153.
Rayla is back a week, maybe two weeks, and honestly, Opeli is not happy about it. It was too easy, she thinks, too forgiving. When she came home with the boys the first time, it was fine because they promised she was their friend and had nothing to do with King Harrow's death and Callum obviously loved her with all of his heart. Opeli was willing—and happy—to sort of adopt her into the royal family, just another orphan, another child needing a home, and then she left and—
Well. Callum and Ezran might be happy to let such a thing slide, but she is not. She did not watch Callum break two years ago for Rayla to come sidling back in like nothing happened. She did not watch him mope around the castle, miserable and heartbroken, for Rayla to return without even an apology to him. Opeli stands for Justice, and Justice will not be denied.
When they return from the Sea of the Castout, Aaravos' shining prison in Ezran's arms in need of somewhere safe to hide, Opeli welcomes the boys back gladly, relieved that they're safe and they're home once more, but she regards Rayla coolly and does not offer her the same warmth. Rayla shuffles a little under her glare, but she says nothing about it.
It's not until dinner that evening that anyone mentions it at all.
"We do not keep weapons at the table," Opeli says crisply, when Rayla takes a seat, resting her mentor's bow against the chair next to her—the same bow that Rayla broke into Callum's office to steal; the same again that killed King Harrow.
Rayla withers a little, her eyes on the floor, even as she gets up again to put it away, but Callum sets a hand at her elbow and glares back.
"Since when?" he demands. "Soren doesn't put his sword away for meals."
"Soren is captain of the Crownguard," says Opeli. "There are reasons for him to carry weapons, and none so good for this elf—"
"Her name is Rayla, Opeli, and she can do what she wants."
"Prince Callum, if I may—"
"No!" Callum slams a hand against the table, rattling the silverware in his wake. "Don't think I haven't noticed! You've been kind of an ass to her since she came back and it's not okay! What the hell's the problem?"
Opeli scowls at him, affronted. "Language like that is not appropriate for a prince and high-mage—"
"And the way you've been acting isn't appropriate for a high cleric," snaps Callum. "The castle is Rayla's home, the same as the rest of us. Back off."
It comes off like an order and Callum's eyes are hard, so Opeli ducks her head and mutters an apology to him without further argument, but she sees Rayla shift uncomfortably all the same and is pleased to know that she has not let herself off the hook so easily. It's still a surprise, though, when, just before bed, there is a knock on Opeli's office door.
Opeli rises and blinks to find Rayla on the other side of it looking guilty and uneasy but there all the same.
"Can we talk?" she asks, and Opeli nods stiffly if only because she doesn't know what else to say. She steps back to let Rayla in, and Rayla waits until she's seated again before she takes a seat herself. She takes a breath. "Did I do something wrong?" she asks at last.
"You tell me," says Opeli, her lips thin.
Rayla pauses and fiddles with her fingers. "I know it's not just about the bow," she says after a moment. "I just... I don't want to keep causing trouble. You've all been so kind to let me stay here but—"
"If you leave again, you will not be forgiven," snaps Opeli, and then she scolds herself for making it so obvious, for giving it away at all. She wrinkles her nose and presses on. "My duty is to Lady Justice and to the Crown, Rayla, and I will not see either insulted by someone so cruel. Do you know what you did to him? Do you know how broken he was in your absence? And for you to come back thinking all would be fine, and then to break into his office to steal that bow, and then to leave again—"
"I'm sorry, okay?" says Rayla at last. "I mean it. I can't do that to him again, Opeli, it killed me the first time, and I knew the whole time—"
"Why do it then? Why be so selfish?"
"Because—" Rayla swallows and looks away. "I just didn't want him to get hurt. And we left for the Bookery, and ran into so much trouble and he got hurt anyway, for me, and I—" She sucks in a breath. "I'm sorry I hurt him. I'm sorry he keeps getting hurt. I just... want him to be safe."
Opeli says nothing for a moment. She studies the way Rayla curls in on herself, shoulders bowed with grief and guilt and regret. And for all her devotion to Lady Justice, for all her talk about Justice not being denied, Opeli sighs, pulls another teacup from her desk drawer, and slides it across the desk.
"You and I have that in common," she says, pouring Rayla some tea. "And I see that all he wants is the same for you."
"I—" Rayla flushes. "He shouldn't."
"That choice is his to make," says Opeli. "Have you made yours?"
Rayla presses her lips together and nods, her eyes shut to dam up the moisture welling at the corners. "Yes," she promises. "I can't do that to him again, Opeli. I won't. I mean it."
"I should hope not," says Opeli. "Drink your tea. It's not so comforting when it's cold."
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HI I SAW UR TAGS ON MY DRAWING OF UNPOPULAR FAVES AND ID LOVE TO HEAR SOME OF UR SHARK HEADCANONS IF UR WILLING TO SHARE :) I JUST RLLY LIKE HIM TOO!! (-@kinkajouwof)
HELLO!! THANK YOU SM FOR ASKING!! I will happily share some Shark headcanons I have <33 Hopefully they all make sense I always have a hard time trying to formulate thoughts so !!!!!
- Shark was born a bastard child from the king! he was a year younger then Coral and something the Queen held distain for. She “graciously” (wanted to keep her public appearance) allowed him to stay in the castle but never officiated his title of Prince
- Him & Coral grew up really close! The Queen was often to overlook and mistreat Shark and Coral was quick to his defense. The two remained close throughout childhood and into early adulthood
- When Coral became queen she held a ceremony to officiate his status as Prince and a royal guardsman <3
- Fallowing in his fathers footsteps, Shark held a fascination with weaponry! He wasn’t the most keen on actually using said weapons, instead their construction, history, ex. When the war started he decided to put that knowledge to a higher use, raising the ranks along his good friend Commander Tempest, being her second-in-command due to skill, he became a council member of Defence due to nepotism though, much to his distain
- Despite his focus in the more tedious aspects of weaponry he did go to a training course for soldiers during his youth, there he met Tempest and the two became friends. He was a regular guardsman under Queen-Mother’s rule. The position of Guardsman is how he met Abalone and lived briefly as a semi-normal citizen & struck up romance with Abalone. They are gay married because I say so!!!!
- Due to his training & friendship with Tempest and her brother Gill, Shark is quite the Pacifist! Despite this he starkly believes that pacifism in war achieves nothing while warhawks hold power, resulting in his focus on primarily defense and ties in diplomatic measures. Hes a bit of a hypocrite though as he upholds his sisters rule
- He is deeply and incredibly concerned for his sister lmao. The two grew up very close and he feels he owes her a lot for protecting him during their youth & mentoring his daughter when he was unable to, but since becoming Queen and loosing Orca she’s definitely changed. Shark wants to support his sister but finds it hard as she becomes more like her mother..
- Shark questions Blister’s motives and worries on her influence to Coral. This is paired with the Dragonets of Destiny, fearing they will choose Blister as queen, he holds great distain for them and the power they wield.
- Whenever Blister comes to visit Shark used to try and sit-in on meetings and was known to casually disagree with the princess, he has since been banned from meetings despite being a councilmember due to his outbursts at the Sandwing </3
Hopefully that all!!! Flows!!! Thank you sm for asking about Shark I think he is so cool and I have like a whole backstory for him pfbhj him, abalone, coral, gill, and tempest are in a friend group !!!!! Anyway heres a compilation of my favorite Shark images
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