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Fynn had said King Domitius had killed her birth father, but Kallie could not bring herself to believe that. If she turned on the man who had cared for her all of these years, was that not a form of betrayal? Both to him and to herself? The king had not been easy on her, and at times he pushed her beyond her limits, but he cared about her. So did it matter if he was not her flesh and blood?
If she turned on him, would everything she had accomplished thus far be for naught?
Was this family, which was made up of people who she did not know, worth it?
While the queen might be her mother by blood, King Domitius was her father in every other way.
When no answer to her question—a question that would change everything—came, she lay her head back against the wall. She then shut out the chatter and carefree laughter of the twins and Dani as the ship beat against the waves of the storm now pouring down on them.
* * *
Once they had passedthe thick of the storm, Kallie's group and the rest of the crew crawled back up to the dock. The sun was shining down without a cloud in sight. If it wasn't for the miscellaneous puddles splattered across the deck, she would have thought she had dreamt the entire storm.
In the distance, land was at last in sight. Once Squires and his small crew docked the boat and gave the go-ahead, Kallie and the others dismounted after saying their goodbyes.
The port was set a ways off from the palace, but Kallie could still make out the faint outline of it on top of the hill. As the five of them walked alongside their horses to give them time to readjust to solid ground, Kallie observed the streets of Pontia. Several small fishing boats and sailors gathered around the docks. The people waved at the familiar faces of their group with welcoming smiles. However, when they spotted Kallie, smiles wavered and whispers began snaking their way through the cobblestone town.
Kallie could only imagine what was going on in their heads. Did they know who she was? Or was her rescue a secret? Was she a stranger in their eyes? A stranger with red marks burned into her wrists that were finally beginning to turn pink after days of not having them bound. A woman whose footsteps were wobbly as she tried to regain her balance after traveling by sea and who wore ill-fitting, dirty clothes that did not belong to her.
Or was she a woman they all had forgotten about and believed to be long gone, now returned to their shores?
As Kallie passed them, she wondered if any of them also had gifts. If what Fynn had said was true, some of them must. Many of them probably. She wondered what they could do. Could some talk to the fish? Control the weather? Morph their bodies into other creatures?
The possibilities seemed endless, but also fantastical.
And perhaps Kallie allowed herself to get lost in the possibilities because she could not let her mind think about what—or ratherwho—she was going to see all too soon.
Chapter20
Despite her attempts todistract her mind, Kallie was unable to prevent her ultimate arrival at the palace.
Mirrored gardens lined the path to the palace, small mazes composed of various shrubbery and peonies. Along the stone walls of the palace, wisteria and ivy hung around the tops of the large windows. The light purple flowers a beautiful contrast against the cold stone walls.
After dismounting from their horses, the group walked toward the steps and Kallie's gaze followed the steps up to the main doors. In the middle of a small squadron of guards clothed in matching charcoal jackets and crisp white pants, a woman stood with her hands held gracefully in front of her stomach. She wore a simple lilac dress that flowed down her body like a river. Her dress, her stance, her disposition all made her seem like an extension of the palace. Even without the exaggerated (albeit beautiful) dresses Kallie was used to seeing back in Ardentol or a crown atop her head, anyone would know who she was: the queen of Pontia.
Although to Kallie, she was the woman who had abandoned her. Who had left her identity and existence a secret.
Graeson squeezed her shoulder, and Kallie took a step forward, her legs shaking with every step as she ascended the slick stone steps. Graeson's hand fell from her shoulder. And with each step she took, Kallie straightened, her chin tilted higher and her face turned to stone. She ignored the fact that she wore yesterday's clothes that reeked of sea salt and fish, and instead focused on the woman before her. The soft smile plastered on the queen's face, the twitch of her mouth as the distance between them shortened.
Kallie blew out a deep breath. She refused to think about what was going on in the queen's mind as her supposed long-lost daughter approached. The woman who was supposed to be her mother, the woman who was supposed to care for her and protect her, and do anything for her. Who was supposed to love her unconditionally.
Instead, Kallie found a woman she neither knew nor recognized. Because instead of letting her daughter know that she hadn't died, that she was indeed well and alive, the queen had decided to keep it a secret. To remain a mystery for Kallie's entire life. The queen had chosen this life, a life without her daughter—a life with only her sons by her side—instead of saving her daughter.
Graeson had said Kallie's mother still cared for her, but Kallie let those words fly off into the breeze. For if they were true, things would be different. If they were true, she would not be here confused and conflicted. If the queen had cared, Kallie would not have grown up wondering what her mother's voice sounded like. Because for Kallie, not a day had gone by when she had not wondered about the woman who birthed her. Kallie had dreamed of her mother's eyes. She had wondered if her mother looked down at her from her place among the stars, if she was proud of Kallie.
And even though the woman's eyes were the same shade of blue she had imagined, the woman staring back at her was a stranger.
They shared no similarities. Where Kallie had an athletic build, the woman was slim and lean. The woman's blond hair wastucked into a tight bun at the base of her nape. Not a single strand out of place. A stark contrast to Kallie's unbrushed, undone, sea salt-covered hair that flew across her face as the wind came from the East.
The queen's gaze flicked down to Kallie's hand, and Kallie let go of the ring around her finger and rolled her shoulders back. A flicker of sadness flashed across Esmeray's face, which Kallie quickly dismissed.
When she and the rest of the group arrived at the top of the steps, everyone around her bowed. Everyone except Kallie.
This woman wasn't her queen. She was nothing to Kallie.
Kallie's heart rattled against her chest as the queen greeted each of them individually.
The queen took a step toward Fynn and Terin, and any hints of sadness were wiped clear from her countenance as her lips spread into a wide smile. Her boys were home safe.
