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“What is going on?” Iryana demanded. They were close to waking Anara in the next room.

Her sisters froze. Misha pushed Hadima’s shoulder to keep her back while holding the brooch out to the side with her other hand.

“Misha took Dad’s brooch. I have been holding onto it…”

Iryana stiffened.

“Why would you keep this! He was a monster!” Misha was red-faced, her brushed-out hair waving around her wildly.

Hadima clenched her jaw, looking at the floor.

“Do you not care what he did?” Misha demanded.

“Look, I hate the man who hurt you two. Who hurt Mother. I do, I promise. But…” Hadima sank onto the floor.

“What could excuse that?”

“He wasn’t like that before!” Hadima snapped, then threw her eyes wide in shock and promptly burst into tears.

“Hadi…” Misha mumbled, dropping the brooch onto the bed and then climbed down next to Hadima. “I’m sorry, I just don’t understand.”

Iryana fought down the strange wave of panic and joined her sisters on the floor, sandwiching Hadima. She rubbed her older sister’s back, trying to help. She’d never seen her sister cry like this, but she’d been so stressed lately. Perhaps that was related.

When Hadima had mostly calmed down, Misha wiped the tears from her face.

“Look, I know you both were a lot younger.” Hadima took another calming breath. “But I was thirteen when he was injured. I have so many good memories of him from before.”

Iryana swallowed. She had plenty of memories from before, but anything with her father was so tarnished by everything that had come after.

Misha scrunched up her face. “I don’t remember anything before the cottage.”

“He wasn’t always like that. The poppy did that to him.”

“So what?” Misha demanded. “I’m supposed to forgive him for hurting his family?”

“You don’t have to forgive him. I don’t.” Hadima looked over at Iryana and took her hand, squeezing it. “Who he was before the injury and after are… different people. I didn’t know him afterward, not really.” She turned to Misha. “And you don’t remember him from before.”

Iryana swallowed, trying to calm her racing heart.

“Before, he was a good dad. A good guardian. That doesn’t make up for what came after, but… I wish you remembered, Mishi. I wish you had some good memories of him.”

Having those memories of him from before… they had just made it hurt more for her. The betrayal was almost the hardest part.

“We had been somewhere between here and Klees when Mom found out she was pregnant with you,” Hadima told Misha. “I don’t know how they managed it, but they kept it a secret for a while. I only knew because Mother needed help to make the teas for her nausea. Everyone was so scared when they told the rest of the clan, afraid a baby would get everyone killed. Things were already rough with Janar, who was only a toddler. Well, Iri was excited enough for everyone.”

Misha looked over at Iryana, brows lifted in surprise. Iryana shrugged. She remembered being so excited to be a big sister too, like Hadima was.

“But our father acted like there was no reason to worry,” Hadima continued. “He worked day and night to make sure Mother survived the pregnancy and birth. You were born early, Misha, probably due to the stress. But father was vigilant, constantly. Kept all the patrols up. If it wasn’t for him, I doubt you or Mother would have made it.”

“I don’t remember it like that,” Iryana admitted softly.

Misha frowned slightly, as if trying to fit this new image with what she remembered.

Hadima grabbed Misha’s hand too. “He was just so strong. He never showed any fear, and everyone relied on that strength. He was my rock. I loved him.”

Then Hadima started crying again, and Iryana and Misha both wrapped their arms around her.

“I’m sorry,” Misha said again.