For thirty years. A legacy that he could never match or ever hope to attain.
“That’s not what I said,” the Prince observed.
No, it hadn’t been, had it?
Sighing, Cormal admitted, “He was so determined to be the best Summus that ever existed. He didn’t like things getting in his way. Anything.”
The Prince nodded and just kept listening as the words tumbled out of Cormal’s mouth.
“He was strict and strong and seemed always to know exactly what he wanted out of life and how to achieve it. It was difficult not to feel… inadequate in the face of that, sometimes.”
A lot of the time, if Cormal were being honest.
He sighed. “Sometimes, I wanted to be just like him, to have that same sort of certainty. But at other times, there was part of me that was glad that he’d found Brannal, because I could never have lived up to what he wanted. At least with Brannal, there was someone else he could push, someone who was strong enough that theycouldstand up to him, maybe, if the time came.”
And of course it had, just not the way that anyone had expected. And Cormal had failed, just like he always thought he would.
“And now you’ve got that much-vaunted position. Summus,” the Prince pointed out.
Cormal nodded.
“And what do you think of it?”
“It’s, uh, the worst thing that’s ever happened to me?”
The Prince laughed.
“Hey, that’s not funny,” Cormal protested, though he was almost laughing himself because the Prince seemed genuinely amused.
“I’ll tell you a secret,” Prince Kinan offered.
“All right?” Cormal said, puzzled.
“It’s a voluntary position.”
Cormal frowned. “What?”
“If you hate it, don’t do it.”
Cormal reared back. “What?”
“My mother appointed you, sure. But what’s keeping you there?”
Speechless, Cormal stared at the man for a long moment. For the first time since he’d accepted the position of Summus, he actually asked himself that question. Whyhadhe accepted? Whywashe doing this? Because he’d been asked? Because he thought that it would make his father proud? Because he’d been Brannal’s Secundus, and with him gone, it was the assumption?
Everyoneassumed that this was the outcome that he’d wanted, but was it?
“Fire and water,” he breathed.
The Prince was smiling at him.
“But who would be Summus?” Cormal asked. “Molun? Could he do it?” He made a face. “I’m not sure the Queen would pick him.”
“Does that need to be your problem?” the Prince asked.
“You and your sister need to be safe. The Queen needs to be safe,” Cormal said automatically.
“We will be.”
