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“I’m a little surprised by your lack of emotion. When a girl loses her father . . .” A shadow crossed her face. “Well, that pain leaves a deep scar. But perhaps you felt like you already lost him all those years ago. Or maybe you blame him. Fathers are supposed to be able to fix everything, yet he never came for you. That had to have hurt.”
Mia’s pulse was thready. She forced herself to take a breath, and the overly-sweet scent of the pink flowers filled her lungs. “I never blamed my father for my imprisonment,” she said. “I only ever blamed your husband.”
Iris chuckled. “Is that supposed to be your attempt at a barb? Oh, you silly girl. You’ll have to try harder than that if you hope to survive around us Kaelins.”
“I know very well how heartlessyouare,” Mia said, her voice edged.
“What makes you think you know me?”
“Grayson has told me all about you. Tyrell has told me things, too. I can’t imagine what sort of mother could do the things you’ve done to them.” Mia wanted to stop, but the words kept pouring out of her. “You’re a monster. You’ve tortured all your children—turned them against each other. And you never once thought to stop your husband from imprisoning a little girl.”
“Interesting,” Iris murmured. “Go on.”
Mia’s breaths were shallow, and her heart skittered in her chest. She spoke through gritted teeth. “I was in a cell for nine years. I was achild. I wasbeaten. And you didnothing.”
The queen angled her head. “My inaction bothers you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because mothers aren’t supposed to hurt children. Their own, or anyone else’s.” Fates, why was she saying these things? She knew Iris didn’t have a heart. There was no point in drawing this conversation out, or exposing her wounds—wounds she hadn’t even fully realized she carried.
Iris’s expression was impossible to read. “What would you say if I told you I didn’t know the truth about you until last night?”
“I wouldn’t believe you.”
Iris set down her cup. “I’m going to be truthful with you, Meerah. You can choose to believe me or not—it makes no difference to me. But the first time I heard your name was when Carter told me Tyrell had a new mistress. A mysterious girl who appeared seemingly from nowhere. I was only mildly interested at the time, and I had other things on my mind, so I didn’t investigate you as I should have. Then Grayson returned from Mortise, and Henri decided it was time to tell me what he’s been plotting all this time.” Her lips pursed. “The truth is, I didn’t know you were living under my feet all these years. I wish I’d known, but I didn’t.”
“You wouldn’t have done anything to help me.”
“No,” she agreed. “Henri often keeps his secrets, as I keep mine, but this was a startlingly large secret. I admit, it bothers me. What bothers me even more, though, is that Grayson had you—this secret—for years, and I never knew. It makes me wonder what else Grayson might be keeping from me.”
“Maybe you should worry about what else your husband is keeping from you.”
Something flickered in the queen’s eyes; it looked alarmingly like excitement. “If you’re ready to taunt me, you’re ready to answer my questions.”
Her words made Mia’s scalp prickle, but she didn’t have time to think about why.
“Do you love Grayson?” Iris asked.
The abrupt question was surprising, but the answer fell out of her at once. “Yes.”
Iris made a sound in her throat. Disgust? “Grayson was not meant to be loved. He is not meant to love in return.”
“He’s worthy of love. And he’s more capable of it than you could ever know.”
Iris raised one dark eyebrow. The move was startlingly like Tyrell. “I understand how Henri has used you to motivate Grayson, and I can’t argue that he’s reached great heights because you lived under threat. But some part of me wonders if you are a sickness inside him. If you are eating away his strength, leaving a hollow foundation that could prove his undoing. A weakness that will destroy him. I suppose time will tell.”
Weakness.
That single word cut so deep, Mia sucked in a breath. Her shoulders felt incredibly heavy, but instead of sinking into her insecurity, she lashed out. “You’re a hateful, evil woman. A horrible mother.”
The fine lines at the corners of Iris’s eyes deepened. “You know, I never wanted daughters. Thankfully, the fates granted my wish. I was given five strong sons. Each bred with a purpose. Grayson was raised to take orders. He was born for war, trained to withstand all pain.”
Heat flared in Mia’s cheeks. “He wasn't trained. He wastortured.”
“And he has withstood it all. His scars are a thing of beauty.”
