Twilight Entwined (A Maasverse Tri-Series Crossover)

The First Night and Day

Ruhn Danaan knew one fact with absolute certainty.

The only person who could ever possibly mourn his father was his mother.

And that is why he now finds himself standing in front of the entrance to her villa, instead of continuing to let worry over the future of Lunathion muddle his mind. Taking a deep breath, he makes his way in. She is in the kitchen, preparing herself lunch.

As if she could sense him before both feet were across the threshold, the knife on her sandwich stills.

"Would you like one too?"

If she is anything, she's very intuitive.

The hunger in his gut lurches a bit and he nods, before remembering she is preoccupied. "Yes. Please. Thanks."

"What brings you by today?" She asks, the floral ankle-length dress swishing with her steps to and from the fridge.

For a moment, he can't for the life of him even begin to express this news to her. A part of him knows she isn't fragile, but...

"Ruhn?"

He blinks, leaning on the archway to the kitchen, meeting her twin blue gaze.

"Mother...we...uhh...should we sit?"

A shadow crosses her features, but she nods, handing him his plate and sitting at her table, the sunny window warming her back.

He sits across from her almost timidly, seeming too large for her dainty kitchen.

Lorin looks at him expectantly.

"Right..." he swallows. "Well, there is no easy way to tell you this so I suppose I should just come out and say it."

"Please do."

He holds her gaze for a silent moment. "The Autumn King is dead."

Her face remained impassive as if the words he had told her didn't register. So he repeated himself. "Einar is dead."

She remained there, her face unchanged, as if nothing had changed. But everything had changed. Every single fucking thing changed. Even he had changed.

Her knuckles had turned a shade of white that matched the bone china plate she was clutching with her trembling hands.

"By your hand?"

He blinks. Once. Twice. Ice runs through his veins as panic strikes him.

Gods, what will she ever think of him?

Honesty. Despite everything he should be honest.

"Yes."

"For good reason?"

"Yes."

Lorin seems to suppress the makings of a smile before placing the plate down and laying her hand over his. "I believe you."

Her words seem to loosen his muscles, taking comfort in the fact that she doesn't see him as a monster. Still, he feels the need to explain it.

"I—he and Bryce got into it months ago before the Asteri...", he sighs. "It was bad. He tried to kill her. I...stopped him."

She certainly didn't need to know that he had also beheaded the bastard and held up his head like a trophy.

"You are a good brother", she whispers, that small yet haunted smile making an appearance on her young-looking face. "I am proud of you for protecting her, Ruhn."

He can feel the tears pricking his eyes but wills them away. "I've let her down in the past. I wasn't going to let him, of all people, take her away from this world. I'm...I'm glad she was born. I think she will do great things, she already has."