ravaged hearts

CHAPTER TWELVE,

RAVAGED HEARTS | CHAPTER TWELVE

  "THEY'RE A LITTLE slow, but they'll figure it out eventually. I don't understand why you won't let me tell them, though, it doesn't have nearly as much of an effect as it did say... ten years ago."

  "It's still potentially damaging," Io replied swiftly. "The amount of chaos it could start is reason enough for me not to tell anyone."

  "You're a daughter and a bastard, and it's been more than twenty years since the old Saian dynasty fell. No one will think of putting you on the throne."

  "There's still loyalists out there, and I'm not willing to risk it." Constanza, who clearly saw that her mind was set, said nothing, just sighed. Io continued, "What I don't understand is why he'd be involved in this. Does he think Melique can restore the old dynasty? Their own country just got destroyed, they have no power. Especially not against Sai. The defeat... the defeat was crushing on all levels, Constanza. Economically, politically, territory-wise, power-wise, intelligence-wise. Even if Melique is completely left alone without interference to redevelop, it'll take decades."

  "Maybe he's willing to wait."

  "He's in his... fifties. He doesn't have long to wait. He has no children. Most of the blood of the old royal family are either dead or siding with the Yie dynasty. Even if Melique does restore the dynasty, there will be no one to take over."

   "Maybe he just wants revenge."

   "How? The Meliqueans can't help him. So why is he hiding Bailen's children for him? Why is he even in Melique?"

  "It's easy to hide there," Constanza suggested, "no one would think to look. Not that anyone wants to look in the first place. You've investigated him before."

  "When I was younger," Io admitted with a quick, brash nod. "When I was still after revenge."

  "Are you now?"

She shook her head. "He's a bastard, but I don't need to be the one to pass judgement on him.  Someone else can do it, I have too little time on my hands."

  "But if you come face to face with him, would you kill him?"

Io flexed her fingers. Face and mind blank, she said, "I might. For what he did to me and my mother."

  "Your mother—"

Io looked up at the girl with a stare of steel and iron. "Her blood is on his hands."

  "I know." There was sympathy on Constanza's face. They were both orphans. Constanza's father had been executed by the old Meliquean regime. Both of them had lost family to injustice, been affected heavily by it. It was why they both stood here now instead of living in some homely scene of domestic bliss.

  In a quiet voice that seemed quite unnatural to someone like her, Io said, "He killed her."

  Constanza sat down beside her, wrapping one arm around Io's shoulder, pulling her closer. "I know, Io, I know."

  "If our paths cross, he's going down." Io's voice was firm. No, she wouldn't actively seek him  out, he wasn't worth that much of her time, but if they ran into each other, he would find himself with a blade lodged in his throat for what he did to her mother and countless other women.

  "He'll deserve it,"

  Io just nodded. There was nothing else for her to say.

-♡-

  "YOU NEVER TOLD me you were a royal bastard."

  "You never asked."

  "It's not something you go around asking people, Io."