Page 100 of If The Crown Fits
“I thought you’d be gone by now.” Cai frowned at my words. “I heard about your mother,” I explained, part of me wanting to say I was sorry about the sad news, but I was overwhelmed by my anger and frustration.
“Yes.” Cai let out a heavy sigh. “But I wasn’t going to leave before making sure you’re okay.”
When I didn’t respond, he walked over to the bed. “Did I do something? You look angry.”
“Angry doesn’t begin to cover it,” I blurted out, standing up. “How long have you known, Cai?”
His skin was pale and his beautiful blond hair was covered in specks of blood and dirt. He wasn’t having a much better day than I was but that didn’t mean I was going to excuse him.
“What?”
“How long have you known?” I asked, louder this time. “How long have you been lying to me about my family?”
“Who told—”
“Lance told me, of course.” I considered for a moment that Lance could have been lying but he had no good reason to lie about something like this. “How could you?” I asked with a hint of desperation. “How could you keep something like that from me? How did you even find out?”
“There is a painting, in Woodsbrook Manor, of the royal children when they were young. Because you and Eloisa look so much alike, I wouldn’t have noticed the difference if it had not been for the lack of a birthmark on her portrait.” He gestured to the place on my neck. “I considered that maybe the artist had done it on purpose, so I asked you questions about Eloisa, pretending that we’d corresponded, and I realised you were lying about who you are.”
It made sense. He’d started acting strangely at Woodsbrook and practically interrogated me when we’d been on the hunt.
“And then I began to wonder why you would lie to me. But Lance confirmed it that night in the cellars. I thought you knew who you were and that you were just pretending to be your sister for whatever reason. But then we fled, and it became clear you had no idea you were related to the royal family. It’s why I’d always been so suspicious of Arthur, knowing he must have had something to do with it.”
“That doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me.” Especially if he’d suspected it since Woodsbrook.
“I didn’t know if I could trust you, in the beginning. And once I did, there never seemed to be a good time.”
“No, I don’t think there’s ever a good time to tell somebody something like that but it gave you no right to hide it from me,” I said sternly.
“You would never have believed me!” Cai cried out. “And you hate the monarchy. You wanted nothing to do with this life.”
I rubbed my eyes with my hands, trying to keep the tears at bay. “It doesn’t matter now, what I wanted.” Turning my back to Cai, to face the window, I asked him, “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be told your entire life has been a lie?”
“I’m sorry, Lara—”
“Just go, Cai,” I said quickly, before I started crying again. “Go to your mother and your kingdom. They need you now.”
He sighed. “I hope you can forgive me.”
I heard the door close behind him.
* * *
The following morning, I was up bright and early, having not slept much the night before. There was a half-empty vase and ceramic basin in the room I’d occupied. I splashed my face with some cold water, hoping to scrub away the dirt and blood from the day before.
Cordelia walked into the room as I was retying my hair. She must have come to the palace once the commotion had died down. I could only imagine how overjoyed she was upon finding out her brother was unharmed.
“How are you doing?” she asked carefully.
“You know, I’ve been better.”
“His Highness and his soldiers are leaving.”
It was as if my heart skipped a beat. Cai was actually leaving. Of course, I knew he had to and I was still too furious to talk to him. But after spending every day in each other’s presence for so long, it wasn’t easy to imagine him being in a different kingdom again.
“I know what he did wasn’t right. But I think you should say goodbye to him.”
“I should,” I agreed. Or at the very least see him off. I headed for the door but Cordelia stepped in my way.
