“You have my word.”
War sighed heavily. “It seems that my father had a deathbed confession to make,” he said quietly. “He told me that although he married my mother and I was born within the tenure of that marriage, he is not the man who fathered me.”
Alexei tried to keep the surprise off his face. “Your… your mother had a lover other than your father?”
“Before the marriage,” War said. “She was pregnant when she married my father.”
“And he did not know?”
“Nay.”
Alexei cleared his throat softly, understanding the implications of deception, among others. “I see,” he said quietly. “And Edmund saw it necessary to tell you all of this before he died?”
“Aye.”
“Then I would imagine he felt it very important,” Alexei said, trying to be of some comfort to what surely must have been startling news to War. “Your father treated you as if you were his blood, War. In fact, he favored you over your brothers. We could all see that. He never loved you less. In fact, I believe he loved you more.”
War could see that Alexei was trying to reassure him that it didn’t matter that he wasn’t from Edmund’s loins, but that wasn’t the real issue. He held up his hand to silence the man.
“I know,” War said, his voice soft because Monty and Clement were nearby and he didn’t want them to hear him. “I know my father loved me. And heismy father, Alexei. No matter what the truth is, Edmund is the man who raised me. He is my father.”
Alexei heaved a sigh of relief that War saw it that way. “Indeed, he is,” he said. “But that surely must have been a shock to you.”
War nodded. “Shock?” he mused softly. “It was. Shock is a gentle term for what I felt. More importantly, it iswhomy real father is that shocks me the most.”
Alexei’s features flickered with concern. “Edmund knew who it was?”
“He told me.”
“Who?”
“William de Wolfe.”
Alexei could no longer keep the shock or concern or anything else off his face. His eyes widened. “De Wolfe?” he hissed. “The man we just saw in battle?”
“The same.”
“But how–?” Alexei stammered. “How did he… does he know you are his son?”
War shook his head. “He does not know,” he said. “As Edmund told me, my mother loved de Wolfe before she ever metmy father. She wanted very much to marry him, but her father would not permit her to marry a mere knight, which was what de Wolfe was back then. He was simply a young knight with no property, no titles yet. She was pregnant with the man’s child and unable to marry him because my grandfather betrothed her to Edmund, who had a title and was a slightly better prospect. According to my father, de Wolfe never knew about the pregnancy. He never knew a thing.”
Alexei was filled with shock at the astonishing revelation, but he quickly saw the situation for what it was. “And now you must reconcile yourself to the fact that not only was Edmund not your father, but a legendary knight is,” he said, reading War’s mind. “Forgive me, War, but it was not fair of Edmund to tell you this, at least not on his deathbed. He should have told you sooner. You both could have reconciled this together.”
War sighed heavily. “I know,” he said. “But it is done. Now, my dilemma is this– my mother wrote de Wolfe a missive to be given to him, explaining about me. Edmund gave me the letter. He cautioned me against seeking any kind of vengeance or retribution against de Wolfe since the man did not know my mother was pregnant and I must say that I agree. But I feel as if I should tell him. If I do not, then I am as bad as my mother and Edmund for having withheld such a secret. If you were de Wolfe, would you want to know?”
Alexei scratched his head. “I think so,” he said. “I think I would want to know if I had any bastards about. Not to claim them as my son, but simply to know them, as my flesh and blood. To help them if they needed and wanted it. But de Wolfe has many sons– we met them.”
War nodded. “I am older than the two eldest sons.”
Alexei was watching him carefully. “Do you think to challenge them for your due?” he asked tentatively. “You cannotdo that, War. They were born within a legal marriage and you were not.”
War held up a hand to silence him. “I realize that completely,” he said. “Nay, I do not wish to challenge them. But de Wolfe… I do not want another father, but I suppose it is his right to know.”
“I believe that is the right thing to do.”
War knew that. He just wanted to hear it from someone he trusted. Still, the entire situation had him in turmoil.
“I just lost the man I believed was my father by blood, a man I loved very much,” he said. “Now, he is gone and I feel as if I have lost… something. Mayhap it was only an illusion, but I feel as if I have lost what I thought was my life. Myentirelife. I feel that Edmund’s confession has tainted every memory I ever had with him and certainly with my mother. They withheld something from me that they should have told me when I became of age. What else did they not tell me, Alexei? What other truths did they withhold?”
