"Nothing." Thomas said simply. "Nothing would happen if you declined, princess. I am not here to give commands, only to offer counsel."
Ines turned slightly to look at him. "Then speak your counsel plainly, Premier."
He inclined his head. "My only wish is that King Cillian's legacy not be stained by fear and ignorance."
"The kingdom mourns him, yes, but they also whisper. They whisper that the king fell because of corruption, that his hybrid blood turned him into something unholy before the end. I would see that rumor silenced."
Her expression didn't shift, but the way her shoulders tensed showed that his words had struck something.
"You want me to tell them otherwise?" she asked.
"I want you to tell them the truth," Thomas replied. "That those who fought beside him that night, the hybrids, were not monsters, but men. That they fought with their sanity intact, with loyalty to the crown and kingdom. That they bleed and die as we all do."
