Zevran had grown tired of wandering these halls and he really had no desire to wander the streets of Skia. He didn't want to be here anymore. He wanted to go home, whether or not he had the military of Nevermere at his back. They were wasting so much time here, just waiting on the King. If there was one thing Zevran had learned through this, it was that he hated anyone who felt the need to rule over others.

He was laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, just churning over all of this in his mind. He even hated this bed. He'd take anything to just sleep in his wagon again. Rune was laying curled up on a chair in the corner, her gaze trained on her Dresmondi, sharing in his misery and brooding for once instead of trying to talk him out of it. They were truly in a sorry state.

At the knock on his door he shot upward and the sound of Alys's voice carried him out of his bed and to the door, quickly shaking off the brooding. He greeted her with a small smile when he opened the door and leaned on the jam. "Hey Alys. Long time, no see."

It was true, she had disappeared since the day they had met the King. But he remembered how upset she had looked after her private meeting with the King and he figured she had just been busy handling whatever that had been about. Remembering that and seeing her now, his features softened a bit. "How are you doing?"

Alys had expected to find him opening the door, except she hadn’t been expecting the reaction she felt when she saw him. It was like she had come up from jumping into the icy winter waters. The first breath of air that was one saying she could fight though the darkness and the cold. That the air, no matter how much it burned, was there. Was always there for her, all she had to do was breathe. And keep her head above the water.

She stared, just like she had that first day. And only the softening of his voice seemed to echo through her and snap her out of whatever made her step towards him. Blinking as if breaking some spell and she let her eyes drop in confusion before she registered the words. The first apologetic look was towards Rune, before she looked back to Zevran. “I-“ she caught his bright gaze and blinked back the sadness that rushed forward.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been present.” her words were soft, and a small smile touched her lips for a second. Only to let it fall. “My husband died,” the words tasted foreign on her tongue. “While I was away.“ her voice cracked a little but she cleared her throat and started shoving the feeling away. It seems it was what everyone wanted her to do, now that she knew. They had all mourned and were farther in their healing process. Alys would only slow them down.

“Would you care to walk?” She said it quickly, and glanced over her shoulder as if to show the path they’d take.

He pushed off of the door jamb and stood straight when she dropped the news on him, his eyes going wide. Death and misfortune was something he had become familiar with in the past years, but here it was different. They didn't know suffering each and every day here. It occurred to him that this must have been the reason she seemed so distraught on the day they had arrived. The King had delivered the news to her right then and there.

Still, he didn't know what to say or what was customary here for those that had lost loved ones, so his hands fell limp at his sides. "I'm so sorry Alys," he murmured. Rune had hopped off of the chair and approached the door. She let out a quiet whimper, peering up at Alys, also at a loss.

He nodded slowly at her question, knowing he needed to get out as much as she might have needed to at the moment. He stepped out of his room, closing the door after Rune. He turned a sad smile towards Alys, "Lead the way."

Her eyes moved between the two, knowing that Rune understood what she had said just as clearly as Zevran had. Their months of traveling together had made that easy to understand. That Rune was more human in ways than anything else. She shook her head slightly at their apologies. "I just wanted to explain, why I have been... distant. It's not because of you." She answered honestly. But she was glad they accepted the walk, asking her to lead the way so she nodded in the direction they'd start their walk.

"How have you two been? I know this is very different. Nevermere over all but also," She gestured a little to the castle itself.

A line of confusion developed between his brows at her explanation, his head tilting to the side slightly. "I just assumed you were busy with more important things. You seemed pretty distraught when you came in with the King, so..." And now he knew why.

Feeling a bit awkward, they both followed Alys quietly until she continued their conversation. He looked up and around when she gestured, though he was already quite familiar with these walls. He shrugged lightly, "I didn't think we'd be here as long as we have, honestly. It's certainly been different, but we're coping. We have to."

If coping meant sulking around the halls and garden of this monstrously large building, then they were doing quite well at it. Day in and day out, they waited. And waited some more, hoping to be called on by the King so he could go home and save his friends.

He flailed at what to ask her in return, knowing he couldn't ask how she'd been. Clearly, she had not been well. He tried a different course instead, "Have you enjoyed your time with your children since coming home?" It seemed like a safe enough topic. She had spoken so highly of them while they were traveling.

A sad smile crossed her face, understanding that it wasn’t exactly easy for him to go around asking questions. Nevermere was a fairly private kingdom, had been for a long time. Only really pressing out into other lands several years ago, and still weary of strangers at times. Especially ones that almost all of Terra nova still didn’t quite understand.

“I know, we traveled for so long and now we are here finally. There is… just a lot going on.” She knew it barely explained any of it, she was one of the top positions of power in the kingdom but she easily came to a heel when it came to Cassian. “Cassian doesn’t make rash decisions when it comes to kingdoms. I don’t think he wants to make you all wait, but it involves a lot.” She let’s out a long breath. “I’m sorry it’s kept you in a feeling of being in-between.” She couldn’t help but brush her hand against his shoulder in a comforting way, almost selfish in another as she got the second of touch between them before her hand fell away to her side.

The mention of her children though, had her softening before his eyes. Clearly, they were something she held near and dear. She did a lot of things for the hope and idea that it would bring a better future for the two of them. “I have. They grow fast, especially since I was gone for so long… and every day I’m a little taken back by how I’ve been blessed to have them.” She gave a small, breathy laugh. “My son, he is a lot more like myself. And my daughter, like her father. But strangely a mix of us all at the same time.” She knew from their travels that he didn’t have children (or at least that he knew of), so she gave him an almost apologetic smile. “I’ll talk about them for hours, as you know.” She had done it in their travels. “Have you and Rune gotten to explore the forest yet? Outside the castle?”

If his answer was no, then she was going to reach out and the two of them would take a sudden sharp turn, her hand steering him from the crook of his elbow.