Crowley turned around in the chair, resting his head on the back, now facing the grizzled Ranger. Halt was currently flicking through files, and for a few moments, the shuffling of papers were the only noise in his office.
"Is there something you want to say?" Halt asked mildly, not looking at him.
Crowley snorted. "Something?" he repeated. "Oh, I don't know, perhaps? Your majesty," he added. The younger man snapped his head up, eyes narrowing. "Aren't you going to say anything? You were a prince of Clonmel and you never told us?"
"I had my reasons." A million questions crowded his mind, and he had no idea where to start.
"Which were..." He trailed off. Halt was still flipping through the pages, his eyes locked onto the task ahead instead of the person he was speaking to. That was a first, and Crowley pursed his lips as a sudden guilt pricked inside his chest. "That is, if you want to talk about it," he said, turning back around in the chair. "I didn't mean to pry."
Halt didn't say anything. That wasn't so odd, but his whole demeanor had changed to something more bitter, something almost...sad. And that was certainly unusual for the man.
"Ferris was my younger brother." Halt spoke at last. Crowley looked back, remaining silent. "My twin."
"Twin?" He broke his vow to not ask questions, and inwardly grimaced.
"Yes." Halt looked at him again, those dark eyes dulled with something akin to pain. "He cared about the throne more than he did his own blood. And that's why I'm here."
He didn't say anything else, instead turning his whole body away to hide his face. Crowley watched him for some moments, at a loss for words.
He hadn't expected the man to be a prince of some foreign land. He hadn't expected Halt to be a twin. And he hadn't expected the reasoning as to why he'd left.
"I..." Crowley cleared his throat. "I'm sorry."
A shrug. "It happened a long time ago."
"I know. But I'm sorry, anyways." No reply, and he knew the conversation was coming to a close. "If it helps any, I'm glad you're here with us instead."
"Really?" A sardonic tone laced his words. "And you're speaking from the heart, are you?"
Crowley chuckled. "Take it however you think." He stood, and laid a land on the younger Ranger. "But I stand by my words."
I have to remind myself that canonically, Crowley didn't actually know until Book 8 so here's a little moment between the two after Halt dropped the bomb
- Sylvar
YOU ARE READING
Ranger's Apprentice: Tales Untold
FanfictionYou've heard of their adventures, of the wars, of their accomplishments. You know where they've traveled. But what about the parts you don't see? The parts of their lives that have been untold?
