Chapter 14 Jane #2
Her smile, this time, appeared the most genuine of all. “I have no doubts that Jion will make a fine husband. He is kind, responsible, and loyal. I couldn’t be happier with the man he has become in adulthood. That boy is every mother’s dream.”
I leaned forward while formulating my next words. My voice was low and guttural as I dangerously questioned, “And what about Glade?”
The queen blinked in surprise at my inquiry. “Glade? What about Glade?”
“Well,” I began, “he seems to be the black sheep of your family.”
“I am not familiar with that phrase,” she snapped, her smile vanishing entirely, replaced by a stony glare.
“It means he is out of place. He’s unlike the others. He is…not admired in the same way,” I grunted. Did I feel sympathy for Glade? Did I pity him? Why had I even asked this question in the first place? It was none of my business.
This proclamation made the queen appear sorrowful, her eyebrows crumpling and her mouth forming a frown. “Glade is not a black sheep. Glade is many things, but most of all, he is loving and only craves to be loved.”
She closed her eyes briefly, holding them shut as if summoning strength.
“He never received any attention from his father as a child. Even now, the man won’t give him the time of day.
On the other hand, Remaculus focused too much on Jion—always preparing him, always watching him, always under his eye.
” Peyni bowed her head in shame. “I think during his formative years, Glade acted out to get his father’s attention.
Since then, he has tried his absolute hardest to earn his father’s approval, but to no avail, of course.
That man has never looked twice at him.”
A tear rolled down the queen’s cheek, and she wiped it away.
“Glade was such a sweet little boy. Jion was always off with Remaculus, which left Glade and me together most of the time. He was so affectionate and so attached to me. When I would use the…” She cleared her throat.
“The lavatory…Glade would lie in front of the door, poking his fingers under it, desperate to be near me.”
A bittersweet smile crept onto her face.
“He used to cry whenever I left the room, so much so that it became a problem.” She giggled, the memory clearly bringing her joy.
“We had to train him to be apart from me.” Her gaze drifted into the distance, her thoughts turning wistful.
“He was my baby. He still is in some ways.”
I paused, considering the rugged, macho man I had come to know.
It was hard to reconcile that image with the tender child she described.
A genuine chuckle escaped me at the thought.
“That is lovely, Peyni.” I grinned from ear to ear for some reason, pleased with that information most of all. “Who knew Glade was such a softy?”
“The biggest softy,” she repeated, wrinkling her nose with a smirk.
Yet the corners of her mouth turned down as she added, “I just hope he realizes that he doesn’t need his father’s approval to achieve wonderful things.
I fear that will always be a losing battle for him.
He needs to understand that the only approval he truly needs is his own.
” She glanced up from her lap as if suddenly aware she had shared too much and shifted the conversation.
“Anyways, we’re not here to talk about Glade. ”
No, we weren’t, but her words lingered in my mind.
I found myself wondering, was it worse to have a parent who didn’t love you?
Or to grow up without parents at all? On one hand, you’d never know the love you sought.
On the other, that love would dangle just out of reach, mocking you every day. It seemed unbearably torturous.
The queen, Peyni, began to list Jion’s accomplishments, recounting them in order.
From his childhood triumphs in various Ornathian sports to his academic successes as a youth.
She spoke of his experiences shadowing the king as a teenager and his eventual permission to join the Ornathian council, highlighting every milestone with delight.
Yet, despite her enthusiasm, my thoughts remained consumed by Glade.
Ironically, this conversation was supposed to help me understand Jion’s character and his potential as my husband.
Instead, I found myself gaining unexpected insight into who Glade truly was.
He wasn’t merely the dark and brooding prince he seemed to be.
Beneath that facade lay a little boy who had once cried whenever he couldn’t see his mother.
The contrast was striking, and it tugged at my heartstrings.
I was glad Glade had Peyni there for him during his childhood, that someone cared for and loved him when his father had shunned him.
When the queen finished her speech, I quipped that Jion’s accolades were quite impressive but, once again, tried to switch directions in our conversation.
“Peyni?” I asked her gently.
“Mhm?”
“What is Jion and Glade’s relationship like?” I questioned, ensuring I mentioned Jion’s name first to avoid raising any suspicion about my intentions.
Peyni’s face lit up with satisfaction as she cradled her cup of tea under her chin.
“Wonderful. Despite everything their father put them through, they love each other as brothers and even more so as best friends. I could not be prouder. You’d think the division Remaculus created between the boys would have bred animosity, but it only made them stronger.
Jion wanted more peace, which Glade had, and Glade wanted more love, which Jion had.
So together, they provided that for one another.
They understood they had a common enemy. ”
Setting her tea back on the table, she rested her head on her right hand, an amused smile appearing on her lips.
“Every night, after Jion completed his father’s daily tasks, the boys would sneak down to the courtyard to ‘battle’ with their little wooden swords.
They drove the court crazy.” She chuckled.
“I had to pretend to scold them. ‘Go to the training area!’ I’d say.
But secretly, I was delighted they had that time together as brothers. I didn’t care who they bothered.”
Her expression softened further. “Then, after they were done with their fighting and had been bathed, they would come upstairs to my chambers and snuggle together while I read them a story. Some nights, they even insisted on sleeping in the same bed!” She giggled, clearly lost in the memory.
The queen dreamily sighed. “I got so lucky with those boys. You never know how riches and privilege will affect young princes’ minds and egos, but not my little ones.
They are kind and humble, but most of all, they are good.
Good people. That is all a mother can hope for. ”
A sense of shame enveloped me as I considered my earlier hesitance to converse with the queen. She had proven herself to be lovely and a wonderful mother. I felt so grateful for this opportunity to speak with her and gain insight into who Glade and Jion were as men and brothers.
As our conversation drew to a close, I thanked Peyni for everything and began to rise from my seat. But before I could fully stand, she reached out, grabbing my wrist to stop me.
“One more thing, dear,” she said with an earnest tone. I nodded, listening intently, not daring to speak a word. “Do not hurt my son. He is a good man. Please, do not break his heart.”
I warily nodded as I lifted myself from my seat, though I couldn’t help but wonder which son she had truly meant.