Chapter Text
"... Finally now this is my own conclusion:
That she herself shall make her own decision
Choose whom she wish, whoe’er be glad or angry,
Him that she chooses, he shall have her as quickly . " -Parliament of Fowls, translated by A.S. Kline
Adrian finishes the poem from the book he set down. It's the eve of Saint Valentine and he takes a moment to remember the day the speaker magician and hunter woke him.
He chose them to be by his side and fight for something greater than all three of them, something that his mother believed all her life even to her dying breath. Humanity was worth saving. Then they succeeded. Yet they decided not to stay. Adrian would not stop them, even though the very essence of his being was secretly hoping they would never leave his side. They were his first friends in a long time and he was left to deal with this doubled grief. He never really mourned his mother, cried yes but had no strength or time to grieve. Adrian understood they needed to go though. Besides, he would never interfere with something as human as free will. He was raised better. So he let them go.
Now he wonders what wrath he would invoke if he had asked for them to stay. Asked to be held through his grief. Asked them to choose him just like he had chosen them.
He’s exhausted himself and retires to his bedroom and dreams of nothing.