“No,” Scarlet whispered.

Uncle Reid nodded. “He’s so desperate to keep his crown that he pushed Queen Vera all her life for more children. And he’s pushed Hadrian year after year though it was clear he was never healthy enough to do the job. The only reason that poor boy has survived this long is because of our advances in medicine. If he’d been born in Mooreland or Catal, he’d be dead.”

I watched as he swallowed, maybe seeing Hadrian for the first time the same way I saw Valentina: just a piece in someone else’s game. “When he worried that our families were stronger than him, he picked away at us. Took our lands, rejoiced when we lost our children, ran us from the country. He married Valentina for her youth. When her parents questioned the king’s motives, they were murdered. When she was found unable to make him a better heir, he bypassed her for Phillipa, who is at least smart enough to know who her in-laws are. She wanted money and the promise that once a proper time of mourning passes after Hadrian inevitably dies, she could marry whoever she pleases. She has all of these things in writing,” he said, pointing to the letter, and shaking his head. “If Hadrian dies, it doesn’t matter. People could still believe Phillipa was having his child.”

I couldn’t stop the shiver running through me. Quinten had been so malicious, so calculating. He’d played every piece on the board to ensure that he’d never lose his crown, that he’d control who it went to.

“We have undeniable proof now, Father. What do we do?” Etan asked.

Uncle Reid paused for a long time. Then he stood and walked back into his room. When he came out, he was holding a sheathed sword.

“Is that . . . ?” Mother asked, leaving the question hanging.

Uncle Reid nodded. “Jedreck’s sword. It has seen war, and it has knighted several men. This is the sword of a king, and now we’ll use it to lead a battle.”

I waited for Uncle Reid to move for the door, to take some sort of action . . . but he walked over and held the sword out to his son.

Etan’s eyes flickered over to me and then back to his father. He was hesitating, and I was stunned.

When I thought of people who would take the throne, the obvious choices were Scarlet and Uncle Reid. Mother was not a direct descendant, and Etan was still his father’s son. But, now that I thought about it—why had people been championing Silas instead of his father? I supposed after someone as old as Quinten, they wanted a ruler who still had a lifetime to dedicate to making things right. Etan certainly had that.

“You haven’t asked my cousin if she wants it,” Etan offered. “I’d bend my knee to Queen Scarlet.” He looked to her, his eyes almost pleading.

I turned to watch her, realizing history was happening before my eyes. She smiled sweetly, taking careful steps toward Etan.