form words as the four men that surround me remove their hoods, revealing their identities.
“What?” Mother gasps quietly.
Tears fill her eyes immediately as she stands and walks toward us. Inspecting each of them, she searches for recognition.
“James?” she asks when she gets to him.
He doesn’t answer her. His icy stare meets her wet eyes, but that’s the only movement he makes. She continues to Benji, who is standing next to James.
“Benjamin. Oh, my dear boy.”
“Mother.” Disdain drips from his voice as he greets her.
She crosses in front of me, stopping when she’s between Harry and Henry. Placing a palm on one of each of their cheeks, her eyes dart between them. Her silence makes me angry.
Does she not know who they are?
They follow James’ lead and regard her silently.
“Harry and Henry, Mother. That’s who they are.”
“I know. Of course, I know. They’re my children. I would never forget their faces.”
“You’d just banish them, callously?”
“Watch your tone,” Father barks from his throne.
“But the plan wasn’t for her to banish them, was it, Father?” I ask him. “How was it you planned to kill my brothers?”
“Silence!” he shouts, his voice echoing throughout the vast room.
“Leave us.”
Garrick and Oakley abandon their positions and leave the room, closing the door behind us.
“What courage you must possess, my daughter, to bring them here. Are you planning to kill me, too?”
“Of course not. This family has seen enough death. Andrew. Frederick. George. Louis. Do you remember them? I don’t, because I never got the chance to meet them. They died of the black plague, so it looks like there was one thing you weren’t lying about, Mother.”
Mother sobs under the weight of her guilt.
“You might be happy to know that Edward, Christopher, Philip, and Alexander are leading a somewhat normal life. They found love and started families of their own.”
Father’s disinterest in what I’m saying isn’t a surprise.
“What’s your plan, then, daughter of mine?”
“No plan. I just want you to make things right. Let them return to the castle and live the rest of their lives as they should have done all along. As Princes and as our future King.”
My father’s booming laughter makes my blood boil, even knowing he would not grant my wish. In fact, I was counting on him not to. Our entire plan rested on the hopes that our father is still the stone cold, uncaring person who wanted them dead eighteen years ago.
“Let them live here? Knowing that they all probably want to kill me? Do you consider me a fool, daughter?”
“Of course not. They forgave you years ago, but they didn’t return home out of fear that you would kill them on the spot.”
“Their choice to return here should scare them.”
I watch as Father looks from face to face, taking in the sight of his sons standing before him. Anxiety ripples through me, making my stomach ache.
“Guards!” he shouts and within seconds several men storm the room, surrounding us.
“No!” Mother and I both scream at the same time, but only her scream is genuine.
“Throw these men in the dungeons and send for the executioner.”
I stare my father down with nothing but hate and disgust. This time, my feelings are real.
“Tomorrow, we will have a feast in celebration of the Princess’ return. At sunrise the following day, we will watch as the four men responsible for abducting her are given the death they deserve.”
I can’t stop the tears from falling as the guards swarm my brothers. This is what we planned for, but I’m no less frightened that something isn’t going to go terribly wrong. Mother grabs me and pulls me from the ruckus. I watch on as my brothers struggle to get free from the guards who wrestle them to the ground. Tying their hands behind their backs, they’re led from the room, each turning to look at me one more time. I look upon them with hope and love, and I try to let them see that this isn't the way their stories will end.
“How can you be so cruel to your own children?” I turn to Father and scream at him.
“I did it for you, daughter mine. So you can rule this kingdom on your own. You’ll go down in history as the first Queen of Northshire.”
“And as Queen, I’ll make sure the knowledge of what happened here is passed along from generation to generation. There’ll be no one in the Sutherland line who won’t know of your cruelty and callousness. You’ll live in infamy as a stain