#though i spent far too long trying to figure out what Thea's flower title should be

[tildeathiwillwrite]

Writemas Day 8: Remembering

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Prompts: "Can you forgive me?" | The cusp of dawn | Blinding fury

Fandom: Original Work

Words: 1100

Tag List: (message me to be added or removed) @fourwingedsnake @whumperofworlds @pigeonwhumps @mr-orion @scaewolf

@the-ellia-west @agirlandherquill

CW: arguing, swearing, anger

Tapping in the hall signaled Altair's return, and she folded her arms, directing her full attention at him. In his free hand, he carried his blue carpetbag, his expression unreadable. "Altair Ravensworn," she asked in a severe tone, "What happened in Lerwick six years ago, that I do not remember?"

"A great many things," Altair answered, setting the bag down on a nearby armchair. He opened it and began rummaging through its contents. "Far too many to explain. No, what I need you to do is remember. And then we can figure out what happened."

He pulled out a long magnifying glass. Except... no, this wasn't a magnifying glass. The lens wasn't warped, but smooth like a window pane. He glanced at Kore, who stood beside Thea, hands on her hips. "I would ask you to leave us alone," he said, "but something tells me you won't do that."

"Observant," she remarked.

He waved at the sofa. "At least sit down, so you're out of the way."

Kore looked to Thea, who eyed Altair for a long moment before nodding. Her sister hesitated, but did as he said, though by the way her hands toyed with her skirt, she was clearly stressed. Thea didn't blame her.

"Alright," Altair said, holding up the not-magnifying glass. "Hold still."

Thea obeyed, and he began to walk in a slow circle around her, studying her through the strange, smooth lens. "What are you looking for?" she asked.

"I'm trying to figure out how it is you do not remember the event that changed us forever," Altair responded, frowning at her right hand for a moment before continuing his circuit.

"Us...?"

"You, me, Caelum. Lift your left arm. I need to see your hand."

She raised it, and Altair leaned closer, closely inspecting her fingers. Or, more accurately, her wedding ring. He hummed softly. "There it is."

"There what is?"

Altair nodded to himself before stepping away, setting the not-magnifying glass down beside the bag before looking through it again. "The evidence that Caelum did not listen to my warnings."

Thea stared at the ring on her finger. "What?"

"Oh, the ring itself is fine," Altair said, digging deeper into the bag. "Rather, he used it as a focal point for the thinnest strands I've ever seen. He did always have a way with the subtler threads. Now where did I put those shears...?"

"Strands? Threads?"

Altair made a noise of triumph, withdrawing a small pair of scissors from the bag. At first glance, it appeared to be a pair of sewing scissors, the type carved to look like a bird. But the metal caught the light oddly, reflecting the warm lamplight into a colder tint somehow.

"It will all make sense soon enough," he replied, gently taking her hand and opening the scissors, resting the lower blade on the surface of the ring. He squinted at both for a long moment. Finally, he exhaled slowly and snapped the scissors closed.

For a moment, everything was still.

And the world burst alight.

Thea gasped, stumbling back, the threads binding the world together seeming to bloom into existence before her eyes. New and yet so familiar it was like finding a treasured object from years and years ago. Memories flooded back, sudden and shocking but very much hers.

Lerwick.

The mirror.

Volantis.

The Slain.

Everything.

Everything.

It was early morning, the world on the cusp of dawn. Neither Caelum nor Thea could sleep, so they were in the sitting room, the need to talk hanging heavily over them. Heavy like when the reapers---no, the Slain---were around. The threads had been twisting on their own in a way Thea had never seen before lately.

"We need to prepare," Thea said quietly, drawing her shawl tighter around her shoulders. "I don't know why the threads twist around us now, years after we have left Volantis. But we must be ready for the summons."

"If it even is a summons," Caelum murmured, staring at the threads running up and down the wall. His expression was thoughtful, though his hands were clenched into fists. "They would not be twisted in such a way if it were simply a summons."

"What else could it be?"

He hummed softly. "The Slain approaches. The Fallen One, the Insurgent, the Iris."

Thea looked at him in shock. "How can you possibly know that? He has not been seen in millennia!"

"He seeks me. I am the Defiant, the Dahlia. I have stolen his title."

"You... you earned that title! Through no fault of your own!"

Caelum turned to her, expression hard. "It does not matter. I was made a challenger."

"Caelum...."

"There is no way around it, Thea. You know as well as I what the Slain said when we were bestowed our titles. And you know as well as I that I promised to keep you safe."

Thea's jaw tightened. "If what you say is true, there is no keeping me safe. We must prepare."

"There is no 'we'."

"Damn well there isn't!" Thea snapped, "The Iris is the Fallen One. He no longer abides by the laws of Volantis. He is weakened, yes, but he will not play fair. He will see me for what I am, perhaps try to use me against you."

"I know," Caelum whispered, "But I think I have found a way around it. A way to hide you."

"That isn't possible and you know it. Even if it was, I do not want it! If you must fight, I must fight with you! Or have you forgotten our vows?"

His expression was mournful now, and he watched her for a long moment before speaking. "Can you forgive me?"

Thea narrowed her eyes. "Forgive you for wha---?"

Blinding fury exploded from the memory as Thea realized what Caelum had done. She snatched hold of the tiny strands once wrapped around her, the threads that had somehow suppressed all memory of the best and worst years of her life. And with the memories, her ability to see and interact with the threads binding the world. The strands glowed brightly, showing themselves for what they were: energy to be harnessed.

"You..." she hissed through gritted teeth, "You fool. You clever, traitorous fool."

"Thea?" Altair asked gently, and Thea glanced up to find him a few steps away, the scissors nowhere in sight, his free hand grasping nearby strands but yet to harness them. Her eyes flicked to Kore, who was now on her feet, undisguised fear and awe on her face.

Thea took a deep breath and allowed the strands of Caelum's spell to vanish, the threads rejoining the unseen substance of the world around her. When she spoke, her voice was harsh.

"I am Amalthea Hargreaves. Amalthea the Relentless, Amalthea the Rue. And now I understand."