Quirin held Domino's reins tightly as they gallopped away from Old Corona. He didn't know exactly where they were going, but Eugene…or was it Prince Horace? How could the heir of the Dark Kingdom come to Corona, become an infamous thief, Varian's idol, and the crown princess' boyfriend, and yet Quirin was completely oblivious about who he really was?
No, stop, don't think about that right now. There was a time and place for his questions to be answered, and now was definitely not the time.
Eugene, or whoever he was, had said that Hector and Edmund weren't far. Hopefully he truly meant that they weren't far, perhaps just past the wall, rather than not far in relation to the Great Tree. If they were a few days' journey away it might not be that far a journey to see his brothers for a casual visit, but for something like this anything that was more than a few hours away was much too far.
Quirin had been wanting to see Hector leave the tree for the past twenty five years. Now that he was finally out Quirin couldn't bring himself to be relieved. He would rather his brother be in the tree, isolated from the world and angry, but safe and alive, than for him to be free from the tree, but tortured by his own thoughts.
Quirin hoped that he was overreacting. Maybe Hector was angry and struggling, but not nearly as badly as Quirin had seen happen. Maybe Edmund's presence could be enough to calm Hector. Quirin hoped for the best, but he rode on as though the worst was happening.
Quirin had hoped that Hector's emotional state had improved in the past several years. He'd never gotten a letter back from Hector, but when Adira dropped in for a visit she would tell him how Hector was doing, and he seemed to be doing decently enough. Quirin had thought that Hector would handle isolation badly, which was why he continued to write to him, even when he never got a response.
Hector had always struggled with being around people though. His self-induced isolation might have actually done him some good, though Quirin still wished that it hadn't lasted nearly this long. Even for someone who hated crowds and was always being misunderstood by others, twenty five years was a long time.
Quirin had sworn to himself that if he got even a hint that Hector's mental state was beginning to deteriorate he would pack up, take Varian, and go to the Great Tree. Quirin had been trying hard to move on and leave the Dark Kingdom in the past behind him, and he especially didn't want to drag his son into his past. Quirin would have happily shared all of his secrets if it meant making sure his brother was safe.
Quirin had always meant to tell Varian about his past eventually, but the time never seemed right. The longer he waited, the harder it was to convince himself to sit Varian down and talk to him. Now that conversation really couldn't be avoided anymore, because Varian already knew so much that he'd tried to keep hidden.
Varian knew Hector and Edmund, and he knew that they were Quirin's brothers. He wouldn't be surprised if Varian knew Adira as well. Varian was dressed like a child of the Dark Kingdom. He wore the symbol of the Brotherhood. He wielded the moonstone. Quirin wanted to know how that had come to happen.
He wanted to learn more about just what Varian had been put through here in Corona. How could his sweet, kind, happy, innocent son ever become a criminal? The thought of Varian locked in the dungeon was terrifying, and completely unbelievable. How could so much have changed in a relatively short period of time? How long exactly had Varian been in the dungeon? And how long had he been on his own?
Quirin could worry about Varian constantly. His son was his life. He was his everything. But Varian wasn't his only family. He also had his brother, and right now he needed to think about him. Despite Quirin's concern for his son, he had to push him to the back of his mind. He had to tell himself that Varian would be fine. He had Eugene with him. Quirin may not know him, but he knew Edmund, and if Eugene was even half as protective and dedicated as the king was then Varian would be just fine.
About an hour after leaving Old Corona, Quirin could finally see a few figures on the ground in the distance. Even from this distance, and after all this time, he could recognize Edmund immediately. His cloak was unmistakable. Quirin was terrified for a minute that Edmund was on the ground because he was unconscious. If Hector had knocked him out and run off, then Quirin was terrified that he would never be able to find his brother, at least not alive.
As he got closer Quirin could see Hector's prone form lying on the ground underneath Edmund. He was being pinned down by Edmund and another person that Quirin didn't recognize. This wasn't at all ideal. Quirin would prefer it if Hector wasn't being pinned down, as that was dangerous in its own right, but at least Hector was there.
"Your majesty!" Quirin called out as soon as he thought he was close enough to be heard. "Edmund!"
The king lifted his head and looked towards him. The relief in Edmund's eyes was clear. He looked much younger and more vulnerable than he really was.
"Quirin." Edmund greeted him, though he didn't sit up. He continued to hold Hector down. Hector didn't respond at all to hearing Quirin's voice or Edmund's response. Quirin knew that he had to be in a pretty bad state if he couldn't understand what he heard.
Quirin barely waited for Domino to stop before he dismounted and approached them. He knelt in front of Hector's head, barely noticing the stranger that was holding him down.
"Hector." Quirin began to genty run his fingers through his brother's hair. The young man stepped aside for him, giving him room. Quirin didn't need to guess why Hector needed to have his head held down. He just hoped it wouldn't be necessary anymore. "Brother, it's alright. You're not alone. I'm here now."
Hector was breathing harshly, and though his eyes were squeezed tightly shut Quirin could see movement there. Hector wasn't asleep or unconscious, he was just unaware. Quirin knew that if he wasn't focused on Hector's face he would notice how tense his body was. He thought that Hector was probably clenching his fists and trying to dig into the ground.
Quirin wanted to ask Edmund how long Hector had been like this, if it had been this bad the whole time, and what had led up to this. Asking questions would distract him from Hector. It would only be by a little bit, but even that little bit was more than Quirin could afford.
Quirin took one of Hector's hands, unpinning it from Edmund's hold. Quirin held his hand tightly, trying to reassure his brother that he wasn't alone.
"Please, Hector, listen to me." Quirin said. "You're strong. You're so strong, but you don't have to fight alone. We're brothers, knights, and that means that your battles are mine. I didn't leave you when you were at your lowest, and I'm not going to leave you now."
Hector squeezed his hand tightly. Quirin was sure it was out of reflex, not because he understood his presence, but he squeezed Hector's hand back anyway.
Quirin spent the next several minutes just speaking quietly to his brother, reassuring him and trying to get his attention. Eventually Hector's grip on Quirin's hand loosened and he opened his eyes. Hector stared at Quirin for a long moment, not truly seeming to understand just what he was seeing. It took another several minutes before Hector actually seemed to see him.
"...Brother?" Hector's voice was raw, like he'd been screaming for far too long. Quirin was worried that he had injured his throat, but better a sore throat than a cut one.
"It's me." Quirin said. "I'm here."
Hector's face fell. He looked tortured. "I'm sorry." Hector said weakly. "I didn't try to…he was right there and I just…I couldn't stop myself." Hector clenched his teeth and tried to lift his head. Quirin gently but firmly held Hector's head down to keep him from really hurting himself. He pulled Hector's head onto his lap and gently stroked his hair.
He didn't understand what Hector was talking about, but that was nothing new. When Hector was like this, he could be apologizing for something that happened decades ago, something he'd recently done, or even something he'd never done but thought he might have. Hector's mind frequently played tricks on him when he was distressed.
Hector growled to himself and pressed his head harshly against Quirin's legs. "Stupid. So stupid. I shouldn't have…I never wanted to…Stupid, uncontrollable monster."
"You're not." Quirin nearly growled himself. He was terrified. "Don't you dare say such a thing. You're not a monster. You're not an animal. You're not a dog. You're human. You're my brother."
He was right about me." Hector said quietly. It made Quirin's blood run cold. He felt like he was just twenty years old, the last time he had seen Hector in this kind of state. It felt like a lifetime ago, and yet Quirin remembered it like it was yesterday.
"He was never right about you." Quirin said. As always he seethed at just the thought of the man that had never deserved the title of father. "Hector, you trust me, don't you? So trust me when I say that you are a good person. Not a dog, a person."
Hector let out a short laugh that sounded far too self-depricating. "People don't lash out and bite those that trust them just because they're scared. Animals do."
Quirin thought of his own relationship with Varian. He was afraid for his son's sake, and he'd hurt him far too much because of it. "People hurt each other because they're scared all the time. I've done it far too often with Varian."
"I've done it too." Edmund said. "I banished you all from your homes because I was afraid."
"That's different." Hector muttered. "You two just did the wrong thing for the right reasons. I-I hurt…" Hector made a wounded sound. "There was no reason. I just attacked."
"But you didn't mean to attack Varian." Edmund insisted. Quirin shuddered. Hector had done what? Quirin could feel protective anger build up inside of him. He had to remind himself that Varian wasn't hurt. When Varian had been in his arms Quirin hadn't noticed any injuries, just what looked like a few burns, and burns weren't Hector's style.
"What happened?" Quirin asked. He tried to not sound too angry. Depsite this, Hector still grimaced and seemed to shy away from him. Quirin felt a pang in his chest. The last time Hector had flinched from him had been when Quirin had first found him. He didn't want his brother to be afraid of him.
"There was a bit of an incident." Edmund said. He looked at Hector with something that resembled pity in his eyes. "I assume that Zhan Tiri provoked him."
Quirin had never felt more lost in a conversation with his siblings. "I'm sorry, who?"
"Zhan Tiri." Hector chuckled again. He sounded like he was barely holding on to what small grip on reality he had. "She's a blizzard. Varian's blizzard. It's all her fault." Hector growled and tried to pull his hand away from Quirin's, but he held tight. He wasn't going to let Hector start trying to scratch at his arms or pull at his hair.
"What does Zhan Tiri have to do with any of this?" Quirin asked. He was still incredibly confused. What did the ancient demon sorcerer whose powers were supposed to be imprisoned in the Great Tree have to do with Hector and Varian?
"She's in my head." Hector said in a forced playful tone that made it really hard to tell if he was being serious or not. The Hector that he knew would never joke about this kind of thing, but twenty five years was a long time for someone to change. "And she won't go away!" Hector successfully managed to twist his head away from Quirin's grip as he jerked back, though he was quickly stopped by Edmund's constant hold.
"Is she talking to you now?" Edmund asked, and unlike Hector he sounded completely serious. Had Zhan Tiri's power been freed from the tree? When had this happened? How?
Hector made a huffing sound that was a cross between a sigh of irritation and a very small sob. "Why would she be? Anything she can say to me is already echoing endlessly through my head." Hector closed his eyes. "I just want it to stop."
Quirin grimaced sympathetically. His brother was hurting so much, and Quirin didn't know exactly what his struggle was, which was painful in its own way. How was he supposed to help his brother when he didn't know what was wrong?
"Maybe you could get some sleep." Quirin suggested somewhat reluctantly. When Hector was like this, sleeping could help ease him, put him out of his suffering for just a few hours and allow him to see things in a different light after waking up. However, it could also hurt. Hector was just as likely to wake up from a nightmare, even more in pain than before, as he was to wake up calm.
To Quirin's confusion, Hector, Edmund, and the stranger sitting to the side all looked panicked at his suggestion.
"I can't." Hector sounded like he was about to break.
"Absolutely not." Edmund said sternly. There was a protective fury in his eyes.
"Zhan Tiri can manipulate Hector's dreams." The stranger, who Quirin really should ask who he was, said. "Apparently her influence is even worse."
"So much worse." Hector shuddered. He laid his head back on Quirin's leg, all of his chaotic, furious energy seeming to drain out of him in an instant. Even Hector's grip on his hand slackened. "I-I can't do this anymore."
"You can." Quirin tightened his grip on Hector's hand and held his brother close. "You may not be strong enough to do this on your own, but you're not alone. We will fight with you." Quirin put his free arm around Hector's shoulder protectively. Between him and Edmund, they were doing their best to keep Hector protected from the world, even if just for a little bit.
"I'm not leaving you." Quirin said quietly. "Never again." He finally had his family back, and he wasn't going to let them go easily. He would work with his son and improve their relationship. He would hold Hector close and never let him go again. Quirin hadn't been strong enough to protect his family in the past, but he would do it this time. Quirin wouldn't lose his son, and he wouldn't lose his brother.
Quirin didn't know exactly what to do, but he would figure it out. He had to. He refused to accept the alternative.