Page 199 of The Fifth Heir

“I see why Rafe enjoys that.”

“I don’t.”

“You almost smiled.”

“I did not.”

The gold deepened.

I waited.

Leander gave up pretending the room would support him.

“My grand-uncle did stop three wars,” he said. “One before I was born, two when I was a child. The northern borders remained secure because every territory believed he would answer an attack decisively.”

“And you want to maintain that stability.”

“I was trained to.”

“That isn’t the same as wanting it.”

“It is when training begins before you understand the difference.”

The statement revealed more than he intended.

“What would you want if the Prism hadn’t chosen you?”

“The question is irrelevant.”

“No. It’s inconvenient.”

“I have no answer.”

“Because you never considered it?”

“Because I had no reason to.”

“You built your entire identity around winning a crown the Prism might never offer.”

“My family did.”

“And you let them.”

Ice formed along the rim of his untouched teacup.

“You are not here to examine me,” he said.

“You brought five legal books to examine whether I deserve to remain an heir.”

“I brought them to help you defeat the challenge.”

“Why?”

“Because the challenge is wrong.”

“That’s not enough.”

“It should be.”