Love mends even the broken parts
Not trusting himself to speak, Loren simply nodded at Maea's easy acceptance. Of course, even that hint of relief faded as he continued speaking about his childhood (or lack thereof). When her hand found his, he opened his eyes and glanced toward her.
However, when she revealed her own past, the tears he'd been holding back finally fell. As always, they streamed down his cheeks in a silent flood, since he almost never cried out loud. Squeezing her fingers slightly, he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry that happened to you. No parent should ever..." His voice trailed over, and he shrugged a bit helplessly.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remember. "They hurt us. With magic, mostly. And, because obedience could only be enforced through strength, and because we were bound in service to the throne, the ones with the mightiest and most dangerous magics were at the head of the family. They bent the rest of us to their will by any means necessary." It came out in a half-choked voice.
Retrieving his hand from her, he found his hands clenching into fists. "Those who were too weak, or too headstrong, were punished. Again, and again, and again. And we were forced to fight one another, in order to establish the hierarchy. Sibling against sibling, parent against child." He looked away again. "I was one of the weak ones." It came out in a shameful whisper.
Looking up at a passing cloud, he fell silent for a while. He just stroked Astra's fur. When he finally did speak up again, it was in another broken and distant whisper. "You wanna know the worst part?" He trained haunted eyes on her. "It didn't even keep most of us alive."
However, when she revealed her own past, the tears he'd been holding back finally fell. As always, they streamed down his cheeks in a silent flood, since he almost never cried out loud. Squeezing her fingers slightly, he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry that happened to you. No parent should ever..." His voice trailed over, and he shrugged a bit helplessly.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remember. "They hurt us. With magic, mostly. And, because obedience could only be enforced through strength, and because we were bound in service to the throne, the ones with the mightiest and most dangerous magics were at the head of the family. They bent the rest of us to their will by any means necessary." It came out in a half-choked voice.
Retrieving his hand from her, he found his hands clenching into fists. "Those who were too weak, or too headstrong, were punished. Again, and again, and again. And we were forced to fight one another, in order to establish the hierarchy. Sibling against sibling, parent against child." He looked away again. "I was one of the weak ones." It came out in a shameful whisper.
Looking up at a passing cloud, he fell silent for a while. He just stroked Astra's fur. When he finally did speak up again, it was in another broken and distant whisper. "You wanna know the worst part?" He trained haunted eyes on her. "It didn't even keep most of us alive."
loren
