Page 192 of Night's Fall
“Pish,” the queen returned. “Shewill stand with her family.”
Stand with her family.
Oh yeah.
I was feeling a lot.
Aleksei’s voice was inflexible when he started, “Mother?—”
“She’ll stand with her family, son,” she repeated.
“I’ll go,”Isaid softly.
AndIwould go because, one day,Iwas going to beQueenCalisa.
One day,Iwas going to stand for the values of this realm.
No,Ialready did.
I couldn’t hide from this.Icouldn’t let others face it for me.
I had to stand for myself.
If this family intended to stand for me,Iwould stand with this family.
Aleksei’s hand squeezed mine.
“You don’t have to, darling, no matter what my mother says,”Alekseiassured.
I looked to him. “I’llgo, honey.”
His study of my face was a veritable examination, andIknew he wasn’t certain of his conclusions when he asked, “Areyou sure?”
No,Iwas not.
Though,Ialso was.
I nodded.
“If you’re uncomfortable in the slightest,” the king said, “you shouldn’t go.Orif you feel uncomfortable while it’s happening, you should feel free to leave.”Helooked toAleksei. “CommAllain.Tellhim to wait outside the door.IfLauraneeds to leave, he can escort her to your suite.”
Aleksei pulled out hisPalm.
“I’ll be fine,”Iasserted.
The king sat on the arm of the sofa by his wife, his focus on me. “Mydear, there will be many times in the service of the throne you’ll be uncomfortable.Whensome old windbag has your ear and doesn’t want to give it up and you can’t get away.Whensome pompous ambassador pontificates ad nauseum, and you don’t agree with a single thing he says, but you have to keep your mouth shut.Whensome aristocrat gets on a tear of self-aggrandizing, and all you want is to tell him to be quiet, but you cannot.However, this is not one of those times.”Hepeered down at his wife. “Andno,Caly.Idon’t care what protocol dictates.Thesebeings aren’t meaningful.Ifshe wants to leave, she’ll go.”
“I didn’t say a word,Fillion,” the queen replied. “Goodness, of course, if she wants to leave, she’ll go.”
Aleksei andAleecewere exchanging meaningful glances, but my parents were right then being processed to enter the castle (whatever that entailed,I’daskAlekseilater).
I needed to focus on the factIwas going to see them for the first time in over a decade, that they probably weren’t expecting me, and the reason they were here was becauseI’dlanded myself the mate to end all mates, so they were probably going to ask for something.
I also had to focus on the hope thatAlekseiwouldn’t go back on his assertion he wasn’t going to literally tear them apart.
“We should address what has so far been left undiscussed,” the queen declared.
I pulled myself out of my thoughts and focused on her.
