Page 167 of Night's Fall
Slowly, the king turned toErrol. “Youwound me, every time you lay your weakness at my feet.”
Uh…
Whoa!
That was unexpected.
Errol’s pretty face went ashen.
“I despair, but you don’t see it, what you do to me.Youdon’t care.Butyou are my son, what amIto do?” the king asked.
“Dad,”Errolsaid quietly.
“This family does not abide in thisPalacebecause of the fortune of hereditary blood.Itis because, from the firstTrueHeir, we vowed to protect the people ofNight’sFall, and the two of you,”—he looked toTimothee—“not only fail miserably in holding this promise sacred, you actively and repeatedly seek to break it.Isthis my penance for showing you softness?Isthis my penance for showing you love?”
Aleece made a sad noise, the emotion that was squeezing my heart.
Neither of the younger princes replied, nor did they meet their father’s eyes.
“I’ve spent years, desolate, wondering whereI’vegone wrong,” the king stated. “Iwas so proud of you in your youth.Myfine four.Sobeautiful.Butthen you two took everythingIgave and twisted it into something unsavory.Wasit me, in the guiltIstill carried at feeling my own siblings’ envy of my status, that acted mistakenly becauseIwanted you to feel special?Tofeel heard?Tofeel seen?”
Neither male had an answer.
Then again, that was more than likely true on a variety of levels.
There simply was no answer.Theirbehavior was inexcusable.
“Fillion, my love,”QueenCalisamurmured, her voice an ache.
The king’s attention shifted toAleksei.
“Is this official?” he asked confusingly.
“It doesn’t appear it needs to be,”Alekseireplied quietly.
“But in these chambers,” the king pressed.
“We both know, in these chambers, it has to be,”Alekseisaid.
The king nodded. “Letthere be no upset, son.Truthtold, it’s a relief.”
And with that, saying nothing nor looking at anyone, with dignityIadmired, the king walked out.
“Son,”QueenCalisacalled.
“Don’t,”Alekseisaid tersely. “YouknowIdon’t want it.”
“And you know it was an inevitability,” she replied gently.
She moved to him, touched his arm, glanced at her two younger sons, her daughter, and followed her husband.
“Don’tevenopen your mouth,”Aleecewarned.
Timothee’s eyes had fired, and he was openly pouting.Buthe kept his mouth shut.
“Laura.”Shecalled my attention to her. “I’vebeen looking forward to meeting you.Butnot like this.”
“Same,”Ipushed out, so blown away by all that had happened and perplexed by a lot of it,Iwas unable to say more.
