Her heart ached so badly she could barely draw a full breath, but she lifted her chin and met his eyes. “I promise, Sophia never once asked me for any of this, or even hinted she wanted it. If you must know, she said the opposite. She’s under the impression that I have a moral duty to my family and my people. She believes I would cease to be me without that calling, and she left me this morning even after I offered to renounce my claim to the title.”

Her mother gave a little gasp, and her father’s brow creased deeply.

“So, no. I’m not doing this for her. I’m doing it without her, not by my choice, but by hers.” Her voice cracked, as even her vocal cords rebelled at the wrongness of the trade she’d made. “My economic ideas and outlook are mine alone, but while we’re on the subject of Sophia, I must admit you’re not wrong to believe she played a role in my transformation. Without her faith in me, I would’ve never had the courage to give these ideas voice.”

“Helping someone find their voice is no small contribution,” her father mused.

“Nor is the extent of her effect on me. She taught me a great deal about myself in a short time, like how to trust in my instincts, how to stand up for what I know is right, and never apologise for doing what I believe best.” She released another shuddering breath and tried to find her footing on more solid ground. Even the idea of Sophia gave her strength to go on when every fibre of her being ached to unravel. “Most importantly, Sophia reminded me how useless it would be to fight for a title unless I intended to use it for something meaningful, and that’s what I intend to do, now and for as long I am in a position to do so.”

“Alone?” her father asked softly, but the single word was enough to knock her back.

She clenched her teeth against the sadness clawing at her stomach lining, but she couldn’t say the word. Her body refused to accept the truth she’d tried to force into her brain.

“No,” her mother said, flatly.

Her father put his hand on the table. “We’ve all got a lot to digest.”

“No,” her mother reiterated, this time placing her hand gently atop his. “This is too big an undertaking. I’ve never made apologies for pushing you toward a safer path, Victoria. Perhaps I haven’t always done so gracefully, but that’s all I ever wanted for you, an easier road, one of less resistance, one where I could protect you from what I feared lay ahead, but you seem insistent on blazing a newer, more fraught trail.”