Chapter 39
DRAYA
Time seemed to stop for a moment as I took in Prince Inaki’s words. Hazel was… his daughter?
The more I thought about it, the more damning the evidence became. It would explain her Talassi blood, but that would mean she wasn’t an Emerson at all! And if Lord Emerson had been aware, or even suspected it, that would explain why he treated her like complete shit for so long.
Rage exploded inside me, my muscles tensing as I realized she had been subjected to his abuses for so long when they weren’t even blood relatives. Not that it would have been justified under any circumstances, but the cruelty of keeping her under his roof wasn’t lost on me.
I kept my hand pressed against her back, moving just a bit closer. I needed her to know I was there, that I supported her as she navigated whatever came next.
“How?” Hazel asked, her voice shaky, failing to hide the emotions roiling inside her. “How is this possible?”
Inaki looked down at his lap, clearly battling with whatever he wanted to say next. I imagined the story ahead was painful, but Hazel deserved the truth. And she deserved to be angry, no matter what he told her, no matter how painful the truth may be.
“I met Margaret years ago,” he said, his eyes lifting to meet Hazel’s once again.
“I was stationed at an outpost close to Whitethorn Bay, and I came across her one night sitting on the beach. Hair blowing in the wind, the radiant moonlight illuminated her like a goddess, and I couldn’t help but draw closer. ”
Familiar, I thought.
“The image burned into my mind, and I returned to that same spot many times over the next year or so, watching and waiting for her nightly visits to the water. In a way, I think we called to each other, but I don't believe we knew it at the time.”
Hazel leaned into my touch, blinking away the subtle tears rimming her eyes.
“One night,” Prince Inaki began again, “I found her crying. It wasn’t unusual for her to weep, I’d seen it before, but this was different. She was sobbing, guttural sounds that wracked through her entire body, and I couldn’t bear to leave her alone in her insurmountable grief.”
I absent-mindedly moved closer to Hazel once again, wrapping my arm around her waist as she tried so hard to hold herself together. Prince Inaki had no knowledge of how we met, no idea how difficult it might be for her to hear this.
“Is everything all right?” He asked, suddenly concerned.
“Yes, sir,” Hazel replied. “It’s just… heartbreaking. But please continue, I want to know.”
“I called to her with my song, trying my hardest to soothe her unbridled emotions as I approached. She was the most beautiful, alluring woman I’d ever seen in my life, but she was clearly distraught, and the last thing I wanted to do was scare her.
Thankfully, she didn’t startle when she saw me, instead she approached with wide, glassy eyes and an outstretched hand.
“We didn’t exchange words that night. She sat on the edge of that rock, her small palm resting in mine, and she cried out every tear left in her body while I quietly sang to her. When she was done, she left without a backwards glance, and from that moment on I was utterly enamoured.
“I went back night after night, and soon learned her patterns. Over time she became friendly with me, and we’d talk until the sky turned periwinkle and she’d hasten home before the sun rose over the horizon.
Sometimes I’d coax her into the water with me, allowing her to float on my back or giving her air while I took her under the sea.
She never knew about the Capital, or even that I was Talassi Royalty, and it kept our bond so precious and free.
“Our affair went on for years, and I cannot lie, I fell madly in love with her. Her husband grew more abusive as time went on, and she sought comfort in the ocean and me. I went back every night to be with her.”
“Why did she stay with him?” Hazel interrupted, her voice cracking halfway through. “Why didn’t you take her away?”
The Prince sighed, seeming to think over his words before speaking again.
“It’s quite complicated, but I’ll forever regret not whisking her away the moment I saw her.
But I never wanted to push her, as so much of her life hadn’t been her choice.
Their marriage had been arranged by their parents.
It was a political move that allowed Lord Emerson to purchase an entire fleet of ships, and your mother was the bargaining token.
He wasn’t horrible to her in the beginning.
In fact, he was quite charming. But as time went on and he gained more power over the waters, he grew increasingly monstrous in nature.
“Margaret was aware of his rocky relationship with the Talassi, and although she never admitted it to me, I think she attempted to advocate for us on more than one occasion. I believe he became… violent with her when she revealed how much she knew.”
Hazel shuddered, and I tightened my grip around her waist. Her hands gripped my forearm, but she showed no signs of weakness, only curiosity and stoicism.
“I’m aware it was… uncouth of me to have relations with a married woman, but I couldn’t resist her call, couldn’t leave her alone in her misery.
She deserved to know what it felt like to be loved properly.
And not just physically, but emotionally as well.
He manipulated her, told her things that were never true.
There was a point when she thought she was barren, as they had tried to conceive for years to no avail.
In hindsight, I should have halted our relations before we reached the point of a physical affair, but I couldn’t bear to leave her.
She was all alone in the house of the devil, and I was her only solace. ”
“I don’t blame you,” Hazel said. “I understand. But what happened? Clearly, something went wrong.”
Prince Inaki paused again, and I could only imagine how difficult this was for him, too. I had a feeling he was about to share how he was captured, and my heart ached at the thought of him reliving that experience.
“Your mother and I began to plan a… sabotage of sorts.
Margaret hated the way he treated the Talassi, and she offered to help us by stealing some important information from your father regarding his fleet.
Unfortunately, he learned of our plan before we could execute it, and instead laid a trap for me.
“I’ll spare you the details of the abuses he put me through, but as you may have guessed, it was agonizing.
I never even had a chance to say goodbye.
To Margaret, my mother, my home, to anyone.
One night I was visiting my dear lover on her favorite beach, and the next I was shoved into painful oblivion.
“So, I’m sorry Hazel, first and foremost. I brought you into existence, and I haven’t been able to protect you.
You thought you were Lord Emerson’s child up until now, and for that I am sorry as well.
That man deserved no offspring, he didn’t even deserve a wife, and it will haunt me until my dying breath to know that you were both left defenseless in his house. ”
Hazel was shaking with silent tears, and with Inaki’s last words, she turned and buried her head in my chest. I was so proud of her.
She’d handled everything thrown at her over the last few weeks with such grace and resilience.
This confession from Inaki was quite a lot for her to handle, and I feared she had reached her breaking point.
The Queen and her son turned to each other with a pained expression, clearly uncomfortable with how Hazel was reacting. I understood their point of view, but I couldn’t help feeling irritated by it. They had put her through so much, it was no wonder she was emotional at the revelation of the truth.
I turned us away from them slightly, and leaned my head down to whisper in her ear. “I love you,” I whispered. “I love you more than anything else in the vast spread of the ocean, and I’m so proud of you. You’re the strongest Talassi I’ve ever met, even more so than me.”
She shook her head and gripped my waist even harder, and I stroked her soft hair as she tried to regain her composure.
“I… I just have no words,” she choked out. My heart was breaking for her, but I didn’t know what to do to ease the pain. Her anguish was written all over her face, but there was no solace for what she’d just learned.
“Hazel,” Prince Inaki called from his bed, and after a moment, we turned to face him again.
“I know this is a lot to take in, and I’m not asking anything of you right now, but I felt you deserved to know the truth.
Thank you for listening to me, and I’m sorry it all came out like this,” he said, sorrow lacing his words.
“I understand,” she replied, her voice steady once again. “I don’t hold animosity towards you. You, me, and my mother are victims of Lord Emerson and his bitter heart. It’s just… that doesn’t take the pain away.”
“Trust me,” Inaki said, holding out a hand. “I understand.”
Hazel placed her palm in his, closing her eyes. My heart felt like it was tearing into shreds, but I had to let her stand for herself in this moment.
“May we have a minute alone?” Hazel asked, and the Queen immediately nodded, allowing me to escort her out of the room.