“But… but what if he doesn’t want to go? He is the reincarnation of our greatest king! He will not want to leave us!” She cried.
Vex’s eyes narrowed. “Regardless, you will not stand in my way when I come for him. Neither will your husband. Or any Aravae. Ailduin will be mine whether he wishes to be… or not.”
Aquilan took a half step back. Vex’s head snapped up as if he heard or sensed Aquilan’s presence. The Night King was staring right at him. Aquilan swallowed shallowly. This was a memory, wasn’t it? Vex wasn’t really there. He wasn’t really looking into Aquilan’s eyes. He hadn’t come to snatch Aquilan and take him deep into the Under Dark like the children’s stories said.
Surely not.
“You cannot ask me to give up my child to you!” His mother shook her head violently.
“He is not your child, Queen Meriel. He is Ailduin coming back to this plane. And he belongs with me,” Vex answered coldly. “Either you agree to my terms or… Ailduin will find another vessel to make his way here. One who is not so foolish as to reject my assistance.”
His mother gripped her own swollen belly. Her expression was wretched. “But you love him! I know you do! Why would you do this? Why put such a price on aiding him?”
Vex was still staring at Aquilan. His mouth was as dry as the desert. He stepped forward and stared right back. Surely Vex knew that he would want him to save his mother without any strings attached! Why was he putting such conditions on this?
“Because I have been down this road before. I know where it leads if I do not have control,” Vex answered her. His right hand curled into a fist. “If Ailduin does not learn from his mistakes in the past, he will die again and again and again. But if I am there–if I teach him–then he will live forever. By my side.”
“But–”
“What buts are there?” Vex swung towards her and Aquilan felt the loss of his gaze. He nearly fell forward when it was seemingly taken away. “You have a child already! I will give you some time with Ailduin. All you must do… is let him go. And you will do so with the knowledge that he will thrive once he is with me,” Vex told her.
His mother opened her mouth. But whatever she would have said, she suddenly let out a groan of pain and doubled over. “Ah! Something is wrong! He’s… he’s in distress! King Vex! Help me! Help him!”
But Vex did not come to her. Not even when she crumpled down onto her knees. The dress she wore was white and crimson so the blood only showed when it reached a snowy white panel. His heart leaped up into his throat as he saw blood bloom.
“Mother!” Aquilan cried out and tried to rush to her side.
But he was suddenly stuck. Tangled. Sticky threads engulfed him. He gagged as they entered his mouth and clung to his tongue and palate. He struggled to raise Glorandal and cut through the strands. He had to get to his mother!
“Accept my offer and I will save you both,” Vex answered.
Even through the haze of the Leviathan’s web, Aquilan could see that Vex was not moving, not bending, not reacting whatsoever to his mother’s dire predicament.
How can he be so cruel?! So cold?!
“Mother, I’m coming!” he shouted.
He murmured a spell and the strands of web began to burn as sunlight surrounded Aquilan. He felt the web giving way. He would be free in moments and he would help her. He would save her… and himself.
His mother cried out again in agony and curled forward into a ball on the ground. The blood stain grew as she was hemorrhaging. “I–I… Aquilan, I’m sorry… I–I... I accept! I accept your terms, King Vex! Aquilan will be yours!”
Aquilan staggered forward, free of the webs, ready to come to his mother’s aid. But she was not there. The plinth was still there. But what had seemed empty space was now filled with webs and cocoons.
And Vex.
Aquilan froze.
The Night King looked much as he had when he’d met with Aquilan’s mother in this same spot. Different pants. Same bare feet. No shirt. His hair was still shaved on one side and hung in glorious silver waves down to mid-back on the other. His red eyes were fixed upon Aquilan.
“Y-You!” Aquilan managed to get out and felt like a fool as soon as he said it. “My–my mother! What did you do to her?”
“I helped her. I saved you,” Vex answered.
His voice was slightly warmer than it had been with Meriel. His tone was almost gentle. Aquilan swayed a little. Everything he had learned in such a short time from who he was and what his mother had done and what Vex had offered… It was almost too much. But he had to keep control of himself. This was Vex. The dread Night King.
My friend. My best friend.
But was Vex his friend anymore? Hadn’t Ailduin and Vex become enemies in the end? And hadn’t Vex forced his mother into some ridiculous bargain to save him this time around? What kind of friend did that?
