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Posted on October 11, 2014 at 08:58:07 PM by arthur
Arthur studied Thoth out of the corner of his eyes as he made a subtle show of slipping books back onto his bookcase. He noticed the tension in the boy’s shoulders and the irritated wrinkling of his brow and the king inwardly braced himself for the eruption that never came. It was a pleasant surprise and Arthur found himself biting back a smile as he moved two chairs out of the centre of the room and onto the bare floorboards to his right. He had learned, with some significant mistakes on the way, that less was more when it came to Thoth; hands off was better than hands on. It was difficult to find the balance between offering space and inflicting neglect; encouragement was needed too combined artfully with transparency and firmness. Arthur was more than prepared to be patient with Thoth, he had been through more than any child should have and he was an unusual boy at the best of times. “Next time,” the king commented mildly, “take the measurements and ask. I’ll send someone to repair the wardrobe.” Crouching down, the king collected a small wooden box from the floor by his feet. The catch had popped free in the chaos and the lid had popped open spilling the contents out onto the floor. Arthur scooped up the items and held them on his palm for a moment; there was a necklace of Lilith’s, her engagement ring and the wedding ring she had worn for little more than a week. Arthur had forgotten they were in his study; he had intended to show them to Tristan. It was difficult to find the right time...he was unsure whether they would offer his son comfort or grief but it felt right that he share them with his son... The silence behind him should have been a warning sign. Thoth had been rustling papers and then suddenly the sound had stopped. Arthur had been too absorbed in the jewellery on his hand to notice. The question took him by surprise, but it succeeded in dragging him back to the present. The king slid the pendant and rings back into the box and flicked the lid closed with a snap which seemed to echo around the room which seemed suddenly too silent. “I did know him,” Arthur confirmed as he placed the little box back on his bookcase. He had been waiting years for the question but he still felt unprepared to answer it. How do you tell a son about a father who played parent to the children of others but ran when faced with a child of his own? He accepted the piece of paper Thoth offered him and glanced down at the report; it was just locals worried about their sheep and goats. The wolves hadn’t bothered anyone yet and in Arthur’s experience they usually didn’t. “He looked after Nimueh when I was born,” explained the king keeping a close watch on Thoth’s face, “I will always be grateful to him for that.” Arthur had no desire to lie to Thoth, the boy deserved better than that and was intelligent enough to make up his own mind. “Adonis and I didn’t always see eye to eye, but he was a good man for the most part.” He paused and considered his next words carefully. “I’ve had scouts keeping an eye out for him for years, Thoth; wherever he is, he’s not in The Vale, I’m sorry.” Sighing Arthur fixed his grey gaze more firmly on the face of the boy before him, “but if you want to know more about him, I promise you, I’ll never refuse to answer your questions. He was your father, you have a right to know.”  |
Replies:
- son of man, a man in time you'll be - By thoth October 30, 2014 at 02:40:54 AM
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