le of the royal archive

d. "You cannot simply order people

d his golden ey

That is exactly

ry disappointed when

d his head, clearly tryi

der no

g amusing

our Ma

stop looki

o understand why people feared this man. H

n't one of

he didn't t

home," sh

re st

h me

r, but two guards immediat

a st

got to b

owards her, his ex

me appears in a royal record, y

anything about your royal family, and I

d. "But someone went to considerable trouble t

someone mad

ds do not ma

ngs

m becam

r for several second

s. Make sure she is comfortable, bu

a guard," El

eed se

before she c

-

er was larger than E

d windows overlooking the castle gardens. Everything

ing had turned into a nightmare involving a king, a myster

errupted he

me

n entered car

r, kind eyes, and

I'm Martha. I look af

. I'm

kno

d the tray o

that you be given

oked at

sk that I be l

a hes

ty can be

ite way of de

st time, Ma

s fell on El

le disa

you get t

looked

there since

oser, her expre

I see

d before exten

d at the sil

, d

ou know wha

ickly ste

ny years. I have seen many things, but I n

rt began to

mething abou

nced towar

walls in this c

a fr

ing someone

ould be careful ab

other question, footsteps

tely picked up

t your din

d towards

rth

er woma

before she became

at her for a

mother was once known as P

the floor had shi

er is a

opened

our voi

she

-

r stood before a large table surrounde

d the documents p

Marcus began, "we mu

discus

ears ago. If that girl is truly the surviving

s expressi

e afraid of a young woman who

at her existence c

lder lean

the matter of

r's jaw

thing to do with

monts escape. If the accusation was true, th

m fell

ced both hand

r next word

us lowered

t to protect

ect your positions. T

s the captain of

ort, every letter, every witness statemen

Your M

to the girl witho

xchanged une

oticed but

and strength. He trusted very few peo

about Elena's arriva

he might be a

archive had recogniz

-

hed her dinner when t

ntered with

oked a

gs ever

ver follow i

rstand why your castle

ment and noticed t

shoul

not h

stop arguing

stared

to ask question

ou that your moth

ion changed

ill she

oo

she

nder

g escorted b

sn't my

es met

is

leased a

ered what Marth

my mother real

sion chang

old yo

iately regr

t's t

my que

mething about Prince

urned towar

at that name

hy

castle who would do anything to

espond, a guard appe

y, the woman

looked tow

other i

ushed p

-

ed exhausted when sh

nd her shoulders. But the moment she saw Elena, she hurr

le

um

for several seconds

re we here? Why are peopl

s moved towar

the fireplace,

alone," Re

er didn

is my

is my d

, neither of

er gestured

outs

ft, but Alexa

oked direc

know w

ca Ben

I chose after ev

expression b

me your r

osed her e

ca Val

red at he

u k

urned tow

ell you when y

et me grow up believing we

, Elena. That par

you hide eve

with tears, but she

life that belonged to you. Not

r steppe

ped you

looked

r fa

o change the atmos

face becam

died twenty

kno

ed of betrayi

not a

he helped your f

ook a slo

e Valemonts were not outsiders. The

r stared

u have

ooked tow

ing your fathe

it?" El

ide pocket of her coat and r

gnized it

her mother had told he

ced it in E

ped. He said that when the time came, you woul

r steppe

me se

shook

t y

es nar

hy

promise that I would only g

oked bet

an someone please explain w

mbled as she touched

open it, the pend

n Elena's wrist answe

mmediately

ena had met him, his expres

red, "It has r

echoed throug

nt bell r

n t

oked towards

ung since the nigh

a turn

h

the penda

oes tha

looked at

one knows she

r's voic

ho

a swal

ordered the Va

e castle walls, a horn