Kay stared at the imposing, brass-bound gates that locked the outside castle wall, keeping intruders and the curious outside. Her hands tightened around the steering wheel, and although Marcus had only recently taught her to drive, she took to it as easily as she did to most things.

She allowed the wheels to roll a few meters forward, almost giving in to her urge to turn around and go back, but the doors unlocked and smoothly opened inward, triggered by her implant.

Akira's darned efficiency was impressive; she had to give her sister that much.

Thane's words echoed in her mind, and she fought them off like an enemy. Squaring her shoulders, she sighed and guided the fancy dark gray four-wheel-drive sedan through the opening to the parking space a security guard directed her toward.

***

"Good morning, Princess. The Queen awaits you in her audience room if you will follow me," he asked politely, and it took a moment to recognize him.

"Barker," she said, and his gaze avoided hers.

Guilt? What did he have to feel guilty about?

"I never got to thank you for the kindness of leaving your jacket with me during those final days as Akira's guest," she said, and his startled gaze riveted to hers.

"How I wish I could have done more for you, Princess," he admitted, turning his head away, and the truth dawned upon her.

Barker worked for Akira, not Azera. He always had and was the reason why her sister and father knew so much of what befell her at the Dark Queen's hands.

"Your small acts of kindness made my life bearable," she said, but it seemed to heap hot coals on his conscience instead of easing his feelings.

Why did it bother this man more that he could not help her than it did her father? Or did she find him easier to read now that he didn't have to hide every little expression and nervous tick from a woman who saw through people like glass?

Was that why Akira and Thane gave her no part of the truth? Out of fear that some little thing might give her away?

She closed the door and fetched her bag from the back.

"No man could have done more for me under the circumstances than you did, Barker. I forgive you and wish you peace. At least you did not act as Nero did."

Something in his manner, some little twitch, made a frown tug at her brow as she pocketed the keys and checked that she had her phone.

He held out his hand, and she handed him the strap.

"What did you do?" she asked, walking toward the front door where the housekeeper awaited them. The same woman who served Azera, but she was no longer dressed in the severe black uniform that made her look like a witch.

She looked much younger in a soft tan jacket and skirt with a white silk blouse contrasting with her dark, white-streaked hair.

"Nero had a little accident during the turmoil after Azera's demise."

She glanced at him, surprised that he would do such a thing, but his expression told her she did not misunderstand.

"I hope it was not on my account?" she asked.

Despite despising him, she didn't like the idea of being the reason for his unfortunate end.

"He said he would find you and finally get a piece of the action before slowly killing you. I shoved him down the dungeon stairs, and he toppled the suit of armor standing in the corner. That shield with the spike fell over and impaled him through the eye. Fate has an odd sense of humor."

They reached the housekeeper.

"Minerva," she greeted. Although she had seen the woman many times, they'd never spoken.

"Your Highness."

She, too, avoided Kay's gaze.

"Thank you for all the times you cleaned up my blood and other bodily fluids," Kay said, not knowing why she did, and the lady's skin turned a different shade of pale.

Those intense, almost colorless eyes unexpectedly met hers, and then she realized it. This woman was related to the former queen in some way. She had little interest in the dark fae as a prisoner, but things had changed.

"My mother was a monster," she bit out, and now Kay understood. What she saw in those eyes was fear that some part of Azera may still live in her daughter.

"You are not Azera, Minerva," she said.

"With all due respect, Your Highness, how would you know?"

"Because we are not our parents. And anyone who would risk their lives to save a drowning kitten from a gutter or feed the human children at the orphanage from the largesse of their mother's table—despite the risk to themselves—isn't evil."

"How can you tell that?" she asked, taken aback.

"People often forgot I was in the room," Kay admitted. "Especially when they were on the phone."

"There is no way anyone will not be aware of you now, Princess," Minerva said, tugging at her jacket to alleviate her discomfort, but something in her expression had eased. "Maybe I easing a guilty conscience?"

"Evil has no conscience and does not concern itself with kindness."

"That sounds like a quote, Your Highness."

"Princess Kay, 2023," she teased.

"The queen awaits. Are you ready to meet with her?" Minerva settled back into her role.

"Why are you the housekeeper when you are just as much a princess as I am?" she asked, not budging.

"My mother used a surrogate to carry me, and being born a seedling, they took me. Unlike you, my change did not take, but at least I survived."

"So? Does it change that Azera's DNA makes you her daughter?"

"No, but it allows me to serve the new queen in an age of change."

"Please. Even Queen Akira's patience is not endless."

"Lead the way," Kay said, letting it go.

"Barker, take the princess's bags to her room, please. Your Highness, this way?"

"I know where the audience room is," she said, but Minerva only waited. She nodded and motioned for her to lead the way.

At those two imposing black doors with the ivory and gold inlays, her instincts once again almost made her tuck tail and run, but she countered them.

***

The doors opened as if by magic, and they entered the large ivory room with its white marble floors and that imposing carved mahogany chair with its gold inlays and red ruby designs.

Akira wasn't alone, her council was present, but only two of the four elders were familiar to her.

"Your Highness, thank you for seeing me," she said, their eyes on her.

"Is this official business?" Akira asked, and Kay shook her head. "Then it is a personal matter. Circe, are we done for the day? I require some time with my sister."

"There is nothing we cannot handle on our own, Your Highness," Circe said as the council rose to their feet and bowed.

"Then I will take my leave of you," she said, reaching Kay and taking her arm so they could walk in step.

"I hate this," she whispered when they were through the doors.

"I thought you would be used to ruling by now," Kay asked, glancing at her as they made their way into the hallway and out to the gardens that looked vastly different than they did when Azera decorated with it with her chillingly realistic sculptures of pain and humiliation.

"Father ruled; I just ended up being the go-between. I missed you. How about coming to the dark side and ruling at my side?" Akira offered unexpectedly.

"Thane didn't react well this morning when he thought I, too, would leave his side to come here," she admitted.

"He was rather stiff when he spoke to me. Did you two have a fight?" she asked as they reached the quaint new gazebo.

"Father did not tell you?"

"No. He only said you were visiting me."

"You left your communicator in Zeus' cell, and he tried to reach it. No one else could get it, so I went in."

"Did he harm you?" Akira asked, instantly concerned.

"Not physically."

"May I bring you anything to drink?" Minerva reminded them of her presence.

"Iced tea, please," Akira instructed, and they waited for her to leave.

"Were you aware that Father actually had a relationship with my mother? That he was in love with her until he realized it would never work and abandoned her to her fate?" she asked, and Akira blinked.

"What?"

No one could fake the stunned expression on her sister's face.

"That's why you had a name and not a number," she realized.

"I thought you worked with this kind of stuff? Seeding."

"Not always. Father rarely used his DNA in seedlings. Once in the last two thousand years. Which is a good thing since his DNA is too potent. At most, I just signed the permission orders and assigned the quantities."

"You seem shocked."

"Surprised. How didn't I learn about this?" she asked, a frown tugging at her brow.

"Zeus knew."

"Azera did a number on him," worry furrowed her brow, but something cold also filled her eyes. Whatever Zeus said that morning, it damaged her.

"It is strange that he didn't tell you."

"He probably thought I knew," Akira said, rubbing her temple.

"At least now he knows and accepts the truth, but I had to tell him what Azera wrote in her diary."

"That was cruel, Kay."

"He didn't mind being nasty to me, but yes. And he did something to you as well."

"Yes. He told me he only tolerated me as a child because Father ordered him."

"Despite not liking him, I would call that a lie. He knows how to push buttons; Azera taught him well."

"Your tea, Your Highnesses."

"Thank you, Minerva. We will serve ourselves."

"King Thane called your office, Your Highness. Lissa took a message. He inquired if Princess Kay was alright." Despite the glint of curiosity in her gaze, she didn't wait for an answer.

"Never have I seen my father so concerned about someone that he would call," Akira said, and the slight hurt in her eyes spoke volumes.

"I am sorry."

"For what? Doing what nineteen others before you could not do and soften Thane's stone heart?" she asked and didn't hide the pain.

"Azera hardened it."

"No, Kay. It was already more than half frozen when I was a child."

"He'd lost a lot in his life, but he's finally ready to feel."

"Now you are defending him?" she asked with a cocked brow.

"Don't tell him; I am still mad at him."

"Mad? Not furious? Not done?" she asked, and Kay shook her head.

"He is my father."

"Our father," Akira reminded, sitting back, settling her head on the chair, and relaxing. "Loving him is certainly not easy."

"Your Highness? You have guests in the foyer; should I bring them here?"Minerva asked, and Akira frowned at the disturbance.

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