"I haven't been able to talk to you one-on-one, but seeing as we're stuck on royal protection duty," he trails off sheepishly, as if asking permission to speak to me.
"Please," I motion for him to continue. "Speak freely."
He smiles and it reminds me so much of Finn. Their hazel eyes crinkle in the same place.
"Well, Finn told us how he felt about you and we encouraged him to tell you. Seeing you with him today… I haven't seen my son that happy before. Well, not in his adult years. Finn would light up about almost anything." His eyes gloss over, firmly rooted in his memories now. "Anything from a honeybee to a beautiful flower, to helping me in the kitchen. He was so happy to be included. He always had a curious mind, and I knewhe would discover and create amazing, wonderous things." A sadness overtakes his warm features. "He's struggled with his feelings about himself since he discovered his affinity. Everyone outside the family treated him differently. They were frightened of him, kept their distance. But you. You didn't bat an eye. You accepted him as he is and I think that made all the difference."
"What do you mean, made all the difference?"
"Soraya and I were concerned. If he wasn't with his brothers, we would have fought for him to stay in our family house."
"To watch over him?" My eyes widen. "You didn't think he would hurt someone – "
"We were concerned he would hurt himself." His response sucks the breath from my lungs. "We saw him struggling, saw him drowning, and we did everything in our power to help him. To love him. To accept him. But sometimes a parent's unconditional love and unyielding acceptance isn't enough for a child to see themselves in the same light."
Tears stream down my cheeks. "Your son is the most amazing person I've ever met. He saved me when no one else would so much as glance in my direction. No one believed me. He didn't hesitate to help. That says something about your parenting, I think."
"We've always made sure our boys have a healthy understanding of lending a hand to those in need. Whether it benefits you or not, if you are in a position to help. Help." Rafe rolls his shoulders back, staring out the window to the chaos below. "I'm glad you were there for one another. Your love made all the difference." He tentatively drapes an arm across my shoulders. "And one day, I will be blessed to call you my daughter. Thank you for loving my son, Eris."
My chest swells and my bottom lip quivers when I whisper, "Loving him is easy."
Rafe's eyes suddenly harden and I'm taken aback. He lifts my hand. Patches of my brown skin and white tattoos poke through my disguise.
"Oh, no," I say softly, touching my face. I rush to the mirror and my heart stops. Thedissimulois fading. I was supposed to take another dose about an hour ago. But with everything going on, and Finn not here to administer it, it slipped my mind.
"Do you have another vial anywhere?" Rafe asks, urgency in his voice.
I shake my head. "No. Finn must have it with him."
We're safe in here. Even if my true identity is exposed, everyone in this room already knows who I am. My mother and her entourage will never know. But there's always a chance and because of the small percentage, I have to do something.
"There's an apothecary room in the castle, right?" I ask, drawing King Soren's attention.
He bobs his head. "Near the kitchen. I can have my soldiers get whatever you need."
"It'll take an untrained eye too long to find the ingredients," I exhale, knowing I'll have to risk exposure to fix the tonic myself. I've seen Finn do it dozens of times. I can do it. "I'll go. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Rafe grabs my wrist. "I'll go with you."
"No, you have to stay with the royal family." I pat his hand reassuringly. "I remember how to get to the kitchen. I'll grab what I need and come back."
"I don't like this," King Soren rises and makes his way to me. "Until we know it's safe to leave this room, I want us to stay put."
"Send one of the soldiers with me," I protest. "If my mother did have anything to do with this attack, then she will stop at nothing to find me. Even if that means breaking down the door to your own castle to get me back. I have to protect you. All of you."
King Soren and Rafe exchange a heavy look. The queen coughs, heavy and thick. She pulls her handkerchief from her lips and it's covered in blood.
"I can get her some medicine to help with the pain," I insist. Now we both need me to get to the apothecary. "I will be quick. I promise."
The king places strong hands on his wife's hunched shoulders and reluctantly nods at me. "Any sign of trouble, you abandon your quest. Do you understand?"
"I understand." I take one last look in the mirror. I don't have much longer before I completely transform. I'll need to be quick.
Without further discussion, and although Rafe looks like he wants to argue more he keeps his mouth shut, and I slip out the door. Two guards are stationed there so I know despite my brief absence, if something bad were to happen, they would be the first line of defense. And if for some reason someone did get by them, Rafe Harland would be the last face the intruders ever saw.
The kitchen is on the main level, so I speedily descend the stairs. I keep my head on a swivel as I make my way through the castle. It's quiet, most of the soldiers investigating the explosions and aiding injured Tronovians. A lot would have to go wrong if our enemies made it to Starnborough.
I purge all negative thoughts from my brain and spear through the back hallway, easily finding the kitchen. The king said the apothecary was near the kitchen, so I start opening doors in this corridor until I find the one I'm looking for. In complete contrast to Finn's shop, this doesn't have a cozy atmosphere, although it was built during the Old Kingdom era. Wooden beams, stone hearth, musty shelves with glass jars and vials.
