A House Filled With Night

Meriel asked no questions as she let them in. She asked no questions after feeling the fever in the brothers, and quietly setting out beds and mats for them. She asked no questions while she brought cool towels for their foreheads, soup for them to eat, tea for them to drink. Her eyes were sad, but still, she said nothing. After they lay safely resting, she came to Fiske’s side and took his hand in her own.

“Why…” Meriel began softly, “Why didn’t you come sooner?”

“Auntie…” Fiske couldn’t hold in the tears anymore. He squeezed her hand tightly, trying and failing to cover his face with his other hand. “Is that all you have to ask me? After we come here, and like this?”

She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. “Yes. It is. You should have come days ago, you stubborn, foolish thing.”

His brothers watched hesitantly but avidly from their beds, feeling like voyeurs of something intimate and secret. Runa averted her eyes. She couldn’t stand for anyone to see her cry again.

“Tell me,” Meriel was saying. “Do you still have it? The portrait I gave you?”

“I carry it with me all the time,” he answered, taking it out of his pocket.

She nodded, smiling sadly. “I’m glad.” He stayed quiet while she smoothed her thumb across his knuckles, feeling the tremble in her hand. “Why did you…why did you really want that portrait, Fiske?”

“It’s…special to me.”

“But, why?”

“Because…” He cut himself off, and just sighed.

“Fiske,” said Meriel, her grip desperate now, “Your mother’s name—tell me what it was.”

He pulled her hand closer to his face and leaned into it, almost as if he could hide in the palm of her hand. He murmured the name into her skin: “Adelie.”

She pulled him into her arms, embracing him so tightly he gasped. She stroked his head and cried and cried, murmuring words into his ear so muffled by tears that only he could understand them. She pulled away so she could hold his face in her hands, covering every detail with her fingertips.

“Your nose…your cheekbones…they’re hers. Dear, dear child, at last, I’ve found you. Oh God above, I’ve finally found him.”

She embraced him once again. This time Fiske’s arms closed around the woman’s small, frail body. He tried to hide his tears in her shoulder, but his back shook from sobbing.

“And your brothers?” she asked, pulling away. “Are they also…?”

“They’re my half-brothers—but to me, brothers. We’ve only ever had each other.”

Meriel stood up and came to them, embracing each one by one.

“Dear boys, how brave you were to live in this ugly world. You have come far. So very, very far.”

She finished going around the room and came to Runa.

“And Runa?”

“She’s the one who found us,” said Fiske.

“What do you mean?” she protested. “You found me.”

“No,” said Torin. “It was definitely the other way around.”

Meriel embraced her as well. Fiske came from behind and joined, then Torin, then all of them. They could have held onto each other for an eternity, just waiting for the next days to come.

But the days that followed grew darker and darker. The Sons of Midnight became increasingly ill. The constant care they received from Runa and Meriel seemed to do nothing. Their fevers grew furiously hot, their throats went dry, their eyes stayed dim, and soon, they could barely move. It became difficult even for them to eat and drink.

Runa renewed their towels by the hour. This time, as she moved from brother to brother, none of them showed any hint of acknowledgement that she had come by. Last came Torin. But as she began to leave him, his hand stopped her.

“Runa,” he rasped out, “You look…so sad.”

She couldn’t stop the tears from trickling down. “I am. Of course, I am.”

“Look at me, please.”

She couldn’t. “I’m going to lose you. Not just my love, but my family. You’re all I have. Don’t you know that? I had nothing before you. And somehow, it feels like I’ll have even less afterwards.”

He held onto her wrist tightly. She was surprised he still had strength in his grip.

“Don’t lose heart.”

He couldn’t even open his eyes. How could he say that?

“In the days before…we lived lives filled only by magic, from the fountain. But now, we live filled by love…love for each other. Back then, the House…it was the only home I ever knew. But now, you—you, Runa, are my…home.”

Slowly, a single tear appeared at the corner of his eye. As it fell down onto his pillow, it glistened, colors seeping into the white sheets. Runa’s eyes widened.

“T-Torin?”

More tears came, flowing with every color that had once swirled in his eyes.

“Runa,” said Meriel, holding Casimir’s face. “What is happening?”

All around, the Sons of Midnight were crying, tears of color pouring from their eyes. They glistened like jewels upon their pallid faces, before falling, cool and sparkling, onto their pillows. As they wept, their chests rose and fell more rapidly, and their breathing came out deeper and stronger. It was as if the fountain in each one of them had erupted.

Runa sank to her knees and prayed. She prayed for what felt like hours, not knowing what was happening, remembering Torin’s voice in her mind, telling her not to lose heart.

—

There was sun falling on her face. It was warm, but mild. Early morning. She breathed out slowly, relishing that feeling. Warm and gentle like the sun…it reminded her of Torin’s smile. Her fingers twirled into the thin sheets where her head rested. She was on a bed. How long had it been since she slept in a bed?

Something warmer, warmer even than the sunlight, enveloped her from behind. The breath that fell on her nose was warm, too. There was skin pressed to her cheek. There were lips resting just beside her eyelids. She stirred, but found it difficult to move. She tried to pry her eyes open, but they felt so heavy. The breath on her nose came closer, until she could feel lips against her hers.

Runa’s eyes fluttered open. Deep, glimmering eyes smiled back.

“My love,” he whispered.

“Torin?”

He smiled. He pulled her closer and held on tightly. His arms were strong again. His chest was warm again. His breath was clear again. He was Torin again.

“You’re—you’re not dead!” She frowned. “We’re not dead, right?”

He laughed. “No, no, we’re not.”

“Torin…” she broke off, feeling another cry coming on. This time, finally, from happiness.

He drew her in so that she could snuggle into his shoulder. “It’s alright, Runa. It’s all over. It’s finally over.”

“I missed you…” Sniff. “So much.” Two sniffs. “I was so afraid…” Big sniff. “So, so afraid.”

Someone snorted.

“And what are we, chopped liver?”

Runa’s head popped up, eyes widening. “Fiske!” She sat up completely, looking around at all the Sons of Midnight: strong, steady, eyes as clear as the day she met them. She had given up on holding back her tears and let them flow now, smiling uncontrollably.

“Niko, Casimir! Sylvain—you’re all alive!”

They were laughing. And somehow, they seemed even more alive than before. Their skin was bright and rosy. Their hair had darkened into ordinary shades of brown. Their eyes still shone, but not with the cold light of glittering jewels.

By now, the commotion had woken Meriel as well, and Fiske was trying to support her by the arm and calm her down before she died of happiness. “It’s—it’s just too wonderful!” she exclaimed. She didn’t care if she looked a little silly.

“What happened?” asked Runa. “What’s going on?”

“We’re no longer props of the House,” Sylvain declared, glowing with pride. “We’re our own men.”

“We’re human,” explained Torin. “Just like you.”

Runa gasped. “Really?”

“Really,” said Casimir, smiling. Even he couldn’t hide his massive grin.

“And now we’re going to really live our lives,” said Niko.

“And you’d best believe it’s going to be with you!” said Fiske.

“Is it true?” Runa looked up at Torin. “Really true?” He pulled her into his arms.

“Yes. We’re finally, really, home. And now that we’re here, we can live like we never have before. Let’s build a house of our own. Let’s build a house we can really call our own.”

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~ A/N ~

Better late than never, right? ^-^ Sorry! Got caught up in the holidays craziness this week.

Well, this is basically the end now, friends. I will try to post an epilogue just for funsies and maybe a couple of silly bonus chapters.

Thank you so, so, so sososososososo much to all of you who have faithfully followed this story! You kept me going when busy life made me just want to give up. You’re all awesome and I love you. Kissies <3

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