Chapter 40: Mastermind... Reason
"You are not as unwise as you appear, are you, Ruthar Hellborn?" Taraha licked her lips, folding her hands as she continued. "When you and Rotexa turn fifteen, we will battle for the throne. You will not be exempt, despite being a slave."
"I want you to assist me on that day. You won't be my opponent but my puppet. As long as you follow this deal, I will give you a home, training, and proper care, as if I were your mother."
Ruthar narrowed his eyes at her, sensing the truth in her words.
'I don't need Mystic Insight to know she's telling the truth, but why?'
"Why are you helping me?" Ruthar asked directly, the question that had been bothering him since her offer.
Taraha chuckled. "I'm your big sister. Should there be a reason for this?" With that, she turned and began to leave the cell.
The woman exorcist with her stepped into the cell, extending her hand. Ruthar hesitated before finally taking it, allowing her to pull him into her embrace. At that moment, he didn't care who offered him help—devil or angel, either would do.
"Don't give me that look, Ruthar," the exorcist said as she tightened her grasp around him. "Everything will be fine now."
'Fine?' Ruthar thought bitterly.
"Who are you to tell me that? This doesn't end my suffering; it only prolongs it." His face darkened.
"You've grown up since the last time I saw you, Ruthar, but you give up quicker than you used to," the exorcist paused, sensing his tension. "You never gave up on the magic I taught you, Ruthar."
'Magic? Is she Kimara?'
"Kimara? Are you Kimara?" Ruthar's voice cracked as tears welled up in his eyes.
"I should be asking you the same question because you're barely recognizable, Ruthar Hellborn. This isn't the boy I trained," she sounded perplexed, but Ruthar didn't care. He broke into tears.
"I'm sorry... I messed up... I'm sorry... Mum... I'm sorry..." Ruthar buried his head into Kimara's embrace.
'He's still a kid, no matter how I look at it. Thankfully, Taraha and Kithara intervened against his execution and torture.'
Kimara held Ruthar even tighter, thinking of Kithara's involvement in helping him. The reason remained unclear to her.
'I still need to gather more information after dropping Ruthar off.'
As Ruthar continued to cry, Taraha glanced back and smiled at him.
'We have a lot of catching up to do, little brother.'
---
Ruthar sat on a soft bed in Taraha's room, now dressed in thick, expensive woolen clothes. Her room was enormous and decorated beyond his imagination; it seemed like a trophy for the best room in the world.
He was still gloomy, having had no time to speak with Kimara before she left him with Taraha to attend to urgent matters.
'Kimara had both her eyes, right? Didn't Elara's message say she lost her eyes? I'm so confused.'
"Ruthar, I know you have a lot of questions, so I'll explain everything from the start," Taraha said, emerging from a side room where she had changed into luxurious pajamas.
"Please explain; I'm very confused about what's happening, Lady Taraha," Ruthar replied humbly, prompting a giggle from her.
"You don't have to be so formal. I'm your sister; just call me Lady Tara," she said, sitting beside him and placing a reassuring hand on his.
Ruthar couldn't calm down. It was unusual for someone from the Darkdawn bloodline to show such kindness.
"I guess you're wondering why I'm so soft on you, Ruthar?" She read his thoughts through his expression, shocking him.
"I'll tell you why. We Darkdawns aren't as brutal as you think. We treat slaves harshly to toughen those around us. But if you appease us, we can be very kind and caring," she grinned, pulling him closer until he fell into her bosom.
"What did I do to appease you, Lady Tara?" Ruthar was more confused than ever.
Lady Taraha placed a finger on her lips and winked at him. "I won't tell, Ruthar. That secret is for me to know only."
"But I will tell you who to trust: Kimara, Rotexa, Troma, and Kithara."
Ruthar's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Kithara. The thought of trusting someone who had killed him was overwhelming.
"How can I trust her?" Ruthar's grip on the bed tightened, and tears filled his eyes. "She killed her own son. I did nothing to earn her hatred! I just want to live peacefully. Why can't I do that?"
"I don't want the throne or anything special. I don't want to fight Tomaha. I don't want Elara to suffer. I just want... I want..."
Lady Taraha pulled him deeper into her embrace, muffling his words. She understood him somehow. "I'll be your mum then, Ruthar. I'll take care of you, little bro."
Ruthar's tears flowed even more. 'Why does that word make me cry even more? Is it because I'm a child? Or because I never had a sibling or a life? But now... I think... I have a sister.'
Ruthar looked up at Taraha's expression. She meant every word.
"Sorry, I'm sorry... Sis... Sorry."
"Shhhh! That's enough for tonight, Ruds. How would you like to sleep beside your big sis?"