Chapter 63 #2
After that point, he had been able to look at his father’s actions as a king, both trusting them and questioning them.
Someday, when Frederich was awake and strong, Ian wanted to tell his father how angry he was that Frederich had intercepted Robin’s letters. Ian loved his father and always would, but the grief of that decision would stay with him forever.
Ian felt a flicker of movement from his father’s chest. He looked down.
A small bluish shimmer had appeared under Aizel’s hands, seeping down into Frederich’s heart.
The king’s chest rose and fell, the motion so small that Ian thought he might have imagined it. No, his father was definitely breathing deeper now, deep enough to see.
Aizel’s magic was working.
The blue shimmer slowly spread, glowing around the king’s body, wrapping over Ian’s hand and climbing up his arm.
The sensation of the magic was barely there, just a slight warmth.
Ian looked up to see the blue shimmer reacting similarly to Ashlin, Isa, and his mother. It appeared to be seeking them out, spreading itself like a blanket over Frederich’s body because of their presence around him.
Heartened by this, Ian pushed himself to his knees, preparing to stand and relieve Robin.
But Onric placed a hand on his shoulder, pressing him back down. “I have endured far less than you this day,” Onric said. “You are needed here.”
Ian exhaled. His every instinct told him to stand, to be the bigger brother and take on this responsibility despite the logic in his brother’s words.
But Onric was right. Ian needed the blanket of harmony magic that continued to crawl over his body nearly as much as Frederich did.
Robin had no space in her mind to focus on anything other than avoiding Gareth’s constant blows. Several of them had landed, some knocking her completely to the ground. Her body would be a single giant bruise by the end of this.
A new body appeared by her side. She had no presence of mind to realize that it was Onric until he had firmly stepped in front of her, pushing her back.
Unable to resist his gentle shove, Robin stumbled away from the grueling fight.
Instinctively, her eyes traveled across the rest of the room, scanning for threats. But what she saw in the space behind her was far from a threat.
A beautiful, shimmering blue cloud covered King Frederich and his family members. It was spreading beyond them, slowly seeping into the rest of the room.
Robin’s whole body was drawn to the beautiful scene. She wanted nothing more than to sink onto the floor in the empty space beside Ian and let the light surround her.
But she had a fight to win. It was her job to distract Gareth so the family could enrich the harmony magic enough to dispel the chaos.
Doggedly, she turned back to face Gareth.
Aden and Onric, their swords drawn, almost appeared to be dancing in their fight with the superhuman king. Gareth was still raining blows on them, but the two royally trained castle guards evaded him with ease.
Robin watched for a moment longer to ensure that what she was seeing continued to be true.
Onric looked terrible. A deep purple bruise was forming across half of his face, and blood dribbled down his forehead—the result of Gareth’s previous blows.
But now, Gareth’s blows did not appear to be landing as often.
It was working.
The harmony magic in the room was working.
She looked back at the small family circle, awe and hope rising in her chest.
Her mind screamed at her to rejoin the fight, to remain strong. But another part of her said to join the family in supporting the harmony magic around Frederich. Perhaps, this once, she could support by being supported.
And she wanted to be next to Ian.
For the first time in her life, she turned her back on an open enemy and walked away. She could feel the moment the blue shimmer enveloped her; it was like stepping into the warm air around a fire on a bitterly cold night.
When she dropped to the ground next to Ian, she stifled a groan as her bruised knees hit the floor.
Reaching out, she placed her hand on Ian’s knee. She could more than imagine what it felt like for him to sit next to his father in this state, and she wanted him to know that she was there, that she understood.
His hand covered hers, squeezing gently.
Invited by his touch, Robin leaned her weight into him, letting her tired body relax against him for support.
She closed her eyes, just for a moment, and breathed in as deeply as her wounded lungs allowed.
Then she opened her eyes, looking down at the king she had spent her life trying to vex. He looked so helpless and different from the man she had stood up against all those years ago. She was proud of her work, proud of everything she had created and everyone she had supported.
But she was glad that she was no longer the young girl reacting in anger.
Frederich was just a man. A man who had done his flawed best to create safety for his people. A man who had learned the truth too late to make lasting change. But it was not too late for her. And it was not too late for this man’s successor.
Robin tilted her head, still resting against Ian’s shoulder, to look up at his face. She fully believed that Ian would also do his flawed best to bring safety and peace to the people of Iseldis and beyond.
Feeling her movement, Ian took his eyes off his father and looked down at her. The expression on his face was so wholly Ian, solemn and peaceful.
Robin relaxed her own face enough to smile up at him.
She was happy and proud to be sitting in the circle of this family, taking her place at his side, and creating harmony together in the midst of hopelessness. If they could build this together at such a time, they could face anything.
Then, Frederich coughed, a sound so small she almost missed it.
Ian dropped his gaze from Robin’s upturned face to his father’s flickering eyelids.
Frederich was waking up.
Ian leaned forward, sensing every one of his family members doing the same around him.
Frederich opened his eyes, looking up at their faces in confusion.
To his right, Ian’s mother let out a joyful sob.
Frederich lifted a hand toward her, and she clasped it in her own.
Twisting his neck, Frederich looked around at each of them, a small smile flickering across his face despite the persistent confusion.
His eyes narrowed when he recognized Robin.
Ian squeezed her hand.
“Robin?” Frederich’s voice was dry and barely audible. But the lines between his eyes had faded into softness. “I have missed much,” he said.
Ian nodded, unsure how to fill his father in on everything that had happened.
Frederich must have picked up on the sounds of the battle, however, as he tilted his head to where Gareth, Onric, and Aden still fought.
“It has been many sevennights,” Ian said. “And Gareth has finally shown his true colors.”
“Do they need help?” Frederich rasped.
“This is the help,” Robin replied, running her hand through the blanket of shimmering blue light.
Frederich brought his gaze slowly back from the fight to land on Ian.
“Gareth showed his true colors long ago. Even as a child he was ruthless and cruel. I am sorry that I thought he was a safe companion for you.” Frederich’s eyes flickered over to Robin, his shame evident.
“Especially when I deemed others who were far more worthy to be unfit.”
Ian nodded. He appreciated his father’s words, but now was not the time for this conversation.
Aden had been fighting for long enough and was clearly tiring. It was time for someone to replace him.
Ian stood.
The blue shimmer had continued to spread throughout the room, though it had not quite reached the fight yet.
Gareth landed a blow that took Aden out.
Ian rushed to his brother’s side, grabbed him under the arms, and pulled him back toward the family circle. Isa and Ashlin rushed to aid him.
Gareth charged toward them, intent on finishing Aden.
But when he stepped into the shimmering cloud of harmony magic, he howled in pain and jumped back.
Ian stepped forward, placing himself between Gareth and the rest of his family. Robin stood at his side. At their feet, the harmony magic continued to spread into the room as they walked.
“It’s over, Gareth,” Ian said. “Your violence cannot withstand our united harmony. Surrender yourself.”
Gareth looked at Ian, appearing every bit the caged animal that he was. “No!” he yelled. “No one can take this from me!” He ran toward Ian, his hands outstretched.
Ian had no time to react as Gareth was upon him in an instant.
The man’s powerful fingers wrapped around Ian’s neck. Ian tensed, knowing Gareth’s strength would destroy him in an instant.
But the harmony magic was already at work. Blue light spread over Ian’s body, washing over Gareth’s hands.
Gareth yanked his hands away, and the look on his face transformed from rage to fear. He stumbled backward, convulsing as the harmony soothed the chaos that had taken hold of his body.
Gareth fell to his knees and clutched at his own throat, as if he was struggling to breathe. His body once again crackled with lightning, but the small flashes instantly disappeared into the blue light.
Then, he collapsed forward.
Ian waited for several heartbeats, unsure what he was waiting for. He had no desire to witness death, but he longed for the relief of knowing that Gareth was truly gone.
Dropping to one knee, he felt for a pulse.
There was none.
Ian dropped his head, then turned his face to the rest of the room behind him. “He’s gone.”
He felt Robin’s hands on his shoulders. She pulled his kneeling body into a tight hug, holding him upright as she supported his weight.
“He’s gone,” Ian repeated, wrapping his arms around her waist. He felt her shaking with emotion and looked up at her face.
“He’s gone,” she said.