Page 9 of Thief of Hearts

“I will never have one,” I swore to her.

But instead of looking upset, she half smiled at me. “Then perhaps you will have a husband.”

“Never.” I refused to let myself be tied down in that way. Outsiders thought that Thracians hated marriage. But the truth of it was that marriage was sacred to us. So sacred that we shouldn’t be foolish enough to enter into it because of how serious it was. We committed for life. It was why my mother had been upset about Thrax’s wedding—because it meant he would never come home and that Quynh would always be his priority.

“You’ve never had a romantic relationship,” she said softly.

“Neither have you,” I shot back. It was the closest I’d ever come to being disrespectful to my mother.

“That is the biggest regret of my life. I wish I had. There were men I could have loved. But I always sent them away, too afraid to get close. Too scared that they would try to usurp my position. My power.”

My mouth hung open slightly. My mother had never admitted to being afraid of anything in front of me before.

“And I used to feel as you did. Then I met Thrax’s father and it changed. I wanted him in my life. I wanted his child.”

That stung. She hadn’t felt that way about my father—he had been a brief replacement when Thrax’s father returned to Ilion to rule as king. Once, when I was ten, she’d been drunk and told me that she hadn’t intended to get pregnant by my father.

Which meant I was an accident.

That knowledge, that I hadn’t been wanted, was something I had carried my entire life.

“I understand that you wanted to be named leader. But Basileia, you will lead the people into a war, and Katisa will lead them away from one.”

I could feel anger building inside me, a molten heat that tried to force its way out to explode everywhere. I stood up and began walking into the forest. I wouldn’t be angry in front of my mother. I wouldn’t let her see just how furious I was. Because that would only strengthen her resolve.

The cool night air settled against my skin, calming me down. I looked up at the full moon, its light shining and swaying through the tops of the trees, as if it were dancing with them.

I didn’t have to accept this outcome. I only needed to find a way to convince my mother to name me as her successor instead.

Things would be well.

Because I would figure out how to make my mother change her mind.

Chapter Four

We set out early the next morning. Fortunately for me, the crossroads were only two miles away from where we had camped. I felt an acute relief that we would be headed in two different directions—her to Thrace and me to Calydon. I didn’t know if I could take another three days of lectures.

Her parting words to me were “Think about what I said,” before she sped off on her horse.

Did she honestly think I was going to think about anything else?

The outrage and betrayal threatened to overwhelm me, so I didn’t allow myself to ruminate on my mother choosing Katisa. There wasn’t anything wrong with my sister—she just wasn’t me.

How could I make my mother see that?

Strategy had never been one of my strengths. I was more of a “point me in the right direction and let me smash things” kind of woman. My mother was exceedingly clever, and all last night I hadn’t been able to think of a way to convince her or change her mind.

I wish I’d known before we left Ilion. Thrax would have concocted a marvelous scheme.

Katisa would have come up with something.

I told that inner voice to be quiet. If it was Invara speaking to me, as Lia thought, then the goddess should keep her opinions to herself because I wasn’t interested in them.

“If you have something that might help me, I’m happy to listen,” I said out loud. “But otherwise, leave me alone.”

The sky above me chose that moment to thunder and quake from a sudden storm and it felt like some kind of supernatural admonishment. I urged my horse to go faster so that we could reach Calydon before we got soaked.

I had just arrived at a stable in Calydon when the rain began pouring down—it was like a giant waterfall had opened above us. After I had paid the stable master his fee to house my horse, I asked where the town’s archon could be found. He told me how to find the administrative building, and it sounded as if it was the farthest point from where we were.