Chapter Seven
"Let him go, Lukas," Brenna said softly. "He's your father."
"Release him," the new king stated after a moment. Rueben tossed him onto the ground. Brenna immediately bent down next to him and helped him sit up, glaring at her brother and Rueben, hating them both. "You're coming with me," Lukas stated. "All five of you." His gaze went over Brenna, Zephyria, Lord Henrie, Christophe, and Jesse. "We leave in the morning. We're headed to the south coast, where I shall create the new capital city."
"The south coast?" Lord Henrie said. "That will take days on horseback, weeks if we walk!"
"Your point is?" Lukas demanded, narrowing his eyes at the man still on the ground. Their father didn't reply. "We leave in the morning." He walked away, the army following close behind. Brenna, still kneeling by her father, felt anger rise up in her. How could he do this to his own family?
"Come on, Father," Brenna said softly, helping him up off the ground, before looking around for Zephyria. She had been standing quietly next to Christophe during the entire conversation, but at that point, came up to help lead their father backs. side, so he could rest. Brenna then turned to her. "What are we going to do, Zeph? There's no way father can walk for weeks on end."
"Well I doubt Lukas will be so kind as to make certain father has a horse for the trip. If he makes father walk that distance he may not make it because of all the stress," Zephyria began to weep silently at the thought of losing their father. She looked at her sister waiting for some type of reassurance.
Brenna hesitated, watching their father's chest rise up and down in his sleep. "I'm going to go talk to him then," she said suddenly, turning and storming out to where her brother and his people were, Zephyria right on her heels. "Lukas!" she called. He looked up. "I want to speak with you, now, alone. Have a conversation between us siblings."
"Whatever about dearest sisters?" Lukas smirked at his own false tone of kindness.
"You know what," she hissed. He rose and followed them away from the others.
"What is so important that it could not wait until morning?" He stared down at them expectantly waiting on an answer. "I have a family to tend to, you know Victoria and Issaic."
"You know your father?" Brenna snapped. "He's lying in there because of you!"
"What would you have me do about that?" Lukas sat looking between the girls waiting for a solution to their complaints.
"Give him an easier way to the South. You know if he walks all that way his heart will give out and he will die." Zephyria broke she couldn't hold it in any longer and she did not care who would see.
"Please, Lukas," Brenna begged. "There has to be some part of you that still cares about him. There has to be."
He stared at them, nothing but hatred in his eyes. "No," he said, turning to leave.
"PLEASE!"
"I said no!" he growled, whirling back around and glaring. "And I mean it." He stalked away.
Zephyria called after him, "Lukas, what will it take to convince you to give father the accommodations I requested on his behalf?"
He didn't respond, leaving the girls behind. Brenna turned to her younger sister, her hopelessness showing in her eyes.
Zephyria looked down at the ground, she had been defeated. How could he turn away from his father like that? Had it been because Lukas thought father cared too much and that was why he was ill? Lukas mentioned his "Family" but that only included his wife and son. Did he not consider Brenna, or her, or their parents family anymore? Zephyria's mind raced with questions. The biggest one of all was would her father be okay?
"We should...um... We should get some sleep," Brenna said quietly. "Morning comes early this time of year."
Brenna woke up early to the sound of her father's heavy breathing. "Dad!" she cried out, crawling over to him. "Zeph, wake up!"
Zephyria jarred awake. "What's wrong? What's happening?" She was whispering so she wouldn't wake anyone else.
"I don't know," she whispered back, gently shaking his arm, to no response. "Zeph, go get Lukas."
Zephyria ran out toward the tents unsure of which tent was their brothers she yelled from the center of the site. "Lukas! Lukas, we need help! Lukas hurry please!" In her frantic panic Zephyria hadn't noticed the tears running down her face or the fact her voice was shaky.
Lukas stepped out of a tent to her right, half asleep. "What's going on?" he wanted to know.
"It's father something is really wrong and I don't know what it is. He won't wake up when we shake him and his breathing is irregular." Zephyria wanted to go to her brother and cry on his shoulder like she did as a little child, but she knew he was no longer the brother she had known.
Brenna hadn't moved from her spot since Zephyria left. When they got there, their father was awake, but his breathing was still irregular. "I don't know what to do, Lukas," she whispered, tears in her eyes. "Help us. Please."
She looked her brother in the eyes, and for the first time since the invasion, she saw a flicker of concern in his eyes. "Stay here," he said finally. "I'll be back with the healer we have in our camp. Don't move him."
Zephyria looked over at Brenna and after Lukas was far enough away she said, "I told you he couldn't be all bad deep down he is still our brother and he does care."
Brenna didn't respond, using a part of her skirt to wipe off some of the sweat on their father's face. "We don't know that," she said finally. "Look at us, Zeph! We're still wearing the clothes we were when we were at dinner two days ago! We haven't been able to have a bath, our father's-" her voice cracked. "Our father might be dying. There has to be something in this for him. There has to be."
Hope everybody had a good thanksgiving.. anything would've beaten mine... It was interesting... Let's just say my uncle tried to shoot my cousins boyfriend... so yeah... Anyway. As far as I know Sarah R had a better one, though I haven't talked to her since Wednesday. I think. lol. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please please leave a review. Thanks :)