The Young Gladiatrix

Family By Blood

It had been a few days since Ash and the knights had spoken. Again, she had requested that she be left alone. But today would break that silence.
"You requested that I come here. But I don't want to fight you" she murmured as she stood now before her father. "I never have wanted to fully fight you. If I had wanted to fight, I might have come after you many years ago" she said a bit louder than she had spoken previously. Gaining more confidence in speaking to her father. "You may not have wanted to fight, Ash. But your behaviour and attitude has said otherwise. Why the sudden change of heart?" asked Kaiser, gazing to his daughter. Deep down, he had never wanted to fight her, or leave her, or have her run away. She just always used to butt heads with him on everything as a child.
"Because I don't want us to end on harsh terms. I don't want to leave Rome knowing I never made an attempt to rectify the relationship with my own father. I don't want to fight. Argue. Or be mad anymore. It already hurts to know mum and Niero are gone. You're my father. And I haven't acted like you were" Ash's voice faltered slightly at the end of what she was saying. It was hard to speak to her father, and though it wasn't in a harsh manner; it still frightened her a little. Her father was a strong, muscular man that could easily seriously hurt her if he tried. But at his daughters words, the man sighed. "Ash, your mother was proud of you. I want you to know that. And Niero, he was proud of you too. And it took me so long to realise why they were both so proud. But now I realise. They were proud of you because you started your own life. You set it on the tracks, and it sped up. It taught you things that I never could. It showed you things I never could. And I regret trying to force you into Borgia training. It was something I shouldn't have done. And I should've listened to Niero when he said you were too young for it all. It is too late now for should haves, though. Isn't it?" The man watched as Ash tried to fight back tears. "It's never too late... My life... When Niero took me away from you. It was ok until he was dragged back into Borgia business. He was forced to leave my side. And the assassins took his place. He said they would care for me. And they did. But a small part of me wanted my father back. I swore I'd never forgive you for allowing me to disappear for so long. Ten years, dad... You never tried to contact me once? Not even to see where I was or whether I was still alive... Then when I end up here... You butt heads with me... I tried so hard to make you notice me. Even if it got me hurt. I just wanted you... I just wanted you to notice me" She whispered the last part as tears rolled down her cheeks. It had all happened so fast. Just being able to speak to her father without him glaring or wielding a blade against her. It had hit hard.
Kaiser looked down for a moment. His daughters words rang true. And struck him like a sword to the heart. "Come here" he stepped towards her, pulling her to his chest. Embracing his daughter for the first time in over 10 years. There was so much he had to say. And so much he had to do to show he still cared. There were so many words he had to take back. So many actions he had to rectify. As he held her close, his eyes drifted up to the seats around the arena. The knights, and Decimus were watching. Their eyes locked on the pair. "Your friends and Decimus are protective of you. I'm glad you found them. And Decimus is a good man. I'm glad he is the one you chose over Dmitri. I heard he has another girl. He wasn't worth your time" he murmured.

"Forget Dmitri, dad. This is about us. I just want you to be my dad again. Not a guard. Not an enemy. Just be my dad" murmured Ash as she now hugged her father.
"I never stopped being your father, Ash. And that day Niero took you away. I wanted so much to chase after you and bring you both home. But at the time, Niero wanted so badly to give you a better life than what I could. It broke my heart to watch you leave. Those 10 years that I didn't see you or Niero. I spent days and nights wondering if you were both alive. When news reached me of where you were, my heart shattered. My daughter was an enemy. I couldn't bring myself to find you, Ash. All the anger. The hatred. I never meant for it all to be projected onto you. All the pain and suffering I caused you. All the things I said. All the things I did. It was all in cold blood, and I wish there was a way for me to take it all away. Ash, if I could as you one thing. Please, forgive me for what I have done. And forgive me for failing to be a father to you, and to Niero"
Ash silently hugged her father tighter in response to his words. It had been 10 years since her father had hugged her. 10 years since she had hugged her father. "I should be the one asking for forgiveness" she murmured against his chestplate.

"Do you forgive me?" asked Kaiser as he pushed Ash away slightly to see her eyes.
A simple nod was given by Ash as she blinked away tears, not allowing them to fall.
"And do you forgive me?" asked Ash quietly, gazing up at her father.
"How can I not forgive my daughter?" smiled Kaiser softly as he hugged Ash once more.

[Authors Note: Y'know. This was a nice part to write. I didn't want to have them fight after a few days of thought. It would've been heartless and cruel if I had done so. So instead, they talked it out. Talking should always come before violence. And I would've updated this earlier, but I was watching Peaky Blinders, so it had to wait because that show is awesome and it was filmed in Birmingham and the Black Country Museum which I have been to so many times because I live so damn close!]