AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Another long pause. “Why?” Marius whispered.
Derrick looked over his shoulder at his brother. “Because Flora and I have wronged her.”
Loathe though I was to face him, I released Derrick’s hand and turned toward Marius, flames of shame fanning my cheeks.
Marius gaped at us. “How?”
I dragged a hand down my face with a groan. “We were convinced she’d turn evil.”
Marius arched a brow. “What made you think that?”
I scratched my head, sharing a confused look with Derrick. I wasn’t reassured when he answered with a shrug. “We believed one Avias twin was good and the other evil.”
Marius’s jaw dropped. You were tricked by Thorin.
Derrick’s shoulders fell as he slowly nodded. It appears so.
Marius looked from Derrick to me. Did you try to harm Shirina?
“No,” I blurted aloud, heat flooding my chest that he would even think we’d try to harm her. “We would never harm our child.” At least, not intentionally, I wanted to add but thought better of it. We’d already unintentionally harmed both our daughters.
“Then what did you do?” Marius asked aloud.
I prayed that wasn’t censure I heard in his voice. My chest tightened and my heart ached when Derrick gave me a hopeful look. “We didn’t love her enough,” I finally answered, working hard to push out the words. “We tried not to make it obvious, but she could tell.”
He leaned forward, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. “From what little I’ve seen of her, she has a pure heart.”
“She does.” I nodded before swiping moisture from my eyes. “She’s loved Ember and Aurora as if they were her own.”
“But you didn’t drive her away as Malvolia did to you.” Marius’s question sounded more like a statement. Was he trying to comfort us?
“We could never.” I shook my head as more tears fell. “She’s our child.”
He squeezed my hand again, the love in his voice reflecting in his eyes. “Then there’s still hope you can reconcile.”
My gaze shot to Derrick, my heart plummeting when he looked down at his legs while wiping his eyes. I knew what he was thinking without probing his thoughts. We were horrible parents and didn’t deserve Marius’s understanding, especially after what we’d done to Tari, too. “I won’t blame her if she never forgives us,” I said on a strained whisper.
I loathed the look of pity in Marius’s eyes and almost wished he’d berate us for being terrible parents, but then we jumped at a knock coming from the sitting room.
“I hope that’s the servants with supper.” Marius settled a hand on his concaved stomach. “I’m famished.”
He threw a pillow over his crotch and Derrick slipped into a robe when a knock sounded on our bedchamber.
I pulled a blanket over my breasts just as the door was thrown open and a flutter of skirts and thick, cloying perfume filled the room. I stared at what I presumed to be two Fae women of Malvolia’s court, wondering if they were real or illusions. They each had tall beehive wigs, wide silk hoop gowns, and thick face paints that made them look like clowns. One was dressed mostly in silver, with the exception of a thick yoke made up of black feathers, and the other wore a deep, emerald green. Even her wig was green, making her look like a bedazzled pine.
“Who are you?” I blurted, annoyed by their interruption.
The courtesan with the black, feathered yoke gave me a curious look before the corners of her mouth hitched up in a sultry smile. “I’m Lady Veronica and this is Lady Daminica.” She nodded toward her friend, the pine. “We’re here to ready you for court, Your Highness.”
“Court?” I snorted aloud, not caring one bit if I sounded unladylike. “We’re not going to court.” I shooed them away as if they were nothing more than flies buzzing about our heads.
Lady Veronica’s face fell before she plastered on a smile. “But Queen Malvolia has requested your presence.”
I climbed out of bed and crossed over to Lady Daminica, snatching a robe from her outstretched hand. “My sister can stuff that request up her ass.”
Flora. Marius’s reprimand echoed in my skull.
I shoved my arms into the robe. What?
