Aurora’s World: Atecia: Aurora: Trust

[k_a_webb]

Based on the prompt the greatest gift of all from dreamwidth user ariestess

This was another difficult one because I couldn’t decide what it was to begin with and kind of wanted to go for irony, but then I chose to work with something that I think is a real gift.

“I trust you,” Aurora said, her eyes locking with Harrison’s.

“Really?” he asked, and she knew exactly why he needed to ask.

“Yes. Maybe other people would say something like that without meaning it but I wouldn’t. Trusting someone and being trusted in return is the greatest gift of all.”

Harrison put his hand gently on her shoulder. “Thank you.”

“We’ve been friends for a long time and I should have told you before. You are one of three people that I’ve told about this.”

“One is my brother.”

She nodded, wishing she could convince Griffin that his older brother was a good person. Maybe the King had wanted his second son dead but Harrison wasn’t like his father. One of the first things he planned on doing was reversing the old laws that made magic illegal and death the preferable end of anyone who had magic, including the second son, the son who always had magic.

“The other is my father. He’s out in the mountains with your brother and the other magic users that have been banished.”

Taking his hand away he looked down at the ground. “It’s well past time I was honest with you Aurora.” He sighed. “My brother isn’t the only one in the family with magic.”

Gently Aurora lifted his chin so he was looking at her. “Please tell me that it’s your sister and I can get her somewhere safe.”

“It’s me,” he said quietly. “I have magic, Aurora.”

“Your brother doesn’t.”

Griffin had made her promise not to tell anyone but it wasn’t something she could keep from Harrison any longer. It made her wonder if the rumours had been true, that Harrison was really the second son because the Queen had lost a baby before him.

“What do we do?”

“If you were anyone else I could use my contacts and get you out of the country before someone finds out. That’s just not possible with you.”

“Am I anything like my brother?”

She shook her head. “He’s light and you’re dark. There’s no similarities between the two of you at all. Good idea though.”

“Can I get rid of it?”

“You wouldn’t want to.”

“Why?”

“Nine times out of ten, maybe even nine and a half, both the magic user and the person taking the magic die. Even if the person taking the magic is a magic user.”

“Maybe it would be easier.”

“Don’t say that. You have to be King. If the crown doesn’t go to you then it will go to your wonderful cousin.”

“He could rule.”

“I’m not saying he couldn’t, but you would be better.”

“Will you be my Queen?”

Aurora opened her mouth once before closing it to think about what she should say to that question. “You’re one of my best friends and if you need me to be your Queen then I will, but I think you’d be better off with someone else.”

“That’s was amazingly tactful for you.” He smiled at her. “Got any suggestions?”

Originally posted at dreamwidth.org as kajones_writing.

Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.