33. Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Three
I choked. “More than my father not being my actual father?”
Mother poured me a cup of tea to clear my throat.
“Yes, the most dangerous secret.” She handed me the cup, her fingers shaking enough I worried she’d spill the tea on the carpet.
She frowned and watched me drink.
“I still don’t think it wise to tell you.
Between Celestine’s visions and knowing Desmire is your father is more than enough to handle.
” She swallowed. “What if this breaks you in ways I can’t fix?
” Her lip quivered and I wanted to hold her hand again, comfort her, and say that it would never happen.
But her reveals so far have been intense.
So much, the truth hadn’t fully registered.
King Lachan has always been my father. He wasn’t the best, but that didn’t make him bad.
I was an adult, I deserved the truth, and how I’d handle them. She needed to trust me to deal with the fallout in my own way.
“Tell me.”
She nodded, sipped more from her cup, and set it on the end table.
“I don’t know how to say this delicately. So, I’m going to come out with it,” she said, inhaled deeply, and didn’t release the breath for a few seconds. She truly did not want to say what came next at all.
“Lachan is the king’s given name, but he goes by another in secret.” Her face hardened and I worried she’d crush her teeth with the amount of clenching going on.
“Lachan is Verin.”
Excuse me?
Verin…
Verin…
“Like the evil Verin who has wanted control over Crysia for a long time?” I asked in one breath.
She nodded.
“Verin.”
“Yes.”
I shot up and paced.
“You married Verin. You let me believe Verin was my father. You’ve been fucking Verin?” What was even happening? This couldn’t be real.
My mother sat there patiently while I ranted and wore a line in her floor. I’m honestly surprised I hadn’t lost control of my powers and broke something by now.
My father wasn’t bad. He wasn’t evil. He was just…
He was what, Sapphira?
I plopped back into the chair and let my thoughts race.
“I didn’t know who he was when we married. I thought he was a normal prince. I found out two years later, and we—” Her eyes closed, and she took another deep breath before looking at me.
“We struck a bargain. He could play his role, the beloved king.” Beloved… that wasn’t the word I’d use but whatever he told himself.
“And he’d have me. In return, he’d leave Crysia alone instead of covering it in his darkness and debauchery.”
She traded herself to keep the peace. I swear the cracking in my chest echoed around the room. The secrets, the facades, the games. All of it to keep Crysia… to keep me, safe.
The thought must have been written on my face because she kept talking.
“So many times, I wanted to kill him. End it while he slept. But he has protections against me, and as you know, we don’t sleep in the same room. And I did think to leave. You were a blessing. I thought about taking you and running far away. Desmire would help keep us safe.”
But she loved this kingdom. It was hers, and she’d built it into the legacy it was today. If she could walk the line. Make Verin believe I was his, keep his attentions on her, and let him think he ruled the kingdom.
She made her choices.
“I’m sorry, Sapphira. For all of it. I should have—”
I held up a hand to pause her.
“There’s no reversing time. This is a lot, and I will surely need a vacation in the future to process it, but there are bigger problems at hand.”
I wasn’t happy. But the disassociating my brain was doing kept me going for now.
“I have questions,” I said and the queen sat straighter in her chair, ready to receive them. Which was good because they were likely to come out in rapid fire.
“Celestine said war was coming. She mentioned the evil would rush if I ended things with Tor, so I’m assuming that means I can’t let Verin know that I know. What is his plan? How can we stop it? What are his powers and did he hurt Tor on their trip?”
I sucked in a breath and waited. My father’s kind words as to why I couldn’t access his fire felt like a lie now. Was that true?
Then I thought about Tor. They’d spent time alone together. The enemy and my current fiancé.
“Celestine has told me this as well. She has stated he will change the world, both our realm and the humans. She warned it cannot be stopped.”
My body sagged as the air rushed out of me.
“He claims to have fire to keep his true power a secret. The fire power belongs to Desmire and his sister. Celestine warned us of your core prior to birth, and he has not touched you until that day in Crystoria. You cannot let Verin see your fire, or you shift into a dragon.”
I sputtered.
A dragon.
I possessed the power to shift into a dragon?
“Yes. Celestine foretold you would be able to shift. I assumed that is the reason for the illness. So much power flooding you making you ill. And as for the young prince?”
My body leaned forward, gaze locked on the queen.
“Tor is fine. Verin did assess if he’d be loyal to him, tested him, then wiped his memory.
I do not know what transpired. Verin’s power is potions, poisons really.
His body is like one giant potion lab. He could use it for good, heal illness, alleviate pain.
” She snarled. “Instead, he uses his power for darkness.”
I needed a bath.
A fucking escape.
“So, I have this power too?”
“Yes, but he will never teach you how to use it and without that knowledge, tapping into it could cause devastation to yourself and others.”
Well shit.
“Is that it?”
Like finding out my father wasn’t actually my father and the one I’d called Father this whole time was the evil king was enough.
“I am a Virgo.”
I stared, and she stared back.
Did she just throw out human astrology right now?
I laughed and laughed hard. Yes, she did.
The queen cracked and burst into a fit of laughter with me until I couldn’t do it anymore. My stomach hurt, and tears coated my cheeks.
“So.”
“So.”
I stretched and stood. She joined me seconds later.
“So, I just carry on as if my world hasn’t shattered. Stay engaged to Tor for a few more weeks, then what?”
“Verin may kill you if he knows who sired you. He hates Desmire. He’s always seen him as a rival, someone to best, instead of a brother.
You mustn’t let him discover the truth. As for the engagement, if Celestine gave you a timeline, you should follow it.
But be mindful with your mate. You are not being very careful.
As hard as it will be, you may need to keep further distance. ”
My gut clenched but with all this new information, I had to proceed with caution.
I could do this. I walked to the door and paused. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I have endured, and I suspect I will endure worse in the future. But I will survive it, nonetheless.”
Okay then.
I left the room. What else was there to say? Now I had to decide what came next. Speak with Tor? Find Rune? Or figure out what Verin’s plan was in secret?
The answer was too easy to choose.