"Neither of them hurt me," she declared, her voice sure but soft. "If anything… It brought me peace. Knowing my mother was aware of the truth, and that my father hadn't kept it from her, it quieted something inside me. Despite his dark, cruel nature… she loved him. And she changed him more than anyone else ever could. Their reasons for hiding me were rooted in protection. That much, I understand. But, he didn't even bother to demand a meeting after revealing the truth to you. He could've at least explained…"
Her eyes dimmed slightly, the peace-giving way to a flicker of pain. "But there's still something that weighs on me…"
Kai instinctively wrapped his arms tighter around her, pressing her head gently to his chest. His chin rested on her crown, "Tell me," he urged, his voice low and protective.
