A/n: This story is a direct sequel to my other story "Fable: Twisted Hero". You may want to read that one first, but it's not necessary. I will do my best to make the story make sense on its own.
Summary: Twenty years ago Theresa gave Queen Rose a prophecy that lead her down a dark path. The time has come for that prophecy to fulfill itself. Thorn, the illegitimate child of Rose and Reaver, must stand against a looming darkness as the King of Albion. But one Hero will hardly be enough, it will take all of them to keep Albion standing this time…
Pairings: Implied Ben Finn/Rose (Hero of Brightwall), mostly Rose/Reaver.
Warnings: Violence, torture, language, explicit sex.
..( 1 )..
Ben Finn's grip on the railing tightened angrily as he gazed down at the smoke billowing into the sky from Bowerstone Industrial. A factory was burning, though the guards had the flames under control. Ben scratched at his greying stubble and sighed in resignation.
"What does it mean?" Thorn asked him quietly, and Ben slid his gaze over to the young man.
"Trouble." Ben said gruffly. He rested his hand on the hilt of his rapier and turned to look at his adopted son.
Thorn was tall and decently muscled, but still young and lean. His brown hair was getting a little long, and he brushed it back with his fingers. It wasn't long enough to brush behind his ear, but had grown enough to flop down in front of his amber colored eyes as he stared down at the industrial district. He straightened his royal suit and sighed, then reaffixed the crown on his head and turned to Ben Finn.
"He's coming here, isn't he?" Thorn asked curiously, and Ben frowned.
"Don't get your hopes up, he's more likely to kill you than hug you." He said it harshly, but Thorn grinned to himself.
"Why would I want another father in my life? You're enough of a handful." He laughed as Ben reached over to punch his shoulder playfully.
The aged soldier reached an arm around to hug the young King, then patted his back proudly. They looked down at the pillar of smoke reaching up from the industrial district.
"Maybe he knows something about my mother." Thorn said softly.
Ben grimaced at the thought. Things had been difficult since his wife's abrupt departure, especially for the children. He bit his tongue to keep from mentioning things she'd asked him to keep secret, and cleared his throat.
"Look, kid. Even if he does, I don't think your mum is coming back. She had you crowned for a reason, it was a weight she couldn't bear any longer…" Ben said gently, and Thorn leaned forward to grip the railing and inhale deeply.
"That's alright, I just want to know that she's okay." He was quiet, but smiled calmly to Ben. "She was so restless here, I'm surprised she stuck around as long as she did." Thorn chuckled a little bitterly.
Ben watched him with concern. He acted so much older than he was, like the weight of his mother's soul had aged him beyond his nineteen meager years. Rose hadn't been the most attentive of mothers, but she'd done well. Especially given her circumstances. The last thing she'd wanted was the crown, yet it was thrust upon her. Thorn had shown eagerness to rule with grace, and Rose leapt upon that yearning like a starving orphan on bread. Ben Finn understood the draw of freedom, but his loyalty lay with Albion. He would and had already done what must be done to protect the kingdom. And he would continue to do so until he was incapable.
"What about you? Are you feeling restless here?" Ben asked.
Thorn smiled and released the railing, stepping back to turn to him. He put a hand on his shoulder in reassurance.
"This throne is my destiny, I can feel it. My fate is tied to this place. Besides, I can't leave you alone with the twins. They would ruin you." Thorn glanced over Ben's shoulder to see his siblings crouched behind a hedge watching them.
When they realized they'd been spotted, the two kids took off through the garden. Ben turned to see his son and daughter vanish behind the fountain and rubbed at his temple in agitation.
"I knew I should have told her one was already too many, but nooooo. She wanted another baby. Next thing you know two of 'em pop out, nasty little hellions." Ben growled in agitation and Thorn bit his tongue to keep from laughing. Somewhere within the garden a chicken screeched and a woman's voice cried out in shocked indignation.
I can't believe Reaver's son turned out to be the well-behaved kid, Ben thought furiously as he stomped off to find the twins.
"Get ready, I'll meet you in the throne room. Your father is sure to arrive shortly to complain bitterly about some nonsense." Ben muttered to Thorn as he went off to wrangle the Prince and Princess.
Reaver gazed up at Bowerstone Castle with a scowl on his face. It was one of the last places he wanted to visit, but here he was yet again. He knew she wasn't there, but it didn't make it any easier. He approached the front gates, but before he could announce himself the guard turned and bowed deeply.
"Master Reaver, you're expected in the throne room, sir." He said briskly, then gestured for Reaver to enter the hall.
He was taken aback, but tightened his grip on his cane and stalked into the castle with confidence. This was almost enemy territory, and he couldn't show weakness here. He knew Rose had never told her kingdom he had almost launched an attack on it, and thinking about that made him grit his teeth. That meant she intended to use him in the future, and needed Albion to have a positive opinion of him. He wouldn't underestimate her again.
The door was open, and he strode into the throne room with his head held high.
He knew a King now sat on Albion's throne, but he couldn't help the shocked jolt in his chest when he finally set eyes on the boy for the first time. To the untrained eye, the boy would simply resemble his mother. Reaver had spent many an hour staring at his own reflection, and he could recognize his own bone structure when he saw it. The King was no son of Ben Finn, and a sinister grin crept across Reaver's face. It had seemed suspicious when he'd heard Rose was pregnant shortly after their brief affair, but he'd assumed if she knew it was his child she would have sought him out to lord it over him. It's what he would have done to her, at least.
His eyes slid over to Ben Finn standing beside the throne, his hands clamped on the shoulders of a boy and girl of about thirteen years. Both had reddish blonde hair and green eyes, and looked less than thrilled to be there. The Prince and Princess were his, at least, and Reaver wondered why he'd felt the need to bring them to this meeting. He wrote it off as Ben Finn gloating, and stepped forward unfazed.
"Reaver, it's so good to finally meet you. I've heard… stories of you." Thorn cocked an eyebrow at him in apparent distaste and Reaver grinned when he saw a strong resemblance to himself.
This revelation made the journey here all the more worth it. From the distrustful glint in the young King's eyes, Reaver suspected he knew exactly who he was. Ben Finn apparently showing off his own children seemed to cement the point they appeared to be making. This is our Kingdom, not yours.
"What an honor, your Highness! I assume you know why I'm here?" Reaver asked as he approached the throne. Thorn stood and moved forward.
"There have been attacks against Reaver Industries assets across the city. Today's attack was especially brazen. I'm not a fan of what you do in those factories, but I can't deny that you've overall improved the quality of life across Albion. Come with me, we have much to discuss." Thorn looked him meaningfully in the eye, then moved to the door leading to the war room.
"Thorn-!" Ben Finn called out and released his grip on the two angry teens.
"It's alright. I know you're concerned, but I need to take over from here." Thorn raised a hand to stop him, and Ben froze in his tracks.
"Don't worry, Mr. Finn. I'll take care of our boy." Reaver flashed him a little smirk.
Ben turned his gaze on Reaver and anger filled his eyes.
"I still owe you a bullet for William." Ben ground out threateningly, and he raised a pistol toward Reaver.
Reaver reached for his own pistol, but before he could draw it there was a soft flash, and Ben's pistol clattered harmlessly across the floor. He caught a glimpse of a glowing ethereal sword dissipating in the air, and he turned to look at Thorn with piqued interest.
The young King was pointing a single finger at Ben Finn, and his eyes were full of concern.
"I'm sorry, father, but he is under my protection." He said gently, and Ben scowled angrily but bowed in respect.
The Princess reached out and took her father's hand shakily, and he turned to reassure her that everything was alright. While he was distracted, Thorn opened the door and gestured for Reaver to enter the room. He stepped inside and went immediately to a desk with various decanters on it. He chose one, poured himself a drink, then turned to face his son.
"It's a shame your mother failed to mention your existence." Reaver mused as Thorn closed the door behind them. He glanced at Reaver sharply, and moved forward to pour himself a drink as well.
"So you could have dispatched me before my Hero abilities manifested?" He asked curiously, and Reaver scoffed.
"Your mother told you that, did she? It wouldn't be the first time I'd let one of my children live, honestly. It's like she thinks I subside exclusively on death and suffering. What use would there be in killing you?" He was a little offended, and gulped down the contents of his glass bitterly.
His words seemed to surprise Thorn, and he swirled the drink in his glass before sipping gingerly at it.
"She seemed to think you'd take me as a threat." He said quietly, and Reaver scowled.
"Women, so dramatic." He growled, then moved to pour himself another drink before settling down in a chair.
"Have you seen her?" Thorn asked hopefully, and Reaver met his gaze with a blank look on his face.
"What makes you think she'd want to see me?" Reaver ground out as a muscle in his jaw twitched.
Thorn glanced down and smiled a little. After a moment he lifted his gaze back to Reaver.
"I don't think she ever stopped thinking about you. She married my stepfather and gave him children, but I used to find her staring off at Bowerstone Industrial. I think she still loves you. She used to rant about how infuriating you were, then later I'd find her crying quietly in the garden. When she disappeared, I had assumed she went to be with you." Thorn said softly, and Reaver tilted his head curiously.
"How much did she tell you?" He asked, and Thorn took a long sip from his glass.
"Everything." He said seriously. Reaver grinned.
He whipped out his Dragonstomper .48 and aimed it at the King with a haughty smirk. He noted with alarm that there was a soft buzzing next to his face, and he slid his gaze over to see a glowing golden blade hovering at his throat. Thorn kept his gaze locked on Reaver, and the man slowly lowered his gun with a satisfied chuckle.
"She trained me specifically to stand between Albion and the Hero of Skill. But I don't think it's going to come down to that." Thorn sipped at his glass a little smugly, and Reaver nodded at the young man in respect.
Perhaps Rose was right to keep their child a secret from him. Reaver saw an alarming amount of himself in the boy, but not nearly as much cruelty. All that power and a virtuous disposition could prove to be troublesome to his interests.
"You came here today for my help. My mother still owes payment for your assistance in Bloodstone. Therefore I owe you payment on her behalf." Thorn stated.
He was shocked, but refused to show it. Reaver had definitely not expected Rose to honor their agreement after the way things had turned out between them. He cleared his throat and nodded in agreement.
"Yes. There have been terroristic attacks on my employees and my property, and I have come to request the King's aid in resolving the matter." Reaver said confidently.
"Very well." Thorn nodded and moved to sit in the chair beside Reaver.
"I will direct my troops to assist you until the matter is resolved. I, myself, will visit Bowerstone Industrial and see if I can find any evidence of our tormentor." Thorn assured him, and Reaver tilted his head in appreciation.
"We will need to protect the docks. A warehouse was destroyed today, meaning several shipments bound for trade with Aurora have been burned." Reaver noted.
"Last week a ship bound for Samarkand was sunk, two of the crewmen were found drifting in a longboat. They said the ship wasn't even raided, simply attacked and destroyed. The enemy vessel flew a flag with a red skull unlike any we've seen before. No one knows who they were or where they hailed from." Reaver leveled his gaze with the young King.
"Never heard of a pirate ship that wasn't interested in cargo before." Thorn mused to himself, and Reaver smiled in response.
"Yes, typically the cargo is a driving factor behind pirate attacks. I believe someone hired them to damage our trade routes with other countries. Someone is hoping to weaken Albion." Reaver said quietly, as if he was worried the walls were listening.
"Well then, it sounds like I stand to benefit from solving this mystery." Thorn grinned a little and watched Reaver, but the industrialist was gazing out the window lost in thought.
"I think it best you stay in the castle until we've finished our investigation. We may need to converse quickly and privately. I will have quarters prepared for you." Thorn said with finality.
Reaver turned to him with a surprised look. "Oh? Am I being detained?" He asked with venom on his tongue.
"Absolutely not, you're free to go if you wish. I simply hoped you would cooperate for the benefit of secrecy on this matter." Thorn locked eyes with him and Reaver saw a fire in them that impressed him.
"Very well, your Highness. I shall eagerly await news of your findings from the comfort of a guest room." Reaver bowed a little sarcastically.
"What do you think, father?" Thorn asked curiously as he watched Ben Finn pick his way through the still-smoldering wreckage.
The factory and its accompanying warehouse had been gutted by fire. Bystanders gawked from further down the street, held back by a barricade the Bowerstone Guards had set up.
"Where there any witnesses?" Ben asked the Guard Captain nearby.
"None that we've found sir. Most of the lot 'round here were either inside working, or drinking their sorrows away at the Riveter's Rest." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the large pub, and Ben nodded in acknowledgement.
"I could ask Page-" Thorn offered, but Ben held his hand up immediately and glanced warily at the Captain.
"Captain, can you leave us please?" Ben asked politely, and the man bowed and stalked away to investigate further down the wharf.
Ben Finn lowered his voice and leaned close to the young King as he spoke. "Rumors have been spreading since Reaver's visit to the castle. Your resemblance did not go unnoticed. He inadvertently did us a favor by avoiding Bowerstone for so long, the people forgot what he really looked like. But Page will not be so easily fooled. I'd be shocked if she hasn't figured out you are his son already. If you go to see her I'm worried she'll do something drastic. Reaver's bloodline on the throne of Albion is her nightmare come to life. You need to be cautious of this moving forward."
Thorn's chest constricted a little painfully and he lowered his head toward his stepfather in defeat.
"Will you go talk to her, then?" Thorn asked hopefully, but Ben scoffed.
"I don't want to get shot in the face, either! That woman is terrifying and she's always so angry…" Ben mused a little to himself and Thorn rolled his eyes. Ben's infatuation with the revolutionary was not a secret.
Ben kicked aside a sheet of metal and poked at the charred mess underneath with a metal pipe he'd found outside. Thorn gazed between the factory doors and the docks beyond them, wondering how someone could have snuck in to start a fire in broad daylight.
"Oh, hello…" Ben Finn held up a broken piece of glass and Thorn turned to look.
"Uh… What is it?" The young King asked curiously, and Ben laughed.
"Ahh, kids these days. Ahem, this is a piece of a moonshine bottle. It's a specialty of Bucktooth Brewery in Sleetwick." Ben said confidently.
Thorn took the glass shard and turned it over, barely making out a 'B' on the blue tinted surface.
"How could you possibly know that?" He asked incredulously, and Ben chuckled.
"Used to stop there in my adventuring days to get properly drunk. Great booze, exotic women from all over the globe, foods you'll never find in Bowerstone; it's a magical place." Ben lost himself in memories for a moment and Thorn raised an eyebrow at him in concern.
"How do you know someone wasn't just drinking this here and tossed the bottle aside?" He asked doubtfully.
"Because Albion doesn't accept trade imports from Sleetwick. If we did the people of Albion wouldn't buy Reaver's hog-swill that he advertises as moonshine. Bucktooth Moonshine is extremely volatile and extremely cheap, I'd say someone brought a bunch of it here, dumped it on anything that looked flammable, then took off. Must have fumbled one or two of em in the rush, so probably not trained professionals. I'm pretty confident the trail starts in Sleetwick." Ben Finn and the King exchanged looks.
"I'll leave immediately." Thorn said with a gentle bow. Ben put a hand on the young man's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.
"Don't trust Reaver, and please be careful. If your little sister has to be crowned Queen because you couldn't be bothered to survive, this kingdom is doomed." Ben cracked a playful smile, but Thorn could see how worried he was.
"Lily just likes to rile you up. You make the best faces and come up with such colorful swears! Take care of Walter, he's just following her lead." Thorn held his hand out and Ben clasped it proudly.
"Go on, your heroic adventure awaits." Ben patted his shoulder and turned to walk back to the castle to make sure his twins weren't burning the kitchen down again.
Thorn knocked politely on the guest room door and he cast worried glances up and down the hallway. He suspected whoever was tormenting his Kingdom most likely had spies.
"You may enter." Reaver called out in a sing-song voice from within.
Thorn slowly turned the handle and pushed the door open, then slipped into the room. Reaver was lounging comfortably in a chair before the fireplace, thumbing through a book.
"I hope you bring news and are not here with the intention of wasting my time?" Reaver asked harshly.
"We found a clue suggesting the trail begins in a place called Sleetwick. Are you familiar?" Thorn asked bluntly.
"Unfortunately yes. Disgusting little place." Reaver grimaced.
"I request you prepare a ship to take me there. I don't want my people to know I'm leaving Albion." Thorn said quietly.
Reaver snapped the book shut and leveled his gaze on the young King.
"I believe you're the one that owes me a favor?" Reaver feigned confusion, and Thorn gritted his teeth in irritation. Whatever his mother had seen in this man, he really did not know.
"If you will not help I will conveniently have to shut down your operations as they pose a threat to the safety of my city so long as they are being targeted." Thorn's voice was low and dangerous, and Reaver considered him for a moment. He was not completely confident he was faster than the boy, and therefore could not be sure he'd win a fight. It was simpler to comply.
Finally he sighed and tossed the book over his shoulder as he got to his feet.
"Very well, your Highness. I will prepare a ship. Meet me in Dawntide tomorrow, we shall head to Sleetwick together to unravel this mystery." Reaver bowed dramatically and stalked from the room.