Page 147 of The Alpha's Cursed Queen

“What’re you doing here?” I set down my keys on the table at the entrance.

“I couldn’t sleep.” He looks back at my father’s portrait. “Do you know that all the paintings of your father have been removed and replaced with ones of you? Aside from the one in the great hall where all the previous kings have their portraits hanging, this is the only one left of him in the palace.”

I didn’t know that.

“Don’t you have photographs of him?”

“Sure,” he says quietly. “I guess I do.”

He glances at me, his eyes tired. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll be on my way.”

It angers me that I feel sorry for the man. He was always so arrogant, so proud, when my father was alive, but now, he looks like a broken shell.

If my father could see him, it would sadden him. Lucius was his best friend. Each king has a companion from childhood. Lucius was my father’s, as Jimmy is mine.

As I watch him shuffle away, my hands ball into fists. This is not the time or place for this conversation, but I can’t stop myself. “Did you know?”

He stops and looks over his shoulder at me. “Know what?”

“That I wasn’t—That I’m not of royal blood.”

His eyes widen, and before I can say another word, he growls, “Shut up!”

I’m taken aback by his anger. “So, you knew.”

“Lower your voice, Darian!” he snaps at me before covering the distance between us. “This is not a conversation to be had in public.”

“We’re in a residential wing of the palace. Nobody else is here.”

“Your father—The king always said that the walls have ears. Don’t be so foolish.”

“I want to know if it’s true,” I demand in a lower voice. “I want to know why my parents threw me away.”

Lucius scowls. “You were raised as a prince. You lacked nothing. Don’t cry to me about being thrown away.”

“I lacked nothing?” I spit out. “How about my father’s love? I always wondered why the king never wanted to be close to me. I did everything right. I worked hard, I was an overachiever, but he would never praise me. Now I know why. I wasn’t his. Aside from making me into the perfect heir, he had no interest in me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. He cared about you.”

“He’s long gone, Lucius. You don’t have to lie for him anymore. I know the truth.” Lucius stares at me as I add, “I just want to know who my parents were. I want to know why they walked away from me.”

Lucius’s jaw tightens. “Nobody abandoned you, and nobody walked away from you. I was always here.”

I blink. “What?”

“I was here, Darian. I never abandoned you. But I couldn’t raise you, either. When Rita died, you were a child. My duties involved me having to serve the king at every hour of the day. I didn’t have time for a child. I kept nannies to look after you. I was barely around. And then, Edward lost his daughter…” He sighs, running his hand over his face. “He refused to take a mate after Freya passed. He needed an heir. You were two years old at that point. He asked for you. It was a suggestion at first, one made lightheartedly. And then it became more than that. He needed an heir, and I needed somebody to raise you. If you became the prince, I could watch over you. Edward wanted to adopt you, but I couldn’t let him do that, so he forged papers claiming you were his son, and I agreed to it. You were my only connection to Rita. I couldn’t give that up. But Edward cared for you. Don’t ever think he didn’t.”

Stunned, I gape at him. “You? You are my father?” Disbelief makes me snort. “Don’t make me laugh. You’ve always hated me.”

“There you go again with all your assumptions,” Lucius growls at me in exasperation. “You liked slacking off like any other kid. I was strict with you because Edward refused to be. And I wanted you to grow up into a fine young man. Why would I hate you? You’re so melodramatic.”

I don’t know what to say. Of all the things I expected Lucius to say, this certainly wasn’t it. “Were you ever going to tell me the truth?”

He shrugs. “Why? You’re the king. You have everything you need. Why would I ruin your life by telling you this? How did you even find out, anyway?”

“I was trying to save your granddaughter’s life when this little tidbit of information fell in my lap.”

Lucius’s eyes widen again. “My granddaughter?”

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