CHAPTER 74: HIS GREATEST LEGACY

It had been seven days since Varek’s death when Aeron returned to Varnmoor. He saw fewer people now, spending most of his time alone either in his house or in the cave with Draco.

Draco had grown a little since Aeron last saw him. But they did not play like before. The dragon no longer gave him the same bright look in his eyes. Aeron knew why, he had left him for too long.

He also had not spoken to his mother, Elarya, about what happened in the royal palace. She knew something great had taken place, that Aeron now knew his father’s name and the truth of his family, but she did not press him. She saw the grief in his heart. He was mourning Varek.

The Drenn family, too, carried their own sorrow. Yvarra had fallen ill with grief, while Ronan withdrew into himself. He avoided Aeron and refused to speak to him. Whenever Aeron called out, Ronan ignored him. Each morning, he would disappear into the forest and train with his sword until nightfall.

His skills were becoming much better, better than most average fighters. He would use his father’s sword and practice his fighting skills, which he got from Yvarra’s drawings when they were being taught.

One day, Aeron followed him into the forest. From a distance, he watched Ronan’s movements, and how well he had improved. Then Aeron stepped closer and spoke.

"Your fighting has become much better, Ronan. Better than most, even though you train alone."

Ronan said nothing. He only kept swinging at the air.

Aeron sighed and tried again. "You haven’t asked what happened. You haven’t asked how things ended up the way they did."

Still, Ronan was silent.

"Say something, please," Aeron pleaded. "Everyone else can choose not to talk to me, but not you, Ro. Not my best friend. If you’re angry with me, then say it. Let me know what it is."

Ronan stopped suddenly and held his sword. "I’m not just mad at you, Aeron. I’m mad at everyone. I’m mad at my father. How could he leave me? How could he?" His voice cracked. "He didn’t train me, he didn’t teach me, he didn’t love me. Not the way he loved you."

"Don’t say that," Aeron said and stepped closer. "Your father loved you. He loved you more than you realize. That is one thing I know for certain. His love for you was real."

Ronan turned on him. "Then why did he abandon me? Why did he leave me to struggle alone? Why did he give up on me and die? Why?"

"Your father did not abandon you," Aeron said softly. He stepped closer. "He didn’t, Ro. He died."

"Then why did he have to die?" Ronan’s voice cracked. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. "Why did he die and leave me behind?"

He looked at Aeron with eyes full of hurt. "My whole life, he was never truly mine. He was always somewhere else, sharing himself with everyone but me. He was so busy helping others with their problems that he forgot his own family, and he forgot his own son. And what killed him in the end? He left us behind and went off with you. He died without even coming back to see us. Without even looking at me one last time."

Ronan’s fists trembled as he spoke. "He promised me, Aeron. He promised me that when he returned, we would spar with real swords. He told me he would make me better, that he would finally teach me the way he should have all along. And I believed him. I trained and trained every day, pushing myself harder than I could bear. I wanted to be ready. I wanted him to look at me with pride, just once. I wanted him to see his son and say, ’That’s my boy.’"

Ronan then bent his knee and fell to the ground. "But now... he’s gone. Forever. He’s gone."

"I get it, Ro," Aeron said. "I understand more than you think."

Ronan turned to him, with his face wet with angry tears. "No, you don’t! You had him. He chose you in the end. He fought for you. He died for you. Don’t tell me you understand."

"Yes, I do," Aeron insisted. "All my life, I lived with my mother alone. I knew nothing of my father, nothing of my family name, nothing of where I truly came from. My mother never spoke of him, not once. And because of that, I resented him. I thought he was a man who had abandoned us. I hated him for years, Ro."

Aeron’s voice shook. "But then, at the capital, I learned who he really was. I learned what he stood for, the sacrifices he made, and the good he carried inside him. And when I finally saw him for the man he truly was, it broke me. I realized how wrong I had been. I don’t resent him anymore. I resent myself, for ever hating him in the first place."

Ronan looked at him, silently now.

"We never truly know everything about anyone," Aeron continued. "We don’t see the full picture. We don’t always understand why they did what they did. And we shouldn’t be quick to judge them for it. Your father loved you, Ro. You have to know that. I was there at his last moment. He still had so much he wanted to teach me, but he said something I will never forget, he told me that a part of him would always remain behind. At first, I didn’t understand. But now I know what he meant."

Aeron placed his hand firmly on Ronan’s shoulder. "That part was you. You are the piece of him that remains. You are his son, his pride, his greatest legacy. More than you realize."

Ronan’s eyes wavered, and his lips pressed tightly together.

"Have you read the letter he left for you?" Aeron asked gently.

Ronan looked away, ashamed. "I... I don’t even remember where I kept it."

"You need to find it," Aeron said. "You need to read it. Perhaps then you’ll understand him better. Perhaps you’ll find a bit of comfort. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll take it easier on him... and on yourself."

He squeezed Ronan’s shoulder, his voice quiet now. "Come back to yourself, Ro. I miss you. I miss my best friend."

With that, Aeron gave Ronan one last look and walked away.