Kingdom of Ash

after the trunk full of his mother’s letters.
“And Aedion will realize, in his own way, that
you went to save Aelin not for her sake or
Rowan’s, but for his. And that you stayed with
them, and march in this army, for his sake,
too.”
The Lion gazed northward, eyes flickering.
“I hope you are right.” No attempt at denial—
that all Gavriel had done and would do was
for Aedion alone. That he was marching north,
into sure hell, for Aedion.
The warrior began to edge his horse past
him again, but Chaol found himself saying, “I
wish—I wish I had been so lucky to have you
as my father.”
Surprise and something far deeper passed
across Gavriel’s face. His tattooed throat
bobbed. “Thank you. Perhaps it is our lot—to
never have the fathers we wish, but to still
hope they might surpass what they are, flaws