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Christopher nodded.
“Why aren’t they together if they feel that way about each other? Is it just because your brother’s been away?”
“It’s not that. If they wanted to be together, they could’ve made it happen. I have no idea why Simon hasn’t been with Renn all this time, but not for lack of trying.”
“Where is Renn now?”
“If all went according to plan, he should be waiting for us in a cottage in Gwyn, just over the regional border.”
“Where has he been all this time? Living with his mother?”
“He’s been on a farm in Elan. His mother died a long time ago.”
“You’ve never mentioned how you met him. I’ve never heard stories about any of your father’s bastards. I figured they must all be hidden well. Or paid well.”
Christopher frowned. “I don’t know about others. I’m sure there are more, but I wouldn’t doubt they’ve been paid, like you said. Renn’s a little different, possibly because he’s our father’s first child. The king has always kept track of him, even provided for him and protected him. He and I met under unusual circumstances.”
“Can you tell me?”
Christopher went to the door and looked out into the hallway. Then he locked the door. He even went to the windows.
“We’re on the third floor,” Dash said.
“I know, but I try to be as cautious as I can when talking about Renn. You’ll understand once I tell you everything.” Christopher came back and sat down again. “Do you remember hearing about me being kidnapped about a decade ago?”
He did, and he couldn’t keep the resentment from his voice as he said, “Yes, but what I remember most about it was a group of highwaymen who’d never been involved in a single kidnapping before being executed for it.”
Christopher’s mouth fell open, but he didn’t say anything at first.
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I was criticizing your father, not you,” Dash said, coming forward in his chair and reaching over to touch Christopher’s knee. “It’s just that kidnapping a prince is a big undertaking. Stupid move for men who’ve never kidnapped anyone. Most people in the circles I move in saw it as the king trying to look good. Grabbing a few random prisoners and then acting as if he’d caught the men and saved the day.”
“Well, they’re right, partially. It was for show. The men who took me were caught, but they were dead within minutes. Renn came for me and killed them all.”
“Single handed?” Dash asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Single … clawed, actually.”
Dash’s eyebrows rose. “He’s a shifter.”
Christopher nodded and very softly said, “He’s a dragon.”
“A dragon?” Dash said, his voice equally soft. “So that’s why your father looked after him. To protect Renn from prejudice and maybe also protect himself from an angry dragon who felt wronged.”
“Basically, yes. He was born three years before Edgar. And even more significantly, he was conceived six months before my father and mother married.”
Dash tried to puzzle that one out, but in the end he had to ask, “Why is that significant?”
“Because of some very old laws. If the king sires children on someone other than his queen, they cannot be made legitimate without the consent of two-thirds of the king’s counsel. But if the child was conceived—not born, just conceived—before the king had taken a queen, the king alone has the power to legitimize that child, male or female, and give it a place in the succession. No one can stop him, and he needs no one’s approval. The law was in place so the king could get heirs while keeping his options open, so to speak. Secure his line with potential heirs while also finding the wealthiest or most powerful family to marry into. Then, if his queen couldn’t have children or those children displeased him in some way, he could legitimize those older children as he saw fit to fill in the gaps.”
“Renn’s mother wasn’t from a wealthy or powerful family?”
“No, but Renn told me once that the main obstacle was the fact she was unwilling to be tied down or deal with all the baggage that came with marrying into the royal family. He also said she didn’t love my father. Doesn’t matter, though. His claim’s solid. Renn’s mother was well known at court before she left, and she was visibly pregnant at the king’s wedding. Dozens of people at court will remember her, and many had already suspected the king was her lover. The talk quieted when she left and never came back.”
“Your brother’s seeking legitimacy then.”
“Yes.”
“Did he meet Simon before or after this plan formed in his head?”
