If someone had told Rodrik a few years ago his mother would take her seat on Fair Isle in the middle of a summer most were predicting would last a year, if not longer, heâd have assumed it was a joke; some things simply are too good to be true. His fingers dragged lightly against the white stucco walls of a corridor framed by windows with wide open shutters to let in the summer air blown in from the isleâs shore, half in disbelief, half in an attempt to ground himself out of it. After growing up on stories of an island named for its beauty, heâd come to the conclusion that the claims of such charm had been exaggerated by time and longing. So it was definitely not helping his general state of mild astonishment to constantly be discovering new ways in which they were, if anything, understatements.
âYou asked to see me?â His fatherâs new study was at the bend of an âLâ shaped hallway at the top of Fair Castleâs main stairs. Rodrik imagined it was usually allocated to the steward, so he could field anyone who might wish to speak to the Lord while giving himself easy access through a door that adjoined the two. Now, however, its purpose was to allow his parents to never have to be more than a few paces apart, even when occupied with work. He found it a sweet thought, one that seemed to please his father too, as well as the roomâs balcony which was mirrored on the same back wall next door, and currently held Daltonâs appreciative gaze.
âHave I told you how I met your motherâŠâ
âYes, how you planned to come conquer a castle that would allow you to raid from The Crag down all the way to Lannisport and back again, but instead, the only conquest that succeeded was mumâs claiming of your heart, yours of hers, her support at your side and your will to her cause.â His father seemed to have wanted a different answer, but he just grinned wryly, âIf you are disappointed in me, perhaps you should have chosen a different story to be the one you told us so many times I had it memorized in eight variations before I was even old enough to read.â
As the topic turned to Rodrikâs own nature, to hiding, stopping just short of calling him a coward, he felt all the excitement, worry, effort, work, and exhaustion of the past ten days crash over him in the span of ten seconds, slumping as he murmured, âIâll be fine. Besides, mumâs wantedâwilled this for twenty-odd years. Now, of all times, it seems premature to claim your blood will always overshadow what another twenty or thirty years of her will might build.â
That, at least, brought them to the heart of the matter, and the exhaustion that had begun to overtake him worsened with every word Dalton spoke. Hypocrite, his father was certainly one, as if there werenât equal risks with several of his own marriages, as if there wasnât a part of him that was delighted by such a risk. His fatherâs claims about Tyshara hurt worse than anything he couldâve said about Rodrik himself, and they were both aware that he knew that. He rolled his eyes, as he thought, perhaps of anyone she could have chosen, Iâve had the privilege of her affection because in a family so flippant towards the value of life, Iâm the only one whoâs cared to temper the most violent of your urges. He could not say it, though, the words would stay buried deep in his throat in the place his spine was supposed to start if he had one, instead only able to respond, âYou know I donât abide by such ease in taking lives, but we are all hypocrites in our own ways; our perspectives match the same as yours and motherâs, that is what matters most.â
What he said next, however, with Toronâs ambitions to take The Rock coming into the fold, the words began to sound like metal screeching against a shipâs hull; they sounded like his brotherâs voice yowling to just let him die after his most recent attempt at suicide-by-misadventure. When Dalton was finished speaking Rodrik had to breathe deeply to steady himself, then leaned his head back so far he was nearly staring at the ceiling, as he continued, âI will speak of Lady Tyshara no more while you speak of her like that, you raised us better than to discuss any woman in such a way. But I have been clear with Toron about this and now I will be clear with you as well.â He moved to look his father in the eye again, âYou have me, my support, my sail and my grace, always and endlessly. But I will not aid you in these ever larger and more dangerous risks only to disregard our rewards in pursuit of the next.â
He swallowed hard in a failed attempt to keep himself from tearing up, âI am well aware that I am soft, and sympathetic to the point of spinelessness, I cannot stop you from doing so nor would I if I had the chance. But we, mother, and El, and Vic, and myself, and even Toron, and you,â His voice cracked from desperation, âHave worked for a quarter of a damn century for this! Hasnât that at least earned us more than a fortnight to reap the benefits, to restâeven if only slightlyâbefore jumping onto the newest plan to die in a blaze of glory?â
