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violetlunette · 7 months ago

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Say Goodbye

Summary: Lilia’s daughter, Silver, dutifully waits for her father to return for a visit after being gone for so long. Then a letter arrives.

Notes:

*This fic takes place in an AU where Silver is a girl and thus couldn’t attend the all boy’s college with the others.

*Spoilers for Book 7

*Long post

“Yah!” The young teenage girl swung the practice blade at a swift angle, just as her instructors at the palace taught her. Her animal friends helped by randomly dropping acorns and other things for Silver to hit or catch. She paused to take a breath, which was thick in the winter air.

“I can feel I’m improving,” she thought aloud, wiping the chilled sweat from her brow. “However, I need to practice more if I’m going to be ready to show Father what I learned during our sparring.” The thought warmed her despite the weather and snow. Lilia would be coming home for winter break, and Silver could not be more excited.

Her father was always a traveler throughout her life; however, she couldn’t help but feel lonelier as of late.

Two years prior, Lilia enrolled at Night Raven College to accompany Malleus. The bat fae felt the college would be an excellent opportunity for the prince. It was a chance to experience the world outside the valley, something Silver herself had yet to experience, aside from the Halloween visit to NRC. Not that girl had any inclination to.

Briar Valley was her home. It would be the land Silver hoped to help defend in the future, just as her father had. The girl was quite happy where she was, not that she didn’t have her own challenges to deal with.

For one, fae and human relations weren’t the best, as there was still bias and prejudice between the two. Thus, she was trying, in her own way, to slowly mend the rift between the two races. While not overly successful, Silver was proud to say that the fae soldiers she trained with at the palace—who absolutely hated her for being a mere human at the start—were starting to accept her. Silver even spotted them hanging out with other humans. She didn’t want to be arrogant and think that it was her influence that inspired that; however, it was nice to think so. Of course, without Baul’s support, she never would have gotten as far as she did.

Silver could never stress how grateful she was to him and the rest of the Zigvolt family. However, as much as she cared for them, she missed Malleus, who had been there throughout her entire childhood, and even Sebek, her rival and best friend. Most of all, she missed her father, the most precious person in the world to her.

‘I can’t wait to show him how far I’ve come,’ she thought, a small smile on her rose-pink lips.

Part of the reason Silver started training for knighthood was to follow in Lilia's footsteps. The other part was so she could repay him and Malleus for everything they'd done for her. As Sebek frequently—and loudly—reminded her, Silver owed them for raising her despite her humanity. If not for them, the young lady would not have the life she loved so much. If Silver was able to give back even a little, then--

Screech!

“Hm?” Silver turned at the sound and brightened. “Oh!”

It was one of her father’s bats. Silver’s heart quickened in excitement when he saw the black envelope with the bat insignia on the flap. It was odd to receive a letter as Lilia preferred the phone, but Silver didn't think too much about it. Any form of contact was fine with her.

Quickly, Silver brought the little bat inside. She gave him fruit, but despite what must have been a long journey, the little creature wasn’t eating. She petted his head with a finger before turning her attention to the letter.

‘He must want to talk about his visit,’ she thought, her body warming at the thought of seeing the man again. She opened it, curious about what it would say.

There was a beat in the air, then her heart stopped. Then the world stopped.

The sounds that usually filled the cottage—the sound of critters taking shelter from winter’s cold, the breeze rustling through the pines, the flickering of the fireplace—vanished.

All she felt was a coldness that spread through her body. A chill that made her tremble.

Silver's words shook as her mouth fell open, her throat dry.

“What…” The letter wrinkled in her grip.

“Silver,” it read. “I’m afraid I won’t be returning home, and not just for winter.” Silver’s brows lowered slightly over eyes that had grown wide.

“Not... not re—not returning...” The words were barely a whisper, and they fumbled on her tongue. “What…?”

The note went on to explain how Lilia used up all his magical reserves and could no longer use even the simplest spell.

“I can’t even muster up enough strength to teleport anymore. Pitiful, I know. I hoped my powers would hold out at least until I graduated, but they ran out a bit faster than I’d expected.” He played it off casually, but Silver knew the old fae must have been devastated to realize this.

In Briar Valley, magic was essential to living, for everything was powered by spells. Without it, a person would struggle. On top of that, for Fae, magic was a part of their very being and who they were. Without it, they might as well have lost a limb. There was even a stigma that among the folk that fae without magic weren’t faes. Therefore, when Lilia lost his magic, he may as well have lost who he was.

“Father…” Silver’s heart cried out for the man. She longed to be by his side so she could help him through this endeavor. But...

It was difficult to read further as Silver’s eyes began to blur, but she continued after rubbing them with a palm. She wished she didn’t.

“The Land of Red Dragons?” she read aloud when Silver came to the part that told her of Lilia's plans. “But that’s… That’s practically on the other side of the planet.” That had to be a mistake. Why not just come home if he can’t attend school?

Silver tried to continue, but her mind didn’t take in anything after that. After all, what else mattered? Her father was leaving them forever. The thought made her heart scream out in pain, and she had to put a hand to it. How could he do this? Briar Valley still needed him! The Queen often looked to him for assistance, as did Baul.

‘And what of Malleus and Sebek?’ Sebek worshiped Lilia almost as much as he did Malleus. As for Malleus, the two had been together for so long. Lilia was everything to him. Her father couldn’t just leave them behind. He couldn’t just leave her… right?

She shook her head. There had to be a mistake. There had to be. With or without magic, Lilia had to know how much he meant to them, how they needed him.

Brushing away unshed tears, Silver skimmed the letter, looking for—for something to tell her that this wasn’t happening. That her father wasn’t going to just disappear from their lives forever.

She only paused when she came to a rather curious part of the letter. Despite the rising panic, Silver frowned.

“What’s...” she read on.

“Long ago, when I found you as a baby, you had this ring tied around your neck. I’d planned on returning it to you as an adult, but as things are, I’ve decided to send it to you now.” Ring? What-- Ah. There was something in the envelope. Silver grabbed the black paper and shook it.

A ring fell into her palm. Silver cloud tell just by looking at the item that it must be extremely valuable. Neither the gold band nor the iridescent jewels had even a single smudge on them.

‘...Wait a second... I feel like I’ve seen this ring somewhere before,’ Silver thought as her brow furrowed. “Ngh…” A spell of drowsiness hit her. What in the—no! That wasn’t important right now.

She set the ring aside and kept reading.

“The stones in the ring are just like your eyes: aurora-colored. And if you look closely, there’s an inscription: ‘Just like how this jewel here shines bright and true, may my child’s eyes never become clouded with sorrow.’ Your parents entrusted you with a great wish.

“Silver, you’ve grown into a truly wonderful young woman—beautiful, full of grace and strength. One worthy of taking this ring. Live your life proudly with your head held high.” Silver brought the letter down. She had to close her eyes as the world began to spin around her.

“My...parents…?” Silver only had one parent. And now, he...

Silver couldn’t read any further. The paper slipped from her numbed fingers and floated to the ground.

The world began to spin like a whirlpool, ready to drag her in and drown her.

Lilia was never coming back. He was leaving forever. And she would never--

Gasp!

Panic went through her, like a bolt of Malleus’ lightning.

Silver struggled to breathe as her throat tightened like a hangman’s noose.

Frantically, she searched for her phone until it was found on the table.

The teen fumbled to unlock it and open her contacts.

It was a short list, as it only had Lilia and Sebek’s numbers. (Lilia typed in Malleus’ number, but Silver would never dare to bother him. Besides, Malleus never kept a phone for long.) As she did so, she found herself mumbling to herself over and over, as if trying to counteract an evil spell.

“This can’t be happening. It can’t.” She finally managed to push the contact button and call her father. She had to talk to him. Then he could tell her this was all some sort of mistake or sick joke.

‘Father, please,’ she thought as the phone rang. ‘Please pick up. Please.’ But--

“Greeting, this is Lilia! Obviously, I can’t come to the phone, so please leave a message and I’ll get back to ya!”

The “Beep!” may well have been a hammer nailing a stake into Silver’s heart.

“Father? Father! It’s—it’s me,” the girl stammered over her breath. She tried to keep the hysteria from her voice but failed. “I got your letter. You’re—leaving? But I—I don’t understand. I don’t...” How could he just depart like this? Even if he didn’t have his magic, why… “Please call me back. I—Let’s talk about this, please.” She hung up and brought the phone between her breasts.

Silver body felt like it was being squeezed by a boa constrictor. She was surprised the invisible force didn’t break her bones.

Her animal friends all came over to the young girl, concern in their eyes. It wasn’t much, but their support gave Silver the strength to dial Sebek’s number. The only other person she could call.

Ring! No answer.

Ring…! Still no answer.

Ring-- “Silver?” Silver sobbed with relief.

“Sebek! Is it true?” She asked immediately, her air heavy as if she had just finished training in the barracks. “Father lost his magic, and—and he's leaving?” The silence that fell answered before he did.

“It’s true,” he said, voice thick. “He already confirmed everything with the headmaster and left the school last night.” Silver went numb with shock.

“What… he…” He left? Already?

Sebek made a tearful sound on the other side of the phone, choking on his emotions.

“I’m sure he already told you everythi--” Silver interrupted.

“He didn’t tell me anything,” she told him thickly. Bitterness had seeped into her words. She heard Sebek jump from his seat as a chair clattered to the ground.

“What?!” Silver had to take a moment to compose herself before she replied.

“He—He sent me a letter…” She couldn’t go further than that, as a lump had formed in her throat.

“A letter?!” The boy’s shock was evident in his voice as he struggled to form words. “That’s it?!” Silver closed her eyes as they started to burn.

“We—Well, and a ring… but even so…” A fist tightened over her heart, and her voice lowered as speaking without crying took great effort.

“This... this isn’t happening, right?” she whispered. "This isn’t happening.” Her voice begged Sebek to confirm this. To tell her that this was all a misunderstanding. That Lilia would come home, and everything would be alright.

But...

“I’m sorry, Silver.” It was all Sebek could say. Silver didn’t reply. She couldn’t.

She hung up, and the moment she did, her whole frame began to quiver as her sorrow wracked her body.

“AUGH…!” As she fell to her knees, grief and despair overtook her. The animals tried to comfort her, but there was no comfort in the world that would help her now.

“Hick…! Hick…! I… I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” she sobbed. “I’m never going to see him again, and I didn’t even get to—augh!” With that, she fell forward, crying as night fell.

~*~

Far, far away, Lilia stared at the missed call on his phone, which quivered in his grip. He felt lower than he had at any point in his long life. His lips twisted themselves into a wry smile.

“Tch. I've really become so pitiful, haven’t I?” The bat-fae muttered, his voice cracking. He should have answered. He should have been a man and talked to her one last time. But…

Lilia let his head fall back and his arm to the side. He paid no mind as the cell slipped from his grip and fell to the floor in the enchanted carriage he rented after Night Raven’s return to the college.

The fae was on his way to the airport now to catch a plane to the Land of the Red Dragons. And away from everyone he loved. Away from his friend, from his student, from Malleus, from Silver...

The image of the young woman came to the forefront, and his throat tightened.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to the air.

By now, he should have been preparing to go back for winter break so Lilia could spend the New Year with her. He was away so often that the moments they did spend together were so precious. Especially with how fast they ticked away.

Lilia bit his lip. There were so many things he was supposed to do.

He was supposed to check on how Silver kept up with her studies, though the tutor who sent him letters always had nothing but the highest praise. On top of that, he looked forward to seeing how her battle and magical skills had improved, especially after hearing from Baul how she was able to keep up with the soldiers. She even surpassed some. Lilia was proud to hear this, as he knew from experience that the castle training was no cake walk. Especially with the new trainers in charge. Lilia wanted so much to see Silver so he could tell her how proud he was. He just wanted to see her in general.

But then he lost his magic.

Lilia stared at the hand that dropped the phone, trying to summon a spell, and grimaced when he failed.

“Hmph! I’ve really fallen so low, huh?” He muttered bitterly. He hated this. He hated his weakness. Most of all, he was ashamed of his cowardliness.

He covered his eyes with his arm.

“I’m so pathetic.” Lilia should have gone home. He should have been strong and explained everything to the child in person. He meant to. That’s where the coach was taking him originally. But then… then Lilia thought of her sad face.

Just thinking of it broke his heart and made him want to cry. It was one thing Lilia couldn’t face in this world, even when she was young. That was why he put off telling Silver they weren’t related until she noticed the difference herself. The expression she made when he told her... He never forgot that face. He couldn’t. It had carved a scar on his heart, which ached whenever he thought of it. Ah, how the mighty have fallen.

‘I wonder what kind of face she’s making now?’ As if he didn’t know. The pitiful coward he was--

The father put his hand on his chest as pain spread out through his body.

‘It had to be done,’ he told himself, as he could somehow justify the deed. The way he did it aside, Lilia couldn’t go back the way he was now. He just would have been a burden, or worse, a cage.

Silver had grown into a fine young woman. Beautiful, kind, brave, and true. Soon, she would be ready to spread her wings and do great things in the world. Lilia, the way he was now, just would have held her back.

Yet despite believing that with all his heart, Lilia couldn’t deny the desire to run home. To see the girl he raised and hold her one last time. Even though he was aware that if he did, then Lilia would never let go.

That old man’s eyes shone with tears as he laughed at his pathetic self.

“Heh. I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” he said, his voice hoarse and cracking. His gaze dropped to his other hand, which tightly gripped around something. He opened his palm and revealed a handmade acorn bracelet.

It was old—over ten years—and thus the acorns were rotting and the string was frayed. It was practically falling apart in his hands, but it was the one thing he could never leave behind. After all, it was a precious gift given to him by the most precious thing in the world.

Thick blobs of tears fell, splattering the bracelet, as the name of his child rolled off his lips.

“Silver...” he whimpered, like a wounded animal. ‘I’m sorry, I’m such a coward. Please, whatever happens, please live and be happy.’

Be happy.

A/n:

*This was supposed to be short. Oh, well.

*I hoped you enjoyed this! I may continue this as a series depending on feedback. So if you like it, please let me know!

Silver Notes:

*In this Universe Alteration, Silver doesn’t go to NRC as that’s a boy’s school, so Lilia sets her up with Malleus’ old tutors and has Baul train her with the soldiers. (The other General helps as well.)

*I made her more emotion for angst reasons, and because she’s alone. She doesn’t have to be strong for Lilia, or Malleus, or anyone else right now. She can just fall apart.

Lilia Notes:

*I dunno if he’d be this cruel to send a letter as a goodbye. However, Lilia has been shown to be a bit too cavalier about his departure and had admitted in chapter seven that he’ll avoid things that make Silver sad. Ah well, just chalk it up as ooc for fanfic plot.

Baul:

*Baul is retired, but still checks on Silver when she’s at the castle by Lilia’s request. Partly to keep an eye on her and partly to inform Lilia if there are any troublesome parties he may need to “chat with.

*He helps train her at times. As she’s not a grand baby he doesn’t go as soft as he would Sebek. (Though she is worming her way into his heart.)

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