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I frowned. “Did the woman you paid off speak?”
“I just finished talking to her this morning. She retired and now lives in Florida with her family. She did not. Nor did she ever tell anyone, including her family. After all, she did violate the law.”
This was the dirtier side of the crown, which covered any traces of mistakes no matter what the cost—even the law. I hated this side. And I hated knowing that my brother felt the need to bribe someone to break the law just to cover for me. It did not fit the image of the brother I wanted to remember. But what did I expect?
“Do you know if Arthur spoke to anyone else that day?”
“Sir, Prince Arthur had a very small circle of trust. I believe he did not even trust me all the time.” He did not look pleased with that, but I related to the sentiment.
“My brother told you more than he often told me. In all honesty, Arthur was good at secrets.” Slowly, the realization came to me. Arthur was secretive and careful. “The only person I felt he could ever be truthful with was...Sophia.”
“Sir, I am not sure.”
I cracked my jaw to the left to hold back my anger. “Who else would Arthur ever tell anything to, especially about me? He never complained to my parents or my sister. He did not keep close friends as he believed they only hampered a king. The only person who he could vent to—”
“The duchess, but sir—”
I didn’t wait for him to speak, opening the doors myself. I walked out of the room. No one was on my side of the hall, and I had a good feeling my mother had cleared everyone before she came to me. When I reached the northern part of the palace, I started to see the staff preparing for the day. They were all shocked as Sophia all but ruled this side of the palace alone. No one ever came here except my mother.
Walking to her doors, I knocked.
“What is it? The duchess is not yet ready,” her assistant asked, opening the door. “Your Highness.”
“I need to speak to her now,” I demanded.
“It is not appropriate to discuss anything in her chambers, sir. She will meet you in—”
“I said now!”
She jumped, startled, but did not move to inform her precious duchess. Luckily for her sake, Sophia stepped behind her. “It is all right, Milana,”
Her assistant stepped aside, allowing Sophia to move forward. “Adelaar, good morning.”
“If only it were,” I replied.
She stepped aside for me to enter, and the very first thing I saw was the picture of Arthur by her bedside. It calmed me down slightly but not enough. “To what do I owe this disrespect?” she asked me.
“I am only returning the respect you have shown me.”
“And that is—”
“You are leaking to the papers.”
“I beg your pardon!”
I bit the inside of my cheek, doing my best to ignore her fake demeanor. “You can hate me, Sophia. I can, and I will take it. Throw all your insults. Curse me from now until the end of time. I will take it and love you still as my sister-in-law. I will always be there for you because Arthur loved you more than he loved air. But I will never, ever sit by and let you harm Odette with your rage. I have said nothing so far as you force your grief on us—”
“I have to force you to grieve your brother!”
“No! I grieve him on my own! In my own ways! At my own times! I do not need to wear black every day. I do not have to give up smiling or all sense of joy to grieve my brother. It does not mean that I did not love him. My living does not mean I did not love him!”
“You get to live! How lucky for you!”
“Yes! How lucky for me!” I hollered back. “It is by God’s grace that I wake up every day to this life. And I do not know how much of it I have, which is why I am trying so hard to live, to enjoy it. Thankful I have the person I want to spend the rest of my life with me. I do not understand the depths of your pain. But that is not a reason to destroy her or me. We cannot stop living because you are heartbroken. And your heartbreak is not an excuse for betrayal! Not to me, not this family, not this monarchy. My brother’s widow or not, I will not forgive betrayal. Ever.”
“Get out! You miserable excuse of a man! Get out!”
“With pleasure. It reeks of death in here anyway,” I snapped before exiting, slamming the door behind me.
