“I know you didn’t rape her,” MASON answered flatly.

Kraye staggered. “Wha—what?”

“You didn’t rape her. You beat her violently, and slandered her.”

“She slandered me! She accused—”

“She never said you raped her!” My heart skipped hearing Caesar raise his voice. “You assumed she would. You were so obsessed with expecting that accusation that you never heard the words any of us actually said to you. We said you assaulted her, and you did, with your fists. You fractured her cheekbone, gave her a severe concussion, and could have done much worse, and when we dragged you off of her by force, you said the worst things of her that can be said of a lady in this house. Blacklaws may do what they like here, but as a European you were bound by law, as well as decency, and you went far beyond the bounds of both. Your expulsion was just and reasonable, as prosecution would have been too, under the laws of your own Hive!”

Is that a flinch, Kraye? Is that seething brain of yours revisiting old memories, and finding certain keywords lacking?

“She did accuse me! She faked the test!” Kraye shrieked. “She told you all the child was mine. I never touched that whore, not once! It was Ganymede! Ganymede arranged everything to conceal the produce of their incest, and I fell into the trap!”

“Filth!” the Duke cried. “Villain!”

Andō’s grip on writhing Ganymede began to loosen, the Director running short, not of strength, but of reasons to keep the Duke’s weapon from tasting Kraye’s throat.

Kraye’s eyes hopped from Chair to King to Emperor. “How can you not see it? I was framed! Ganymede got Danaë pregnant and lured me in to take the blame!”

“Then my real father is Ganymede?” Stunned Carlyle barely had the strength to voice the words.

“Yes!” Kraye snapped. “Yes, you’re the poison that started all this.”

“No, Merion. This is our son.” Danaë stirred from her swoon at last, tresses spilling down about her shoulders, exquisite as when Helios pours gold across dawn waves from harbor to horizon.

Kraye’s eyes glowed with that maniacal, inhuman light which made past generations believe in possessing demons. “The queen of whores joins us at last.”

“Danaë…” Ganymede wrapped himself around his sister. “You don’t have to—”

She shook her head, blue diamond eyes almost black as she peered out through the jungle of gold let loose without her hairpin. “That is you, isn’t it, Merion? I should have known you at once, that gait, those hands. Monster.”

“Monster? Me? You’re the one who betrayed an innocent man.”

“Innocent?” Tears came to her, bright as dew. “Day after day you swore you would love only me forever, but the instant you thought another man had touched me, you tried to kill me! How is that innocent?”

“I did love you. You’re the one who cheated.”

“No!” Danaë wrapped her rose-gold sleeves about herself. “You never loved me. A feeling which dies that easily isn’t love, Merion, it’s lust. You wanted my body. If we had been united, how long would it have taken you to pass me over for something younger? Fresher? To tire of me as my good husband never has? You never loved me or you never would have stopped!”