“You’re not Jack.”

  Those three words hung in the air between us. Lady Erenna stood rigid, as though any movement might shatter what little certainty she still possessed. She kept staring at me, her breathing shallow and uneven, as if pleading for me to refute those words.

  “No. Not exactly,” I said quietly.

  Her face crumpled.

  “Give me back my son,” she asked, her voice breaking, as tears began flowing down her cheeks.

  “I am sorry, my lady,” I said softly. “I am not some evil spirit that stole his body.”

  Her restraints shattered, as she broke into sobs. Her knees buckled.

  Reshma, who had been watching us silently, caught the woman and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close.

  She rocked the older woman gently, as her sobs turned into wails of anguish.

  I found a chair, placed it next to the door and sat down.

  As Lady Erenna’s wails subsided into shuddering breaths, Reshma turned to me, her expression hard, protective, furious and afraid; without any affection she usually held for me.

  “What do you intend to do to us,” she asked.

  “I would like your cooperation in keeping my identity secret.”

  “And if we don’t?” she said with narrowed eyes.

  I did not answer immediately.

  My gaze drifted to the woman in her arms, who clutched at Reshma as if she were drowning.

  “I guess I could have her confined to her chambers. I would rather not do it, though.”

  “And me?”

  “I don’t know, Reshu. I didn’t think this through,” I almost laughed at my stupidity.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, obviously.”

  “Don’t use that name!” she spat. “Does Laira know?”

  “I told her I’m keeping some secrets, but I was clear about my character, goals and motivations.”

  “They are?”

  “Just living a nice life. Help her save Nanon and improve it a bit. A lot, to be honest.”

  She studied me, suspicion warring with reluctant belief.

  “You’re so confident it needs improvement.”

  “Reshma, even the richest people here are dirt poor by the standards of the place where I come from.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Your people live in palaces made of gold?”

  I almost laughed. “No. What use is gold if you die to a myriad of diseases or even some minor injury, same as a poor peasant?”

  Her eyes widened. “You have the cure to them all?”

  “Sadly, no, but I do know how to create a society that can produce them. Half the children here die before reaching the age of fifteen. That would be unthinkable in my old world.”

  Her eyes narrowed, as she stroked the crying woman’s back.

  “How?”

  “Even Laira will find that out only after the marriage.”

  “You think I will let you marry her?”

  I fixed her with a stare. “I did not lie to Laira about anything, besides my identity. She decided to marry me after finding out what kind of man I am. Or do you believe this is all that defines us?” I patted my chest.

  She finally faltered. “She said you could do something about her fear of pregnancy. Is that really true?”

  “I have no magic wand, but I can significantly decrease the chances of her dying from childbirth.”

  The older woman separated herself from Reshma, the well of her tears having run dry. She turned to look at me, her eyes red and swollen.

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  “What are you?” she asked in a hoarse voice.

  I exhaled slowly. “A person like anyone else. Just from a very different place, and a very different time. I died. Then I found myself in a dark void and ‘Someone,’” I pointed to the sky, “spoke to me. The next thing I know, I’m in a half dead body of Jack Nobart. Luckily that Someone gave me a blessing, so the body that should’ve died recovered.”

  “What happened to my son?”

  “According to the Cha, he did not recover from the wounds he received fighting Zock’s men. He almost died at one point. I’m guessing that’s when that Someone shoved me inside this body.”

  “How much of my son is still there?”

  “I have some memories, but they are fragmented. Maybe some feelings as well. I don’t think of you as a complete stranger.”

  I waited for her response, but none came.

  Minutes passed, before she looked me in the eyes, having come to a decision.

  “You will not wear my son’s name lightly. You will not mock his memory, nor use him as a mask for indulgence.”

  “I won’t.”

  “You will protect his sister,” she continued. “Not as an obligation. As a priority.”

  I nodded.

  She drew a steadying breath.

  “You are Count Nobart, by law and blood. If I were to question it, call you a bastard, I could invite the Church and every ambitious cousin to descend upon us like scavengers. Why did you take such a risk?”

  “Lying can destroy a person from the inside. Widespread lies can topple even empires.”

  “Foolish boy.” She almost laughed.

  “You could’ve kept insisting you were transformed by your experiences and I would’ve eventually accepted it.”

  “Maybe, but you deserved to know the truth. You had almost figured it out.”

  She sighed, then looked me in the eyes. “When you no longer need us, and this county, will you discard us?”

  “No,” I said immediately.

  “Very well. You may call me mother in public. I will decide if you can do so privately.”

  I nodded, then looked at Reshma.

  She sighed, then nodded her agreement.

  “The next time you feel like destroying everything you’ve built in a moment of moral righteousness, come to me first so I can smack some sense into you.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  We went back to the balcony, where Elric and Moore watched us, suspicion and confusion warring in their eyes.

  “Whatever happened between me and my mother will remain between the two of us. You will keep your speculations to yourself,” I said to the two men.

  They looked to Lady Erenna for confirmation, who nodded.

  “Let’s get back to work. I want Nobart to be stable before I leave. Some of the source of that instability is unfortunately my own family. Aunt Osilda’s case is already decided; she will be given respect but no authority. Gunter already dug his own grave with his blabbering mouth yesterday. How do we deal with Olfric?”

  “I heard he offered to renounce his claim to the line of succession?” Elric asked.

  I nodded.

  “He is a capable young man, Sire. Despite all his… shortcomings, he could be useful in bringing peace to the county.”

  “I won’t make him the face of such peace, Elric. He’s power hungry and definitely not loyal. He would use the position as leverage for his own goals.”

  Our discussion was interrupted by muffled noises beyond the door to the balcony. Someone was talking loudly with the soldiers guarding it. My guards and Moore stiffened.

  The talking subsided, and the door opened. A clearly panicked soldier stumbled in. Out of breath, he stared blankly at us for a heartbeat before going down to his knees.

  “Lords Gunter and Olfric are missing, Sire!”

  Moore was immediately upon him. “When?”

  “We discovered it only moments ago. Servants were delivering breakfast when they found the chambers empty.”

  I exhaled, then looked at Moore. “Begin a sweep of the entire castle. Seal the gates.”

  Another soldier came running and went down on his knees.

  “A carriage is missing from the stables, Sire.”

  “Anyone saw it leaving?” Moore asked.

  “It left at the crack of dawn.”

  I groaned, then spoke to no one, “Let’s see if we can still avoid a civil war.”

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