(BL) The Villain wants a Divorce!

Cass watched as Taniora slowly extracted herself from the tree, tears flowing freely down her cheeks and tinkling onto the ground. She may have separated from the tree, but she kept her hand on their bark. The nursery tree was also still restless, their leaves trembling and shaking like they were also in shock.

Cass almost wanted to touch the tree, just to see if he could hear what they were thinking, what they were feeling. He wondered for a second if he was the only one feeling that way, but then felt that was inappropriate. That wasn’t why they were here, and he could be nosy all he wanted, but right now was not the time.

Ser Hune was being held by Sir Sanders, her expression soft and emotional as she watched the interaction, while Sir Sanders looked braced for anything to happen. Ser Hune’s parents were the same, holding each other while the other fairies were doing something to comfort each other, touch each other.

Cass hadn’t felt alone while around the fairies before now, but in this moment, a sliver of it slipped in. He swallowed, forcing the thought away before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, and found that Byron was standing there, his eyes unreadable, but his hand a warmth against his shoulder. He didn’t remove it, keeping it there as they continued to watch Taniora speak to the nursery tree.

It was comforting. Cass felt his shoulders relax and the small touch allowed him to remain standing there waiting until Taniora was done speaking.

When she finally broke off, the tree shook and instead of the leaves that Cass expected to fall, soft, pale pink petals fell instead. The fairies let out gasps of admiration and awe while Cass stared in fascination. He hadn’t seen a display of magic like this so far, and it was truly stunning.

The petals were soft, harmless as they touched his skin and clothes, and Taniora was grinning as she approached. She walked past the others, coming towards Cass and taking his hands in hers.

"I feel like I’ve learned so many things." She told him, her eyes glittering with knowledge, love and affection. "I have also learned about everything you have done, all that you plan to do, and I am so excited and proud and filled with so many positive emotions that I can barely contain them." Her eyes overflowed, the gems sliding off of her cheeks and landing amongst the blades of grass.

Cass let out an awkward laugh. It kind of felt like his sister bragging about him behind his back to people who he hadn’t met, and then having to speak to them after.

"I haven’t done much." Cass argued, and Taniora smiled at him. Her smile felt like she knew something he didn’t, and that was something he couldn’t understand. He hadn’t done much. He hadn’t gotten revenge, he hadn’t even bought that many places that fairies could occupy. He hadn’t changed any rules. All he’d done was...give in to his demonic blood in this very house and tell the world of nobles that Fiona was pregnant with one of their kids. That didn’t seem like a positive thing to do.

She squeezed his hands, grinning.

"You brought Ser Hune here, didn’t you? Allowed her to stay? Prevented this home from falling into the wrong hands, brought in dragons to keep the tree and its people safe. You’ve defended and cared for the tree, treated it well, honoured it the best way that you could. You wept over the damage done, even if that damage was done for your own benefit. I also heard about several plans you are considering." She said, really sounding like one of his sister’s work friends who he had never met now. Cass felt his cheeks warm.

"I can’t do much as the replacement hero right now. I have to be on call." Cass told her and her eyes narrowed, her smile remaining.

"Hmm. While I was angry at first, I had no idea what you were going through as a hero, and as a fairy in the kingdom. We can speak more on a few of the plans I’ve concocted after I’ve seen where I was laid to rest, but that will have to be in the morning. We won’t be able to see anything with the world being dark outside right now." Cass had no idea how she knew that it was dark out. Everywhere she had been in the house had no access to windows.

Then, he watched as she glanced back to the tree and he wondered if the tree had been able to share their own vision with her? That would be a rather interesting thing that it could do, and if that was the case, Cass wondered if it could share its sight with other living creatures, not just...ghosts.

"Alright. I’m assuming you want to remain here, correct?" Cass asked, looking around the area that the nursery tree had expanded. Taniora smiled.

"Well, my hope is that because I don’t, er, can’t sleep, that you would allow me to wander through the house and check out all of the new things I am unfamiliar with." She said, glancing at Cass with big, watery eyes. There was no way Cass would have turned her down anyways, but he did appreciate the look she was giving him. Like Cass would have told her no and she had beg for the right to wander the halls.

He couldn’t tell her that it was her right as the living dead to wander the halls. He didn’t think anyone in the room would take it well, so instead he just smiled and shook his head.

"Of course you can wander. How about I show you where my room is so that you can come pester me if something is going wrong? Or you could pester Sam and Byron." Cass said, turning his head towards Byron who was still behind him, holding onto his shoulder.

Byron gave a nod of consent, agreeing with Cass’ words. Taniora smiled warmly.

"Thank you for granting me permission. The nursery tree said that you would, but I thought it rude to assume that I could do anything I wanted in your house." She said. Cass shrugged.

"It’s okay. I own several, and this isn’t the one that I really consider mine, anyways. This feels more like the nursery tree’s home and the fairies that have cared for this area for years instead of my own home." Cass told her. He could see how the others were beginning to react to his words and he waved a dismissive hand, slowly turning and began to move, leaving the nursery tree behind for the moment.

He had others he had to care for outside of the tree, and they were outside waiting. He needed to get this party on the road.

"Don’t look like that." Cass said, smiling. "I think it’s only fair. They have all been caring for this home for a long time. I’m just a...keeper of this house." Cass said. "My other home I built, so I’m partial to it." His Aunt, Alysora snapped her fingers, her eyes bright.

"Oh! You’re referring to the house that you built near the town! With your rights to the land." She said and Cass’ smile was wide as he nodded.

He did have a special place in his heart for that place. Partly due to the fact that was where he had woken up, but also because he felt...more at home there. The gardens, the birds, the life that was there just felt...better to Cass.

Not that he didn’t like this home, he was just...a park kind of guy. Having such a wonderful wandering space outside of his windows and that he had easy access to was...therapeutic to both of his souls.

"Yes. It’s a true mansion, with each hero of the hero party having their own set of rooms. There is even a temple attached to the mansion through a pathway that’s covered, but we also allow the regular folk to come and pray at the temple. We have guards, a dungeon, a very nice library, gardens, for food production and for wandering. The entrance is a circular one so that carriages can easily come in and out of the space." Cass listed off all of the things that he could think of that would be a selling point to it. "Oh! And I also hired several artists to create pieces for it. The walls are littered with them." Cass said, then chuckled. "Except they are all terrified of me."

Ser Hune tsked.

"What do you mean, terrified of you? You would never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. Did Deacon not help clear up any of the confusion about you?" Ser Hune sounded annoyed, and Cass chuckled.

"I think he enjoyed being Lord Blackburn’s head guard, if I’m honest. It also kept those away who would try to cling to someone who had power." Cass said with a shrug. "If you think about how much money I have personally, outside of the money that the Blackburn family is known to have, yeah. I should have a lot of pests floating around me, nipping at my ankles for even a morsel of my wealth. Keeping up a negative image keeps most away." Cass said with a shrug.

Aunt Alysora brought her brows together, staring at Cass.

"Out of curiousity, how much money do you have?" She asked and Cass turned, giving her a bright, dangerous smile.

"Enough that if I asked for all of the money that I lent out, the Kingdom would collapse. The castle? I own it through loans. Something even my grandfather was unable to do because I used a fake name to lure the king in." Cass gave a dark, evil laugh. "The idiot king didn’t even think that I would switch around a few letters in my name, nor that I would be bold enough to approach the king and give him a loan. He thinks he has our loyalty. Well, he did think that. After the last stunt we pulled, maybe not so much anymore." Byron snorted.

"Maybe the rumours are perpetuated when you smile like that and gleefully speak of other’s downfalls, justified or not, my Lord." Byron told him quietly, but his lips were curled up slightly at the corners. Cass gave a shrug, his smile still on his lips.

Even the other fairies were smiling, including Taniora.

"I will never argue or be upset about the human kings not doing well." Aunt Alysora said, grinning from ear to ear. "Even better when we’ve had one of our own outsmart them." She nodded. "We’ll go through with your plan then. Pick petty fights that they can’t win against." She said. Cass grinned, before he paused momentarily.

"If I may? Can I suggest you speak to one my men in particular? He’s the human helping helping me acquire all of the homes for the fairies that will be coming, and the reason he’s so loyal is his strong hatred for a few nobles in particular, and those who...discriminate against same sex marriage. I’m sure he’s been keeping a hit list, or know how to get one." Cass suggested. Aunt Alysora’s eyes widened, before they narrowed as she grinned devilishly.

"Oh lovely. I’m glad to be pointed in the right direction, especially since both of my sweet nephews are in romantic relationships with men." Cass blinked. Well, he was surprised to hear that.

It was only when Byron laughed, squeezing Cass’ shoulder, that he caught on. Oh. She was referring to him and Bryon. She might have other nephews, but why would she be referring to them right now?

Cass felt his face warm in embarrassment as the others laughed, their humour a warm blanket around him. He felt cozy, even as they discussed the destruction of the systems around them. Cass wasn’t alone, even without Lucian at his side.

It was a bittersweet thought, but he was also happy for when Lucian would be back. He would be proud of all that they had done while he was gone. Cass hoped that he would.