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“I was getting to that, my child,” he said, softly. His eyes rolled as he leaned back against his steel chair. He placed his hands on the table as he took a deep breath. This part of the story was what he clearly didn’t want to share, but he had no choice. If he wanted me to trust him, no amount of “my child’s” would do. Only his truth. Our truth. My eyes squinted, challenging him to continue.

“We met again when her family sent her to our kingdom. It was a part of a treaty meant to keep us from war. Our father, the king, would gain men for his army, and they’d secure peace. I hadn’t known who she was before. I couldn’t speak of what happened between us. If I had, we might’ve gone to battle for less.” His eyes drifted as the memory caught him. I could almost feel the guilt in the air when he said, princess. “So I stayed quiet. She stayed quiet.”

It made sense for them to keep that from the kingdom. It seemed like war haunted this place from the beginning; they’d only ever delayed it. The fact that I am even here meant more than that. It wasn’t that simple. I couldn’t imagine holding a secret heavy enough to start a war. Well, maybe I could. It wasn’t a willing position, but it was one I held.

“In the beginning, we didn’t even speak. She kept close to my younger brother. They grew quite fond of each other, even mated. The bond was one of the purest things I had ever seen.” His gaze found mine again. “I would never claim to be an envious man. When I learned of their engagement, I was the first to offer my congratulations.” Kleitos' hand rose to rub against his chin, as if he were trying to convince himself. And then with another shake of his platinum curls, he continued. “Our parents were pleased too. Honestly, they were relieved the treaty would no longer weigh on my brother.”

They sounded like they had the start of a perfect marriage. How he could manage to get between the two of them? If they were mated the way Valentina kept expressing to me how we were… how was that even possible? He saw the question growing in my eyes, so he answered just as quickly.

“Eliza and I became involved again five years into her marriage with my brother…”

I didn’t know how to react. If none of this had happened, I wouldn’t be here. Just because I wasn’t here in Velarune didn’t mean I had a bad life. I didn’t. So I shouldn’t be mad. What had me pause was that the betrayal was egregious to the heart and just wrong. And knowing that had me conflicted. I couldn’t rightfully put the blame on Victor fully, and I couldn’t pretend I didn’t understand his impulsive decision. If I found out someone did this to me, I didn’t know how I would react.

The room raced around me in a blur as he kept confessing. There was no safety net to the story, just further implosion. I was grateful for it, because if he hadn’t laid it so cleanly, I might have seen him differently. This version was raw and unapologetic about the past but unwise about the outcome. Unfortunately for me, I was that.

Kleitos shifted in his seat, leaning in, “One night, Eliza and I stayed too late at a party. We were both quite intoxicated… Victor and the others had left an hour earlier. I meant only to be a gentleman. I was only to escort her back to their chambers…” His voice lowered, like he didn’t want to admit it.

I didn’t want him to admit it either, but I didn’t control how this story went. I wasn’t able to give him my willpower to keep his dick in his pants. The way the story was leading, it could be seen in his eyes that there was no restraint practiced. I could admit if I had someone once then it was hard to give up a good time. But for fucking sakes, your sister-in-law?

Kleitos folded his hand under his chin, using it as a rest as his expression grew fonder than it should have. “But we stopped at my quarters for a moment. I needed another coat. It was icy, the winter had just settled in, and the palace halls were always too cold when empty. Once we were alone, I brought up our unspoken time in Siren Cove. I was drunk. Curious.” His voice turned sly, as if reliving the thrill. “To my surprise, she admitted she’d always suspected it was me.”

My mouth parted as I leaned into the story. I knew where it was headed, but the sheer excitement he got from the mere mention of the memory was baffling. It should have felt shameful to the ear, but the betrayal was sensational to say the least. They were horrible in every sense of the word, but I couldn’t stop listening. Even though what they did was awful, maybe they regretted it. I hope they did. Deep down, I knew they didn’t. I could see it in Kleitos’ eyes, at least he didn’t. “You both didn’t stop there, did you?”

He shook his head. “That night… wasn’t the only one. Our affair lasted nearly a year. That is, until she became pregnant. I was terrified of what might happen. I knew what we were doing was wrong…” His fingers laced together on the table, his voice barely above a whisper. “The baby died in the womb.” The sorrow in his voice swelled, as if the loss were fresh. He shook it off, just as fast.

If my mouth hadn’t gaped before, it would have been on the table. There was a baby before me? If they slipped up once, then maybe it could’ve been forgivable, but twice?

“Victor was being prepared to take the throne. Our father passed away from The Rooting not long after the child did. Victor was so busy. She needed more than he could give her.” He tried to explain. “She kept turning to me when she needed someone to listen.”

I couldn’t put myself in his shoes, but I knew it must’ve been messy, and it must’ve hurt, to care for two people at once: one begging you for attention, the other being raised above you. To be caught between a past lover turned sister-in-law and a younger brother crowned in your place. That would be hell.

In a softer voice than before, it was laced with the most regret I had heard from him. “I grew to love her, just not in the way Victor did. They were mated. She wasn’t my one. But I couldn’t bear to see her so fragile.” I could tell in some sick way he cared about her.

It took everything in me not to hold anything against them; I was hurt by their betrayal. I listened closely, giving weight to every word. They didn’t give me any thought or the child they lost. Hell, they didn’t even care about Victor. I had no reason in the world to have any remorse in my body for him, but here I was pitying his pain. With all of that, I wanted to give Eliza the benefit of the doubt because the woman I saw in that vision deserved that. There was so much more to this than Valentina had told me. So I kept listening.

“The affair continued into the first two years of their reign as king and queen. That’s when Eliza became pregnant again… All eyes were on her. The entire court knew she was carrying the first royal heir.” The same guilt that had rung in his voice before returned. It seeped into his eyes and his body. If anything, I couldn’t fault him because he had misplaced empathy. “It should’ve been a joyful time. But one of Victor’s loyal guards told him he suspected us. Victor denied it, of course. Said the man was slandering both his queen and his brother. He killed him for it.” He paused, resting his chin in one hand before letting it fall.

A deep sigh rang through my body at that. That was another death that I had been unwillingly complicit in. I couldn’t even count on my fingers how many people had mentioned death in my name. This name is Starvos, who I hadn’t even known. It was becoming more like a curse than a namesake. The more I learned about its history, I didn’t like the reputation it left behind.

“I still feel guilty for that man’s death—because he was right. Victor had confronted me before. I’d told him, long ago, about Siren Cove… and he believed that was all it had been. When you were born, it was obvious. You looked like me. You smelled like me. I couldn’t deny it. You were my son, not his.”

I understood how deeply Victor could have been hurt. The two people you trust most in this world didn’t even think about you. That was selfish. So I could see how lying to Eliza about me being kidnapped would’ve been easy. They’d lied to him for years, and only when it was too late did the truth come out. I don’t know if I’d have it in me to forgive a brother or my wife for trespassing on my marriage. But if they were mated like Val and me, that would be hard. I couldn’t even imagine it.

“Before I could explain anything to my brother, he, rightfully, tried to kill me.”

I nodded. That was the one thing I did understand without doubt. If I were him, I’d do more than just try. Victor had some merit in his rage.

“He came at me with a flaming sword, straight for my heart. He missed, barely, and cut through the flesh beneath my ribs. Tore it open to the bone. It was the fight of a lifetime. He unleashed his powers, thinking he could strip me of mine.” He exhaled. “But I was stronger, by far. I’ll explain why later. I fled at dawn. I planned to return that night. But decided against it.”

That hurt. To know he ran and didn’t even try to save me from the inevitable. I might’ve taken my anger out on the world. Being the bigger man would take a saint’s morals. I stayed quiet, letting the weight of it all sink in. There were no words for the truth that he gave me. I couldn’t comfort him because they knew what they were doing. I was to live with that forever. But I couldn’t let that cloud be who Kleitos could be, but it made me cautious.

“I didn’t want to cause more harm to their marriage. So I stayed away. Until I heard a rumor… They said someone from another kingdom had kidnapped you.” Kleitos shook his head in distaste his fangs peeking out as his lips peeled back. “I didn’t believe it. I knew my brother was capable of something worse.”

A chill ran through my body at the thought. I knew exactly what he had in mind for me, and what he would continue to have if he found out I was alive.

“I snuck into the palace one night after the rumor spread. A few friends on the inside told me something strange: there was a new hand to the king. Just a common knight… but he’d be given power overnight essentially.” The guilt vanished from his voice; focus sharpened in its place.

At least he cared enough to come back. That alone made me want to forgive him, want, not quite can. He could still just be saying anything to get me to trust him. And I couldn’t easily give it to him with the stakes that were at risk.