~ I have enclosed two letters from your mother. One is for you and the other is for Ailia. Please give it to her when you find her.
Nora looked up with tears streaming down her face. She lowered the scroll and glanced over at Lucia.
Torn by this new information, Lucia closed her eyes tightly. If I seek my sister out and find her, she will know who she is and Eiess will not be after me anymore. If I do not find her, Nora will probably do it herself.
Who was this man she called father really? She had always thought he was a man of integrity, one who she could trust to do the right thing, no matter what. Yes, he was harsh and cruel at times, but dishonest? Unfaithful, as Vilda had claimed? A… fraud? She unsuccessfully fought back her tears and wept in Nora’s arms, waiting, hoping that the pain would subside, but no release of heartache came to her and her hurt only grew deeper. The loss of life and loss of trust was too devastating to take in and too painful to speak out loud. Now that she knew Nora was part of that deceitful circle, it made her even angrier.
“Oh, my king,” Nora said finally. “May your soul rest in peace.”
“Now I am all alone,” Lucia said.
“No, you have a sister! And you have me, do not forget. We will need to find Ailia as soon as you recover,” Nora said.
Lucia looked at Nora soberly. “I will recover and we will find her,” she said firmly, her eyes focused and clear. Better to have Nora think I care. Do I care? She tried not to think about the voice in her head that mourned her parents’ deceit more than their deaths, and which killed her trust in them and all she had ever held dear.
* * *