Page 41 of The Kingdom's Crown

"You're not Camellia's father."

"No," he said, certain. "I think that man was excused from your mother's service long ago. He brewed too much friction amongst the others."

I huffed. Sounded about right then for Camellia.

"Your mother wants to see you wear that crown, Bryony. I don't think it will be long before she's ready to pass it to you," Michael said. Wendell sighed next to me, but I kept my gaze fixed on the other man. "And when she does, they will be ready."

Aric's grip tightened, not painfully so, and both he and Wendell stepped in protectively.

Michael stopped in the center of the hall, and so did we. "Keep your head down," he whispered, eyes widening. "Let the council have their way long enough to birth a child and secure your position with an heir. They won't give up their hold on Kimmery."

Aric was ready to snap, and Wendell was his wonderfully stoic and patient self, but neither of their opinions mattered to me at the moment. I had my own.

"They will," I said, lifting my chin and narrowing my own gaze back at this man. Perhaps he was my father by blood, but he was next to nothing to me in reality. "I will pry their fingers away myself."

Michael sighed and shook his head, and his worry seemed sincere. "You don't have the power. You don't have enough hands to manage to hold back all their efforts at the same time. Not with them in your mother's ear. In her bed and constant company. The grip is too strong."

"Then I will cut them away at the knuckle," I snapped.

Michael blanched and stepped back. Aric's throat cleared, and I suspected he was stifling a laugh.

I turned my chin to Wendell and offered him a tight smile. "You are appointed to the council, by the way. By the queen."

Wendell nodded, eyes smiling. It wasn't a surprise to him, we'd already discussed the subject.

"Perhaps I shall appoint Aric to Head Mage next," I mused.

"Don't you dare," Aric growled, laughter in his tone.

I turned back to face Michael, and he had the same kind of confusion in his expression that my mother had worn when I asked for Wendell's place on the council.

"I'll do what I can for you," Michael said, so obviously doubtful that it wasn't really any kind of support.

I shrugged, swallowing all the newly bubbling hopes I might've invented when it came to this man in my life. "Your duty is to your mistress."

He looked thoughtful but nodded, and we walked the rest of the way to my suite in near silence, only exchanging a polite goodbye at the door. I didn't know if Michael felt a fatherly duty to me, if he was lying and trying to get me to ease my battle against the council for their sake, or if his temperament was so similar to my mother's—just wanting to keep the peace for the sake of it.

Wendell shut the door on the hall, and I paced away from them both quickly, scrubbing my face with my hands.

"This place is absurd," Aric snarled, following me closely.

"You really never knew who your father was?" Wendell asked more tenuously.

I could hear footsteps approach, my other Chosen drawing closer at our return. I shook my head, stopping my feet in the center of the room, biting down the urge to scream.

"Truth be told, I never gave it much thought. It wasn't discussed," I muttered.

"Whoraisedyou?" Aric bit out, snatching my waist in a firm grip before I could start pacing again.

"Nurses, maids, tutors. My grandmother, when I'd reached an age to be reasoned with."

"Look at me," Aric said, reaching up briefly to snatch my hands from my eyes.

Thao and Cosmo had entered from one end of the room, and Wendell filled them in with a low murmur as Daniel and Owen came in from the other door.

I turned my face up to Aric's, trying to keep my expression steady so he wouldn't have to see the turmoil churning through me. It was a useless effort. Aric could probably feel the magic biting at me, snapping with my temper.

"You know I will obey you," he said. I snorted, and Aric's lips twitched. "Well, within reason. But I swear to you, if you have a child byanyone of us, I will act as a father to them. And I will positively turn you over my knee and spank you raw if you do not act as a mother."

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