Page 112 of What Fury Brings
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Sanos was fucked.
Well and truly fucked.
But he was so shocked and unprepared for Glenaerys’s words that he could do no more than stare at her.
“One of my spies in Atalius’s court just brought me the most interesting news about his missing son. It turns out—”
“Stop,” Sanos said, cutting her off. Glen was too delighted to chastise him for it.
His heart hurt. Everything was ruined. Not only had Glen broken Olerra by somehow learning a terrible secret, but now Sanos had to deliver another crushing blow. Gods, why now? Why like this?
He came forward, clasped Olerra’s hands within his own. Thankfully, no one tried to stop him. He swallowed.
“Please know that what I’m about to say changes nothing. Not a thing I’ve said to you or the way I feel about you. None of it.”
“Okay,” she said.
Olerra’s big eyes looked up at him, so trusting. How was he going to get the words out?
“I have only lied to you in regards to one thing. Just one thing. Please keep that in mind.”
She pulled back slightly but didn’t release his hands. “What is it?”
He closed his eyes. Took a deep breath. Somehow formed the words.
“I’m not Andrastus.”
There, the first part, the part that was of the most importance to her, and he couldn’t take it back. He watched Olerra process the words slowly, as though trying to make them fit into everything she knew of him.
“What?” she said at last, her hands tensing within his own. “Of course you are. I took you from that brothel. The madam sent you to my room. You have the Brutish royal hair.”
He refused to look away from her. “My brother was very drunk that night. He passed out in the hallway, and I decided I would take his place.”
“Your brother.” Now she snatched her hands away and took a step back. He hated that little bit of distance. “Who are you?”
“I’m… Sanos.”
“The heir?” the queen said in the background.
The revelation was punctuated with a delighted snicker from Glenaerys, who was clearly enjoying everyone’s discomfort. Sanos didn’t take his attention off Olerra.
She lookedfurious.
“You—you’re Sanos?”
“Yes,” he breathed, elated to finally have his name back.
She took in his features anew. The muscles and the way he held himself. “The fighter. The oldest. Of course. I had met so few Brutes not clad in armor; I just assumed…”
“I wanted to tell you,” he said. “So many times. In the beginning, I stayed silent because I thought you might kill me or ransom me to my father if you learned I wasn’t who you wanted. I couldn’t have either option. And later—”
“What?” She cut him off, her tone lethal. “What possible reason could you have for not telling melater?”
The queen interrupted the heated discussion. “Glenaerys, take your people and leave. You’ve had your fun.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Glen threw one more haughty look her cousin’s way before exiting, all her women in tow.
