Chapter 70: For Those We Love
Everything had happened so fast Tear didn't even know what to think. The last thing she knew, Luke and Asch were fighting, just as they'd done so often of late. Nothing seemed at all different or out of the ordinary, except maybe for the pity she felt for Lady Susanne who had been standing not far from them, watching helplessly and wanting the two boys to stop as much as the rest of them. None-the-less it was the same as always, just a normal, everyday occurrence... and it wasn't until it had shattered before her very eyes that the melodist realized how brittle such a routine existence had become.
The arte had seemingly come out of nowhere. Now Susanne lay dying in Luke's arms, her two sons at her side; leaving Tear's hand rattling as it instinctively came up to cover her mouth, doing little to hide her bewildered expression. Luke's heart was pouring out while Asch sat there in shock and the melodist had to tear her eyes from the sight to maintain what was left of her composure. She couldn't- Tear choked back her feelings. She couldn't afford to break down here. As a soldier, no, as Luke and Asch's friend and as someone who respected and cared for Lady Susanne as if she were her own family, she had to protect them. No matter what it seemed, that attack hadn't come from nowhere.
Tear wasn't the only one who couldn't bear to watch the scene playing out behind them, Anise had averted her eyes, but the tension that had ensnared her had yet to let go of her small frame. Natalia looked to be in as much shock as Asch was, her entire body shook and Tear doubted her legs would support her weight much longer. What startled the melodist most was the almost-surprised look she found on Jade, which spoke volumes about just how shocked he must have been. His red eyes darted around the courtyard searching for the source, betraying that the attack had evaded his notice in the same manner it had evaded hers.
The melodist was intimately familiar with the arte that had struck Lady Susanne; how could she not be? It was one of the handful she counted in her own repertoire; but it was the way it had been cast in which lay all the difference. The fonons remained completely evasive, even to the most perceptive of fonists, until the critical moment, the moment beyond which no one but Susanne had been close enough to make a difference. And a difference she had made, but it had cost her... it had cost her dearly.
"Mother!" Luke's scream sent a dagger through Tear's heart and she heard Natalia buckle with a cry that was muffled by the hands cradling her face, catching the tears that undoubtedly fell behind their barrier. It didn't take any stretch of the imagination to realize what had just transpired. Luke continued to cry, pleading with his mother to open her eyes, his weak and broken statements falling on one who could no longer hear him. This was enough! This had to stop! These endless days of suffering and pain, where laughter was such a distant memory that the thought alone made her chest ache... they had to end!
This chain of events would break here, but with them would spawn sorrow anew, and the aching regret would continue on. Because as intimately as Tear knew the arte, she also knew the way it was cast and there was only one person the melodist could think of who could achieve that degree of stealth.
"Cantabile!" Guy's demand tore through the courtyard carrying with it every bit of the rage that had consumed him. "Get out here! Now!"
"Tch," Cantabile spat as she stepped out from behind a pair of statues along the western edge of the courtyard. "Damn," she said in a far too nonchalant manner. "I missed."
"Cantabile..." Guy seethed, his mind apparently unable to formulate a proper sentence. The God-General's infamous curiosity seemed piqued by this fact, but Guy couldn't think past the sickening realization that had taken root. Her calm disposition, the raw determination in her eyes declared it as clearly as if she'd announced it herself. This was it. She'd made her move; there was no more walking the fence. It was her life or theirs.
"Oh well." She shrugged. "I got the bitch; one down either way. Too bad she doesn't come with the prize but it'll make the rest of this easier."
"What the hell... What the hell was that?" Guy demanded and even Jade was somewhat taken aback by the storm of emotions swirling around the former attendant. Such irrationality was expected of his former charges, not of him.
"That was for Hod," Cantabile answered simply, a satisfied grin spreading across her face. "And this- this is for Arietta!"
Cantabile launched herself at the redheads, both still completely incapacitated, and Guy was the first in her path, sparks flying from his blade as it met hers. His blue eyes were cold and full of a fury Cantabile had never witnessed in him. It was the kind of eyes she'd seen in Van after Hod had fallen, the kind she'd found in a mirror during those dark days, but never on him. There was always a softness to the blond even in his anger, but his once gentle light had been struck ablaze and a sick degree of satisfaction rose within her. That was the ambition he needed, the passion that would bring him down this path with her, no matter where its end may lie.
"In all the years I dreamed of this moment, I never once expected to see you standing in my way." Cantabile knocked him back but Guy's speed was all she expected it to be and he was back on the offensive before she could bat her eye. "After all that had befallen you, after losing everything that ever mattered, after watching your sister butchered in cold blood; I never dreamed you would defend these bastards! That you would fight for the sake of this murderous bitch!"
"You're wrong Cantabile," Guy replied. "She's not a murderer, she's never even dreamt of harming a soul! She's as innocent as Luke and Asch are in this! You can't blame them for the actions of their father or anyone else! You can't just dump all your feelings and all your hatred on whoever is the most convenient at the time, on whoever is the easiest to hurt! They don't deserve any of it!"
"Bullshit. What kind of lies have they been feeding you to have you spewing this crap?" Cantabile asked, her face belying the anger that took hold. "You knew it once, that's why you planned to kill them too! You understood that he has to feel the agony he visited on us, that he deserves every bit of the cruelty he so heartlessly dished out! None of them are innocent! She deserved what she got and her worthless pups are going to be next!"
"Don't you dare talk about Lady Susanne like that!" Cantabile barely parried the hit and she stumbled backwards, regaining her composure quickly enough to let the Necromancer's arte graze harmlessly by her side. She paid it little notice. Artes had always come naturally to her, be it casting or evading and she didn't fear that man's offensive. She didn't fear any of them. No, this moment belonged to her and Gailardia alone.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say I struck a nerve," the God-General taunted heartlessly. "What does it matter if I hit her or her worthless spawn? She's as guilty as the rest of them! Whether it's by ignorance or-" Cantabile let out a startled cry when a sharp fire flew up her arm and she turned her gaze to find a small knife embedded there. "Tear," she managed. "You too?"
The melodist gave no response but the fire in her mirrored Gailardia's passion. "All of you, honestly!" Cantabile's laugh was full of disbelief and her expression declaring a sceptic astonishment that the God-General herself just couldn't comprehend. "She's a complete stranger! What the hell do any of you owe someone like her? She knowingly condoned the heartless slaughter her husband-"
"Shut up Cantabile!" Guy's voice cut the God-General off, and the blond took a moment to properly settle it leaving the only sound in the courtyard as Luke's echoing sobs. "Lady Susanne wasn't guilty of anything! She was kind and gentle and reached out to anyone she thought needed it. It didn't matter if you were her own child or just some lowly servant boy; she opened her heart to everyone! She treated everyone with dignity and respect and she would never leave anyone to suffer. I don't care what sin she's guilty of in your eyes; I won't let you talk about her like that." Guy pointed his sword directly at the God-General. "You want to know what I owe her? I owe her my life."
"So," Cantabile's face darkened, "you've made your choice?"
"I have."
"Then let's test whose resolve is stronger. Whose hatred runs deeper? Yours or mine?"
Cantabile launched herself at Guy again, but the fury that had driven him before had subsided and his defence became nearly flawless. Strike for strike she was met by the man who'd been her dearest friend, and whether it was that bond that drove them or not, they danced across the courtyard in a performance to surpass all others.
Pushed to the limits of her abilities, Cantabile was exuberant, revelling in the rush that stretching beyond those limits brought with it. Flying around Tear and the Necromancer's artes, she had both Gailardia and Ion's little brat to contend with and she met them both with every drop of the power that rose from within her. A grin splashed across her face; she hadn't felt this amazing, this free since... since before Hod fell.
"I'm not leaving here until those brats are dead!" Cantabile challenged, glowing as her abilities were pushed beyond their reaches. "I'll kill them for what they did to Arietta, for what their Father did to Hod! Then I'll bring Van the Sword of Lorelei and he'll use it to build his new world! Hod will be reborn from the blood of those who drowned it. There couldn't be any better vengeance, no better redemption!"
"I'm never gonna let you hurt any of my friends!" Anise protested. "Gloomietta or not!"
"You're such a little hypocrite," the God-General shot. "You murder Arietta for killing Ion when she hadn't done a thing, now you're going to chastise me for bringing justice to the ones who actually committed a crime? Take a nice long look in a damn mirror before opening that trap of yours!"
"Anise!" Tear hurried over to the dark-haired girl who had been sent crashing across the stone. Her top was staining red from the series of cuts she'd incurred.
"I'm... fine Tear," Anise managed, trying to climb back onto Tokunaga. "Shouldn't you... shouldn't you be trying to help Lady Susanne?"
Tear bit her lip and with her eyes on the ground she solemnly shook her head. It was one thing to heal a cut or another obvious injury, but a direct hit from an arte was another matter entirely. It was easy enough if the arte incurred some obvious damage... a broken bone, a burn, anything! But ones like the one Cantabile had cast, a direct hit like that could have struck almost any number of internal organs. Without knowing what was wrong or how to assess what was damaged, it was a shot in the dark and Tear didn't know near enough about the body to even fathom a guess as to where to start. If anyone would have been able to save her, it was a doctor. But now... and a part of her felt like dying inside for even thinking it but... now it was too late.
"No, Tear!" Anise protested when the melodist began to heal her arm. "Go do something for Susanne! Luke needs you to help her!"
"We both know I can't," Tear answered coldly.
"You have to try!"
"It's too late Anise!" Tear snapped and Anise bit back her feelings. "Even if I had the abilities to heal her... it's too late. Right now... all we can do is protect who's left."
Anise took off with Tokunaga without saying anything else, but the ferocity with which she met Cantabile again told her that the eternally chipper young girl didn't have her emotions under control any better than the rest of them.
"Ha!" Cantabile laughed with all her opponents back in the running. "If I'd known you'd be this much fun with the bitch dead I'd have killed her ages ago!"
"That's enough."
Tear spun around. She could have sworn she'd heard something coming from behind her... but no. Luke still sat there, his mother in his arms, sobbing and Asch beside them his red bangs hiding his eyes that stared aimlessly at some point on the ground in front of him.
"Tell me you've never thought it before too!" Cantabile called out. "Tell me you haven't thought the world would be better off without trash like them!"
"That's enough!" Asch was on his feet, his voice bringing everything in the courtyard to a halt. The rage rolled off him in waves and the air almost seemed to shimmer as every Seventh Fonon in the vicinity resonated with such powerful feelings. Cantabile's grin only spread wider, turning more malicious by the moment.
"You..." Asch's voice barely maintained its stability, quivering like the space around him. "I'll never... I'll never forgive you!"
Jade didn't require Luke's ability to gaze into Asch's mind to know that the young monarch didn't have a single thought in that head of his. He hadn't since the moment his mother was struck. For one such as him, who had spent the greater portion of his life hiding from his emotions, the power those same feelings held over him was indescribable. Jade watched the proceedings carefully, but Tear needn't be told to stay back. The atmosphere itself seemed ablaze with all the instability of Asch's psyche; no one dared cross his path.
Cantabile was barely able to deflect Asch's strikes, each hit coming at her with a force she wouldn't have thought possible from the teenager. Her arms burned under the intense weight of the Sword of Lorelei, the deceptively agile blade dancing around her in an almost senseless manner. With her opponent lost to his rage, the God-General could still match him easily enough, and she wouldn't cower in the face of his assault. She would never lose to someone like him! For her mother that died bleeding in her arms, for the little brother she watched drown in the miasma while she lay helplessly on what remained of her home, for the man who had a dream of a better world, she would never give in to this filth.
Predictable. Cantabile parried his strike. He was so predictable. Two more blows fell harmlessly to the side. Completely, utterly, incredibly predictable! She dodged to the left, but he recoiled and was back on the offensive in the same way that everyone who had faced her for the last fifteen years had. Her weakness was obvious, and everyone thought they were so high and fucking mighty that they could take advantage of her because of it. Three more hits, all from the left, and all as effective as the attempts before them.
"Taking advantage of a woman's blind spot," Cantabile spat, her single visible eyebrow arched in mock disappointment. "That's some pretty dirty tactics there, but I shouldn't expect any less from you."
Asch couldn't even manage a reply through his fury, but his attacks increased in intensity, though his continuous attempts at slipping into Cantabile's blind spot didn't change, and she continued to guard it faultlessly.
"What? Did I make you mad?" Cantabile taunted. "I didn't think it was possible for someone so heartless to give a damn."
The God-General continued to dominate their engagement, staying surprisingly level headed for what they'd come to expect from her, and never missing a chance to taunt Asch for not being as such. She was adding fuel to the fire, just waiting for the burnout. A wise tactic as she had little chance of breaking through Asch's offensive in the blind rage that had consumed him, but one that had every potential to backfire. It would be a long time before that fire so much as flickered.
Asch moved unexpectedly quickly, and with a level of strategy Jade was surprised to find him capable of, he darted behind Cantabile, slipping around her left side where her eye patch made it impossible to discern his exact position. With a flick of his wrist he reversed his blade and drove it towards her.
The Sword of Lorelei was met by the God-General's katana as the sound of metal scraping metal filled the air. Cantabile slammed her hardened sheath backwards, sending Asch sprawling across the stone courtyard.
"I will never die by your bloodstained hands!" Cantabile spat bitterly, her sword raised. But before that blade had even the chance to anticipate its victory, Cantabile seized at the agony that flew through her right flank and the katana fell helplessly to the ground.
"No," Guy said solemnly. "You'll die by mine."
Guy ripped his blade out of her side, letting the blood flow and begin to pool on the ground. Cantabile managed to turn around, her golden eye meeting his and was surprised at the regret she saw there. Surprised... and yet somehow satisfied at the same time.
"I always knew you'd come back for me." Cantabile smiled weakly, her whisper trembling across the silent courtyard. "I guess this is how it was meant to be." The God-General fell to the ground, her last whispers fading alongside her last breath.
"I'm glad... it was you..."
"Goodbye... Cantabile."
Tear also bowed her head, using the respectful gesture to hide the emotions she knew she otherwise couldn't. She knew it would hurt Luke and Asch to see her agonizing over Cantabile's death, but no matter what despicable acts she may have committed, Cantabile had still been her teacher, her mentor. A woman who had been like a big sister to her and to see her lifeless like that left a bigger hole than the melodist had thought possible. She had known this would be the outcome, had prepared herself for it since their very first encounter near Akzeriuth, but it didn't make things any more bearable. Tear was suddenly reminded of those dark days after she'd lost, after she'd thought she'd lost her brother. The seemingly intractable loss hung over her and she could be certain it wasn't the miasma that made her chest hurt.
The courtyard was silent; even Luke's sobs had quieted to dry heaves. Asch picked himself up off of the ground, the Sword of Lorelei scraping against the stone while its wielder walked listlessly back towards his shattered family. Tear thought she was hurting inside; she couldn't imagine what kind of wreckage that emotional maelstrom had left behind, but she did know this much: she had never seen Asch look so lifeless. Never had his eyes been so glazed over, his face so utterly empty of emotion. His light was completely gone, and it had taken everything with it leaving the empty shell that had collapsed to its knees in the middle of the courtyard.
Luke hardly noted the sudden lack of motion, the sudden silence, nothing registered to him beyond the fragile porcelain doll in his arms. He brought his unsteady hand across his mother's face, gently placing stray strands of hair behind her ear. The pallor was so sickeningly familiar, so much like Ion that morning in his bed, Luke couldn't begin to explain the gut wrenching feeling that tore him apart from the inside out. Still on his knees, he buckled over himself, leaning precariously over his mother.
That was when Luke noticed something.
"A-Asch," Luke barely managed a croak, his voice shaking so badly what he said was almost indiscernible. He got no response.
"Asch... Asch!" Luke's breathing had become rapid, his voice tied in a minor panic.
"Asch, she's still breathing!"
"What?" The statement caught everyone's attention, and a flutter of excitement flew through them all. Asch's eyes lit up and in a heartbeat he was next to Susanne again, across from his little brother.
Luke was right, it was exceedingly weak and faint, but their mother was breathing. She was breathing... she was alive... Relief crashed over Asch and he felt every muscle in his body give way, the adrenaline that had so easily sustained him before was gone, and it took every ounce of his strength with him as it faded.
"Asch what do we do?" Luke asked, overwhelmed and on the verge of tears again.
Asch looked helplessly back at him. What were they supposed to do? She was alive... but she was barely alive. Her pulse was so weak it was impossible to feel, only the next to indiscernible motion of her chest told Asch there had to be one there.
"Let me see her," Jade moved in. Luke very gently laid Susanne on the stone beneath them and shuffled over to give the Colonel easy access for his assessment.
"Jade?" Luke asked.
"Her breathing is very shallow, and her heartbeat is irregular. I don't doubt she's suffered further damage, but that is beyond my ability to assess here."
"Tear, can you help her?" Asch asked.
Tear shook her head. "No, cuts and broken bones aren't a problem but this goes beyond my abilities. She needs a doctor."
"Jade, you studied medicine, didn't you? Can't you do anything?"
"I'm afraid my specialty was in autopsies, and even then it's been many years since I've studied in that field. There's little I can do for her. She needs to be seen by a practicing physician as soon as possible." Jade stood up and stepped away, allowing Luke to fall back into his previous spot.
"The castle would be closest right?" Guy asked.
"It would be best not to move her," Jade said sternly. "Bring them to her."
"But that would take-"
"Now."
Anise and Tear had barely taken a half dozen steps when the door flew open, the crash of wood against the stone wall startling them all.
"What's going on out here?" Duke Fabre burst out into the courtyard, the hot air rushing to meet him when he again stepped outside. What was all the fuss about? He had been working up at the castle when a member of the guard had arrived with a message demanding his immediate return and the presence of a doctor with no explanation whatsoever. Susanne had just gotten out of bed, it couldn't be-
"Susanne!" The man spotted his wife, and the sight stopped his aging heart. Lifelessly laying on the stone between her boys, Luke's eyes red and swollen from crying; Asch sitting silently, clasping her hand... it was a scene that haunted his nightmares.
"Excuse me," the doctor barely managed, brushing past the stunned Duke and hurrying to his patient's side. As if the jostling had struck the man from his mindless state, his expression turned to one of fury and no one doubted from whom Asch had inherited that particular trait.
"What happened here?" the Duke's voice boomed across the courtyard and he watched everyone jostle uncertainly under his gaze. They all look struck, as if unsure what to say or how to say it. Who? Which one was it? Who had done this to her?
Duke Fabre stormed down the steps into the courtyard proper, scanning the people who stood there. Scrupulously assessing them, or at least, doing what little judging he could in such a bewildered state. Jade weighed the options of being the first to speak up, but if he'd learnt anything from dealing with Asch, it was always safest to be the second to speak. Someone had to come to the rescue of the unfortunate victim of the Duke's pent up fear and anger.
His eyes passed, first from Tear, to Jade himself, to Anise, then they settled on Guy. The blond had yet to budge from where he'd struck the God-General, his sword still hung weakly from his hand dripping blood from its surface into the spreading pool at his feet. Like a light going on, everything seemed to fall into place for the head of the Fabre household and the second it did, he regained some semblance of composure.
Behind the former master and servant, the doctor wasted no time gathering anyone who didn't have the Duke's immediate attention and was orchestrating moving Susanne inside. A quick assessment had declared her safe to be moved so long as it was done carefully, leaving everyone on pins and needles. Had the atmosphere not been so heavy, Jade would have been amused at the scene playing out before him. She was injured, yes, but even as dangerously close to death as she was, the Lady of the Fabre house was not made of glass. They needn't fear to so much as breathe on her as they were.
The Colonel waited a moment, realizing he was the last soul in the courtyard save for Guy and the Duke. A very interesting tangle, and one Jade would have liked to observe the outcome and perhaps to salvage Malkuth's newest nobility should it come to that. Yet he had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn't be quite that interesting, no matter how uncertain the blond appeared to be as he stared down the Duke before him. So leaving his curiosity by the wayside, Jade followed the others indoors.
"To think Cantabile got in here undetected..." Duke Fabre began after a long silence. "It's truly a testament to her skills."
"You know her?" Guy asked hesitantly.
"I kept tabs on all the known survivors of Hod, particularly those of status," he replied. "After a slaughter of that magnitude, it was to be expected that my family would be targeted. I needed to know who I was potentially dealing with, who was a threat. With her position in the Order, and with recent events, I can't say I'm completely surprised to see her behind this."
"Then you always knew about me?" The blond stated dumbfounded.
"No, you evaded my notice for quite some time; probably because you never returned to Malkuth. To think you got so close to me and my family... it wasn't until Asch asked for your father's sword that I realized who you were. I'm surprised I never noticed sooner, you truly did take after your mother."
"I..." Guy didn't know what to say. This was the worst possible place to put his foot in his mouth and his brain was giving him every indication that he was about to do so. But something else struck the blond. For the first time, he was listening to Duke Fabre speak of his family, of the slaughter on Hod, and he didn't feel that age-old fury rise within him. The resentment, the bitter desire to scream at the man not to dare speak of his parents... it wasn't there.
Guy looked down at his childhood friend, whose body still lay near his feet, her blood darkening as it began to dry out in the summer's heat. Was this her final gift to him?
"She was someone important to you wasn't she?" The Duke asked.
"Yes, but... our paths separated a long time ago," Guy answered simply.
"Thank you," the older man said, extending his hand.
"What?" The former servant said, though he berated himself for it a split second later. He was so caught off guard by the sentiment; part of him was still waiting to be reprimanded. But the expression on Duke Fabre's face wasn't one of anger or spite. Behind the fear and uncertainty that disguised the proud, over-confident man he had always known, there was a look of respect.
"You protected my family, even though you had every reason to let them die. So for that... I thank you."
"No." Guy shook his head and accepted the Duke's hand. "I had every reason to protect them."
And with that simple gesture, Guy finally put the last of his past behind him.
"I hope Aunt Susanne will be alright." Natalia was the first to break the tense silence that blanketed the five companions sitting in the drawing room. Susanne had been successfully moved from the courtyard to her room but with all the doctors and servants swarming over her, they had decided it best to remove themselves from the panic. There was nothing more they could do for now but pray to Yulia that she would pull through.
"I'm sure she'll be fine," Tear said as reassuringly as she could. Natalia sent her a grateful smile. The poor thing, she was trying to be strong for them but for all she was hiding it, Natalia knew Cantabile's death must have hit her hard. Guy as well, no doubt. The God-General had been a cherished person to both of them. Natalia silently cursed. For what purpose was all this senseless fighting? How much longer did such tragedies have to continue?
"I just don't get it," Anise spoke up. "How the heck did Lady Susanne notice that arte when none of us did?"
"It isn't as if we didn't notice..." Natalia began.
"It was just too late to do anything by the time we did," Guy finished.
"And it's not exactly like we were paying attention," Tear pointed out. "Cantabile was also the head of the Special Operations division and specialized in undercover affairs. She excelled at covert missions and was well versed in stealth."
"Yeah, I mean I know we let our guard down trying to break up the magic duo," Anise agreed. "But that still doesn't explain how Susanne, who has no military training whatsoever, caught on fast enough to react. I mean, the Colonel didn't notice until the last second!"
"Don't be so quick to under-estimate her," Jade spoke up.
"What do you mean?"
"Jade's right," Guy agreed. "Lady Susanne may not have succeeded the throne, but she was still a princess of Kimlasca. At the very least she would have received the same sort of training Natalia has."
"That's correct," Natalia confirmed. "She is quite skilled with a bow herself. I recall her filling in for one of my instructors when they were ill. Her weak disposition makes her ill-suited for battle, but she would have been taught self-defence and there's no doubt she would be able to recognize an incoming attack."
"She noticed Cantabile's attack the same time the rest of us did," Guy stated. "She was just the only one close enough to do something about it."
"Mieuuuuu," the little cheagle hopped down off of Tear's shoulder, his ears sagging down to the carpet. "I really hope Master's mother will be okay."
"We all do, Mieu," Tear replied.
"They have some of the best doctors in the world in there with her," Guy said comfortingly. "If her will is any indication, she'll be just fine."
"Then I pray that her will is all that is needed," Natalia said, taking a deep breath to loosen the knot in her chest.
"And that fate be on our side."
Luke and Asch both paced outside the door to their mother's room, the frivolous motion doing nothing to dispel the nervous energy. It was that same nervous energy that had very quickly gotten them both kicked out of the room as the doctors tended to their injured mother, leaving them to worry themselves sick (and Luke had been sick) in the hall.
All but one of the doctors had left now, none of which would divulge any details about what was going on inside, which only fuelled their fire. Was it a good sign? Or was it just delaying the inevitable announcement that help had come all too late?
"She'll be okay, right Asch?" Luke asked hesitantly.
"Damn it Luke! That's the eighth time you've asked me!" Asch snapped. "Just shut up, will you?"
Luke bit his lip and Asch instantly regretted his words.
'I'm sorry,' Asch said softly. 'I don't know any more than you do. I'm just...'
'It's okay, I'm scared too.' Luke offered a consoling smile. Asch returned the gesture but neither was really reassured.
The door to their parent's room finally opened, the last doctor and their father coming out before quietly shutting it behind them. "Father!" Luke ran up to the two of them, Asch not far behind him. "How-"
"She's alright for now."
The relief that Asch felt wash over him was unlike anything the 18-year old had ever experienced. Every problem that had burdened his mind for the last few months completely vanished and he could feel the exuberance coming from Luke. For once... for once hope hadn't been completely futile. After watching things backfire one after another... to go from bad to worse and constantly blow up in his face... to have something go right, there were no words for how incredible that felt.
"Can we go see her?" Luke asked trying to keep his excitement in check.
"You may..." the doctor began hesitantly. "However, you should know that while she is alive, she is currently in a comatose state."
"A what?"
"It means she won't wake up," Asch explained.
"What?" Luke panicked. "Why not?"
"The arte that hit her did extensive damage to both her heart and her lungs. Right now neither is functioning at their optimal level and she's extraordinarily weak. Her current state is exceptionally unstable. It would only take a single upset and she may never regain consciousness." Neither boy knew how to reply.
"I will send for a nurse from the castle," the doctor said to Duke Fabre. "I'll have someone watching her around the clock."
"Thank you," Duke Fabre replied.
"I should warn you not to get your hopes-"
"I have full faith she can get past this," the man cut him off.
"Yes, with you three at her side, I'm certain she will." With a quick bow, the doctor left.
"Come on Luke." Asch motioned, his hand clasping the gold handle on the door. "She may not be awake, but she can hear us, I'm sure she wants to know you're okay after all that crying you did," he added, a weak attempt to lighten the mood.
"Asch, Luke, wait." Duke Fabre spoke up.
"What is it, Father?" Asch asked coldly.
"Ingobert told me what you intend to do with the replicas and the miasma. That you intend to sacrifice yourself as part of some plan to get rid of it."
"Yeah, what about it?" The redhead glared defensively.
"Don't." Their father's simple reply caught the older sibling off guard.
"And since when do you give a-"
"If not for me, then for her!" Duke Fabre cut his son off, failing to disguise the pleading tone in his strained voice. His hand almost trembled as he pointed at the closed bedroom door. "If she were to lose you... if we were to lose you," he said solemnly. "There would be no recovering."
"So you're going to blame that on me too?" Asch snapped, his voice shaking. "When it's already my fault she's like that to begin with? I was the one Cantabile was aiming at, I should have been the one to get hurt!"
"Asch, don't talk like that," Luke pleaded.
"It's my fault Cantabile was even here to begin with! If it wasn't for me and this damn sword then no one would have to have gotten hurt! I'm the one who brought her here!"
Duke Fabre took a single breath once Asch finally paused, his intense gaze fixed on his son. "If you honestly believe that this is entirely your fault, then you have absolutely no right to be the future ruler of this country."
"What?"
"You are not the only person involved in all of this! This is not solely your venture; everyone is implicated, be it the researchers in Sheridan, or Ingobert and Emperor Peony and their fight for a lasting peace, they have all dedicated themselves into finding a future for this world. The way you constantly insist on trying to go at it alone is a slap in the face to everyone who has been supporting you, and to all those who pray for a brighter future. Susanne did what she did because she loved and believed in you, blaming her actions on anything but that is an insult!"
Asch opened his mouth to reply, but the words wouldn't come. What... what could he say to that? He wasn't thinking of others? Of course he was thinking of everyone! Of course he was considering their feelings... wasn't he? Who cares anyway? Since when did Father-
But that thought came to a sudden halt and the look on his father's face struck him like a brick to the chest. He wasn't saying that stuff to try and put Asch down, or to try and expose the redhead's flaws... He was bothered. Asch's entire perspective shifted and he suspected he was finally starting to see what Luke had always known. Father was saying that because he cared.
At that simple realization, a part of him flared, and all the resentment, the bitterness he'd always felt towards the man surfaced. He'd never cared, always abandoned his sons for nothing, spent his entire life pushing them away because... because... no, Asch couldn't delude himself anymore. It was the same path with which he was all too familiar, but one he'd never have understood had he not walked it himself. They'd been pushed away because their father was scared. He'd always known about Akzeriuth, hadn't he? It was easier not to care, than to face that insurmountable loss; to accept that hatred, then to let the heart be torn apart.
Maybe it was time to put that resentment behind him.
"I'm sorry!" The door at the end of the hall flew open and King Ingobert hurried in. He was as dishevelled as either Luke or Asch had ever seen him, not that the fact he was bent over himself trying to catch his breath helped that perception. "I came... as soon... as I heard," he managed between breaths.
"Are you alright?" Luke asked, noticing the hand that firmly clenched over the King's chest.
"I'm fine," Ingobert dismissed his nephew. "How is Susanne?"
"She's alive," Duke Fabre replied, "but she's not past the worst of it yet. I have faith she'll pull through this, though."
"Yes, she's never been one to give in without a fight," Ingobert agreed.
"She's never been one to give in at all," the Duke retorted, and the two men chuckled at some shared joke.
"I'm glad to see the two of you are alright as well," Ingobert said to the boys, both who averted their eyes. "Try not to worry for your mother, she'll rest more soundly knowing the two of you are out there doing your very best."
"I don't even..." Asch began but trailed off.
"Perhaps this isn't the best time, but..." the king said hesitantly. "Daath is holding a funeral for Fon Master Ion. I think you and your friends should attend in my stead. He would have wanted you to be there."
"But Mother-"
"Go, Luke," Duke Fabre cut off his son's protests. "Your uncle is right; Susanne won't get any better if the two of you are just sitting over her worrying. Have faith in her as she has in you."
There was a long silence.
"Alright," Asch finally agreed.
"Why don't you go discuss it with your friends?" Duke Fabre suggested. "You can go see your mother after that."
"Okay, we'll be back in a little bit," Luke said, and both boys slipped out into the drawing room without a sound leaving emptiness to echo down the hallway.
"How are you holding out?" Ingobert asked once he was certain the two boys were truly gone.
"Damn it!" Duke Fabre's fist smashed against the wall before he sank helplessly to his knees. Ingobert placed a comforting hand on his shoulder but said nothing. Sometimes, there were just no words.
"I can't..." the Duke finally managed. "I almost lost her Ingobert, I can't..." He shook his head.
"I can't lose one of them too."