He looks at the floor, squeezing his handkerchief in his hands. Before he says another word, a maid comes in with a tea service and pours refreshments for us.
“Thank you,” I murmur, and she escapes the awkward silence as quickly as possible. I don’t blame her.
“Raelyn, regardless of your birth, I have always considered you my daughter,” Father says calmly.
I look up into his dark eyes, searching for truth . . . searching for lies. I’m not sure what to believe.
“Was Mama my mother?” I ask. If he’s lied about everything else, I have to know what’s real . . . if anything.
He picks up his teacup and sips from the steaming beverage, his hesitancy making my heart drop.
“Well?”
“I didn’t come here to talk about that,” he deflects. “I came here because my eldest child ran off and got married without even discussing it with me. After everything I have done for you, all I have sacrificed, how could you betray me like that? How could you steal such an important moment from me?”
“You sound like Chessa,” I mutter under my breath.
“Excuse me?”
Ignoring him, I repeat, “Was she my mother? I need to know!” My voice starts to rise, and I’m a child all over again, fighting with my father. When he refuses to answer, I switch tactics. “Do you have any idea how Stepmother treated me when you left?”
He frowns. “Whatever do you mean?”
My eyes widen. Does he really not know? “Father, she let go of most of our staff and replaced them withme.”
His jaw goes slack, and he struggles for words. I want to believe he’s actually shocked. I really do.
“That’s preposterous!” He shakes his head.
“It’s true. Ask anyone at home and they’ll tell you, unless she managed to threaten them somehow.”
“But your brother and sisters?—”
“They were treated the same as always. Stepmother hates me. Gods only know why.”
“Raelyn, please believe me when I say I would have never allowed that. That never should have happened.” His body shakes with rage, each word clipped as it comes out. “That was unacceptable on her part. I shouldn’t have left you. How can I make this right?”
I laugh bitterly. “What’s the point? I’m here now. A princess of the realm. Look at that.”
Father stares up at the ceiling, defeated. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted . . . to keep you safe.”
“By poisoning me?” I accuse.
His eyes flash back to mine. “Iwasprotecting you.”
“So you keep saying,” I grit out. “By what? Lying to me? Suppressing the godsblood in my veins and keeping me from my source of power?”
Father sits back in his seat. The fear flickering in his eyes looks real.
“Do you know something? About the lost god?” I ask.
When he continues to sit in silence, I let out a frustrated scream. “Why won’t you answer any of my questions?” I jump to my feet and pace the room.
“Raelyn.” My father’s voice cuts through the noise in my head.
I whirl and glare at him.
“I can’t expect you to understand until you’re a parent, but you have to trust that everything I did was for your protection.”
