Sagan #2
“It is with a heavy heart and shame I have never known before that I stand here to tell you all that my son, Loraviel, drugged our queen Sagan De la Rosa.” He nodded when people gasped.
“Many of you have reported that the castle recently went into lockdown and speculated what happened.
Were angry that the media was locked out—it was because the queen is kind.
“She was never going to hide this, but against her family’s wishes—the people who love and care about her—she gave my family time to decide how to handle this situation.
She was benevolent and gave us time to come to terms before everything that comes next.
” He let out a shaky breath and reached for his mate’s hand. “We’ve failed as parents.
“We accept that. Full stop. We taught our son wrong or—I don’t know where we went wrong and that will haunt us for years to come.
What I do know is Lori isn’t a child who made a foolish or understandable mistake.
He—the proof is undeniable, and the queen allowed us to see it all before this was made public.
“We were allowed access to the investigation, unlike other families ever have been, and she did that for peace.
She did that for the stability of our nation when things are already too precarious given the transition of leaders and the wrongful deaths of her parents.
Our queen is wise and fair, and I thank her for how she handled all of this because we needed the time.
“To handle this as a leader and with a cool head, putting Sunborough and Thovudin first, I needed that time. I am humbled by our queen because she did not. She was the victim and immediately acted like a leader and thought of Thovudin and our people. Not herself. Her family—I’m getting ahead of myself. ”
His mate patted his arm and moved towards the mic, which surprised him, but he allowed it.
“I agree with my mate, and I know I’ve been a harsh judge to our queen—most female leaders, but maybe I’m the one who is wrong.
Maybe I am simply not a woman meant to be a leader because I fell apart and could only think as a mother and emotionally.
“I reacted in hate and cursed my queen thinking she had to be lying to get out of this contest. I thought—horrible things, but none of that is true.
The evidence is clear and she wanted us to know that and keep peace because that is always her focus.
Not once did she focus on her own trauma of being drugged in her home by a potential mate.
“Not once. Our queen is—we are all too harsh on her and my own son has done something unspeakable. We are lucky she is so smart and her parents went to such lengths to educate her in everything she would need to survive such a harsh and unforgiving nation.” She sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes.
“My son drugged her and I can never apologize enough.
“He tried to bring on both their heats for—a stupid plan. A stupid, stupid plan that could only work because people are horrible to her and Thovudin is too sexist. Get caught in bed and she would be forced to mate? What year is it? And she would be unable to function while pregnant, so the elder who brought him this plan would take over? That easy?”
“That’s her angle,” a male voice muttered. “She’s not really changed. She’s trying to throw it all at the elder’s feet. Whoever else was involved.”
I shared a look with Treena… And then Myriam, Velle, and even Maple. I decided to share with the men present the reality every woman there knew.
“She went through the same,” I said evenly but loudly. “She’s speaking as a victim who is reliving her own pain. Knowing her son she gave life to did the same to a woman as she suffered.”
“How can you know that?” a different male voice asked, not in judgment but confusion.
I shared another look with Treena, not sure what to say, but she did.
She always did.
“Every woman here knows it,” she answered. “We all have friends who went through something they shouldn’t have at the hands of men. We all know that look in her eyes—that crack in her voice that it’s not just this situation, but one she’s lived.”
“She also realizes she’s part of the problem for not having said more sooner and done more when she could have—should have,” Maple added before turning and leaving the dining room.
I glanced at Fraser with worry, but he shook his head. Either he didn’t know what I was silently asking or it wasn’t her but someone she knew.
“She means she should have done more so you don’t suffer now as you do,” Treena said under her breath. “She’s said it more times than I can count. Maple would give her life to make yours easier and constantly regrets just being a pretty princess. She blames herself that your—”
“Thank you,” I whispered, glancing behind us to remind her that there were lots of people around.
“Of course, but she’s said it in front of more than them,” she replied.
I hadn’t known that, but honestly I expected nothing less of Treena. She didn’t make mistakes like saying what she shouldn’t in mixed groups.
Unless she did it on purpose, and then they should probably be afraid.
Definitely be afraid.
The rest of the press conference went as expected. The only thing that shocked me was when the Alpha announced he would be letting his non-family Beta take over while the case played out in courts since Lori refused to take a deal. He thought… Fuck if I knew.
Really, I couldn’t think what he might argue or who would even represent him. The case was airtight and even his parents were saying that and that they wouldn’t pay legal fees to defend him.
“That went about as best as possible,” Darren said when it was done. “Honestly, I’m impressed they handled it with such honor. The only disgusting maggot was the one who asked about…” He cleared his throat.
I snorted. “I’m shocked it was only one and they didn’t push it after the Alpha shut them down.” I felt better when several others snorted.
And I would bet anything that it would be leaked to the media before dinner that I slept with Joris after I was drugged or “suspected.”
Because that was what the reporter had asked that Darren was referring to. He asked who I’d slept with since the drug threw me into my heat. Which other candidate did I sleep with since Lori had been caught before he’d sexually assaulted me?
Pig.
How sad was it that I expected nothing less and was only surprised that more hadn’t asked that?
I couldn’t let go of Maple’s reaction and went to find her. “You okay?”
She let out a slow breath. “You mean did it happen to me?”
“That too.”
“Once as a ‘joke’ by ‘friends,’ but luckily I was seeing someone truly kind and discreet. He acted like I never drank it and threw the drink at them before getting me out of there.”
“What happened to him?” I hedged, hearing regret in her voice.
“My father.” She snorted. “He wasn’t good enough, and not because I was loved that way, but my father knew I was worth more for a better alliance or whatever he needed.
” She turned and gave me a sad look. “You’ve not been the only abused pawn in this family.
I’m sorry I was too stupid to see it because I thought Rhys would never be the same. ”
“I always knew you really cared.” I was going to let it go when she gave me a look that I was full of shit, but realized it was the time to be truthful when she was opening herself up so much for me.
I moved closer and lowered my voice. “You were the only one at first who thought Eloise was cool and agreed I should name them. I—you have no idea how much I needed that then.”
She gave me a sad look and leaned down to kiss my forehead. “You are a miracle, Sagan. I don’t know why the gods made you so different, but they did. That’s not something you should ever feel shame about. Everyone who treats you like you aren’t a child of the gods should.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m going to reach out to the Alpha Mate and check she’s okay,” Maple informed me.
“I think that smart. If nothing else, I know you’re wondering if it was the Alpha too. He seems like a good guy, but the world thought Lori was, and how do we know he didn’t learn this from his dad?”
“This is why we will always be more than aunt and niece,” she purred.
“Where is that guy now?” I asked when she went to leave. “The one Grandfather scared off?”
She cleared her throat and looked away. “He scared off easily. He realized I wasn’t worth the headache I would come with. He’s mated and she’s his rock, the supportive wifey he wanted instead of…”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry you know the same pain, but you can’t take the time I have to figure out if I ever want to mate or what I need from a partner. It’s so not fair when you were given a much bigger fate than mine.”
That was maybe one of the best things anyone had said to me.
Ever.
And it gave me the motivation to continue with the rest of my day. It really did because the shit never ended and I was always just exhausted.
But right then, I had another rat to deal with that just wouldn’t go away.