Page 59 of The Broken Prince

She was able to catch up to me quickly, her body lithe despite her age. “I wish to speak to you—in private.”

“I don’t care what you wish.”

“Ian—”

“I have important business in the village. Now’s not a good time.”

“Is it ever a good time when you’re this angry?” She stood in a long dress with her cloak, feathers from crows woven into her hair. Her healer had recommended a cane years ago, but she refused, adjusting her gait to compensate instead.

“Just because you wish to speak with me doesn’t mean I wish to speak to you.” I turned back to the guards. “Move.”

They started to obey.

“Stay.”

They flinched and held still.

I turned back to my mother.

“You may be the steward of this castle, but I will always be its queen.”

I pulled out the sword from my scabbard.

The men darted out of the way in half a second.

“Good choice.” I returned my blade to the scabbard and walked through.

Mother followed me. “Ian, please—”

“No.”

“Ian—”

I continued to walk, ignoring her.

“You’re right—Huntley is my favorite son.”

I halted in my tracks, stopped by the omission.

“But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you so much it hurts…”

I slowly turned back to her.

“It doesn’t mean I wouldn’t give my life for yours without hesitation.”

I stared, my heart injured by her confession.

She came closer to me. “I’m so sorry that I’ve made you feel inadequate, that my preference is so obvious that you can see it with the naked eye. I failed as a mother, and I’m ashamed of my sin.”

I appreciated her honesty, even though it hurt.

“I don’t want you to return to the east…because I couldn’t bear it if you didn’t come home. I wouldn’t want you to be king in Huntley’s stead…because I want you to live. Just because I prefer him doesn’t mean you don’t mean the world to me. You only have a single child…so you don’t understand the complexities of having two sons.”

“Huntley has two children, and he loves them equally.”

“He does love them equally, but he connects with one deeper than the other, and we know which one that is.”

I refused to admit it, but my niece’s face came into my mind.