THE LAST SECRET KEEPER Secret Keeper series books 1-4

CHAPTER 21

Once a traitor, always a traitor. 

No sooner had Storm left for the barn, Herja showed her true colors once again. Perhaps it couldn't be helped - after all, she was common, but it didn't prevent Lanecea's heart from being torn out of her chest. 

There was no excuse, Storm's enviable wife trampling on her sacred vows while her husband was still on the property.

Lani held Revna close to her heart, sheltered in her arms as she looked away, trying to make herself numb, but it was impossible. It is the soul that feels and Lanecea was feeling very, very deeply. It didn't help much more when Herja shut herself inside her bedroom, leaving Lanecea and the children to deal with the aftermath, shockwaves rippling through them.

"She's not a priestess," Revna whispered, stating the obvious as she wrapped her arms around her priestess mamma.

Lanecea kissed the little girl's forehead, not bothering to wipe away her tears splashing onto the child's hair and upturned face.

"You really love Daddy..." Revna, ever observant, stated the obvious.

"Oh yes...I truly do," Her whisper breathed from the depths of Lani's soul.

"Maybe Dad knows and allows it," Thorson was at a loss. "I mean, he has to know, after all, he married her knowing what she is."

Lanecea didn't comment. Her migraine was getting worse by the second. 

"What is done is done. Will you please do me a favor?"

"Anything!"

Lanecea smiled at Thorson's enthusiasm, his eagerness to make her happy warming her troubled heart.

"Will you please look up online... search, please, the greatest mistresses in history. My hands are a little full at the moment, so will you please read the results to me?"

"Of course," Thorson was already typing in Lanecea's request into the Duck Duck Go search bar: Who were the greatest mistresses in history? 

Looking away for a moment, Lanecea's green eyes met his, reddened from weeping over Herja's treachery and still shimmering with tears. He couldn't understand why she would care who the greatest mistresses in history were when she was destined to be his first-class, treasured wife. That, however, remained his secret, his father the only other person who knew of Thorson's great plan. Thorson supposed Lanecea needed some comfort, although the list of articles wasn't able to hug her heart.

Thorson looked away, focusing on reading the first article.

"...Diane was a lifelong companion to the king. The king went so far as to bestow the Crown Jewels upon her when they were almost always given to the queen. Another famous symbol of their love, a design of their interlocking initials, H & D can still be found across the architecture in France today.

When he suffered an injury while jousting, his rightful queen decided she had had enough. Though her husband begged to see his mistress, Catherine would not allow it. Henry died shortly after without saying goodbye to his true love..."

"Oh, how tragically romantic!" Lanecea failed at stemming the flow of fresh tears with her free hand, Revna assisting, kissing Lanecea's tear-dampened cheeks.

"Utterly romantic," Revna agreed, brushing a damp curl from Lanecea's eyes. "She deserved to be very loved, I think."

Lanecea sighed straight to her toes, "Oh I just like her so much! I'm sure she and I would have been best friends..."