CHAPTER 212: PROVE YOURSELF

Riven stared at his father for a few seconds, he drummed his finger on the table a few times. The solution here would have been for him to accept his father’s apology and be at peace, but since his father had decided to speak now, he wasn’t allowing him off that easy.

"No, I do not forgive you." He said in a sharp tone. His father’s eyes widened when he heard that; he definitely did not expect that response, he thought Riven would accept and all would be good.

"W...why not?" His father asked.

"Because you didn’t come to ask for mercy out of the goodness of your heart. No, if that was the case, I would have forgiven you in a heartbeat." Riven said and got on his feet. He placed both hands on the table, looked his father dead in the eye and spoke.

"You apologized because I earned that apology. You didn’t do it because you found error in your ways or in the way that you raised me, you did it because you felt I had shown you that I wasn’t actually a problem child.

I had to show myself useful for you to see that you have been neglecting me for the longest time. And that’s not fair, that’s not what a father should do. A father should love in wrong and correct the mistakes I make, guiding me down the right path.

If this had been before, I would have accepted that apology because I felt I needed it. But now, I’ve come to know that I don’t really need anyone’s validation and that I’ll carve a way through everything for myself.

I still respect you and I always will. I acknowledge all wrongs and I have paid dearly for my sins as Riven Von Grave. I’ll continue to put the benefit of this family ahead and I’ll continue to fight till the death for this family because you are my family.

But as for your apology, I don’t want it, because it was birthed from the obligation to make peace once I showed my use." Riven said. He didn’t break eye contact even once as he spoke to his father.

His father was stunned by everything that Riven said, but he couldn’t say anything against it; it was all true. He bowed his head low.

"I’m sorry, my actions were wrong, and as a leader of people, I should be willing to take accountability and also do the right thing when the time comes.

So Riven Von Grave, my son, what would it take for you to forgive me, your father?" He asked.

Riven looked at him for a few seconds then spoke, "I had to prove myself to you, then prove yourself to your son." Riven said.

"Prove myself to you? How?" He asked.

"Noel and I will be attracting a lot of attention, and a lot of hidden things are happening that we will need your help with.

I want you, my father, to work with us and be the help we need to ensure that our family and we are not wiped away due to the changes that will come.

Prove yourself to your son by building this normal barony into something great that the kingdom can’t do without.

I want you to make a place where Mum, sister, and all of you will be safe from everything outside. So will you help me?" Riven asked.

His father looked at him, there was literal confusion on his face, but after a few seconds he nodded, "If that’s what it will take for me to finally get you to forgive me, then I’ll do my best." His father said.

"Thank you, father, I’ll be taking my leave then." Riven said and got up. He walked toward the door, but his father called him back.

"Riven." He stretched out a letter, it was in black and just looking at it made Riven feel off.

He walked toward the table and took the letter from his father, on it was the official seal of the kingdom, but it had been broken, meaning that his father had read it.

"What’s this, father?" Riven asked.

"I think it’s best you open it yourself." His father said.

Riven pulled out the piece of paper inside, at the top was the emblem of the kingdom and then below was the write-up.

(It’s with great sadness that we bring to you this letter. You sent your men to the forefront in good faith and they fought for the good of the kingdom with all their hearts.

Sadly, death is an inevitability in war, and it isn’t the end, only the beginning of the next journey. Many of your men have begun that second journey.

Below are the list of your knights who fought the good fight and died in battle in service to Vermillion.)

At this point, Riven’s hand was already shaking, he prayed with everything that he had that he would not find that one particular name.

He read down the names and he didn’t see it for the first ten, and only then did hope remain, a small light of hope shined, but when he got to number twelve, that light was killed.

(Liam)

When he read the name he froze for a few seconds then squeezed the letter hard. "Liam isn’t dead." He muttered.

"Sorry, son, he is." His father replied.

"He can’t be." Riven said.

"He is, I know it hurts you deeply, but he is." His father said.

Riven stood there in place, squeezing the paper harder. "Liam is dead?" He muttered, a question that he already knew the answer to.

"He died a warrior, son." His father said.

"He died like a pawn, a pawn in this stupid game." Riven said.

"Do not call him a pawn, he gave his life for the sake of this kingdom, I’ll not allow you to disrespect that fact." His father yelled.

"And a name on a list is the way they remember someone that died in service to them?" Riven roared, showing the paper to his father.

"Look at this! Liam, along with everyone on this list, gave their life for this kingdom and a name on a list is what they get?" He asked in anger.

"Their families will be compensated." His father said.

"Not everything can be solved with money." Riven shot back, tears already seeping out of his eyes.

"Liam is dead, he is gone, never coming back, and all that matters is the compensation? Is his life not worth more than a few coins? Where is the respect that he should get for dying for the kingdom?

If his life wasn’t used as a pawn, then what was it used for? Because I know for certain that only a disposable pawn would be treated like this.

Liam deserved better and you know it." Riven said, he threw the paper to the floor and walked out of the room.

His father stood there, he took a deep breath. The door of his room opened and his father walked in.

"Seems you said something to piss off the kid." His father said.

"He learned of the death of someone dear to him in battle." Riven’s father said and sat down.

"Oh, I see." His father replied.

"When did you get back?" Riven’s father asked.

"Tonight." He replied.

[...]

Riven stormed out of the manor, the heavy wooden doors slamming behind him. His steps were sharp, fast, almost stomping against the stone path as he made his way to the training house. The cold air bit at his skin, but he didn’t care; his chest was burning hotter than any forge.

The moment he stepped inside, he grabbed the first wooden sword his hand could find. Without thought, he began swinging. Slash. Step. Turn. Another slash. The sound of wood cutting through air echoed through the empty room.

Every movement was heavy, wild, but filled with the precision drilled into him over time. Flashes came, Liam’s firm grip correcting his stance, his smirk when Riven landed his first clean hit, the sound of his calm voice saying, "Again, but better."

Riven’s swings grew faster, harder. His breath came ragged. "Again." Liam’s voice overlapped with his own angry grunt. The wooden blade cut through air on repeat.

He saw Liam’s back walking ahead of him, heard his laughter, saw the way he stood as if the world itself couldn’t shake him. Then, just like that, the image twisted into a lifeless body on a battlefield.

Riven’s arms trembled. The sword slipped from his hands, clattering to the ground. He dropped to one knee, his breath uneven, eyes wide and wet.

"Liam..." he whispered, the name cracking in his throat, the weight of it pressing him down until he could barely breathe. "We didn’t finish our training, you left me without even finishing my goddamned training." Riven said. He punched the ground repeatedly until he bruised his hands and blood dropped out of them.