Page 77 of Dueling the Suitors

“My mother was a gardener at the High King’s palace when my grandfather was the king. Father fell in love with her. Someone tipped them off, and the king dismissed my mother from her duty and sent her far away. Father was wrecked, but he had no power against the king’s decision. So he went looking for her. But when the king found out, he forced my father into an arranged marriage with a princess from one of the High Courts. She bore my older half-brother, Joaquin.

“Father was still looking for Mother, scouring the kingdom under the disguise of hunting. And two years later, he found her, gathering sticks in the woods. They threw caution to the wind,and I was the result. When Mother found out she was pregnant, she sent news to my father.

“Mother was an orphan, living alone in a cottage near the woods where the king banished her. Father sent her a trusted maid from the palace and took care of her every need, even after I was born. He visited me a couple of times; none of them I remember because I was little then, until my grandfather passed away and my father became the High King. He brought Mother back to her duty in the palace because it was the only way he could keep us close to him. I saw my father almost every day from then on. It became all easier when Joaquin and I crossed paths one day and he asked me to play with him. We became the best of friends soon after that. His mother wasn’t pleased with our friendship, but Joaquin somehow convinced her to let him keep me.

“Everything went well for the next few years, until one day. My mother went missing.” Cyrus’ eyes hardened.

Astoria’s breath hitched. “What happened?”

“I still don’t know,” he said slowly, averting his eyes from her. “I haven’t seen her since.”

“I—I don’t understand.”

“I mean, I knowhowit happened, but not what happened to my mother,” he explained darkly. “It was my stepmother. She found out the truth about me and my mother.”

“How?” she asked carefully. He looked a little scary with that dark look in his eyes if she had to admit it.

“Someone found my parents together and informed the queen. She exacted her revenge on Father by stealing the key to the portal and sending my mother to the human realm. She admitted herself after doing so. She wanted to get rid of me too, but my father said he was keeping me whether she or his entire court liked it or not. Joaquin was shocked when he realized wewere half-brothers. He didn’t talk to me for days after learning I knew it all along but didn’t tell him.

“Father was utterly devastated because the law bound him to never leave the mage realm, thanks to my ‘arrogant’ ancestor who locked the portal all those centuries ago. He wanted to find Mother if it was the last thing he did. She was pregnant.”

Astoria let out a sharp gasp.

“So Father appointed his friend, General Sean, for the task. General Sean went in and out of the portal for days, weeks, and months, but there was no trace of Mother. Eventually, the man found love with a non-mage woman and brought her to Windlewade with special permission from my father and married her.

“There were even times I thought the general didn’t take his job seriously. Then, years later, I happened upon a seer. She said—” He swallowed and cleared his throat. “She said my heart’s desire is in the human realm and that she sees me with the tender-aged version of my mother; my little sister. That was all I needed. I approached Father and told him I wanted to go and find my mother and my sister myself. He was hesitant; he didn’t want to lose me too, but I insisted. So he gave me the key. That’s how I came to the human realm.”

“And…?” Astoria dreaded his answer.

Cyrus let out a cold laugh that sounded like he was mocking himself. “And it has been ten—tenyears!—and they are still lost. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find someone in an entire realm where they could beanywhere. At last, I asked myself,what am I even doing?Three years later, I decided to give up. There was no point. And I definitely didn’t want to go back to Windlewade. So I settled here, on the streets of this very city when King Biba was ruling—until dear old Clara took me in. I used to help her carry her things from the market, and we grewclose eventually. When she learned I was essentially an orphan, she asked me to stay under her roof since she had no family.

“Clara worked in the palace. During my visits with her, my paths crossed with Rowan. He was the crown prince’s squire then. We weren’t exactly friends, but merely acquaintances. It was only after I overthrew the royal family and usurped the throne that we had closer interactions. I made him my manservant at first, but when I realized he had too much brains to be wasted in such a position, I made him my right-hand man.

“And that, my Astra, is the story of my life.” He finished with a small smile.

But Astoria had so many questions. “Exactly how did you overthrow the royal family?”

“As simple as batting away an annoying fly,” he replied, stretching his arms on either side of the sofa’s headrest.

Astoria leaned away from his reach, eyeing his hand that hung nearby. “And what made you want to bat them away?”

“Because they were annoying—if that’s even the right word.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

“What did they do to annoy you?”

“Apparently, everything.” He cracked open an eye to glance at her sideways before closing it again. “Their taxes were heavy, too heavy on people. They turned a blind eye to their own farmers and preferred the exports from the neighboring kingdoms instead. The king and his nobles worked their servants day and night, seven days a week without a rest. The king was a greedy man; the crown prince was nasty—he even used to harm Rowan—so much so the people began to use their names as a curse. Someone had to stop them and put things right; someone had to care for the people. It wasn’t until King Biba ordered Clara to receive a whiplash for tripping and splashing stew on him at a banquet that my resolve broke. All Isaw was red. And I struck. I didn’t stop until I sat on the throne, placed the crown on my head, and made myself the king.”

And he said this like all he did was bat away an annoying fly that buzzed in his ear—as casually as that. Astoria gaped at him in horror. “And the royal family?” she asked slowly, a slight tremor in her voice. Though she knew the answer, she had to ask, “What did you do to them?”

“I captured them all and handed them over to Rowan. I didn’t care what happened to them as long as they never returned.”

But that wasn’t howshehad heard it. “And Rowan… killed them?”

Cyrus chuckled darkly, his eyes still closed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, but no. He brought them to the farthest end of the kingdom, stripped them of their riches, and left them there. No better punishment in my opinion.” He snuck another glance at her. “You thought I killed them, didn’t you? I’m well aware of the tales woven in the unconquered kingdoms about me. I must say, you have creative storytellers there.”

Her mouth hung open. “Are you denying that youdidn’t—?”

He straightened and turned to face her, his expression now sober. “Astoria, if you think I built my empire with bloodshed, everything you’ve ever heard about me—perhaps except the extent of my powers—is a lie. No, darling, I conquered through fear alone.”

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