“Of course, Your Highness.”
“We should get you both back.” Deneya was focused on the sky outside of Fritz’s window.
“One more minute with him, please,” Olivin said softly, holding his brother’s hand. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back.”
Eira was ready to fight for Olivin to have his time, but was pleased when she didn’t need to. Deneya agreed and stepped away to engage in a quick discussion with Taavin and Vi. Fritz stood and headed to a far corner to give the brothers their privacy. Eira ended up following him.
“Uncle—”
“I’m glad to hear it’s Uncle again.” He smiled tiredly.
She sighed and her lips eased into a smile. In a mere second, something new was imprinted on her heart. No matter what the future held…she had to make some form of peace with her family. She didn’t know what that looked like, and maybe it wouldn’t resemble what they had been before at all. But the idea of leaving things, broken as they were, forever…she couldn’t stomach it.
“Uncle, I think I understand why you acted the way you did during the games.”
“You do?”
Eira nodded, gaze drifting to Vi and back. If she could misunderstand the princess so gravely, and miss an entire plot circling around her…what else had she overlooked? Or not beenwillingto understand?
Trying to put herself in her uncles’ or parents’ positions was difficult, especially when there was still so much hurt. But she made the effort anyway.
“You knew about my suspect parentage. You knew Meru would know even better than Solaris of Adela.” His expression softened further as she spoke. “Just like you knew how my powers could be hunted, or used by powerful individuals who wouldn’t always care about my best interests.”
He sighed with what sounded like relief. A slight smile crossed his lips. She might be warming to him, but a thin layer of ice had yet to crack and fall from around her heart.
“I can understand it, Uncle. Just like I cantryto understand my parents’ position—their similar fears, difficulties I can’t even comprehend that came with raising me, the fear that they no doubt harbored, thinking of Adela coming back for me…their grief after Marcus.”
“Your parents left after his Rite of Sunset, and didn’t write, because they didn’t trust themselves to have the right words. They wereshattered, Eira.”
“I know. But so was I.” She locked eyes with his. “I needed people to comfort and believe in me. To cheer for me. To have unwavering faith that his death wasnot my fault.”
“How could you…” He trailed off, looking wounded. But she allowed him to stew in his words until he found them once more. “How could you ever think it was?”
“Because I was literally blamed for it.” Eira took a small step closer. Rather than raising her voice, it grew quiet, cold. “I was in a prison and then a prettier prison. No one ever told me that they didn’t blame me for it. None of you.”
“We… I thought you knew we would never.”
Eira shook her head and balled her hands into a fist, relaxing them. “I needed people to be there for me, Uncle. No matter what your, or their, intentions were…you weren’t those people. More than anything else,thatis a wound I still don’t know if I can forgive you for, even accepting and understanding why it’s there.”
He nodded weakly. “I’m sorry,” he said again. Just like before, it sounded like he meant it. “Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of what it’s like to be young…to feel like the world is on your shoulders or, sometimes, to actually have it on your shoulders. We survived so much…I thought I could protect you from things I should’ve never had to endure—things I never wanted you to.”
“You can’t protect me from everything. No one can.”
“And you have no idea how hard knowing that is when it’s someone you care about so deeply.”
Sighing, she pulled him in for a small squeeze. Fritz returned it greedily. But Eira didn’t push him away. There was still hope for them yet. Maybe they could never be what they were…but maybe they wouldn’t be broken forever.
If Olivin and Yonlin were a reminder of anything, it was that life was short, and precious…and the few people who were genuinely on her side could be taken at any moment. A lesson hard learned.
“May I ask you something else?”
“Always. Anything.” He straightened. “I promise to tell you nothing but the unvarnished truth from here on.”
A good gesture on his part. Hopefully he followed through. “I know it’spossiblefor a skilled Waterrunner to block a sorcerer’s channel. Is it also possible for it to work in reverse? A Waterrunner to deepen a sorcerer’s connection with their channel and make them stronger?”
He narrowed his eyes slightly, but only for a second. “Why do you ask?”
Eira thought of dodging the question. But if he was being honest with her, she would be with him. Plus, Eira felt she owed him a little for looking after Yonlin. And Deneya or Vi would likely say something, anyway.
