Page 69 of Ruled By Magic

Andrew led the others from the room.

I examined the photos again. In every one, the affection between father and son shone through. Their smiles weren’t the fake, awkward smiles that exist only in photographs, but genuine and warm. Abruptly, I missed my own dad with powerful longing. As an only child, I had no one who shared my childhood memories. Apart from Hex.

Andrew returned, closed the door, and pulled up a high-backed wooden chair to sit before us. He took a deep breath and looked at Leo, hands curled into fists on his knees.

“Leo, your mother and I weren’t entirely honest with you. The story we told of how she came to leave Atar was true, but there were things we left out. I hoped we’d never have to have this conversation, but I should have told you the truth. I see that now.”

Leo remained silent for a long stretch. He took a deep breath. “Just spit it out, Dad.”

Andrew glanced up at the ceiling before focusing back on Leo. “The marriageable age in Atar is twenty-one, because magical strength isn’t always fully developed until then. Because of the unique way their society works, they don’t want to risk a late bloomer getting missed and married beneath their station.”

Leo nodded. “I know.”

“Of course you do. Sorry. On her twenty-first birthday, your mother was to be married. What you don’t know is that because of her unusual magical strength, she was engaged to the king himself.”

Leo let out a shocked gasp. Silence fell as he absorbed the news. “You’re a target, then. We have to—”

“Leo.” Andrew’s grave tone silenced Leo. “There’s more.”

My skin pricked. Leo leaned forward. “Tell me.”

“By tradition, the king should have had little to do with your mother until they married. Powerful men, though,”—Andrew’s eyes flicked to my mark—“make their own rules. Your mother was exquisitely beautiful. In the months before I met her, the king brought her to the palace often, against her will and, well—I’m sure you understand what for.”

Leo looked down at our entwined hands. I rubbed my thumb over his, trying to give him a little comfort.

“The king is a cruel man. I fell in love with your mother as soon as we met. She was sweet and kind, with a wicked sense of humor. We’d sit up every night together, just talking. The king’s soldiers came for her one day while I was out with my delegation. The state she was in when they returned her—”

He shook his head, jaw tight.

“I would have done anything to save her. Anything. She never lied to me, Leo. She was honest with me right from the start. It’s very important to me you understand that—because, when we escaped together from Atar, she was already pregnant. With you.”

I held my breath. The implications of Andrew’s words refused to sink in. Leo was—

Fuck.

A prince. Royalty. Of a dangerous foreign power.

“You’re not really my dad?”

Leo’s soft question brought my full attention back to him. Of course. That was the hardest news for him. Everything else could wait.

Andrew winced, and the pain on his kind face knifed me in the heart. “I am. In every way that matters, I am. I love you.”

Leo flew to his feet. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

Andrew stared at his hands and took a long breath. “Probably not. When we lost your mother, you became everything to me. I wanted to spare you this.”

“I had the right to the truth.” Leo paced the room. “People could have died because of my ignorance.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Leo paused and ran a hand through his hair. “I need a minute.”

He left, closing the door with a solid thump.

Andrew stared at the closed door, looking lost. I hesitated, then touched his shoulder. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

He shook his head. “No, thank you. I’m fine. Please go after him. He never really wants to be alone, he wants someone to chase after him and cheer him up. I think you’d be better suited to that task than me. Unless I’m mistaken, you’ll find him in the library. End of this hallway, on the right. I’ll go and see what your friends have done to my kitchen.”

---