She shook her head. “No. I mean, it is. But Ilikehearing it. It… I don’t know, makes me feel connected to her.”
“Then you want me to go on?”
“I do.”
“Well, turns out I didn’t have all the time in the world. Not to mention that, for all of our commonalities, there was one difference between us. A difference so important that it meant our destinies would never join because she had noble blood. Your mother was the daughter of a minor noble, one whose house had fallen on hard times. But your father’s family, always on the lookout for a suitable bride, found her and decided that she’d be a perfect match for Alaric.
“It was around this time that I gained my position at the palace. Your father needed a body man, and your mother was happy to recommend me. At the time, I was eager to take the position. After all, it meant that I’d be able to be closer to Analise.”
My stomach tensed as I prepared to tell the next part of the story. “Your mother, before the marriage, had thought the whole business of royal life to be silly. And why not? Her family was only loosely connected to Edoria’s nobility. Aside from that, she was as normal as they came. When she married your father, however, she slowly began to fall for the man.”
“I know this is going to sound terrible,” Ava said. “But… what did she see in him?”
I chuckled. “Your father, how he is now, isn’t the man he was back then. Young King Alaric was kind and charming, what some might call dashing even. He cared for art and poetry, and always encouraged your mother to pursue her desires to help the less fortunate.”
She blinked hard, shaking her head. “Wait, you’re talking about my father. As in, the guy who I haven’t seen smile a single time since I’ve been here? The one who only checks on me to make sure that I’m being diligent about my fish knife studies?”
“The very same. Your father loved the royal life, loved the pageantry and the grandeur and all the rest. He loved balls and grand dinners and spending time with the royal court. In fact, he began to love ittoomuch.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well, when you’re a young, handsome king, married or not, every woman in the kingdom secretly imagines being with you. Alaric began to indulge as a royal, and one of his most favorite indulgences was of the many women who would do anything for a chance to be close to their king.”
Anger flashed on her face as she realized what I meant. “You’re kidding me. He cheated on my mom?”
Tension took hold. I’d already betrayed the king’s trust once by sleeping with Ava, and there I was about to do it all over again by revealing his sordid history.
“He did. The first time it happened, the king was wracked with guilt. He went to your mother and told her everything, begged for her forgiveness. She gave it to him, understanding that resisting the temptations of a king was much to ask of any young man. Then it happened again and again, your father deciding that he didn’t need your mother’s forgiveness if he simply kept it all from her.”
“He lied.” Her eyes burned with anger.
“Many lies by omission. As his closest confidant, I saw it happen over and over, less shame taking hold each time he brought a new woman into his bed. Analise was no fool. She’d been kind enough to offer her forgiveness after the first time, but it didn’t take long for her to realize that your father’s number one hobby had become bedding half the women in Edoria.”
Another flash of her eyes, this time one of realization.
“That’swhy she left.”
I nodded. “When she learned she was pregnant with you, your mother had hoped that impending fatherhood might be the thing to calm Alaric down. For a time, he stopped. Things became normal in the palace once more. Your mother’s mood improved, and we began to wonder if your arrival would cause your father to change his ways for good.”
“Let me guess, it didn’t,” she predicted.
“No, it didn’t. He’d been faithful throughout the pregnancy, but when you were very young, your mother found out that he’d once again been cheating. That was it for her—she could suffer the indignity alone but raising you in a home like that was unthinkable.”
“So, she left? How did she pull that off? I mean, it can’t be easy for a queen to flee her kingdom, right?”
“I helped.”
A small smile spread across her face. “You did?”
“You sound surprised.”
“I don’t know. I mean, it’s obvious that you’re a good guy and that you cared deeply about my mom. It’s just… you loved her, right? So, you helped her even after she married someone else?”
“It sounds to me like you just answered your own question. Yes, I loved your mother. When she married your father, it hurt like hell. But the love didn’t go away. It… changed, turned into a different kind of love, more of a respectful friendship. When your mother asked for my help, there was no hesitation.”
She smiled warmly, not saying a word.
I cleared my throat and went on. “Anyway, I helped her find a new identity for both of you, helped you both get out of the country. And when she left… it was one of the hardest days of my life. We couldn’t simply stay in touch, of course. Not to mention that this was over twenty-five years ago; not like I could find an iPhone and check in on her social media.”