I did not know if that was true, but I did not argue it.

I bent to her again, lifting her hand to hold it close to my heart.

But she pulled it away in order to lift it farther and touch my cheek.

“You will make a magnificent queen, Elena,” she said quietly. “I’ve had much time to think on it these past days, and I have realized I envy Wilmer. He will be alive to watch his son thrive. I will not have that gift, but I wish you to know, I die understanding it.”

“Perhaps I was wrong, and I did not wish for you to talk with me.”

Her mouth curled up at the ends.

I took up her hand again in both my own and held her fingers to my lips.

I cast my eyes down, filling my vision with her fingers, still looking so capable, and I memorized the sight of them.

And with those fingers pressed to my mouth, I spoke against them.

“I love you, Mum.”

“And I you, my glorious Elena,” she replied. “I love you to the sun and every star beyond and I have from the moment I sensed you in my womb.”

I closed my eyes.

“You do not know,” she said.

I opened my eyes and looked at her, replying fiercely, “I do know.”

She gave me a soft smile. “I know you know of my love, or at least I hope so. That is not of which I speak.”

I moved her hand back to my heart. “Of what do you speak?”

“You embody the hope,” she shared. “The hope of our sisters those centuries ago, before it was lost, and they had to do their worst to gain their liberty. The hope of Airenzian women now, when they look at you, or simply know you are amongst them. Indeed, the hope of all women everywhere. That you can be you, the strength of you, the magic of you, the skills of you, the nurture of you, the compassion of you, the thoughtfulness of you, the love of you, even the flaws of you. You can be that, and just be free to be that. All of it. All the magnificence of you.”

I stared down at her, feeling the tears trembling in my eyes.

She was not finished, however.

“And you can be that and have him,” she said, her voice softer. “And he returns all of it, and this is the way it can be. The way it should be. That you are free to be all of you, give all of you, and receive it in return.”

I swallowed, for this was what I had, what Cassius had, and what we gave each other.

“Do you love him?” she whispered.

“He is a third of my world, the other two are you and Dora.”

“And Aelia,” she stated.

“All right, so he’s a quarter of my world,” I muttered.

“And Melisse.”

I narrowed my eyes at her.