CH-3
It wasn't the astonishing accuracy of her father's image, but the sudden realisation of the grief she still carried in her heart that brought her to her knees, because suddenly the pain was unbearable. She was a child again. Time had spun itself in the opposite direction. She could see all the done being undone in front of her eyes.
Her tears streamed down silently. Each drop of salt carrying thousands of accusations.
How could they leave her alone in this world? Weren't they supposed to be the creator and protector of the fire she carried in her bones?
She could've been the strongest person in the continent, but she felt her father could shoulder what she had been carrying for so long. After all it should've been the adult who does the adult-y stuff.
She didn't care if she was utterly transparent and vulnerable in his eyes. She didn't care if she appeared weak, not the Aelin, fire heart she had been in the eyes of her followers.
All her life she fought for her throne, for vengeance to their deaths, but now that the person with whom it all had started stood in front of her, she could feel all the meaning shattering, as if it had been nothing more than fragile glass.
She was angry.
It didn't matter if this was her dead father. She didn't ask for this life and if the Gods were as cruel as they seemed now, she didn't give a darn anymore.
She almost wished it were a trick. He deserved to see the monster he had created.
As if sensing the storm that had built inside her, he called her.
"Aelin."
One word to make her heart stop again. It wasn't fair.
She lowered her head again.
Stupid of her to come here again.
"Aelin" he called again in his deep rusty voice.
"Father" She whimpered like a hurt animal, because that is what she was currently.
"Child, forgive us."
No she wouldn't.
"You were meant for this greatness."
"Greatness?" she snarled."Look what I am now!"
When he didn't say anything, she looked up to his blue eyes so different from her's.
"You have been so brave, fireheart, you—"
"Don't" She cut in. "Don't say it. I won't hear it." it was childish of her, but she needed to let it out.
Her father looked visibly hurt, but she had somehow lost her compassion.
She swallowed.
"I know you are here for a reason. What is it?"
"I know you are hurt, my child, but some fates are inevitable. It was how it was meant to be."
"So I was meant to be a monster." She said quietly.
"Forgive us, please."
"Not yet" Her voice barely audible.
They were both quiet for very long, and Aelin would still not look at him.
A moment later she glanced to his side, but he wasn't there anymore.
She stood up in an instant. Her eyes filling again.
She was indeed a monster to treat her own father like that.
He was gone and she could do nothing.
But she couldn't forgive him either.
She could only wait.
Forever.