Ranger's Apprentice: Tales Untold

He's Your What?

⚠️SPOILERS FOR KINGS OF CLONMEL⚠️

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK you can get this King Ferris to listen to you?" Crowley asked, leaning forward. "Does he know you?"

Halt gave a grim smile. "Yes, he knows me, all right. He's my brother."

"He's your what?" Will, Crowley, and even Alyss exclaimed. Pauline alone was the most composed, apart from one eyebrow rising slightly.

"Brother?" Will stared at him incredulously. "But...then why are you here? When were you going to tell us? Is he the older brother, and that's why he's king and you're not? Why did you leave?"

Halt let out a long sigh. "Are you quite finished?" Will opened his mouth to ask another question, and then shut it. Halt nodded. "Good."

"But why did you leave?" Crowley asked. It hadn't once occurred to him that his old friend had been royalty; though perhaps, he thought, whatever had caused him to leave explained the younger man's dislike for protocol and such.

Halt gave him a flat stare. Will fidgeted in his seat, waiting for the older Ranger to continue. "Ferris is actually younger than me," he said. Will's eyes widened, and further questions rose inside him. With more than a little restraint, he held his tongue, waiting for his former mentor to speak. "There was some family business going on, and so I decided to leave."

"But then..." Will shook his head, glancing over at Alyss. "You...that means you should be the King."

Halt nodded. If the older Ranger hadn't been so serious he might have thought it was a joke. After all, Halt...a King? But the earnest expression told him this was no joke. "Gorlog's beard," he muttered.

"Is that all you have to say?" Halt raised an eyebrow. "I expected you to be bursting with questions right now."

"Oh I have plenty of them. Right now, excuse me, I'm having a reevaluation of my life right now."

"Anyways," Crowley cut in. "If whatever this family business was caused a rift or something, still, what makes you think he'll listen to you?"

Halt shrugged, without a hint of humor. "Maybe I'll get lucky."

"Why?" Will looked at his former mentor. "I know it was family business, as you say, but what was so drastic that you had to leave?"

Halt opened his mouth, and then hesitated. This was a part of the story he'd managed to push down so far. He'd become accustomed to his brother's actions...but he wasn't certain he wanted to talk about it just yet.

"Just a few difficulties," he said, and the younger Ranger cut off his next question, sensing the discomfort.

"What do you plan to do?" Alyss asked, intervening. Will gave her a grateful look, and she smiled slightly.

"Well, I'm hoping he might listen." Halt snorted. "The chances of that are slim to none, however. Force is the next option."

"Surprised it isn't your first," Will said. "Any other groundbreaking news you'd like to share with us?"