Hellfire -- The Bacchanalia
Cameron made his case, and for the most part, Haleigh let him speak, though she found it very difficult to accept the things he said as having much merit, given her experience these past few days. She didn't believe he felt lucky to be married to her, when he'd so easily shed his ring and abandoned his commitment. She couldn't see why he would have suddenly become jealous of Alek, when he'd been so encouraging before, and was still, even now, listing the positive aspects of her relationship with the Red King. She refused to accept his insistence that he was monogamous, when he played around with his secretary, set up a literal date with the Vampire Queen, romanced his Knight, and harbored his very evident residual feelings for Elena.
Gia, surprisingly, tried to mediate. Haleigh gave her a small smile. It came from a good place, even if this moment was not the time for others to weigh in. It was no surprise that Cameron barely acknowledged Gia, because he hadn't really been paying attention to anyone else. He focused his attention back on Haleigh. She told him, honestly, that she couldn't believe him anymore, as she once had. He instantly shifted from apologetic to aggrieved.
Cameron: I have NEVER once lied you to you, Haleigh. Never.
"You've hidden things from me, does that not imply dishonesty? Your meeting with Ashley yesterday morning, obscured, your conversation with Ava last night, shrouded, your whereabouts for the last twelve hours, cloaked. And I shouldn't be suspicious? I should just have blind faith that what you're keeping from me is not cause for alarm? When I deduce that you might be upset, to a homicidal degree, and you make no attempt to dispel that concern, for twelve fucking hours, I'm just supposed to accept, upon your prodigal return, that you meant me no harm?"
She further explained that it was his actions that proved most truthful, and he claimed that she was not being fair, but interestingly, he would not refute her statements. She told him, in no uncertain terms, that she wouldn't stay with a man who let her believe he was a danger to her or her children. Because while perhaps all the other issues could be addressed, that was the worst of it, and Haleigh found herself unable to forgive him for that. She would not have let him think she would hurt him, or his daughter with Elena, no matter how angry she got. Even if she needed space, she would not have left him in the state of fear and vulnerability she spent the last 12 hours stuck in. But clearly he didn't get it.
Cameron: But you will gladly stay with those who let you believe it as well?
"How would they have known your intentions? They had their doubts, but even still, they mobilized a defense, because we had no idea how far you would go. Only YOU knew, because you kept it to yourself."
Cameron: God, Haleigh, what does it say about us that your VERY first feeling you had, after you have known me my entire life, shared my bed for the last six years, known the deepest parts of my mind and soul, was that I would KILL you and our CHILD?! I can't believe that I am sitting here trying to convince you, convince EVERYONE that I wouldn't murder my WIFE.
"What does it say when you know your wife fears you, and yet you let her believe it, all night, and all the next day, and then you come back, and just expect her to get over it, promptly?"
Cameron: I changed my whole LIFE for you Haleigh. I called off a wedding, I gave up The Black Throne, I have done any and everything you have EVER asked of me, without hesitation. How can you not see that I love you?
"You GOT a wedding. You GOT the White Throne. You GOT a wife who was willing to take an unknown risk, and make a deal that benefited YOUR entire family, to give YOU the heir you wanted. Don't you DARE act like you're the only one who has made sacrifices here. Don't you DARE try to hold YOUR CHOICES against me."
She replied, and then she told him that she didn’t know where they went from here, but she DID know that after what he’d done, and not done, it was going to take more than one conversation to restore some semblance of trust between them. He deemed that as unfair.
Cameron: You are saying that I have to react to every situation in whatever way you want me to or need me to in order for me to be a good husband. To be a good partner.
“No, I’m saying in order to be MY husband, MY partner, you must not constitute a THREAT to my safety, or KNOWINGLY let me THINK you are such a threat. I understand being upset, I understand wanting space to get your mind right, but how could you leave me in a state of panic like that?”
She asked him painfully, but all he offered was a cursory acknowledgement that he should’ve told somebody what was up. She shook her head as he tried to excuse his behavior because he was hurt, and even went so far as to imply it was acceptable to hurt the ones you supposedly loved just because you were hurting. He also said one was allowed to go through their ‘own shit’, which was rich considering that he was refusing to allow that she went through her ‘own shit’ as a result of his decisions.
He finally admitted he left so he wouldn’t ‘do something he regretted’, which sounded a lot like he might’ve been wanting to murder somebody after all. And then he expressed angrily that he’d left because something that was supposed to be ‘theirs’ and nobody else’s was taken by Alek, whom he insulted.
Then he tried to tell her why she was really upset, which made it clear that he was only talking and not listening to what she was actually saying. How could it be her pride in the way, when she was standing here as exposed as he was, with everyone in their own Inner Circle, plus the visiting Regents, watching the death of her marriage, and witnessing her blatant admission that she was so afraid of her own husband, she basically begged the others to protect her from him?
Further, he lectured her about what Love was, and though he stuck an apology in there, he said he didn’t want to be her whipping boy. She wasn’t asking him for that, and she wasn’t asking him to be ‘indentured’ to her forever for his mistakes either. But the one thing she did ask him for, separation, was something he summarily refused. And it just proved that he was never really going to put her needs before his, even if her needs were something as basic as feeling safe and unconditionally supported.
Alek offered to escort her back to the party, and Cameron fully injected his permission for that to happen. It was absolutely unbelievable, how he was acting. Then he told her not to let Alek do to her what he did to Ashley. She stared at Cameron, perplexed. What did that even mean? Ashley and Alek broke up. Their relationship now was contentious, sure, but they BOTH contributed to that, they both continued to antagonize each other. Ashley was not some meek girl that Alek had preyed upon, nor was she a weak victim of his. She gave as good as she got, and neither of them were waving the white flag, it seemed. So why would Cameron focus on it, and phrase it that way?
"So your last stab is to inject fear into my relationship with him? You don't think it's a problem that that is a tactic you're willing to use against me to get what you want?"
She asked, shaking her head in disappointment. But there was nothing more to say. To continue to argue with him would be a futile effort, as he was not listening to anything she said, and just seemed to expect her to forgive and forget, as if the last twelve hours hadn't happened. But she would be a fool to capitulate so easily. Maybe she had been mistaken in jumping to the conclusion that he'd hurt her or her daughter, but she would never forget the feeling of stark terror that followed that train of thought, nor was she willing to overlook the fact that he'd made NO effort to alleviate that fear until it was convenient for him to do so.
Then suddenly John was rushing away, saying something about Ava, and taking the Black Guard with him. Zach looked at Haleigh, and she told him the last place Ava was on camera, heading down to the catacombs. The group started to split up, some curious about Ava, some just wandering away because it was obvious the fight between Haleigh and Cameron was in its death throes. Haleigh slipped her hand around Alek's arm, only mildly concerned about her sister Queen, because this was AVA they were talking about. She could handle herself just fine. Haleigh looked at Cameron for a moment, sadly.
"I'll have Verdict draw up the divorce papers, since you clearly aren't going to keep your word."
She said, and then she got a text message.
<<From John>> Archer dead. Tried to murder Ava. She's ok. Brienne on house arrest. Says she didn't know.
<<To John>> I'll have my Rook keep an eye on Brienne. Let me know if you need anything else.
She replied, knowing it was highly likely that Zach was with Brienne right now, and would insist on remaining with her until her name was cleared. Hopefully she wasn't guilty, but Haleigh didn't think Zach would stick with her if she was in on trying to murder Ava.
Haleigh looked around the party, and she didn't much feel like she could enjoy it anymore. Her appetite was nonexistent, the fighting pits would take some time to reorganize, she couldn't drink the wine fountains... She sighed heavily, and then looked up at Alek.
"I'm exhausted, do you mind if we call it a night?"
Bretta shrunk them both down her now tiny size and they all took off flying, Cassandra flying slightly ahead of them as she knew her way around the mansion. Once they arrived in the catacombs, Bretta turned all of them back to normal size and they silently followed Brienne’s voice to the area where John and Ava were. ::
