Child of Ice (Thomas Shelby)

Chapter Twenty Five: Weaknesses

"You knew?" She looked over at thomas who was now looking into her teary eyes that glistened in the light.

"I only just found out Ayla" he tried to convince her.

"When I found out that you were in Kemal's hands I had to get you back I promised kemal all the profit he wanted for your hand and it didn't take long for him to agree but he told me you were in Birmingham with a famous gang the peaky blinders I knew it was my opportunity to save you. Seen as the Shelby's weren't on good terms with the King it was the perfect plan. When one of my men bumped into Thomas and his brothers in the local pub he brought them straight to me" King Ahaz said which made tears fall from her eyes

"I had promised your father on his death bed that I would avenge the death of his wife and son and I would make sure that his daughters were safe" Her uncle spoke 

"I told you I would go to any length to get you back and thats exactly what I did" Thomas said which made her smile at his words

"You're my uncle, a real blood relative?" Ayla asked King Ahaz and he nodded with a warm smile on his face.

"Yes my dear and I'm sorry its taken me this long to find you but you are in safe hands now" He looked over at Thomas who tried to hide the blush in his cheeks

"But there is someone else I would like you to meet when we return to Israel." He said

"Return? Who is it?" Ayla's eyes widened she didnt want to go back to Israel with him. She wanted to leave with Thomas and never look back

"Your sister..." Her uncle trailed off. This took her by surprise and everyone could see it.

"I see you've finally found the little imbecile" King Sekin said earning him another punch from Thomas which was fuelled with anger for ever hurting a single hair on Ayla's head 

"Take him into the weapons room and tie him in chains, don't leave a single piece of clothing on him either" Ayla said as the brothers did as they were told. Ayla gave Thomas a convincing smile for him to leave her and her new found family alone for a moment.He stood in the corner pretending not to listen in on their conversation. 

"After I found out that King Sekin had acquired a daughter that had miraculously found in the woods I knew something wasnt right. Your father never stopped talking about you and how beautiful your eyes were, he had said that you had your mothers eyes and I can see it now" He smiled 

"But what about the curse?" Ayla asked 

"The curse lives throughout our family and it has for centuries, everybody knew about it, when we embrace our weaknesses we begin to feel again but it seems like you've found yours but haven't figured it out yet" her uncle looked over at Thomas who quickly looked down at his feet

"What was your weakness uncle?" Ayla asked like a lost puppy dog trying to figure out what hers could be.

"Mine was a fear of not being able to keep a promise" He smiled 

"A fear of not being able to keep your promise to father?" She asked and he nodded at her question before heading for the door. 

"I'll be on the next ferry home. Come back whenever you feel like it I'm sure Dilara would be delighted to meet you my dear" He smiled 

"What if I don't want to come back uncle?" she finally asked 

"Then its totally up to you my dear, You are your own woman now" he smiled once again before leaving. She took a deep breath as Thomas's footsteps approached her. She looked like a weight had been lifted off her chest. 

"How have you been?" Thomas tried to make conversation when all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms again 

"I've been better" She let out a small laugh as did he, their eyes dancing around each others. "thank you, Thank you for coming back for me" She finally said with tears in her eyes, without another word Thomas's lips collided into hers like attracting magnets. They craved for each others passion more than anything in the world.

"Marry me" Thomas finally said pulling out the ring she had given him to keep and kneeling down on one knee. A sudden rush of feelings boiling through her body, she didn't know how to reply or even if she wanted to reply.He could see the shock in her eyes as she tried to speak.Did he pick the wrong moment or did she not want to become his wife? this is when he asked himself if she really went the same way that he did.

"Promise me one thing..." She said which made his heart move to his mouth

"Anything" Thomas smile 

"When I kill him don't you dare stop me" Her face was now serious but the only thing he wanted was to call her his wife for the rest of his days. 

"I wouldn't dream of it" he smiled as she held out her left hand, slowly slipping the ring on her thin fingers. The excitement running through his body was unexplainable. Picking her up and spinning her in the air he couldn't wait for them to finally be together and start their new lives as a married couple.

 "Ayla..."Arthur interrupted making his brother blush at his emotional state

"Yes sorry" Ayla brushed herself off to face Arthur. He instantly spotted the engagement ring holding back a smile before finishing off his sentence 

"We've chained him up. He's all yours now" He smiled as he clicked his blood covered knuckles. The moment Ayla had been waiting for was finally here.She was going to make him pay for every little thing that he ever did and she wasn't going to show him the tiniest amount of mercy. Thomas and his brothers wouldn't dare intrude. 

As she entered the room she spent most of her childhood in King Sekin was chained to the walls by his wrists and ankles with nothing but his underwear.

"I won't make this easy father. I want you to feel each piece of pain you ever made me feel" Ayla took out her knives scoring it along his left cheek bone. He squirmed and squealed in pain. 

"This is for taking my purity..." she cut his other cheek bone watching the blood drip down his neck

"This is for Locking me in cages" cutting across his forehead making him squeal once again the blood trickling down his nose this time

"This is for killing my family" she held his baby finger in her hand chopping it off in one swing, his squeal now turning into screams of pain as his baby finger was lying on the floor in front of him.

"Ayla" Arthur tried to intervene but Thomas held him back. 

"And this is for killing my daughter" She stuck the knife halfway into his check before spinning a hook kick penetrating it into his heart. As they all watched the King take his last breath and the life in his eyes disappear.