Lukas stood by the door, holding back Emil and the twins, not wanting to risk anything until he knew whether Arthur would distinguish between son and foe.
If Arthur truly believed that Matthew was Alfred, he might not care that they were his sons as well. If he no longer cared that they were his sons, Arthur would do everything he could to keep them from stealing him away.
And insanity had not taken away his strength.
Lukas felt the surge of magic the moment before Arthur released it. “Get back! Soren! Berw-!” And then he was slammed against the wall, barely able to breath as the magic pressed against him. Fighting to keep his eyes open, Lukas could see Berwald clutching Matthew, shielding him from Arthur's rage, his shirt damp with blood as the magic seemed to sense Arthur's obsession and attacked more viciously. Soren was unconscious, his head looked to have been smashed into the stone fireplace, a trickle of blood visible from where Lukas was.
“You took him from me!” Arthur's eyes were black, his hand outstretched towards Berwald, releasing the pressure on Lukas and the others to focus all of his power on the man he saw as trying to steal away his Queen. “All of you, you took him from me! But he came back! He came back for me, and I won't let you take him again!”
Berwald screamed, his flesh torn to ribbons beneath the magic, but he didn't let go of Matthew.
“No!!!” Tino ran forward before Lukas or Eduard could catch him. “No, please, Father! Please, we're your sons! Please, you don't want to do this!”
“I have no sons.”
As Tino went flying into the wall, Lukas closed his eyes and focused his magic, sighing in relief when Tino hit the wall as though it was a soft pillow. He would be bruised, but he would survive.
Eduard ran to Tino's side, cradling his twin against his chest as he trembled with fear and relief.
Gesturing for Emil to help Eduard get Tino out of the room before Arthur turned on them directly, Lukas straightened.
“You're right.” He sent a fireball straight at Arthur, drawing his attention. The flame was extinguished almost immediately, but Berwald wasn't screaming anymore and those angry dark eyes were fixed on Lukas. “We're not your sons anymore.”
Arthur laughed. “A child mage? You think you can stand against me?” He snapped his fingers, the resulting wave of magic nearly sending Lukas into the wall – only the summoning of a barrier slowed the wave down so that it only pushed him back a few feet.
“You'd be surprised, Arthur,” Lukas drawled. “I've been studying for years, every spellbook, every journal, everything related to magic I could find, in the hopes that I could make you proud of me. It didn't work, because you've been so wrapped up in your grief that you never noticed any of us. You just kept us here to remind you of your pain, to remind you that it was your gift that killed your Queen-”
Three blades of air came flying at Lukas, and he blocked two, only to have the third one catch his leg, drawing blood. “YOU DARE!”
The Power in Silence - Part 2c/?
If Arthur truly believed that Matthew was Alfred, he might not care that they were his sons as well. If he no longer cared that they were his sons, Arthur would do everything he could to keep them from stealing him away.
And insanity had not taken away his strength.
Lukas felt the surge of magic the moment before Arthur released it. “Get back! Soren! Berw-!” And then he was slammed against the wall, barely able to breath as the magic pressed against him. Fighting to keep his eyes open, Lukas could see Berwald clutching Matthew, shielding him from Arthur's rage, his shirt damp with blood as the magic seemed to sense Arthur's obsession and attacked more viciously. Soren was unconscious, his head looked to have been smashed into the stone fireplace, a trickle of blood visible from where Lukas was.
“You took him from me!” Arthur's eyes were black, his hand outstretched towards Berwald, releasing the pressure on Lukas and the others to focus all of his power on the man he saw as trying to steal away his Queen. “All of you, you took him from me! But he came back! He came back for me, and I won't let you take him again!”
Berwald screamed, his flesh torn to ribbons beneath the magic, but he didn't let go of Matthew.
“No!!!” Tino ran forward before Lukas or Eduard could catch him. “No, please, Father! Please, we're your sons! Please, you don't want to do this!”
“I have no sons.”
As Tino went flying into the wall, Lukas closed his eyes and focused his magic, sighing in relief when Tino hit the wall as though it was a soft pillow. He would be bruised, but he would survive.
Eduard ran to Tino's side, cradling his twin against his chest as he trembled with fear and relief.
Gesturing for Emil to help Eduard get Tino out of the room before Arthur turned on them directly, Lukas straightened.
“You're right.” He sent a fireball straight at Arthur, drawing his attention. The flame was extinguished almost immediately, but Berwald wasn't screaming anymore and those angry dark eyes were fixed on Lukas. “We're not your sons anymore.”
Arthur laughed. “A child mage? You think you can stand against me?” He snapped his fingers, the resulting wave of magic nearly sending Lukas into the wall – only the summoning of a barrier slowed the wave down so that it only pushed him back a few feet.
“You'd be surprised, Arthur,” Lukas drawled. “I've been studying for years, every spellbook, every journal, everything related to magic I could find, in the hopes that I could make you proud of me. It didn't work, because you've been so wrapped up in your grief that you never noticed any of us. You just kept us here to remind you of your pain, to remind you that it was your gift that killed your Queen-”
Three blades of air came flying at Lukas, and he blocked two, only to have the third one catch his leg, drawing blood. “YOU DARE!”