Absolution (closed)

It had been sixteen years since the King of Clan Inverness Tamblin Courser Ghis, a vicious warlord feared by enemies, friends, and neighbors, had been imprisoned in Edinburgh by High King Brian Cross. While the Invernessian monarch had only been held for a year on an understated murder charge within King Brian's borders, Tamblin irrevocably changed. Fed information, true and false, by a faction of spies and killers who saw a man of means to manipulate, Tamblin grew malevolent, paranoid, untrusting, and outright cruel. Upon his return to Inverness, he immediately murdered or displaced everyone in his former inner circle, replacing them with the Spymaster Oliver Colton and his cronies.

As for Tamblin's wife, toddler son, and infant daughter, the relationships became far more complicated. Believing himself betrayed by his wife Katherine McTavish of Skye both in power and love, Tamblin destroyed people around her whom he suspected she had cheated on him with. His young daughter Selena was completely estranged, treated like less his own child and more a ward he wanted little to do with. But Tamblin became obsessed with his son's future. While he would become known as Tamblin the Mad, he was still enough in his right mind over the years to see he was going mad, and his son Durban was the only hope for Inverness' future while enemies beared down upon it.

As Durban grew into a prince, a soldier, and a man long before his time, his sister Selena was expected to become a princess worthy of being a bargaining chip for her slowly-slipping father who grew only more malevolent aside from a short respite around the birth of his third child, named Brogan by Lady Katherine. Kitty, as she was called, bore Tamblin's wrath in relative silence, seeking only to defend her children as he constantly accused her of being unfaithful, yet every child was his. And that included the short-tempered Lynndon, or 'Boar' as he became known, and the quiet, sweet twins Ashien and Kayla who were born far from home in Italy in the home of world-renowned doctor who had helped eradicate all manner of illness, plague, and often treated sickly mothers like Kitty, who was affected by a slow, wasting disease. The doctor, Vincenzo Ambrose of Venice, saw the twins into the world, and saw Kitty home safe and relatively healthy. But it seemed her heart remained in Italy with him, and his with her and the two newborns he'd helped her bring into the world.

In time, Kitty saw him again while visiting her parents who ruled the Isle of Skye as part of the Council of Mull that ran the western Scottish isles. Vincenzo had come to treat Kitty's father Martin, and the two took the opportunity when Martin was recovering to finally explore their relationship. And this also gave the twins the chance to know their 'Papa,' who was more a father from across the world than Tamblin was as he ignored them at home.

Kitty's conscience would not hold, though. When she returned home, she eventually told her husband of her infidelity- the first time she had ever strayed despite all his accusations. He grew cold, distant, and lost. For even if Tamblin Ghis was cruel and unpredictable, Kitty held his heart and had broken it for the first time. Eventually, without love and without hope except for her children, Kitty grew ill once more, and Tamblin sent her back to Italy, not knowing he was sending her straight to the man she needed most, and despite Kitty's protests as she knew she would only have to leave him again. The children eventually followed as well to help bolster Kitty's spirits, and she had a taste of a beautiful, much simpler life with a man who loved her and her babies. She sought to make it last, even dared to flee with Vincenzo for just a little longer to Greece, but the Ghis family was caught, put in chains by the Spymaster of Inverness, and dragged back not knowing if Vincenzo had survived their attack, and with Brogan- the smallest and weakest- being held captive by Oliver Colton himself the whole way.

Angry, betrayed, and even ashamed of the brutality her husband had allowed on their children, Kitty faced Tamblin only to learn that it was not in his hands anymore. He was still King, but Colton was in control, and had been taking power bit by bit. Tamblin knew if he tried to get rid of Colton, the Spymaster would either retaliate, or one of his underlings would take over in his stead and make sure Inverness crumbled, weak and poor as it was becoming. Colton and his contacts and influence were the only thing keeping Inverness from being invaded and ravaged by a handful of neighboring Clan Kings who'd grown too bold, or hated Tamblin, especially Lochlan O'Hennessey of Wick.

So Kitty and the children continued to suffer. And so did Tamblin, alone and afraid, chasing paranoia and nightmares off for brief stints with alcohol and unconsciousness. Waking life was painful for him, physically thanks to an old wound that had never healed correctly- an amputated leg at the knee he'd gotten and then dealt back to his adviser when the man tried to rebel for Kitty in the earlier days. And mentally, Tamblin was in a labyrinth, trying to find some way to be King, father, husband, warlord, and to train his son to be better than him, but just as vicious, and unlike Tamblin, unable to be daunted by the world around him. Barely into double-digits, Durban killed a man in battle for the first time with a bow. When he came of age at fifteen, he was turned into a proper soldier and saw both front and supporting lines fighting with or for his father around Scotland, and he soon had killed more men than career soldiers twice his age. A powerhouse, a giant, and a deeply depressed little boy forced to become a man far too early, Durban bore his duties in relative silence. His only solace was his siblings whom he was more a father to than Tamblin, looking after his often-ailing mother who made sure he never lost his heart, and promising his sister Selena that when he was king, she would never give herself to some stranger or anyone she didn't want, not for his sake or for Inverness. And those thoughts brought him to an ultimatum- Durban would have to dethrone his father before Selena turned eighteen, the age she would be expected to marry at after Tamblin had agreed not to promise her hand to anyone til then.

Sixteen years of the Mad King Tamblin had turned Inverness into a husk of its former self. Culture had died off in favor of survival. Music and art were scarce, the people too busy scrounging for food and work to care about bright colors and sound. Despite the recent celebration and hope of Prince Durban Ghis' eighteenth birthday two weeks prior, the people had been so hopeless for so long that even knowing Durban could now lawfully remove Tamblin and likely would, did not assuage their pains and worries.

Since his birthday, Durban had redoubled his training- a regime already too much for one man even of his fitness and raw power. But he did it voluntarily and without a word, taking his new Claymore, axe, bow, and horses to the obstacle courses, ranges, and to duels with his brothers and absolutely hacking apart targets, armor, and leaving his brothers bruised and on the ground in only minutes. He still had his heart, looking after his siblings with the patience and even temper of his mother, and still took care of Kitty as well, having been strong enough since he was fifteen to carry her when she couldn't walk, help her in any task, and fight any battle she couldn't on her own, though she would never ask it of him.

Close behind Durban at all times, often his dueling partner, was Brogan. Once smaller than his youngest siblings, his teen years had given him a sudden growth spurt to make him nearly match Durban. A bit shorter and leaner, Brogan looked far too much like Tamblin, but with life and love in his gaze that, thanks to being mostly ignored by his father, had not been crushed. Many saw him as having all the strengths of Tamblin without the darkness and cruelty, and having Kitty's heart and soul of patience and love for his fellow man. Family was everything to him, and part of that was helping his elder brother become strong enough to displace their father. While the two young men despaired at the thought, they had learned long ago that Tamblin expected to be beaten in battle, and eventually killed for his actions as king. He would never give up his throne otherwise, not even to Durban who was the finest heir he could've asked for. As Tamblin had killed his own cruel, tyrannical father for the throne, Tamblin expected Durban to do the same, and then change everything for the better. Tamblin saw himself as a lost cause, but Inverness' only hope if Durban couldn't make the decision or rally the personal strength to defeat him fairly.

So, Brogan constantly dueled and trained with Durban, often including Boar who knew the score as well, and even Selena as she was a fine swordswoman herself. The elder four children had a silent pact- to save themselves, their mother, and Inverness. And Durban would spearhead it all, the grim and quiet Prince of a dying Clan who only wanted his people to feel joy for the first time in sixteen years.

But there was another they fought for. Not just the young twins, but their half-sister, Valentina. Born of Kitty and Vincenzo's time in Greece and nearly killed before her birth along with Kitty when Tamblin found out, Valentina had been spared by a moment of Tamblin's mercy, and sent to live with Vincenzo who'd survived Colton's attack some months prior. But unable to give her the love she deserved without letting down his patients and important medical study, Vincenzo decided to share the raising of his daughter with Tamblin's former adviser Warwick, and Warwick's wife and Kitty's best friend, Ashelin. So every summer, Valentina would join her father, and he'd bring her back to the English Channel for Warwick to pick up come late autumn. This was so that Kitty would still know her daughter and be her mother in secret. Tamblin eventually learned of the situation, but never seemed to speak of it, as if giving one more mercy amid his slow decline, an unpredictable ride through deep depression, heartbreak, fear, paranoia, anxiety, and an anger that just wouldn't die.

Seeing Valentina growing beside them, only vaguely knowing who her true mother was, Durban was training for her too. And so, on a dark evening amid a blizzard shortly after dinner, Durban came to his mother's parlor. Still clad in his heavy winter armor from training, a nasty bruise from Brogan's blunted sword on his thick neck, and his long, dark hair tied back tightly, he cut quite the imposing figure. He towered over all in the keep, even Tamblin himself, and looked every inch a warlord-to-be. But his steely dark brown eyes had softened, even grown to show guilt and regret as he entered the hearth-warmed parlor, and he took his Claymore and sheath off his back to lean on the wall beside the door.

"Ma...?" He murmured, almost hoping she was asleep in her overstuffed chair by the fire, so he wouldn't have to tell her of the consensus he and his brothers and sister had come to.

Dinner in the Inverness keep was often a lonely affair. The children had long since gotten used to eating on their own, their mother and father usually not around. More often than not, Kitty didn't have the strength in the evenings to join them. Ghell would bring her a simple meal in her parlor, the only place that she seemed to find any happiness or solace.

After leaving Skye for the final time, Kitty knew that things would change back home. Never again would she have the happiness that she had once found with Tamblin. In fact, it seemed that she would be treated much worse. She was watched closer by Colton and his men, restricted in her movements much of the time, and if they were being particularly cruel, her medicine was denied. It seemed as if they were doing their level best to destroy her completely.

She found what little joy there was to be had in spending time with her children. Durban, Selena, Boar, and Brogan had grown into find young men and women, each with their own issues. However, she impressed upon them that no matter what happened in their lives, their mother would always love them. Without love, there was nothing. It was all that they had that couldn't be taken away. For the twins, she provided a safe haven, a respite from the world that seemed so dark sometimes. For Valentina, her one reminder of Vincenzo, she did her best to help Ashelin and Warwick to give her a lovely little life. Even if she was Aunt Kitty and not Mama.

That evening, she hadn't felt well, and had stayed in her rooms through lunch and dinner. The parlor was decorated with scenes painted for her by Ashien. They were seascapes from Skye, reminding her of home, and tiny little birds that he seemed to love so much. The children had surprised her with the chair she loved to doze in, lazily looking through Vincenzo's journals that seemed to appear at the most opportune times.

That was how she was when Durban entered, the snow starting to pile up against the windowsill. She was dozing, waking at the sound of his soft murmur. Turning her head, she saw him standing there, all hulking muscle and soft gaze. She could still see the young child in him, the little boy that she had loved and cared for so much, but hadn't been able to protect entirely from his father.

"Yes, love?" She asked him, moving in the chair and glancing over at the empty one next to her. "What do you need?"

The moment Kitty's gentle, dark eyes turned to look him over, a new wave of guilt washed over Durban and he felt trapped. He couldn't turn around now. And she deserved to know. Slowly but surely, he took a couple tentative steps into the room. His only solace, he felt, was that Colton's spies were preoccupied elsewhere and wouldn't be around to hear what the Ghis children were planning.

"Ma, I..." Durban began, and his voice and step faltered. "We were talkin', an'..." He finally sighed and gave up to come and kneel before Kitty. "Ye'll hate me for it, Ma..." He took her small, frail hands and they were instantly warmed through by his huge palms. "We love you, an' we know ye'll be hurt an' appalled at us..." He just couldn't get himself to say exactly what she'd be so shocked by.

Looking up to meet her eyes, his own shone sad, tired, but fierce. "It'll be best fer everyone... Especially th'common folk, an" it'll slow down these wars..."

The hesitation in Durban worried Kitty greatly. It wasn't like him to hesitate around her at all. Usually, he would sweep into the room, quiet as always, ready to help take care of her or sit for an evening together in front of the fire.

She often felt guilty for the life that her children had been forced to live. Other royal children had privilege, a happier future, options. Her children were resigned to darkness, despair, and arranged marriages. They were miserable, even when she tried her hardest to make them see the bright side of things.

When he finally came and knelt beside her, Kitty listened very carefully as he took her hands and he started to explain to her what they had been discussing.

She knew the children often spoke about things together, away from her and in secret. They were a tight group of young adults, each trying to figure out their future in Inverness. She knew they hated their father, wanted him gone, but she had convinced them time and again that he wasn't the problem. Now it seemed that there would be no convincing.

She watched as his gaze turned a bit steely, promising that they would all be better off. She knew exactly what he was referring to and she instantly shook her head no.

"Durban." She murmured softly, stopping his words as she reached up and touched his cheek. "No, love."

"It breaks my heart that you are still having these conversations with your siblings. You need to put the idea away before it consumes you completely." Kitty saw the wealth of hurt in Durban's gaze, knowing that he so desperately wanted to be out from under his father's rule. "And I won't see any of you hurt. Your father is still a powerful man, even with his many injuries and madness."

"He's even said 'imself, it's the only way..." Durban murmured, his gaze drifting to the floor. While one could say the Ghis children hated their father, there was also a pity amongst some of them for the man their mother had defended all their lives. "I wish it wasn't... I'd take 'is place an' give 'im some peace right now if I could. But 'e expects me t'kill him." He glanced back up to meet her eyes. "What else can I do if I want th'others t'be free?" He had long ago resigned himself to a throne he didn't want. Tamblin wouldn't consider anyone else, and Durban knew no one else was fit for it as he'd been the only one trained to take Tamblin's place.

"If you can't look me in the eye while you talk about this, love, what makes you think you can even go through with it?" Kitty asked her son in a moment of blunt honesty. "It's honorable that you want everyone to have a different life, but this is the one that we were given. It's the one that we have to make work, for better or for worse."

Kitty knew that he was stubborn enough to go through with trying to fight his father. She knew that he and his siblings had talked about it on end for years now. However, she knew that none of them, with the hearts that she had nurtured and given them, would be able to finish it out in the end.

"I would never blame any of you if you got away from Inverness and lived your own lives. I don't think your father would either, but you need to put these thoughts out of your head, Durban. I won't hear you say such things." She didn't want him to damage his own wounded soul further. That was where he was heading.

"How can you still defend him?" Durban asked with a sudden shot of passion to his voice. He rose and turned toward the hearth, away from his mother. "After everythin' he's done... The others 'ave never known anythin' but a tyrant of a father who ignores them most of th' time, then suddenly lashes out without warning. Boar knows it best. Selena... She hates Da. Th'only person she hates more is Colton. And Brogan? He's become everything a king should want in a son. But Da still ignores 'im. Ashien's become a son the proud of too, he's already outmatched the stable master in workin' with the horses. But Kayla... She's the only one who knows Da has any shred of humanity left. And even if we haven't been involvin' the twins, Kayla knows Da is starin' into oblivion. He expects us t'hate him, and be better for it because we won't make the same mistakes... But I don't hate him... I know what I need to do, but it's not out of hate."

Silence followed his passionate speech and Kitty simply stared at her eldest child. He would never understand why she did the things that she had done in her marriage.

"Do you remember the first time you went to battle?" Kitty asked, putting aside her blanket and standing from her chair, her legs shaking as she straightened up. "How you came back after seeing so many horrible things and how depressed you were by it all? I want you to think about how you might think you can live with yourself after doing what you are suggesting. Durban, you aren't a violent killer. You are a lover of many things, even if you think that your heart is long gone. Your siblings are the same. I refuse, as your mother, to allow any of you to put yourself in this position."

Her voice was soft and even, her hand coming to rest on his broad shoulder. "And because if you lose, you can't even come back here. I don't know that my heart could take never seeing one of my children again for the rest of my life. Nor am I certain that your father would even let you live after that."

"Then what do I do, Ma...?" He whispered, at a complete loss as his tiny, frail mother made him see there was no good option for everyone. "Jus' wait fer him t'get killed, or die on 'is own? Or wait for 'im t'corner me an' make me kill 'im? I know I'll never forgive myself... But I'll take that if it means things change and my little brothers an' sisters can be their own people, independent of a tyrant an' a dying kingdom. An' maybe one day Inverness will thrive under a better king... Maybe in a couple generations or so. I don' want to hurt him, Ma... But I don't have many choices, I never did. An' I don't want to hurt you either... But you'd finally have Valentina back. And Vincenzo. He could come here in complete safety an' we could have back a piece o' what we had in Greece... But none of it will change while Da has the throne. It needs to be taken from him... And he won't let it go until he's dead..."

"You are an adult now, Durban." Kitty said softly to her eldest child. "You will have some hard choices to make, but at the end of everything, you are your own man. You have your own thoughts and wishes. If this is what you feel as if you need to do...then there is nothing that I can do to stop you. I can make you try and see all of the different possibilities, however."

She took hold of his broad shoulders and forced him to turn. She saw so much in his dark brown eyes. All of the hurt that had been building there since he was a toddler was very clear and she wishes that she could do something to make it all go away for good. She reached up and touched his cheek again, giving him a soft smile.

"My sweet boy." She said in a whisper. "My life might seem confusing to you all, but I trust you to tell your siblings that my life is not theirs. Their life will be full of different experiences and, hopefully, much less heartache. If this is your ultimate choice, you shouldn't be fighting for me or Vincenzo or Valentina. You should be fighting because you know that you can do better for Inverness than Tamblin."

Durban leaned down to hug his mother close, his broad form creating a veritable wall around her. "I don' hate 'im," he reminded her softly. "I want you of all people t'know tha'. It doesn't make anythin' better, but... I don' hate Da." He kissed her cheek then and took a deep, steadying breath. His decision was made with his mother's insistence that his fight should not be for anything but to be better than his father, and to make their homeland better overall.

"I... I'm gonna be fair about it," Durban assured her softly. "I'll talk to Da... Give 'im a chance t'step down peacefully... I jus' need a bit t'think about it." He knew Tamblin would grow defensive as he was challenged, but he also knew Tamblin would take him seriously and not allow anyone to interfere with their battle to see who was better suited for kingship. Tamblin had said before that he and Durban would face each other on their own merits alone, no interference from the other children, from Colton, from outsiders, or from anyone else. And while Durban wasn't confident he was a better fighter than his father, he did know he was faster and more tactically-minded. If not for the sorry, decaying state of the kingdom, and Selena already being of age to consider for marriage, Durban might've waited and trained longer. He saw time running out, and ready or not, he knew his mission.

"In the mean time, you tell your brothers and sister to stop having these kinds of conversations. It will only end in heartbreak." Kitty said, scolding Durban slightly. "I know we have our issues with your father, but all this does is cause us to fight with one another. We don't need that when we have so much more to think about."

"What else can we think about?" Durban asked softly. "Almost every time a problem comes up... It seems to stem from Da or Colton. But I can't blame Selena or Boar. Not after all this time. And Brogan... He's still trying to find a peaceful solution, and he hopes Da could still get help. The rest of us aren't so optimistic."

"Do this one favor for your Ma." Kitty insisted, knowing that Durban was right about the rest of the children and their relationship with their father. "Please. I won't have my children become plotting, rebellious subjects."

Kitty leaned her head against Durban's shoulder for a moment before she pulled back and looked him in the eye one last time. "Go on to bed, love. I know you'll be up with the sun to train in the morning."

Kissing his cheek, she set him on his way, returning to sit in front of the fire again. It was a short time later that she heard Ghell entering with a tray in his hands with her evening meal. She didn't feel much like eating, but she knew she had to in order to keep her strength up.

"I suppose there's nothing to do about the fact that those children will not rest until Inverness is free of Colton and his men." Kitty said softly, looking up at Ghell. "What was Selena told you?"

The great grey Wolf came to lay the tray down on the end table beside Kitty's chair, quiet as Kitty spoke to him. He let out a sigh, pulling up another chair to sit beside her, having brought his own dinner as well. He often ate with her now, often her only company during the later half of the day as her children were busy with training and studying. And now that Selena was becoming a confident, stubborn, and independent woman, Ghell often let her come to him if she needed him. He tried not to intrude or over-supervise any of the children now that they were older. Even the twins were fairly independent of most people except one another. Like Kitty, Ghell was finding they were growing out of their protection, and out of Tamblin's shadow.

"She isn't happy," Ghell murmured, his voice slightly raspy after a terrible sickness he'd survived nearly a decade previously. He was looking older himself, his rich grey fur turning silver around his chest and neck from long-term stress and worry. "She knows Tamblin isn't outright turning suitors away anymore. He's starting to consider some of them seriously, and that terrifies her. There's nothing she fears more than losing her chance at freedom."

"I've tried my hardest to help her, Ghell." Kitty said as he mentioned that Selena was at her wit's end. "I have spoken to Tamblin so many times about his plans for Selena, but he refuses to let her be her own woman. And now, Durban tells me that they are plotting to end it. None of them understand that if they fail, they can't stay."

Kitty couldn't help the sudden tears that came to her eyes as she thought about that. She very well might lose Durban to an early grave if he lost against his father. She couldn't fathom losing a child in all of this. They were so desperate to be out from under their father's rule that none of them would stop and think of that very option.

"I think you don't give them enough credit, dear. While none of them want to leave their family, they may think the loss is worth the risk. At least for Durban's sake, he may think that anything is better than what he's got right now. Win or lose, he'll never be controlled by Tamblin again. Desperation and depression have made them all see the risks as better than doing nothing." He sighed as he spoke, gazing.into the fire. "And if I'm honest, my dear... The way the children are going... I could almost start to agree with them. Durban feels there's nothing but war and power struggles in the world, and he doesn't want to be a part of any of it... I've worried some nights that he might choose to leave it all behind, one way or another.., and Selena... I'll take the blame for her acting like a caged animal... I've told her so many stories of wild folk and free nomads over the years, instead of any princess or damsel in distress stories. She wants to be the adventurer, a wild hunter with no loyalties beyond the ones she chooses. To know she might be trapped forever in.the world of courts and royalty, especially with a man she doesn't know or want, seems worse than death to her free spirit. Boar... He knows he has a better chance at a good life than them, being the third son. And he hates it. It's all or nothing to him- either his family is free, or he isn't. He won't leave anyone behind. And then there's Brogan... The only one with any hope left. He wants Tamblin to recover, Durban to become king peacefully, Selena to go free, and for everyone to be able to choose their own path without ruining the others'. He knows he hopes for impossible things... But he still tries."

Kitty listened to Ghell explain the situation as he knew it and she knew that they were all in for a wealth of heartache. Her children would never settle until they were all free, whether Tamblin was with them or not. She simply had to wait to see what the outcome might be in the end.

Across the keep, Selena paced her room as she waited for Durban to return. Boar and Brogan were there as well, the twins already tucked into their bed for the evening. Selena dutifully got them ready for bed every night, making sure that Kitty didn't have to worry about it. More often than not, Kayla and Ashien would share a bed, more secure when they were both together. It was something they would quickly outgrow, but for the moment, Selena said nothing about her baby brother and sister.

When the door open and Durban entered, she stopped her pacing and looked at him. "Well?" She asked, her other brothers looking at him in the same way. "Did you tell her?"

Durban had taken a brief moment to put his gear away and change into a loose tunic and trousers, also taking that time to think everything over from both sides. He stepped in and closed the door quietly, taking his time to answer.

Brogan spoke in that stretch of silence, his gaze meeting Durban's. "I knew it'd break her heart... But... She understands our reasoning... Doesn't she?"

"She does," Durban nodded slowly, coming to sit across from his younger brothers. "Obviously she doesn' support it... But she also knows where we stand. She wants a peaceful resolution... But she knows there's really only two ends to this. Either Da passes away years from now and I take over... Or he gets killed. By who... I guess it doesn't matter..."

"We're trying to make this peaceful." Selena grumbled, continuing her pacing as Durban explained what he had talked to Kitty about. "She needs to understand that our father is a terrible human being and he needs to be put down like the rabid dog that he is."

Selena rarely minced words about Tamblin, especially after he had begun to bring up suitors for her hand. She had raged against him, her anger and fear making her say things that she would never say to another soul. It had often gotten her punished. Once, she had even been hit so hard that she had lost her senses for a long while, only waking later in her bed with Ghell tending to her wound. It hadn't slowed her down in the least.

"Selena." Brogan looked at her with furrowed brows and a frown. "You talk about peace, an' then you go sayin' things like tha'? Oliver's the root of all o' this, from th'very beginning. Th'only reason we're tryin' to dethrone Da first is because we can't get at Oliver. Da still looks after us, he's stood between us an' Oliver all this time even if Da isn't a good man himself. I'd be long dead, you'd have been married off by fifteen, and Boar would have been killed or exiled if Oliver had his way."

"It doesn't matter now," Durban muttered. "Da first. Then we'll deal with Colton when I have the throne."

"You can't defend him in any of this, Brogan." Selena said, looking over at her little brother. "How can you possibly? If our Da really cared about any of us, he would have been strong enough to send Oliver away before things got this bad. Instead, he let this happen. It's all his fault."

"And how dare you say that Da looks over all of us. Just because you're alive doesn't mean anything. It's our Ma that did that, not him. It's our Ma that keeps us here and together. Da would have married me to the first man that came along when I was ten years old if he had the choice, but Ma stood up to him and said no."

She looked over at Durban as he muttered about taking care of their father first and then Colton when he had the throne. "Things will be better. Ma will come to see that this really is what is best when everything is settled."

"We aren't going to fight about this anymore. There's only one thing left to do..." Durban sighed. "I need time to get ready... I just hope you all don't hate me if it takes a while. But Da will be off that throne by winter, whether I defeat him or Brogan can find a way to talk him down. I won't tell you to give up on the peaceful option... But time's running out. The moment I feel I'm ready, I'm calling him out to a duel," he warned Brogan, making their soft-hearted brother sigh.

"I'll keep tryin'... He's started to actually talk to me about it And I'm sure he knows we're tryin' to put Durban on the throne. He's been kind o' tame these last couple weeks. Maybe I can catch him in a good spell."

Selena looked at her brothers and knew that they were trying their hardest. They, however, didn't understand the panic that she felt when she considered life under her father's rule. There would be a day when someone came forward that Tamblin wouldn't say no to and she would be expected to marry like an obedient child. If she didn't, she would either be killed or forced into something much worse. None of those options sounded very appealing.

With a long, tired sigh, Selena sank into a chair by the fire, thinking about everything that had happened. None of this was fair. None of this was right. However, it seemed that they were going to have to deal with it head on.

"Jus' hold on, little sister," Durban murmured. "Ghell made you a promise. And we're going to help him keep it. You're goin' to be your own woman, no matter what happens between me an' Da." He soon rose to head for his own room, but spoke before he left, "Let's all try t'be calm fer a while... Give Brogan the best chance t"get through t'Da without worryin' about us."