A kingdom of Ash and Echoes

Chapter 16 - Fractures Within

The days that followed blurred into one long haze of worry and silence. Lyriana found herself trapped between two storms—her brother's fragile recovery and the gnawing ache in her heart whenever Rowan's name echoed in her mind.

She visited Callum's chambers every morning, carrying trays of broth and bread he hardly touched. His strength returned slowly, painfully, as though each breath was dragged from the clutches of death. At night she sat by the fire, her embroidery lying untouched in her lap, staring at the threads and seeing only the blood on her brother's tunic.
But more than Callum's wounds, it was the secret she bore that consumed her. Rowan. She whispered his name only to herself, never aloud, terrified the stones of the castle might carry it to someone else's ears. He had been her friend, her comfort, her first love. And now he was her brother's attacker. Her betrayer.
She wanted to hate him, needed to hate him—but her heart refused to let go so easily.
One evening, Callum stirred awake as she replaced the damp cloth on his forehead. His voice was quiet, but the steadiness of it startled her. "You haven't asked me."
Lyriana blinked. "Asked you what?"

"What happened after. With Rowan. You want to know—I can see it in your eyes." His gaze, though shadowed with fever, was sharp and unyielding.
She swallowed hard, her throat tight. "I... I don't know if I can bear to hear it."
"You must." His hand trembled as he reached for hers, gripping weakly. "He wasn't the boy we knew. Not anymore. He spoke like a man who believed he carried the world on his shoulders. But there was... anger in him. A bitterness. I don't know where it came from. But it burns in him like fire."
Lyriana lowered her gaze, tears threatening. "Did he—did he know I was here? That I still..." She couldn't finish the thought.
Callum's expression softened, though pain flickered in his eyes. "He didn't speak of you. Not once. But when he spared me, I saw something in him—a hesitation. Maybe... maybe a part of him still remembers who he once was."

Her tears fell then, splashing onto the sheets. "How can I reconcile the boy I loved with the man who nearly killed you?"
Callum squeezed her hand faintly. "You don't. Not yet. For now, you guard your heart as fiercely as you guard this kingdom. He chose his path. You must choose yours."
The door creaked, and Queen Elowen entered, carrying a small tray of herbs. She looked between her children, her eyes soft but weary. "You mustn't exhaust him," she told Lyriana gently. Then, seeing the tears on her daughter's face, she added more softly, "Your brother will heal. But so must you."
Lyriana forced herself to nod, though inside her chest was a storm of longing and grief. She stayed until Callum drifted into another uneasy sleep, then slipped out into the cold corridors.
As she walked, she pressed her hand to her heart, whispering a vow only the darkness heard: If Rowan has truly fallen to this path, I will face him. One day, I will demand the truth from his own lips. And if he has chosen the rebellion over me—then I will choose Avaranth over him.