So, why had she said such awful things to Darling?

“My lady, may I ask you something?”

Natale met Zarya’s gaze levelly and sincerely. “I know what you’re going to ask. I do love my son. Just as I love all my children. But loving someone doesn’t mean that you always want to be around them. Whenever Darling looks at me, I see his hatred for me and I can’t stand it. He was always cold, even as an infant. He didn’t want me to hold him, not even to feed him. I tried not to let it bother me, but it was hard. He was my first child and I’d made all these plans about how close we’d be. Darling would have none of it. And when his father died, it became worse. When they brought him home from school for the funeral preparations, he wouldn’t even speak to me. When I met him at the door, he looked at me like he wished I was the one who’d died, and it killed something inside me. Something that has made me want to hurt him the same way he hurt me.”

“My lady, I think you greatly misjudged him. When Darling is deeply hurt by anything, he draws within himself. It’s not hatred. It’s how he copes. But if you don’t leave him alone, if you continue to stay with him, he will embrace you. It’s not immediate. But I promise you, he loves you more than you know.”

Natale squeezed her hand. “I’m glad he has you.”

Unsure of how to respond, Zarya looked down at the box to find a man’s wedding band inside. “I don’t understand. What is this?”

“It’s the royal governor’s matrimonial seal that is presented to every governor by his first wife at their wedding. I took it off Drux’s hand before Arturo could steal it, and… I’ve kept it safe for this day.” Her hand visibly shaking, she wiped at her eyes. “Given Darling’s declared homosexuality, I thought it would be Drake who wore it. But I’m glad to see it go to Darling.”

Clearing her throat, Natale picked it up to show it to Zarya. “When Darling was little, his father would take it off and place it on his tiny finger before he made Darling recite his rules of conduct. I always waited for Darling to protest having to do it, but he was such a little man about it. All he wanted was to please his father and make him proud. He would clench his hand.” Natale demonstrated it with her own fist. “And stand tall, then repeat all twenty flawlessly. When he was done, he’d take the ring off and stare at it in awe. And every time he gave it back to his father, he’d promise that one day he would be the best governor Caron ever had.”

Her eyes filled with agony, Natale covered her mouth with her hand. “Unlike Drake and Lise, he actually remembers his father. The two of them were so close. Darling worshiped the ground he stood on.” She swallowed and lowered her hand. “He’s just like his father, you know? It’s so hard to look at him sometimes when all I see is everything I’ve lost. He has Drux’s voice and his bearing and mannerisms.” She almost broke down into tears again, but somehow she caught herself. “Anyway, I should go now and leave you to him.”