Aunt Nera’s mouth dropped open. “Prisoners? Only enemies are kept prisoner. You’re not enemies, are you?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
Nera scowled, a look that would have sent a younger Yarif running. “Don’t make me box your ears. I’m Aunt Nera, not Your Majesty.”
“Yes… Aunt Nera. Are you truly my aunt?”
Aunt Nera laughed, a sound so much like Mother’s laugh that Yarif’s heart ached anew. “Yes, though few people knew. Your grandfather and my father were the dearest of friends. After three wives and no heirs, my father decided the problem might be him. Your grandfather provided those heirs. Don’t worry though. The captain of our guards, while he didn’t believe your claim until confirmed by Niam, he’s discreet.”
“But what about your father? Is what they did legal?”
“In Draige, if a man claims a child as his own, in the eyes of the law it is so. But we lived close enough that I got to see my sisters often.” She winked. “We’ve established ourselves in so many royal households between the six of us that war would never happen again if husbands and ministers let us run things.”
“I was young when she died. I don’t remember much about her.”
Aunt Nera sat beside the bed, lifting a cup from the bedside table. “Drink this while I talk.”
Yarif nodded and sipped the sweet mix of herbs and honey.
“She was the youngest and quietest. She always said it was because we never let her get a word in. Your grandfather was nothing if not a shrewd negotiator. We often joked that he either bullied or blackmailed men of earl rank or above into taking a daughter off his hands. Then again, he spared no expense for their education, something many noble young ladies never received, and selected possible mates from men who could appreciate their gifts.” Nera’s smile fell. “He never forgave himself for misjudging your father.”
Aunt Nera’s expression brightened. “No one had to work to arrange a match for me, though. King Reed of Delletina took one look at me at a ball and determined I was to be his queen.”
“Queen? You’re the queen of Delletina?” Wait. Hadn’t Yarif already known that? If Niam was his cousin, then this was Niam’s mother. Boy, those must’ve been some potent herbs Aunt Nera had given him. Yarif’s mind didn’t seem to be working correctly.
“Queen mother, now, though Niam has no current consort. His former queen gave him two sons, then requested a letter of divorcement, ceding legal rights to the children. We wouldn’t want some nasty power plays in the future.” Aunt Nera lifted an imperious brow. “I fill the role of hostess when Niam needs someone to talk a noble into revealing all their secrets or take credit for some ball Niam actually planned because he enjoys party planning. Says it’s almost like planning a battle.” She laughed again.
Mother had laughed a lot.
Aunt Nera continued. Yarif began to suspect that it would be hard to stop her. “When your father’s first queen died, your grandfather saw an opportunity. While most of his matchmaking produced good matches, he forever blamed himself for your mother’s demise.”
“Why? She died of a fever, didn’t she?”
“So we were told.” Aunt Nera narrowed her eyes. “None of us were allowed to attend the funeral, per your father. By then, relations between Delletina and Cormira had grown strained. They wanted us to join the empire and share our resources but wouldn’t offer to defend us against Craice as part of the treaty. That was before we found gold in the mountains. Let me tell you, gold changes everything and is much more interesting to the emperor than our sheep. Though they really are lovely sheep.”
Yarif tabled most of the information in favor of, “You don’t believe my mother died of fever?”
“No, I do not. Your grandfather believed if he’d allowed your mother to marry the man of her choice, she’d be alive still. The rest of us were happily wed. My husband might have been much older, but we worked well together and had Niam.”
“King Niam is my cousin,” Yarif muttered more to himself than his aunt. The last few days must’ve scrambled his mind. Yes, he knew his cousin was king of Delletina, though the connection might have been one of the best-kept secrets in the empire.
Until now, when Yarif played the cousin card to possibly save his, Draylon’s, and Rufe’s lives.
“Well, yes, albeit unofficially.” Aunt Nera narrowed her eyes. “Your father hadn’t told you about the sisters? The connections you have through them? Even your older brother wasn’t so well connected. You have kin in positions of power in every kingdom on the continent. Except for Craice. The family ran out of daughters.” Nera rolled one shoulder in a casual shrug.
A horrid thought twisted Yarif’s insides as he frantically tried to recall all the royal lineages he’d learned as Baro’s secretary—and lineage that definitely didn’t show Nera as Mother’s sister. “I’m not related to Draylon, am I?” Judging by the shock on Draylon’s face when Yarif revealed the connection to Delletina, he hadn’t known.
“No. I’d like to think even Emperor Soland wasn’t so craven as to force you to marry family, and secretaries work hard to track royals. We bastards slip past their notice, however, particularly when claimed as daughter by an earl.” She winked. “And when gold crosses palms to buy silence. However, cousins do marry in some circles. Not an appealing one in the bunch when I was on the marriage market.”
She told Yarif the family history until he fell asleep again. “Did I tell you that Bert is Niam’s second cousin once removed…”
The door opened, and Yarif’s heart soared at the relieved expression on Draylon’s face. Bandages covered one shoulder, the bare half of Draylon’s chest draped loosely in blue cloth.
“Yarif! I’ve been worried.” Only Draylon would ignore anyone else present to keep his eyes firmly trained on Yarif.
Warmth spread through Yarif’s chest that may have been more than the herbal concoctions Aunt Nera gave him. Half of Draylon’s chest on display, with those solid bunching muscles and…
Aunt Nera murmured, “I see someone’s feeling better.”
