FAZER LOGINBefore leaving, Thomas entered the chapel one last time. He stood before the altar where he had learned the truth about himself only days before. For years, Saint Aldren's had been the place where he had been raised. Now it was also the place where he had learned where he came from.
The truth had been kept from him not because the monks were ashamed of his family. They had protected him because they loved him. And perhaps that was the greatest inheritance House Rowan had ever given him
Standing before Queen Vivienne in the council chamber, Kelvin felt the walls closing in around him. The words of his mother struck harder than he expected.He had spent months thinking that secrecy was protecting everyone. Jeremy from scandal. Elaine from humiliation. His family from disgrace. The crown from uncertainty. But the closer the engagement came, the less convincing that reasoning became.On New Year's Day, he would stand before the court and publicly accept Elaine as his future wife. There would be no ambiguity after that. No room to pretend that the engagement was merely an arrangement waiting to be completed. It would be a promise.And Kelvin knew there was someone else his heart had already promised itself to.He closed his eyes briefly. "What am I supposed to do?"Vivienne looked at her son with a sadness she did not explain. "I cannot answer that for you."With that said, she left him alone.Kelvin remained by the wind
By the beginning of the final week of the year, Evercrest Castle no longer felt like the place Jeremy had first entered months ago.The familiar corridors had been transformed. Garlands of winter greenery wound around the stone pillars, silver ribbons hung from the balconies, and the royal crest appeared everywhere, embroidered onto banners that stretched across the great hall. Servants moved constantly between rooms, carrying boxes, candles, flowers and polished ornaments.The castle was preparing for the New Year. More importantly, it was preparing for the prince's official engagement.Jeremy had never seen the household so busy. He spent most of his mornings assisting the senior servants with arrangements. One moment he was carrying instructions from the steward to the footmen; the next, he was helping arrange the smaller reception rooms or checking whether the candles meant for the eastern corridor had arrived.By midday, his feet usually ached.
The record chamber was quiet when Beatrice entered.It was late afternoon, and most of the castle had settled into the rhythm of the coming evening. Servants moved through the corridors preparing dinner, while the scribes had begun putting away the day's documents.Beatrice preferred the chamber at this hour. There were fewer interruptions.She closed the door behind her and crossed towards the long table where she had spent so many hours examining old records.The ledgers were still gone. That bothered her more than she cared to admit. Someone had taken them deliberately. She had searched every shelf twice, questioned the other scribes without revealing too much, even asked the steward whether any old records had been transferred elsewhere.Nothing. The books had simply disappeared.Beatrice pulled a chair towards the table and sat. If she couldn't find the ledgers, she would have to reconstruct what she remembered. So she took out a fresh
Morning came quietly to Evercrest.Jeremy had been awake for some time before he finally opened his eyes. For a while, he remained still under the blankets, staring at the pale light gathering across the ceiling.Then memory returned. He closed his eyes again. What had happened between him and Kelvin was no longer something he could dismiss as a stolen glance or an accidental touch. Whatever uncertainty had existed between them had been stripped away.They had crossed a line. And Jeremy did not know whether to be relieved or afraid of what waited on the other side.He sat up slowly. His room was quiet. Somewhere beyond the door, servants were already moving through the corridors. Footsteps passed. Doors opened and closed. Someone called for hot water. The castle was beginning another ordinary day, and Jeremy wished his heart would do the same.Eventually, he dressed and went about his morning duties. Throughout the early hours of the day, he carrie
Before leaving, Thomas entered the chapel one last time. He stood before the altar where he had learned the truth about himself only days before. For years, Saint Aldren's had been the place where he had been raised. Now it was also the place where he had learned where he came from.The truth had been kept from him not because the monks were ashamed of his family. They had protected him because they loved him. And perhaps that was the greatest inheritance House Rowan had ever given him. Not a title. Not land. Not wealth. A mother who had chosen his life over her own.He bowed his head. "Thank you," he said with a silent voice.Brother Matthias stood in the doorway. "You'll come back."Thomas turned. "I will.""When?"He smiled. "When I have something worth telling you."The old monk laughed. "You already do."A comfortable moment of silence passed as Thomas's eyes caught Brother Matthias's. "I don't think I have thanked you eno
Thomas did not sleep that night. He remained by the narrow window of his room long after the monastery had fallen silent, watching snow gather upon the courtyard below.House Rowan.The name kept returning to him. It belonged to people he had never known, yet somehow it belonged to him too. He had spent his entire life believing that his story began at Saint Aldren's. Now he understood that it had begun somewhere else. Before he had a memory. Before he could speak. Before he could even choose his own name.Thomas touched the cold glass. He wondered what his life might have been like if his family had survived. Would he have grown up in a great estate? Would he have learned court etiquette from tutors instead of Brother Matthias? Would he have worn fine clothes instead of repairing his own boots?He almost laughed at the thought.Then his smile faded. He knew the answer did not matter. That life had never been his.This one was.*







