The king was unraveling.
"Your Majesty," Thessaly began gently, "the sage was prepared for this. He gave us specific instructions, and the first is to make sure that you do not get involved."
Damien's jaw clenched. His gaze turned to the horizon again.
"From this point on," she continued, taking a cautious step forward, "it doesn't concern you. And the queen cannot know."
How could he not tell her? How could he lie by omission as her body carried the very life that Veyron had risked his own to protect?
He turned to Thessaly at last, eyes raw with fury barely restrained. "If he's captured, it means…"
"It means that we trust Veyron's foresight. He said if this happened, your role ends here. You must keep the queen calm. You must act as if nothing has happened. He believed in your leadership, but more importantly… he believed the child must be born alive. Be rest assured, he would die rather than involve you."
"What do you mean us?"
