“Yes, yes, I know I said all of those things. But—” Her eyes followed him on a circuit of the room. “Oh, would yousit downEhmet!”
He sat.
“Everything I said is true, but you listen to me, and you listen good, my son. If I could have found love in marriage Iwouldhave, even if that meant forgoing being Queen.”
His mouth dropped open. She hadlovedhis father. Or so he thought.
“I was in love once. We were young and dumb.”
“With whom?” Shehadn’tloved his father?
“Psh, that’s neither here nor there. But Iwasin love, and so was he. We were in far over our heads, nowhere near equal matches in class, or more importantly inwealth.That was critical, but not to me, you see, nor to him. Money wasveryimportant, a necessity really, to my father, seeing as we had none.
“So, my dad brokered a marriage between me and Vahit. The foundation of our bond was the dukedom in Rohilavol, as you well know. My father signed an agreement that the title would still pass to me upon his death, and that’s all Vahit was interested in. Your father wanted that dukedom in his pocket to take the votes off the table. So, he married me. The agreement allowed my parents to live out their days in peace and relative prosperity. It saved the family name, and you...you came not long after. And that made everything bearable, my love.”
“But . . . it could have been a simple contract, instead.”
“It was a contract. I was the collateral.”
Ehmet sighed deeply, heartbroken for his mother and her love that could not be. Heartbroken for himself and the fact that he’d realized love only after having lost it. “But how is my scenario any different? You pushed me into the exact same situation you went through yourself!”
“I raised it as a possibility, Ehmet.Youtold me to make the arrangements. Not once did you speak up.”
Sighing, he returned to his seat. She was correct, notoncedid he speak up. “I cannot marry Lady Tahereh,” he repeated, not daring to believe hecould marry Lady Hevva instead.
“I know.”
“What will we do? Make that run for Karova?”
She exhaled laughter. “My dear, there isalwayssomething we can do to ensure love wins out. My father didn’t allow me that chance and I promised myself then, when I was heartbroken and handfasted to another, that I wouldneverput the same responsibilities on my children.” Her eyes softened, and she leaned forward as she said, “I didn’t mean to, Ehmet. I apologize for pressuring you. I genuinely thought you weren’t opposed. Never mind that you’re my king, Ehmet, you are mychildfirst and foremost. And I want you to marry for love.”
Hah.Like that would happen now. Still, the sentiment was powerful. It felt supremely motherly and distinctly un-noble of her, like she supportedhimwith or without the crown. “What about Yusuf? Lady Tahereh?” He’d rathernothave to hide out in Karova. He loved Selwas, all of its people,andLady Hevva Tilevir.
“You go clean up and get some rest. Let me look into it.”
He studied his mother. There was something in the way her fingertips tapped a staccato on the tabletop as she chewed her bottom lip that had his anxiety rising. She was up to something. “Mum...?”
“Let me look into it. There’s something I should’ve done long ago.”
“Bad or good?”
“Let me look into it,” she repeated.
He let her go, retreating to his own apartments for a bath and a big think.
Ehmet was eating ableary-eyed breakfast in the morning room, with Nekash, when the dowager queen pushed in.
“You’ll never guess what has been discovered.” A small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth as she slapped a leatherbound notebook atop thetable.
Nekash pressed on his temples. “Shhh.”
The brothers had gone a bit overboard with the whiskey the night before. Nekash, because he always did, and Ehmet, because, after he waded through his confusion over the concept of “love,” he’d needed to distract himself from the faint glimmer of hope that flickered in the darkness shrouding his soul. It was absolutely fucking terrifying.
“What’s this?” Ehmet slid the book toward himself and scooped it up in one hand. Opening to the first page he read aloud, “‘Consultation Notes, Property of Kerkhwetan Gihah, Healer?’”
“Open to— Here, give it to me.” His mother snatched the book from his hand and flipped to a page about three-quarters through.
She passed it back, slender ringed finger quivering with excitement as she pointed to the text. He read the stilted notes, “On the fifth night of the hay moon, year three thousand six hundred and forty-two, presided over birth of twins born to Queen Rahna Mathi and King Barik Hethtar. Queen presented with complications. Surgical delivery necessary.
