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Chapter 20: The Truth
Marion watched her father. As soon as he came close enough for her to make out his features, she noticed the incredulous look. Abner stepped into the circle of obelisks on the other side from Marion. He looked around. Behind Marion stood Penny, Sara, Chinaza, Ingfrid and Catalina, only two of whom Abner would recognise. Each Holy Child stood in front of an obelisk, evenly spaced around the circle. Abner's eyes landed on Marie and he scrutinised her.
Marie smirked. 'Hate to break it to you, Sa Majesté, but I was never on your side.' His title was said in mocking.
Marion took one step forward. 'You know what the truth is, dad? I've known who I am since I was twelve. Mom told me to take the Royal Psalms and open them on that birthday. When you went to Marie, she called me to the mansion. She and the rest of these guys, including Indy, Carlos, Kamau, Sigurd and Leo don't stand up for a single person because of who they are. They stand up for many people because somebody has to. Eugene le Boiur-Chevalier didn't fight because they were aristocrats. He didn't save King Louis XVII because of who he was. He saved our ancestor because he was a suffering child. He saved those people because they were being executed for their status.'
'And you would know?' Abner demanded.
'She would know,' Marie said calmly, drawing his attention to her. 'Because I told her. Papa fought the French Revolutionists because what they were doing was wrong.'
Abner faced Marion again. 'And what do you think you're doing, defying me like this? I am your father! You have no right.'
'No right?' Marion asked coolly. 'All I'm doing is taking back my life. I can love who I want. I can marry who I want. I can live how I want. It's mine to live how I want to.'
Abner glared at her and then he smirked. 'Oh really?' He started chanting what Marion recognised as the Psalm of War. 'And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season
His leaf also shall not whither
And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper…'
Marion scowled and quickly decided on her counter: the Psalm of Versailles. 'Be wise now therefore, O ye kings
Be instructed, ye judges of the earth
And ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little…'
Abner's focus increased. 'The hills were covered with the shadow of it and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars
She sent out her boughs unto the sea and her branches unto the river…'
Marion fought back. She was not going to allow him to take her life, father or no. 'Help Lord, for the godly man ceaseth
For the faithful fall among the children of men
My mouth shall slew forth thy righteousness…'
Abner started to crack and he grunted but he continued. 'Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her
Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts they perish at the rebuke of thy counterance…'
Marion could feel herself winning, but she wouldn't let herself get cocky. Sure as she did, she knew she would begin to lose. 'I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help
The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted…'
Abner groaned and pushed with his power, not breaking his monologue. 'Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand
Upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help…'
Marion pushed harder, keeping up her own monologue. 'Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity
The Lord will receive my prayer
Let them return and be ashamed suddenly…'
Abner pushed with the last of what was in him, his voice straining. 'Let them praise the name of the Lord
For he commanded and they were created.'
When the surge came, Marion only had to compare losing Abner to losing Indy and power flowed from her core. More power was funnelled to her by the energy of the Holy Children. It wasn't much but enough for her to send at Abner with her final lines.
'Put them in fear, O Lord
That the nations may know themselves to be but men.'
Abner screamed in agony and went flying back. His body shook. Marion knew what was happening to her father. She'd intended it that way. Most would say it was a horrible thing to do but she knew that Abner had never loved her, not like Indy did. Not even close to that. All of Abner's voluntary functions were failing. When he was eventually found, he would be put in a hospice or something for the rest of his life. He wouldn't be able to care for himself but Marion knew she could have killed him very easily. He was getting off lightly and he would curse Indy for the rest of his days.
But Marion had only crippled him. She could have killed him. She could have taken his life in a different, but more painful way, than he'd been trying to take hers. Marion wasn't sure if this was better or worse. Whatever the case, Marion had decided on this because she wanted Abner to understand that he couldn't hurt them like this, that he wasn't king and he never would be.
They were the heirs of a defunct royal family. The Ravenwoods hadn't been any kind of real monarchy since they'd taken that name. And it was long overdue that they sucked it up and accepted it.
Marion's body was exhausted. She nearly collapsed but caught herself on her knees. The others rushed over to her and the Holy Children stepped away from the obelisks. That had been the point of that. Very little was stronger that the power of a Holy Child, never mind all six.
Marion straightened up and looked her now paralysed father right in the eye. 'I could've killed you so easily. But death would've been a mercy after everything you did to me and, more importantly, everything you did to Indy. You're my father. A parent is supposed to give life to their child, teach them the difference between right and wrong and then step back. They're supposed to support the child.' Feeling her strength returning, Marion nodded to her friends and walked over to her father. Crouching down, she continued. 'Adeola Kawar. Andor Dalen. Jordan Hood. Yoshida Yuichi. Elena Ramon. Marie-Antoinette le Boiur-Chevalier. The six Holy Children. When the Psalms said I would give birth to the seventh holiness, it meant I would give birth to the seventh Holy Child. Holy Children are the firstborn of real heroes. The kind of hero you were looking for? That doesn't exist. It's just a fairytale. Real heroes are deeply flawed men who make the best out of the worst situations.' She grinned. 'The hero in the prophecy was Indiana Jones.'
Marion stood and walked away. The six Holy Children, the three mothers, Penny and Sara followed her.
That was the last of it.
