Kira snorted. "Of my father? People keep telling me that."
Loudon tilted his head. "I was thinking more of your uncle."
Kira's attention swung toward him.
Loudon smiled. "Did that surprise you?"
"A little, yeah."
Loudon stared up at the cluster in thought. "Your father was considered a great man. Fate was kind to him."
"What do you mean?"
Loudon looked down as he clasped his hands in front of him. "Did you know your father and Harlow were twins? And that Harlow is the older?"
Kira thought it was safe to say there was a lot she didn't know about her family. Loudon must have understood because he chuckled.
"In our society, the position of Overlord is one of strength and power. Certain criteria must be met before you assume the mantle."
"Like a primus form," Kira supplied slowly.
He nodded, a flash of appreciation at the example crossing his face. "Very good. That is one. Every House has their own criteria, certain checkboxes that must be ticked off."
"And someone who doesn't meet the qualifications is passed over," Kira guessed.
"In rare instances, a House might decide to follow another, but such occurrences usually only happen in times of turmoil when a different type of leadership might prove more advantageous."
Kira thought she saw where he was going with this.
"In every way but two, Harlow was the better choice for Overlord. His military acumen was unrivaled. The lack of primus wasn't much of a concern since he had no trouble fighting against them," Loudon said.
"But my father became Overlord."
Loudon inclined his head. "I knew them both when we were young. They were like night and day. Your father had this way about him. He was charming, charismatic. People followed him. Drawn to him in the same way they were captivated by your mother."
"And my uncle?"
Loudon's gaze was far away, with his mind mired deep in memories of long ago. "He served from the shadows. He was Harding's strong right arm, doing what the Overlord couldn't or wouldn't do for himself."
Kira cast a sideways look at him. "It seems like you think my uncle should have been the one to be Overlord."
Loudon paused, his laugh surprised. "Oh, no. I don't care about such things. Your father was a good leader. He did the best he could to protect our people."
The sound Kira made was unconvinced. From the way Loudon spoke, that was hard to believe—especially when standing in the presence of memories of the dead.
A soft splash behind them drew their attention.
Harlow stopped several feet away, two flowers the size of Kira's head cradled in gentle hands. One was a soft baby blue, a white stamen jutting from its middle. The other was the color of a yellow daisy, bright and cheery.
"Loudon. Niece." Harlow's greeting rumbled through the room.
"Overlord," Loudon said, stepping away from the cluster. "I see you've brought your weekly offering. You're a few days early, aren't you?"
Harlow's gaze lingered on Kira a few seconds before shifting to Loudon. "Liliana and Harding have been on my mind often of late."
Understanding and sympathy filled Loudon's face. "I was explaining to your niece about theetheiriand her father."
Harlow was quiet, his expression hard to read. Finally, he bent, placing the flowers to float along the water. Their petals touched as if holding hands as they bobbed in the waves his disturbance had caused.
