Absolution (closed)

[heartofcourage]

Kitty winced and held her breath as she watched Brogan deliver the final blow to his father. She gripped Boar's arm a little too tightly in her hands, her heart racing as Brogan hurried to Tamblin's side. She needed to go to him, to tell him that things would be alright, but she was rooted to her spot. It took Tamblin's hoarse whisper to make her leave Lynndon's side.

"Call for a healer." Kitty murmured as she dropped down next to Brogan. "He'll hate us for it, but call one."

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar was off immediately at her command, sprinting out of the keep as he knew exactly where to go. On the outskirts of Inverness, a tiny camp of Lunar folk had formed, and Boar knew no human doctor would be able to help.

Brogan didn't hesitate to call upon the staff to bring medical supplies, and he methodically tore apart his own jacket that he'd laid aside to help staunch the blood flow. Everything was eerily quiet. No one celebrated as they might've thought they would. There was a silent urgency and anxiety as everyone knew power had truly shifted, and it could go very well with Brogan being the sort of man he was, or very badly if outsiders took advantage of the situation. Tamblin had held off attackers and bloodthirsty clan Kings for so long that many were terrified Brogan wouldn't be able to do the same without getting killed or going mad himself.

Soon, Brogan carefully scooped Tamblin up, struggling a bit to carry the larger man. But with a guard's help, they took Tamblin to the infirmary where Brogan continued to look after him til Boar returned.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kitty was with her sons and Tamblin every step of the way. When she saw the twins watching everything with curiosity, she gently shooed them away off with a tutor to distract them from what was really happening. She was sure that they knew, but she didn't want them to see. The moment that she caught sight of Oliver and a few of his men standing there, she paused and stared at them for a long moment.

"I'm giving you an hour to get your sorry hides out of Inverness. If you are not gone in that time, Brogan will finish what his father was not strong enough to, namely you and all of your men hanging from the town walls." Kitty growled viciously at them. "You have no place here any longer. Go back under that rock that you slithered out of."

 

[KieranSoares]

Oliver faced Kitty fearlessly, arms crossed over his chest. "You think you can remove me so easily?" He growled. "I already have everything I need to set Wick on this hole of a city. Inverness will burn before your son has a chance to wear the crown."

 

[heartofcourage]

"If you truly think that, you are more delusional than any of us thought." Kitty said as Oliver stared her down, trying to intimidate her. "And you're wasting time. You have less than an hour to get out of the city."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Please, milady, you couldn't touch me if you tried," he smirked, pausing as Kitty heard someone step up behind her. Brogan had returned for his mother, seeing she'd fallen behind after he'd left Tamblin to the keep doctors.

"Walk away, Colton," Brogan's voice came quiet and low, a far cry from the vicious growl of Tamblin, calm but commanding.

"We'll be seeing you soon, boy," Colton growled darkly. "Your father was the only thing standing in my way. Now I can dismantle your useless family at my leisure. Perhaps I should start with your mother. She's been a thorn in my side long enough."

"There's nothing for you here. Go peacefully, 'r go in a coffin," Brogan murmured calmly, a hand laying on Kitty's shoulder. Oliver and his men slowly dispersed, glaring death at the mother and son.

 

[heartofcourage]

"He very well might try, my love." Kitty said softly as Oliver and his men slowly retreated, knowing that they could kill her if they truly wished.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know," Brogan drew her gently against his side, hugging her close. "... I'm sorry for all this, Ma... I jus' hope I can make things better."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You have nothing to apologize for, Brogan." Kitty said, looking up at her son as he hugged her tightly. "You did nothing wrong. I never want you to apologize for this ever again. You are the king and Inverness needs a strong, but understanding hand to guide it."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm not a king yet, Ma. But... I don' think it'll be long." He sighed and kept an arm around her as they walked toward the infirmary. Boar returned about a half-hour later with a tribal healer who immediately took over care of Tamblin. Eventually the mortally wounded king was settled in fresh sheets with loose clothes over clean bandages, and Brogan seemed compelled to stay at his side.

Tamblin always looked so worn out but peaceful when he slept, but his state now was different. Tension was gone from his features, even his unconscious mind knew his troubles were over.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kitty was at Tamblin's side as much as she could be, holding his hand and simply watching over him. He looked peaceful, much like he had in their younger days when the weight of madness wasn't on his shoulders. She could still remember waking up beside her husband, getting him to smile, treating him like an equal instead of something to be feared.

"Send letters to Durban, Selena, Matthias, Seamus, and Brian. They all deserve to know." Kitty said softly as she looked up at Brogan and Boar.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll do it," Boar volunteered quietly, rising to go to his father's study to begin writing. Brogan watched him go for a long moment before looking back to Kitty.

"He thought 'e wanted this for so long... Now tha' it's happening, he feels horrible about it," Brogan murmured. "He thought he hated Da, but he can see he doesn't now."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I've told you children for years that your father wasn't a monster." Kitty said softly, knowing that they all had to come to terms with the fact that Tamblin wasn't a beast. "He was cold and uncaring, but not a monster."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You don't need to tell me, Ma. I know," Brogan nodded. "I may 'ave resisted when I was little... But I know better now."

 

[heartofcourage]

"We just have to remind Durban and Selena that he's not a monster. I worry about them the most of all." Kitty said as she turned back towards Tamblin, reaching out to take his chilled hand in her own and holding it tightly. "Send a message to Warwick, love. I think he needs to be here."

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan rose to do as she asked, sending a rider out to fetch Warwick. Tamblin didn't wake for many hours, not til almost midnight. He came to slowly, trembling from cold and blood loss despite best efforts to keep him warm. It took him a long moment to glance around and process his confusion at still being alive.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're a Ghis." Kitty murmured softly as she saw Tamblin looking around with a confused glance. "Death is never easy for them."

She had stayed the entire time with him, not leaving his side for an instant. "We have sent letters to everyone, including Seamus. Warwick is on his way to the keep as soon as Cole and Ciaran are back home to watch Ashelin."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Brogan wouldn' finish me off..." Tamblin murmured more to himself, his voice hoarse. But his peaceful state seemed to remain. His single eye turned to her slowly. "... An' you stayed..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I promised, didn't I?" Kitty asked softly as he looked towards her. "And I vowed on at our wedding that I would until death parted us. I'm not going anywhere, love."

 

[KieranSoares]

"... You still keep your promises after all I've done." Tamblin gave her hand a gentle- or rather, weak- squeeze. "... Kitty... In my desk, in th' study... There's a lockbox in th' bottom drawer. I left a will... An' letters. It's up t'you an' Brogan what t'do with 'em when I'm gone."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll take care of it." Kitty said softly. "You don't need to worry about any of that."

"I know I should hate you after everything. I should have left the first time you lay a hand on me." Kitty explained as she let out a long sigh. "But I always knew the man that you were. Even in the middle of the darkest of times, I remembered the man that I married and I was so confused. I hope that he might come back to me one day, that we might move past all that happened, and that I might find love with him again. It...never happened."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I hoped I'd be him again too..." He murmured softly, closing his eye. "I nearly got t'be him again after Brogan was born... But I jus' crumbled again... I'm so sorry, Kitty."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You listen to me, Tamblin Courser Ghis. You will never apologize to me again." Kitty said softly, trying to make him stop apologizing for things that they couldn't change.

 

[KieranSoares]

Tamblin looked up at her then, surprised at her command. So he simply nodded silently and fell still, eventually drifting off or passing out, it wasn't clear which. He remained unconscious through the night and we'll into the next day barring short moments of hazy awakening when he didn't seem to know where he was. Warwick arrived around noon, somber and quiet as he was told of Tamblin's condition. The tribal healer had been clear that Tamblin was dying, that there wasn't much to be done, and Tamblin lacked the will to pull through regardless.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kitty stayed through it all, never once leaving his side. She would pay for it with a moment of illness when she let herself be weak but for the moment, she had a duty to stay with Tamblin. She had made a promise and she was going to keep it.

She did take a moment to bring in the twins, explaining to them what had happened and what would happen. Kayla was very quiet, not able to even look at her father as her heart hurt immensely and Ashien was much the same.

“If there are going to be goodbyes, it needs to be now, loves.” Kitty said softly to the both of them, hoping that they were old enough to understand.