Jonas~~

"Do you actually believe we've done something wrong, Alastairi?" Hands cuffed together, Anastasie sits ramrod in her metal seat, her head tilted up toward the heir. She speaks in Amorian.

Alastair leans against the dark gray wall of one of the palace's underground interrogation rooms, his arms crossed. It's been three days since we went down into the catacombs. Colton is still at the hospital. Vienna's in a limo on her way back to the palace. Bently will be visiting him later.

Alastair's face is drawn tight, none of his usual good humor present. "When Elleany took over the United States, Amoria sanctioned it. It was decided that would be the home for our kind on this planet."

Alix and Abella sit together along the wall, silent, their expressions tense. Mid'haa is right beside them. She hasn't stopped glaring at Odette since the Amoris was brought into the room. Gwen stands at Alix's side, translating for them. I can't hear what she says, but Tobias must not approve because he shoots her a dark look. He checked for any listening devices within the room before this session began. The twins assured us there would be nothing of the sort, but he didn't believe them. His search turned up nothing though.

"France is Elleany's ally. We never would have sanctioned a takeover," Alastair says. "When the United States was taken over, they did not go and murder citizens on the street. They did not capture them to slaughter later."

"My Beta and Tresais killed no one." Odette sits behind her Order, her face sunken in and dark circles curved underneath her eyes. Odette's head is also tilted up toward Alastair, and I wouldn't be surprised if she was trying to see his Expiration Date.

From the seat beside me, Iris grips my arm, her nails digging into my arm through my long-sleeved shirt. Her other hand grips the edge of her seat as if she's trying to keep herself from launching herself at Odette. If she chooses to, I have no plans to stop her.

Bently's tucked in a separate corner than the one Erik and Sebastian are in. He's trembling, his arms crossed.

"Whatever punishment you give me," she continues, "they do not deserve the same. Though I hold that we deserve no punishment. We only did what was necessary to create a new home here, one where we"—she motions to her Beta and Tresais—"might be members of an Order."

Gwen frowns.

"Can you blame us?" Odette asks her.

"I don't begrudge you your desires, but you killed innocents."

"It was necessary."

Iris leans forward in her seat. "You enjoyed it," she seethes. "You liked seeing their blood pool at your feet. And you liked making us watch." Her voice cracks at the end, and my heart breaks. I place my hand on her thigh, letting her know I'm here. She hasn't spoken much about what they endured down there, but at night while she sleeps, she clings onto me.

Odette smiles softly. "Didn't you enjoy stabbing me?"

Iris's nostrils flare.

Isabeau turns to Bently. "We knew you weren't truly ours. Still I had hoped you might eventually see the light and want to be one of us."

There is only the promise of death in Bently's eyes.

For the next three hours, we continue to question them. The questions mainly come from Alix, Abella, and Alastair.

After we're done for today, Odette, Isabeau, and Anastasie are led away to temporary cells, and I exit the room, Iris at my side.

Staff dressed in gray uniforms work behind desks. Others stand in front of televisions mounted on the walls, the screens showing views of sidewalks. Down the hallway in both directions are doors that lead to more interrogation rooms.

I've still had no luck finding the Amoris who knows my secret. Even with visiting the prisoners, there are so many that I haven't been able to find him. Having to be careful to avoid his eyes, I can't study their faces too closely. They prisoners are currently being inputted into a database, and it's my chance to examine their faces without consequence. I check the new editions nightly, but he hasn't been added.

Gwen comes to stand on my other side. Erik quietly confers with Sebastian and Tobias off in the corner of the room, away from anyone else. Mid'haa breaks away from Alix, Abella, Alastair, and Bently and approaches us.

"I wanted to let you know that we're establishing a scholarship on behalf of the victims. Their deaths won't be forgotten, even if the precise details can never be shared."

Iris slips her hand into mine. "Thank you for letting us know."

Mid'haa bites her lip. "Thank you for choosing the right cup. I owe you my life."

Iris shakes her head. "Even if I required some sort of reward, the fact that you lived is payment enough."

"Would you care to walk with me?"

Iris squeezes my hand before letting go. "I'd be happy to." She presses a quick kiss against my cheek and follows Mid'haa up the stairs.

Gwen is silent as she and I walk up those stairs and through the palace. She only speaks to ask if we can go to my room.

Once inside, I shut the door behind us. She stops in the middle of the room, her arms crossed, and her lips turned down in a frown.

"What is it?" I say.

"I pity them."

"What?"

Raising her eyes to the ceiling, she lets out a sigh. "I understand why they did what they did."

"Odette is a murderer, and Anastasie and Isabeau are complicit in those murders."

"They knew they deserved power, and they fought for it. My whole life I knew I deserved the position of Tresais. That it was mine, but because of some meaningless tradition I was passed over. I worked hard every single day of my life to be better than all of you because I thought maybe if Father's Order saw that, they'd let me be Tresais, but then I had to stand to the side and watch as Erik was inducted into the position." She closes her eyes, and I take a step toward her, not knowing what to say. "Why is it that women have to rely on men to raise them up no matter what world they are on? Why are we kept from the power that we deserve?" Her blue eyes fix on me. "I was only given a chance at this position because Erik screwed up."

"Gwen, you know I could never have asked for a better Tresais than you."

She brushes her hair out of her face. "I know." She walks over to the dresser and leans against it. "Promise me that if you have girl—that if I have a girl, that they'll be in the next Order, khaleedi, that they won't be denied what's rightfully theirs."

I can picture those little girls, but what I can't picture is telling my sister they won't be in the Order. I sigh. "Amoria wouldn't approve, but at this point I can't even begin to tell you how much I want to tell all of them to go to hell."

A smile tugs at her lips. "I happen to be friends with the future head Preeminence."

I smile back at her. "How fortuitous." Completely disregarding that tradition would be a huge slap in the face to Amoria, but fortunately, it's one tradition for which I have time to figure out a solution. I take a seat on my bed. "Are you and he a thing now?"

"No." She waves her hand dismissively. "He's handsome, as I'm sure everyone has

noticed, but no. We are not a thing."

"Why do you sound like you're against the idea of you two being together?"

"For one, he lives on Amoria." It would be the longest long-distance relationship in history, and how would he even rule as head Preeminence from Elleany, or how would she rule as Tresais of Elleany from Amoria? "I don't have to love my husband, though I hope that I do. Regardless, I want him to be loyal to me, and you've heard the stories about Alastair."

"You believe them?"

"Not all of them, no, but some must have their basis in truth, and I have no interest in being part of a scandal."

"Some might say you being the Tresais is a scandal."

"If the heir to Amoria doesn't consider it to be one then no one else should. Alastair can do as he wishes. It makes no difference to me." The two of them are always in each other's presence. I have a hard time believing Alastair will so readily accept Gwen's words. "I only wish not to have a part in one if his scandals."

"For your reputation or heart?"

She's silent for a long time, holding my gaze. Finally, she says quietly, "My reputation, of course."

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