14. Chapter 14 (1/2)

chapter 14

conner penn grinned ruefully at his sons. "hello boys."

neither of the boys, nor their father moved for a long while.

"why?" artha asked eventually, his voice a croak. "we thought you were dead, but you were here the whole time? why would you do that to us?"

"you had to believe in yourself artha," conner said, "and you couldn't, wouldn't, be able to do that if i was here for you to lean on."

"so i could lean on mortis?" artha asked, his voice bitter, biting.

"you wouldn't lean on mortis as much as you would on me," conner said.

"whatever," artha turned back to gwen and gawain. "lance, can you go get beau please?"

artha saw his

other nod out of the corner of his eye and run off to find the older boy.

"artha," conner said, and artha could sense that his father was reaching out for him without even looking.

"don't," artha bit out, his knuckles white where he was gripping the edge of the bassinet both of the twins were in. "just, leave. beau won't be too happy when he gets here."