Page 121 of The Prince's Fealty

Something loosened in Tor’s chest that had been wound tight for a long time. All he’d ever wanted was for his brother to meet him halfway.

Tor could therefore admit, “I know I didn’t help by defending myself the way I did. I was constantly on the defensive, and looking back, that probably seemed like I wasn’t willing to take any of the blame.”

Var sighed. “We were heaping blame upon you. Of course you struggled under it. Why is it so much easier to see all this now?”

Tor’s lips tipped up. “Because we’re less emotional now and have two years of distance with which to regard it.”

Var’s face twisted up with sudden fury. “And I’m no longer listening to the man who orchestrated the whole thing through base trickery. Thatrat!”

This surprised a laugh out of Tor. “We both let them direct our actions far more than we should have.”

Var wasn’t letting himself off that easily. “And yet only one of us bound the other’s magic and threw them in the dungeon on suspicion of treason.”

“True,” Tor acknowledged. He swallowed. “Icanforgive you. But I’m not sure I can forget it.”

Var nodded, face solemn. “That will be my burden to bear. As I’ve done so many times over the last seven years, I went about everything all wrong, and I can’t apologize enough for the harm I caused. I’m so sorry, and I’m so,soglad that you’re alive and that you’re here.”

His brother’s eyes went glassy, and it was Tor’s turn to pull him in for a hug. He’d missed this. So much.

Var was sniffing when he drew back. “Ineverthought you committed deliberate treason. I thought the situation had gotten out of hand. Fernila and Yomil were so worried about the harm it could have done to me when you tapped into the Fealty, and it really seemed like the peace of the United Realms was being threatened.” Tor opened his mouth, and Var raised a hand. “I didn’t think it was treason even then, and I had no intention of charging you with it. But it looked bad, Forex was screaming for blood—and accusing you of making up the story about the children and civilians to excuse your actions—and I thought if I could just buy some time, I could straighten everything out. It never occurred to me that you could be in real danger. I knew I could unbind your magic again onceeveryone calmed down. It was apolitical stunt,” Var spat out, “and it nearly cost your life. I’m so sorry!”

Tor yanked Var into his arms again, blinking back tears, and they clung to one another.

Voice thick, Tor said, “Well, as someone who went to Tond to stage his own political stunt, I can’t claim not to understand how those work. I wish you’d listened to me, but if you were getting contrary reports from Forex and Yomil, I can see why you wanted time to work everything out. No one expected the attack on the castle.”

When they pulled away this time, they were both wiping tears from their eyes.

Tor was amazed anew at how brazen Nostex, Yomil, and Forex had been, but then, the trap had finally been closing after so many years of careful planning. But to actually claim that Tor had been lying about the civilian exiles? There had beenhundredsof Tondians up that mountain, and surely not all of them would lie for Forex.

But then, they’d already had a plan in place with the mercenaries. They’d just needed the ruse to work long enough for Tor to be condemned. The distance between Alossa and Tond meant it would have taken time for any facts to be verified.

“Thank you for keeping Cala safe,” Var muttered, voice hoarse.

“Of course,” Tor said simply. Then he grinned. “I was never letting anything happen to the best baby in the world. Or even the most foolish brother in the world.”

Var scoffed a wet-sounding laugh. “Thank you. And I promise I’ll listen in the future. Really listen.”

“Good. Because we both know I’m going to do more foolish things that you’ll need to forgive me for.”

Var was grinning now, though his eyes were red. “I can’t wait.”

Pel

Finally, it was time to leave. Though the impulse to stay in Lotar forever was strong, they all had responsibilities. Pel could see how restless Tor was getting. He’d promised the exiles that he’d try to help them, and he couldn’t do that here. It wasn’t easy, though. Tor’s entire family had nearly died, and not being in close contact with one another wasn’tgoing to be easy. But everyone swore to write letters and visit and never let any huge miscommunications happen ever again.

Pel could only hope.

Tears abounded, but then they were finally on their way. They stopped by Fila just as they’d promised. Bav and Lara had decided to head straight back to Tond and make sure that everything was all right there, so they split up near Filon’s capital, with Pel’s siblings continuing on to the bridge that would lead them over the river into Bessar and the Great Road up to Tond. Tor and Pel had agreed to stop by and check in with them before they headed over the mountain, and Bav had promised that he would have more supplies for the exiles ready to go with them.

It was a place to start, and Pel and Tor were very grateful for it.

Tor wanted to explain the last few months to Prince Rinil. They shared most of it with Princess Terila, Lady Nawila, and Queen Pamexa as well, but there were some things that Tor just wanted to talk about with his best friend.

Pel might have been jealous except that, weirdly, he wasn’t that insecure anymore. (It also helped a little that it was clear Terila would straight-up murder Tor if he tried to take her man.) Pel and Tor had been through so much, and they’d proved how much they cared about one another, no matter how it had all started. Pel was honestly glad that Tor had such a good friend in his life.

It also helped that Rin—he’d immediately insisted—had given Pel a big hug and said, “I can’t wait to get to know the man who swept my best friend off his feet. Oh, and if you want embarrassing stories, I know all of them.”

The pure affection there was impossible to miss. Rin and Tor had months to catch up on, and so much had happened to both of them in that time, including each of them falling in love with an unlikely person.