Conversations with Her Father
Seeking solace from her overwhelming emotions, Isla began to spend more time with her father. Kaelen, though still recovering from the battle, seemed genuinely invested in rebuilding their bond. They often walked together in the packhouse gardens, the vibrant flowers and soft hum of nature providing a rare moment of peace amidst the chaos.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Isla and Kaelen sat on a stone bench beneath a sprawling oak tree. The golden light softened Kaelen’s features, but his expression was heavy with regret.
“I failed you,” he said suddenly, his voice low and thick with emotion.
Isla turned to him, her silver eyes searching his face. “What do you mean?”
Kaelen sighed, running a hand through his silver-streaked hair. “I wasn’t there when you needed me most. I let my fear, my ambition, blind me to what truly mattered. And now, I can’t help but wonder if it’s too late to make things right.”
Isla’s throat tightened. For so long, she had resented him for his absence, for the choices that left her and Seraphine alone. But in this moment, she saw a flicker of the man he could have been—the father she had needed.
“It’s not too late,” she said quietly. “But this isn’t about making things right for you. It’s about finding my children. They’re all that matters to me now.”
Kaelen nodded slowly, his gaze dropping to the ground. “Then let me help,” he said, his voice earnest. “I can’t change the past, but I can stand by you now.”
For a moment, Isla allowed herself to believe him. But as the conversation turned, his ambition began to surface once again.
“With Malrik gone,” he said, his tone shifting to one of quiet determination, “our family has the chance to lead. Together, we could secure the realm for generations to come. Think of the future, Isla. Your children could grow up as rulers, protected by the power we wield.”
Isla’s stomach twisted, and the fragile connection she had begun to rebuild with her father threatened to crumble. “This isn’t about power,” she said sharply, standing abruptly. “It’s about finding my children. They’re not pawns in some game for control.”
Kaelen rose as well, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. “Power isn’t a game, Isla. It’s a means to protect what matters most.”
She shook her head, her silver hair catching the fading light. “If you truly cared about protecting what matters, you wouldn’t have abandoned us in the first place.”
Her words hung in the air like a blade, and she turned away before he could respond.
