spy on their father during his royal business or- she was far too startled to speak. She reached out to touch his face and found it very warm beneath her touch. Ghosts were not warm either. “How-you- Jon told me you were dead. I assumed you were-” She was far too baffled. “How can this be?”

[Corbin Blanchard]

Alaine’s response honestly disturbed, and he had to wonder if she was deeply unwell for a brief moment. Of course Corbin being alive was a shock to her, with Jon telling having spread his lies about his death.

“No, I am not a ghost,” Corbin said at first, even though it was obvious by now. Reaching up, Corbin placed his hand on top of Alaine’s, resting it there for a moment before he dragged her down between them. He still held onto it, however, holding his sister’s hand that he hadn’t felt in years.

“What else has Jon told you?” Corbin questioned, the anger in his voice fairly evident. Alaine using the man’s first name like that made him uneasy… It suggested a familiarity that he had convinced himself Alaine never would have succumbed to. But yet she had, and that was a disappointment for him.

[Alaine Fitzwulf]

Staring at her brother in the flesh was ….unsettling. It shattered nearly everything she had thought. He had been gone for two long and as a result believed him dead. She was told he had died- he hadn't returned home and yet when she questioned the Fitzwulfs on the matter it was promptly affirmed that he was dead. To see him alive....

Had they lied to her? Had Jon kept something from her?

“He only told me you were dead. I...all this time...” She stared at him straight in the eyes. “Jon is away in Forsilvra, the capital with the rest of his banners. Madelaine was here but I sent her along later. What happened to you Corbin? What did they do to you?” She asked him. They had years stolen from them, years she wanted back. There was no changing that now.

“No one knows you are here do they? I do not trust any of the maids here. By the hero...” She touched his face again before she brought him into a hug. “Never leave me again ever. I'm here all alone now- because of the baby I couldn't travel. Jon won't be back for weeks. Now tell me exactly: what did they do to you? What happened? Are you hurt?” She almost immediately bombarded him with questions. She hadn't seen him in so long.

Part of her still thought it a dream.

[Corbin Blanchard]

He felt her hand on his face, and his thoughts went to the years that the two of them had lost. He closed his eyes as he thought about what could've been. She told him she didn't want him to leave her again... Sadly, he knew that he could not stay here for long, as he was going to Forsilvra himself. He looked down towards her with a smile on his face, "Alaine... I wish I could stay here with you and catch up on all the time that we missed out on. But I have dealings in Forsilvra that I will have to do. But I will come back to you, I promise you."

And now was time for the questions... Oh the questions. He didn't really want to revisit his imprisonment, despite the fact that it was not an overly horrible situation. He answered her, "No sister, I'm not hurt. I was not treated very well, but I am fine. They kept me locked up, gave me inedible food, and I was accosted by the guards for most of the time. Kept awake often, sometimes beaten, not spoken to, and generally just keeping me miserable. They tried to break my spirit, but I couldn't let that happen. I thought about you and Madelaine every day. Returning to the two of you is what kept me going strong. I ended up being able to escape from all that, but I had to stay in hiding." He was worried about if his sister would say anything about his presence, perhaps not on purpose, but he wasn't quite ready to say that it was the Vulferams who kept him in their care, so he left out that part.

He then looked down at her swollen belly. Placing his hand on it, he said, "Fitzwulf's child... Tell me sister. Have you... Have you fallen for him? After all that happened?"

[Alaine Fitzwulf]

She was overwhelmed by everything. Corbin alive, Jon lying to her....Alaine could only close her eyes and breathe. What had happened to him truly? What had made her husband not tell her the truth? Or did he truly think Corbin had died? She did not really know what to think. Jon musn't have known Corbin was alive. That was the only conclusion she could draw. “What dealings in Forsilvra?” She asked him, cautiously.

Was...was he going to kill him? Kill Jon and end this all? That was all she could think of. But seeing her brother like this she didn't want to imagine what he had gone through. “Oh Corbin.” She brought him into a hug, holding onto him fiercely as to imprint the feeling of him into her head. She didn't want him to go. He needed to stay. “But you are here. Alive. That is all that matters.”

Still she felt torn. What was he going to do? She did not like the fact that he had been at the mercy of the Fitzwulfs but now....

She only looked at him. “Jon is not like his father. Not just his child, it is also mine. She has my blood too.” She spoke. “And I will protect her with my life if I need to. Jon is convinced it is a boy but...I know in my heart otherwise. It is a daughter.” She removed his hand from her in order to grasp it. “Jon- Jon is not William Fitzwulf Corbin. A son is not always his father. You are not like our father.” But she didn't dare answer his question.

[Corbin Blanchard]

"Important dealings, concerning my future dear sister. I will be traveling with trusted friends. People who have remained true and honourable."

He felt her hug against him, and as she did so, he patted her on the back. He was beginning to realize now, that Alaine was in love with Jon. He was filled with both sadness and anger. After everything that they had gone through, that their parents had gone through... But yet still he knew that she was young, and had to remain compliant. He knew that it would've been easier for her to live with herself, if she could come to be close with the Fitzwulfs rather than hate them as he had. And he knew that all she had known, was that he was declared dead.

Oh how he wanted to rip the heart out of William himself for doing this. He had not only made his own life miserable, but he had stolen Alaine, and presumably Madelaine from him as well.

And yet, when she looked at Corbin, speaking about the child she had in her womb, and the proud feeling she had of it, he could only help but feel moved by her convictions. The baby was Jon's, but it also had Blanchard blood in it as well. And was it true? Was Jon not like his father? He said to Alaine, "Sister... He may not be like William now. But what is to say what he will be like in the future? You say he is convinced that it is a boy... Tell me, will he be kind to you when he discovers it is a daughter? Will he be kind to me, if he knows that I am alive? Would he relinquish his title and claim, knowing that rightfully the position is mine, and his father was a usurper?"

He looked down at her, with sadness in his eyes, "You know as well as I do, that he would kill me. He would have to... Any lord that wishes to cement his rule would do so. And yet look at Arbrecht, there is no love for him, no unity. People do not so easily forget the past." He grasped her hands, tightly, "No Alaine, I cannot stay here. It would be the death of me if I did. If you want me to stay, to remain with you and keep you company --" He didn't continue. She couldn't answer his question about love for Jon, and he knew in his heart that she had fallen for him. He hated the Fitzwulfs, but he couldn't bear to hurt his sister by saying openly that he was going to kill someone that she had come to love. Even if he felt that it was brought about by remaining safe, than anything true or noble about the wolf.

[Alaine Fitzwulf]

She closed her eyes to breathe for a moment, letting out a breath. “Trusted friends? Who do you mean? Tell me.” She asked him, her tone bordering on hostile. But she knew she had to keep her wits about her and quiet. Her maids she didn't trust here and if her husband knew her brother was alive....she would hate to have to chose between them.

“Jon is not his father.” She repeated once more. “Can you not let the blood feuds of the past go? Can we not start over? It won;t matter if the child is a girl he would let her live. She would still be his daughter. A child of both Fitzwulf and Blanchard blood. That has never existed.” She repeated firmly, her tone going soft once more.

“Corbin are you making me chose between my husband and you?” She asked him. “Are you going to kill him? Tell me.”

[Corbin Blanchard]

"Friends who would not betray my presence to anyone, even if they were faced with death. You know them well Alaine, but" He looked around. He couldn't be openly naming the Vulferams here. It would be too dangerous to do so. "Just know that they are family to us as well. They are the ones who kept me safe, when everyone else would have forsaken me."

He turned away, he couldn't bear to look upon her, as he answered, "You know that it has to continue. You know it does. If anyone knew I were alive, I would be dead. We cannot start over, it is not as simple as that. And even if I were to give up on this blood feud, do you think any of the banners would stand for this? Being told that I was dead when I was not, and now being shown alive... With the wolf as one. What do you think they would do, if Jon did not step aside in place for me, knowing that the lordship was my rightful position."

He looked back at her, "You trust him, I can tell this much. But do you trust him enough to do the right thing? If he were willing to step down, and make amends for the past, I would be lenient. But I cannot believe that Jon Fitzwulf would do that. He may not be his father, but he is his own man, and he is the lord of a province that is teetering on the brink of collapse. Of all the lords that offer support, only House Storm is open in their loyalties to Fitzwulf. The rest... There is no love, or support, or unity."

He closed his eyes as he continued on, and said, "But I am not making you choose between the two of us. That is your own choice to make, and I can respect your decision either way but --" his voice turned to a whisper now, "Yes. Yes Alaine, I am going to kill him." He couldn't lie to her. She had already figured it out, she already knew anyways, and even if he said no to her... When she would find out that Jon did die, her suspicions would already be on him. Better to let her know now, than to accuse him of not trusting her later on.

[Alaine Fitzwulf]

Alaine only stood there in shock. “Friends? Who? The Harcourts? The Alinars? The Vulferams? We are related to almost all of Arbrecht.” Many of their aunts and great aunts had married into families across Arbrecht. They had cousins and relatives in almost all the banner families in this land. “You friends would also plot to kill my husband too would they? How could you say such a thing to me! Your sister! Would you kill my child too if they stood in your way?”

She didn't know what she'd do. She'd have to pick between her husband and her brother. She knew that was evident. “Jon will bring unity to Arbrecht. He is not his father Corbin. The Montroses back the Fitzwulf rule, as do the Storms. A montrose is married to Jon's Uncle.” She retaliated looking at him. But he spoke the words she didn't want to hear.

“You would leave my child without its father? You would break apart a family? Why? Why? All for the sake of vengeance? Let me talk to Jon Corbin. I can convince him to spare you! I don't want to lose either of you.” She could already feel the tears forming within her. No. He had just returned to her and now...now she didn't know what Jon would do. She knew he'd probably kill Corbin but Corbin would kill her husband.

She wanted to protect both of the men she loved.

[Corbin Blanchard]

"I will not name them Alaine. We might be alone here, but this castle has ears... I would not betray them so easily as the Fitzwulfs betrayed us."

He didn't want to say what he would do to her child though. As much as he wanted to believe it, he knew that he likely would kill the child. It was a harsh thing really, but there could be nothing left that would have any connection to the Fitzwulf family. Even if that meant harming his future niece, as Alaine was convinced it was. So he ignored that part of her questioning, he had to. He wasn't going to tell her the truth in this regards, but he wasn't willing to openly lie to her as well. However he did decide to answer concerning Jon.

"You keep telling me that he is not his father. But if he is not his father, than what is he? He clearly is his own man then. He would kill me if he had a chance. You don't believe me sister? Call the guards, tell them that I am your brother, write a letter to your dear husband informing him that I am still alive. I would be dead as soon as he sends word. If he were foolish, he would spare me. But Jon Fitzwulf is not a foolish man... No. That is why his time must come."

[Alaine Fitzwulf]

Alaine was quiet after her brother spoke. What was he not telling her? They used to share everything as kids. But now he was being cryptic. She didn't like that. “You will tell me nothing then? Then how can I trust you? You are going to kill my husband! Are you trying to make me hate you Corbin?” She asked him quietly, almost ready to weep. What was she to do? She could not bear the the thought of raising her daughter alone.

“Jon would not kill you. I do not believe it.” She whispered. “Jon is reasonable! If ..if you laid down your arms. If you didn't rebel against him I could guarantee your safety. Jon loves me Corbin. He would not wish to see me sad. I have sway over him. Do you not see!” She almost felt as if she wanted to plead with him to set him back from this task. It was too much.

“Do not make me chose between the two of you. I cannot do it Corbin. I will not do it.”

[Corbin Blanchard]

He scoffed, "Lay down my arms?" It was hopeless. Alaine had changed so much all these past years, not that he could blame her really. It was do that, or die. But he continued on, "By what right should I lay down my arms to him? A usurper. His family stole what is rightfully mine. It should be him who lays down his arms, and pledges to serve me faithfully."

He looked around the room, and continued, "This seat is mine, this province is mine, even this castle is mine. You don't want to choose between him or me? You keep saying that. But you've already chosen him. Just by telling me to lay down my arms. I will not do that, and I cannot do that. I would not lose sight among the gods and men, that I return for what is rightfully mine, and then give it up to someone who was part of what stole it from me. That would destroy the whole social order, and tell everyone that it's okay to rebel and steal the possessions of those you serve."

He turned his back to her, making to leave the room, and speaking without looking at her, he said, "You've already made your choice Alaine. Now I know where I stand with you. I may as well kill myself in front of you now. Then you can frame the whole thing. Say I was some kind of criminal, trying to take advantage of you, but you defended yourself and stabbed me in the throat. Since that's what it appears my life is worth it to you. Jon may be all sorts of different things, but if he wants to legitimize his rule here in Arbrecht, I cannot be left alive. You know this as much as I do, there's no reason to be stubborn about it. So I must strike him first... And you will hate me for it. But unfortunately for my sake, this province is greater than any love you might have had for me. So that is a sacrifice I'm willing to make." He turned his head back towards her, and gave a cold look and he went on, "The die is cast, and his days are numbered. I suggest you get used to it."