Sisters Three (Completed)

47. Brenna (3/3)

"Robbin, darling, this is not the place for this," she said, amending her stern tone to one a bit gentler. She offered her hand this time, hoping to tempt him from his dark corner.

Unimpressed with her peace offering, Robbin huddled into his slumped shoulders, turning back to stare in horror at his hands. "Brenna. Oh, Brenna, we're finished," he whispered, wide eyed.

Brenna casually leaned over to remove the half-empty tankard from in front of him, placing it on a nearby table for someone else to finish off.

As if she hadn't moved, Robbin continued talking. "I did it all for a crown I can't even keep. I poisoned his drink. And when he was dying I just sat there and watched even though I knew I shouldn't have done it. Afton helped, Afton tried to save him. But not me. I just wanted him to die already so I could do what I wanted. Oh, Brenna, I've seen his blood on my hands so many nights."

Brenna watched him, open mouthed, as this confession spilled from his lips in a jumbled and garbled mess. It took her a few moments to even work out that he talked of his father, and the mysterious circumstances of his death. She swallowed hard, her eyes flicking to the nearby soldiers who, thankfully, didn't seem to be paying much attention yet.

"Robbin, stop. You didn't poison your father. Revours' spy did."

Robbin's head lolled back and he smiled without a single drop of mirth. "Oh, that's what General Rydon and I wanted everyone to believe. We found a man no one would miss and we claimed he was a spy. He was a lovely little sacrifice to keep the blame from our dirty hands. Who would suspect the son and the general, eh?"

Not for the first time, Brenna felt the cold sap of fear when she looked at her husband. He looked pathetic, hunched over and soaking in sweat, his eyes underlined with the purple of restless nights. Yet, she knew he could have done what he said. He had it in him, and she'd always known that about him. He would do anything, just like she would. Only, he really had done it. She took one, tiny step backward.

"We can talk about this later," she said, swallowing hard. "You can tell me everything after you've had some sleep."

Robbin watched her, and then leaned forward, the smell of ale and sweat filling Brenna's nose as he came near. "I've done much worse. Even worse than my father."

By now the barracks had been alerted to the arrival of the queen, and she felt the presence of new bodies filing through the door. Eyes were trained on her, made even more obvious by the fact that her guards and Hannara had inched forward to try and overhear what was taking her so long. Ears were trained on the two rulers now, and Brenna bristled with the knowledge. She needed to shut Robbin up before he broke something they couldn't repair. "No, keep quiet."

"I was the reason Afton was killed," he whispered, but still loud enough that the barracks went deadly silent. Brenna stiffened, her entire face going numb.

"That wasn't you," she said, voice wavering.

"General Rydon thought he was going down the same path as our father. We needed the Grellan troops, and Afton said no. So if we could kill my father, why couldn't we kill Afton? Rydon had him shot, right there in our woods. My own brother! He was murdered so that I could become king, don't you see? I manipulated the lines and the generals ran with it, changing the entire bloodline." He sagged, his chest heaving with the sobs that now burst from him in ragged bouts. "I didn't want my brother to die. Please believe me. I wished no harm on him."

Brenna's hand flew to her mouth as her own tears flowed freely down her face. Afton's death had been in their own interest... She felt sick at the thought. While Robert Glenfarrow had never earned a scrap of respect from her, Afton had not deserved such a fate as General Rydon prescribed him.

And yet. Yet, without Afton's death she would never have been standing there, queen. Even as she felt the horror of the truth shred her stomach, she also felt in the pit of her soul a faint, selfish gratitude toward the general. And that terrified her even more than Robbin's crumbling self. For if she was grateful that her own sister's husband had been brutally murdered in order for her to be queen, then what else would she be willing to do to keep this crown that now perched precariously between her and the people screaming for the new heir?

The whole barracks was deathly silent, and Brenna noticed only after what felt like an eternity. She swept her eyes around the room, seeing nothing but hostile faces grim with the knowledge of what Robbin had done. They weren't safe. They had to leave.

Grabbing his arm, Brenna hauled Robbin to his feet despite his swaying reluctance. With one hand she steadied his head and stared him straight in the eye. "We're going. Walk." He stared back for only a few seconds, but then nodded and let her lead him down the narrow path between the watching soldiers.

Brenna's back prickled and she struggled to remove her husband from the barracks. All those eyes plastered to them, but no words or noises filled the night. At any moment she expected them to attack, avenge the death of the two Glenfarrows that had died. But nothing happened as she pushed open the door and spilled into the night air, leaving the heavy, hot room behind. Robbin sagged against her side, his sobs still racking his body. She tried not to feel annoyed at him as she stumbled under his weight.

"Brenna, I haven't said the worst yet," he gasped out, as they exited the alley and started across the courtyard. "I love Afton, but when I heard that General Rydon had killed him... I was happy. I felt horrible that he died, but it was a relief to know that I could become king without having to do the deed myself. I'm scared wondering if I would have done it had Rydon waited a bit longer. Would I have wanted to correct Afton's mistakes and become king bad enough to shoot him through the heart?"

Brenna stayed silent as he repeated her own thoughts back to her. She stared at the brick walls of the palace's back wall as they moved forward.

"I think I'm going to hell," he said.

"You won't be alone," she replied.

He had been right. They were finished.

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A/N: Oh my gosh, this Brenna chapter (all 3 parts) is my favorite chapter in the whole book. I finally got to reveal all the stuff I'd been leading up to in regards to Robbin's involvement in Robert and Afton's deaths. And Brenna and Robbin finally realize the extent of their selfish hearts and kind of become self-aware of how they're becoming villains in their own stories. This chapter just gives me a rush, but maybe that's because I find their twisted, broken souls so fascinating.