Asha’s eyes well with tears.
“When the king took his first bride, my granddad advised against it because in taking her, he set aside a betrothal meant to gain us an ally. But the king wouldn’t listen, and we nearly went to war.”
Araelya cocks her head to the side. “I remember hearing about this. They called the woman the King’s Folly. They had a daughter…”
“With Penticar at the brink of an invasion, the king set his wife aside to take the originally intended bride. But that wasn’t enough for the slighted family. They said that if the first wiferemained alive, their marriage would always be questioned, and if the daughter were left alive, then succession would always be questioned.”
Asha shakes her head sadly. “No…it wasn’t like that…”
“What happened?” Elena asks in a low voice.
“The king had his wife killed, but he could not bear for his daughter to suffer the same fate, so he sent her away, pretending she drowned to thwart a war.”
Asha shakes her head slowly from side to side. “No, that’s not what happened. My mother died giving birth to my brother…”
“That was a lie, said because they knew great houses would revolt if they learned what really happened. My granddad protested against it, and knew the king would eventually execute him, so he rode home in the middle of the night, leaving behind a note telling the king he’d keep his secret so long as his family came to no harm. True to his word, he never told a soul, but he wrote down everything, and I was prone to reading.”
Meg’s head snaps to Asha. “Wait…are you the daughter? The actual princess?”
The words land like a sharp slap to the face.
Asha, a princess?
How could this be possible?
Asha’s cheeks flush pink. “That’s not true—that’s not how my mother died?”
Nori looks down at the ground. “As I said, I’m sorry…”
Grixis’s voice rises. “If I may be so bold, what does all this mean?”
Nori pivots to look at him. “Occasionally, women die from childbirth, but it’s rare, and the case that Ramsey believed was true was not, because Asha was told a lie.”
“This is all very confusing,” Eddard says.
“I, too, am not sure what was all said,” agrees Ulof.
Nori addresses the room. “Because Tempest and Penticar are so different, it’s difficult to explain. Especially since Tempest values honor so strongly, and the Penticari do not. Ramsey made a reasonable and logical conclusion that was inaccurate because he didn’t understand the circumstance.”
“But they said they can return us home,” Araelya blurts.
“Are you sure you want that?” Meg asks with a raised brow.
Araelya lifts her chin, directing her gaze at Meg. “I at least want the option.”
“We’re not returning home,” Elena says. “So there’s no need to debate it.”
“But—” Araelya starts.
Grixis pounds his fist onto the table. “Enough talk about going home—this is your home!”
Araelya goes silent.
Grixis rises from his seat and goes to the center, where Nori is standing.
“If not for smart Nori, our bowels would have turned to broth.” Grixis speaks firmly, without a hint of anger. “Elena was wise to name her on the council.”
A few chuckle, but most stare at him, confused by the situation.
