Page 111 of Bloodguard

There’s no masking his sorrow.

My father’s eyes widen. “You’re upset.”

He sets aside the paint and hastily wipes his hands on a rag.

I’m shaking by the time he reaches me. I think I might be in shock.

“Maeve!”

“It has to stop,” I whisper.

“What?”

“All of it. The games. The lies. The deception.”

My father looks fearful for me, like maybe I’m not in control of myself.

“We must get Papa out.” None of this would have happened,none of it, if Papa had been on the throne.

Father strokes a few strands of hair away from my face. “Maeve, stop,” he pleads. “You must stop.”

“I can’t!” I shout at no one and nothing in particular. “I can’t stop. Not when Papa is innocent! Not when he—”

My voice trails off when Father holds up a hand, eyes brimming with tears. “Andres is not innocent, Maeve.”

I jerk away from him, furious. But as I start to turn, Father clasps his hand over mine. “The night of the fire, he tried to save you, but he left Avianna there to die. Intentionally.”

I whirl on him. “If he wanted Grandmother dead, he must have had a damn good reason.”

Father shakes his head slowly. “None of that matters. He could have had the best intentions or the worst. Regardless, Andres must atone for her death.”

My voice trembles with grief. “If that’s true, why didn’t you ever tell me? Why did you let me believe—”

“Ididtell you, Maeve, that same day you woke.Everyonehas told you, even Vitor. You choose not to listen.”

My thoughts and memories tumble like leaves in the wind. I don’t remember Father ever flat-out saying Papa was responsible for Grandmother’s death. I look at the window, where a wren has decided to weave her nest. Have I been so set on defending and protecting Papa that I’ve ignored everything else? I shake my head. No. That can’t be right. None of this can be right.

“You’ve been crying,” Father says quietly. “Did something else happen?”

Stars. What’s wrong with me?

“Maeve, what happened to you?” Father asks carefully.

I can’t think about… I press my palms to my temples. No, this is too much. Everything is too much right now. Father kneels beside me when I slump to the floor.

“Maeve?” He grasps my shoulder gently. “Tell me what happened to you.”

In the streets, the music and laughter continue to grow in contrast to the gloom surrounding this man who wants his lover back, the one who only barely speaks. The one who…whoisn’tinnocent?

My mind is too bogged down to think clearly. This thing with Papa—I can’t fix it now. And unless I become queen, I won’t be able to make it right.

“I need to talk to you about Leith,” I manage.

I tell him everything that happened in that aviary, every gut-wrenching word. When I remove my cloak and reveal my bloodstained clothing, Father’s eyes grow as wide as saucers. By the time I finish, all I want to do is curl into a ball and weep.

“You mustn’t let him know,” Father says as if it’s the only logical choice. “Nor must you tell another soul. This is a travesty for every last gladiator.”

“Father, hehasto know,” I insist. “They all do.”

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