256 Family Ties
Lucas Moonstone had just sat down in a chair when his daughter had said the most outrageous thing he’d ever heard. He knew sothing akin to what she’d said was coming, but he was still utterly unprepared for it. ‘Guess Magnus was right, the idiot..’
The king had told him about the discussion that he and Skye’d had at their dinner a while back. Lucas wasn’t surprised that his daughter had told him. They genuinely cared for each other like the family they were now, and Skye had always hated lying. ‘I guess it makes sense when I think about it like that.’
The first thing Magnus did was chew Lucas out for the Fowler incident; “I can’t Believe you sold out your own daughter! SORCHA’S Daughter!”
Lucas held his ground; “Skye would’ve been fine! The magistrate was ready to move with before anything could happen-”
“That’s a load of Bulshit, and you know it! NO Magistrate would’ve backed your claims and investigated on your behalf unless the marriage had been consummated! And you damn-well know it, Lucas! You sold your own daughter out!”
Lucas wanted to argue, but couldn’t find the words. The king was right, but Lucas also knew in his heart that he would’ve stopped Jacob from hurting Skye.. Or did he delude himself into thinking that? There was no way for him to know anymore.
Skye had forgiven her father for his entrapnt since Tidas had showed up in the nick of ti, but he still struggled with it. Hundreds of lives were on the line at the ti, but Skye was his daughter. After her wedding and Yuletide, they had nded their bond, but now it was unraveling again.
‘Does she truly doubt that Ima her father? Why?! She looks like ! Like Ma! I’ve shown her paintings! Stupid Magnus and his big mouth! More of a fool than a king!’
As her husband inwardly ranted, Lidia Drummond was internally panicking. She didn’t know how to explain the full details of her husband and his family’s death; Sorcha’s death. Not to ntion losing her child..
.....
‘What should I do?! I promised to protect her, but is keeping the truth from her really protecting her at this point? She Is the Catalyst, so shouldn’t I tell her about the Warrick family’s history? Their secret? But if I tell her and others find out, the sa people that murdered my family could co after her! I don’t know what to do.. I wish you were here, Sorcha.. I wish that you were All still here..’
A torrent of emotions welled up within Lidia, threatening to burst forth in the form of tears. She focused on her breathing to try and keep it even, but she was barely maintaining control. The mont that the accusations would start, so would her tears.
Skye watched her parents with scrutinizing eyes. She didn’t know how this conversation was going to go with them. She could physically see her supposed-father’s irritation, and her mother’s teary eyes.
“This might end our relationship, or bring us closer; I don’t know.. All I know is that soone is lyin’ to , and I will find out why,” Skye stated as she placed her hands on her hips.
“Ye think we’re lyin’ about bein’ yer father?! That’s ridiculous! Ye Look Like ! Ye have hair!” Lucas’ voice was a lot louder than he had wanted it to be when he spoke.
“There’s hundreds of people with red hair! That doesn’t necessarily an Ima yer child,” Skye refuted.
Getting his ire at Magnus under control, Lucas replied; “I’ve shown you yer grandmother’s portrait before. Ye look like her in the eyes an-”
“That was a painting! Ye can’t tell from that!” Skye took a calming breath before she continued; “Ye two have kept at arm’s length nearly entire life. If I didn’t have Peggy, I would’ve been alone for a goodly chunk of childhood.”
Skye turned to her mother; “I can see the pain in yer eyes almost every ti ye look at : even now. Is..Is it because I look like real father?”
Skye turned back to her supposed-father; “And you: ye claid and treated like a real daughter whenever ye were around.. But I felt the distance, Da. Every ti we’d be havin’ fun, ye’d get this look.. Like sadness mixed with regret. I can only imagine tis because Ima not really yer daughter..”
“Skye, no! We-”
“Ima Not finished. I may not be yer biological daughter, but I’ll always see ye as Da.. As favorite book series says, ‘Family don’t end in blood’. I truly believe that,” Skye relaxed her posture as she finished.
Lucas and Lidia were shocked into silence. Lidia’s face remained frozen, but Lucas’ broke out into a large smile before he asked if he could speak. Nodding in agreent, Lucas coaxed his daughter into going over to her vanity.
As they stood before it, Lucas pointed into their reflections as he spoke; “Ye see that freckle on yer eyelid? I have one too. So does every mber of family before . Ye have Ma’s eye structure, and like it or not, yer nose is just a daintier version of mine.”
“It’s not just our physical features, either. Ye got so Moonstone mannerisms that could’ve only co from ,” Lucas wrapped an arm around his daughter’s shoulders as he finished.
Skye knew he was telling the truth. There had always been a sensible part of her that had told her the sa thing every ti she looked in the mirror. ‘Then where do the Warricks co in? How could I be related to them; be the Catalyst, without so connection.. And mother..’
Gently breaking away from her father, Skye put her fingers up to her necklace as she looked to her mother; “Why did ye give this if it didn’t belong to real father?”
Lidia felt her nerves fray as her adoptive daughter stared at her. ‘Is that why she doubted Lucas? How do I tell her it was her uncle’s, and that it was technically ant for our daughter; My daughter?! For the love of the gods, Sorcha! Why does our daughter have to be so smart?!’
Lidia looked to Lucas with a pleading expression, but he didn’t know what to say either. At least nothing that would satisfy Skye’s curiosity.. There wasn’t an excuse left that she would buy now. Not sure of what to do or say, all Lucas could do was watch years of deceit crumble.
Before she even spoke, tears flowed freely down Lidia’s cheeks; “It wasn’t your father’s amulet, it was your uncle’s.. My husband’s. He let wear it as part of my outfit the night all of the Warricks died.”
“All of them.. My husband, my in-laws.. My baby girl..” Lidia sobbed as her voice broke.
“I was there! I watched the castle burn to the ground! The only reason I lived was because I needed so air.. My grandfather was with us, visiting.. He was outside with when the entire building went up in flas.. No one inside survived, it was just us..”
Skye had instinctively moved to comfort her mother as she sobbed. The information jumbled in her mind as she embraced her shaking mother.. ‘Wait. If she was married to uncle, then that ans..?!’
The news hit Skye like a ton of bricks: Lidia Drummond was Not her mother. As she balled in Skye’s arms, she turned her head to look at her father. The hints of grief and sadness she’d seen in his eyes over the years were verified by the tears freely streaming down his face.
Lucas sniffled, trying to keep his face as straight as possible. The damn was already cracked. If he moved his face even a centiter, the wall would shatter completely.
“So... mother.. real mother, was a Warrick? And she died in the fire, too?” Skye asked, not knowing her words were akin to a sledgehamr.
Lucas nodded his head twice before his tears and wails were as loud as Lidia’s. Skye’s enlightennt made her parents both elated, and sullen. They were happy to have the truth out in the open, but now ca the most difficult part...
Lucas coughed and wiped his tears before saying; “She did.. And I can’t tell you any more about her than that: not yet.”
Anger traversed Skye’s features a mont, but she reined it in before asking; “Why? How could ye tell all of that, then tell nothin’ else?!”
“Because the Warricks were Killed, and I don’t want that happenin’ to you! I know ye, Skye. If I tell ye about yer mother, ye’ll try to go after her murderer! We don’t know who killed the Warricks, but as far as they’re concerned, they’re all dead. If ye start snoopin’ around, they might find out about ye! ...I can’t lose you, too, Skye: I won’t. I won’t survive it..”
Fresh tears sprang into Lucas’ eyes as he harshly pleaded with his daughter. Skye had never seen him This emotional before. His face had turned red and splotchy, which was indicative to redheads. Even with her hair being golden now, she skin still did the sa thing whenever she cried. She hated it.
“Can ye at least tell her na?” Skye asked as her own emotions strained her voice.
Lucas really didn’t want to tell her, but it just slipped out; “Sorcha.. Her na wa-was Sorcha.”
“Do I look like her?” Skye asked with tears in her eyes.
Lucas sobbed as he nodded in the positive, unable to form words. He hadn’t said her na out loud more than a handful of tis since Sorcha had died. It was just too painful.
The little family huddled together as they let their grief out. Lidia, for the family she’d loved and lost. Lucas, for losing the love of his life. And Skye; for all the loved ones she never got to know.
Peggy had left without a word, but now quietly entered the room. She set a tray with whiskey and tumblers on the edge of the table, then quietly slinked back out unnoticed. As she closed the door, a large, but sad smile covered her features as she muttered; “It’s about ti he said sothin’..”
“You did what, to who, for how many cookies?” Tidas joked as he ca down his hallway.
The second her eyes landed on him, Peggy began to shoo the prince away like a botherso child. When he said sothing about ‘wanting to see his wife with his limited ti’, and tried to walk past her; Peggy lightly smacked the back of his head.
When Tidas yelped and asked what she had hit him for, Peggy simply replied; “I swear to the gods that if you go in that room right now, I’ll chop you up and feed ye to the dragon!”
“Why?! What’s going on in there?” Tidas asked as he stared at the door.
Peggy smiled softly before she replied; “Healin’.. Now, move yer arse!”
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