“Yet, my father chose me, a woman and the youngest of his five children, to be his,” Reid said. “No one knows Eldon is your son. Why allow him to inherit everything?” She raised her arms, the palms of her hands facing up to indicate not only the palace, but also the entire county. And it wasn’t like Henrick was a stickler for the law. He allowed women to own land, hold jobs, and dress however they wanted.

“I often wonder the same thing,” Nara said, her voice quiet.

“Eldon is my firstborn son,” Henrick reiterated.

As he clutched his fork, Dexter’s knuckles turned white. Reid suspected he’d already had this conversation with his father multiple times. And nothing he’d said had made a difference. That meant Henrick was stubborn. A trait shared by father and son. Reid needed to handle the situation carefully. “I understand Eldon is your firstborn son. I take that to mean when you die, the knowledge will be made public to the kingdom and…what? Eldon will inherit Axian? How does that work?” She didn’t think a king could control a county. The dukes controlled the counties. The king oversaw the dukes.

“Did you know, Lady Reid,” Nara said, “that Axian is where the king had always lived up until Hudson killed his father and took the throne?”

While Reid had her suspicions, she hadn’t known it as fact. It made sense given the rich history of the city, buildings, and artwork.

“We don’t have proof Hudson killed my father,” Henrick said, rubbing his bearded chin.

“You were so determined to keep the peace, to honor your father’s legacy, that you let Hudson declare himself the rightful heir.” Nara folded her hands on her lap, watching her husband across the table. “Did you honestly think he would rule for a bit, then realize he wasn’t cut out for the job? That he would suddenly understand you would be a better leader for our people?”

“There’s more to it than that,” Henrick stated.

“I don’t fully understand what happened,” Reid interjected. “Would you care to share it with me?”