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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe paper used for the letter matches stationery purchased in Virginia by Ms. Rachel Carter. The signature was reproduced using old medical documents signed by Commander Carter. Furthermore, the postage was charged to an account connected to Ms. Carter\u2019s event-planning business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel\u2019s hands lowered slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even the bouquet seemed to bend beneath the pressure of her fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexander watched her in silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His expression was that of a man who suddenly no longer recognized the person standing before him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRachel\u2026\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She turned quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A flash of fear appeared in her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlex, listen to me. I can explain everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI believe that would be appropriate,\u201d the king commented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was when I noticed the change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was almost imperceptible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I knew my sister too well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The confused and vulnerable young bride disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In her place, I saw the Rachel I remembered from childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same girl who had once broken our mother\u2019s favorite vase, hidden the pieces beneath my bed, and cried so convincingly that I had ended up feeling guilty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel lifted her chin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFine,\u201d she said. \u201cYes. I sent the letter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A wave of shock swept through the guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I felt my blood turn cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first time since the accusation began, Rachel looked directly at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou were never there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her voice had changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every word seemed sharpened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou were always away. Always the brave one. Always the one sacrificing everything. Mom kept your medals in the living room as if they were sacred objects. Every conversation ended with your name. Where Emma was. What Emma had been through. How strong Emma was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not because anything was funny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But because those words were nearly impossible to endure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur mother was dying,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd she kept asking for you!\u201d Rachel exploded. \u201cEven when I was the one who was there. I paid the bills. I arranged the appointments. I took care of the house while you sent postcards and excuses no one could verify.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chapel began to feel distant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had been deployed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I called whenever I could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I was granted emergency leave, I came home and slept for nine nights beside our mother\u2019s hospital bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then Rachel told me she could handle everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She accused me of attracting attention and sympathy from others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suddenly, I remembered her words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And something inside me broke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou told me Mom didn\u2019t want me to stay,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel\u2019s eyes changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a moment, I saw something on her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It lasted barely a second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then it disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prince Alexander moved away from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow many other things have you lied about?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel opened her mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No answer came.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The king spoke instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEnough to force me to question every aspect of this engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexander turned toward his father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou knew all of this before today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had suspicions,\u201d the sovereign replied. \u201cThe confirmation arrived this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel grew even paler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis morning?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The king looked in my direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen Commander Carter\u2019s neighbor contacted the palace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I immediately thought of Mrs. Alvarez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She lived across the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That morning, she had stood on her porch in her bathrobe, pretending not to watch the royal guards outside my door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kind Mrs. Alvarez fed every stray cat in the neighborhood and seemed to know every piece of local news before sunset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe saw the guards?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe saw your sister leaving your house two weeks ago,\u201d the king explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel really had come to see me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had cried at my kitchen table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She told me she was overwhelmed by the wedding preparations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And she had asked for only one thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That I stay away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to her, my military career made Alexander uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The royal family, she added, preferred discreet people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My presence might embarrass her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I had believed her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe because I was tired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe because some old wounds become so familiar that they begin to feel like truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat did she tell the palace?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The secretary removed another document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMrs. Alvarez reported that after leaving your home, Rachel Carter threw several envelopes into a trash container near the curb. Believing they might contain official documents, Mrs. Alvarez retrieved them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel muttered something under her breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I couldn\u2019t understand the words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The secretary continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAmong the envelopes were two still-sealed letters from the palace addressed to Commander Carter. One contained a new official invitation. The other was a personal message from His Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The king\u2019s expression softened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had hoped to meet you again under very different circumstances,\u201d he said. \u201cWithout scandal and without all this commotion. Your sister, however, continued to prevent it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel looked around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was searching for someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An ally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyone willing to break the silence and defend her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the guests simply continued watching her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was no compassion in their eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only the silent curiosity people feel when they witness something collapsing in front of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexander clenched his jaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he looked at Rachel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou told me your sister refused to meet my family because she considered us beneath her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My heart seemed to stop in my chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat did you just say?\u201d I managed to ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel closed her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prince Alexander, however, did not look away from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou told me Emma despised the royal family,\u201d he continued, his voice now loud enough to reach every corner of the chapel. \u201cYou said she considered us nothing more than decorative figures, useless people supported by the kingdom. You also made me believe she refused to attend the wedding because she thought I was using you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was speechless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The absurdity of those accusations nearly stole my breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before that day, I had never met Alexander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had never spoken to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had never expressed a single opinion about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel\u2019s fingers tightened around the bouquet stems. Several white petals broke away from the roses and slowly fell onto the chapel floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was afraid,\u201d she confessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexander let out a short laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was no amusement in the sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfraid of what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel lifted her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, I no longer saw the fragile bride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t see the wounded sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were no carefully practiced tears or prepared words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mask had finally fallen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was afraid of coming second,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those words did not need to echo through the chapel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They reached me directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For years, I had believed Rachel was angry because of my absence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I thought she hated my uniform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The distance my service had created between me and our family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only then did I understand the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel did not hate the fact that I had left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She hated that even when I was far away, part of me continued to be present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our mother\u2019s photographs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the medals displayed in the living room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our relatives\u2019 questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In their memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t want you here,\u201d Rachel continued. \u201cNot because you might embarrass me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She took a deep breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t want you here because you would attract attention. Like always.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stared at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou walk into a room and people want to know your story. You don\u2019t even have to try, Emma. That\u2019s what I hate most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I could have answered her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had years of unspoken words inside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sentences harsh enough to hurt her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Truths capable of permanently destroying whatever remained of our relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a moment, I wanted to say everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I truly looked at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I didn\u2019t see an enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I saw a woman who had spent so much time fearing she was invisible that she had tried to erase her own sister from her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That realization hurt more than anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The king slowly turned toward Alexander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy son,\u201d he said, \u201cthe decision is yours. But I will not give my blessing to a marriage built on deception.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel dropped the bouquet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She grabbed both of Alexander\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlex, please.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her voice broke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexander lowered his gaze to their intertwined hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For several endless seconds, no one moved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he slowly freed his fingers from her grasp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pain on his face was unmistakable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think you love what this life represents,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cThe palace. The title. The people watching you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He raised his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut I no longer know whether you ever truly loved me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel\u2019s face seemed to collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that moment, the great chapel doors opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two royal guards entered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their weapons were not drawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They shouted no orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They simply walked down the aisle with the calm of men who knew the ceremony was already over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Near the front row, the wedding planner suddenly burst into tears. She was still clutching her notepad and staring at the arch of white roses above the altar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at it too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only minutes earlier, I had thought it was beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now it seemed too perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too white.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Almost artificial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The king turned toward the guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe ceremony is suspended.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those four words destroyed the last appearance of order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The guests stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whispers became heated conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Camera flashes illuminated the chapel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Someone in the back rows raised a phone to film the scene, but a guard discreetly motioned for them to lower the device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexander crossed the aisle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He passed Rachel without touching her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he disappeared through a side door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel remained alone before the altar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I should have felt satisfied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The truth had come out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My name had been cleared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone had finally seen what I had spent years trying to ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet I felt no sense of victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was simply tired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEmma.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was the first time that entire day Rachel had said my name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at her in silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow you have everything,\u201d she whispered. \u201cAre you happy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was when I realized she still didn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe she never would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI never wanted to have everything,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My voice was calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI only wanted you to stop taking things that didn\u2019t belong to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her gaze hardened again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this time, tears still slid down her cheeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The guards did not have to escort her out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel descended the altar steps on her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her long silk gown rustled around her ankles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The diamonds continued to sparkle at her throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every step she took was watched by the same people she had tried so desperately to impress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When she reached me, she stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For one brief moment, I no longer saw two adult women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We were children again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two sisters standing in the hallway outside our mother\u2019s bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Listening to her breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both frightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both convinced the other had been loved more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel leaned close to my ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t over,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she continued toward the doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I did not turn to watch her leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several hours later, I stood on one of the palace\u2019s western balconies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evening had fallen over Velaris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sky was painted lavender and gold, with delicate shades of pink. Below me, the streets of the capital twisted between ancient stone buildings and small bell towers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the distance, beyond the cliffs, the sea caught the last rays of sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything was so peaceful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No alarms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No voices shouting orders through a damaged radio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only the distant sound of bells and the wind coming from the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Behind me, the palace was still trying to recover from the scandal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staff moved through the marble corridors almost silently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The royal press office prepared cautious statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black cars left the main courtyard one after another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Somewhere in the palace, Alexander was probably trying to accept the end of the future he had imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I placed both hands on the railing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My uniform suddenly felt heavy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCommander Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I knew that voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The king stood in the balcony doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In one hand, he held his cane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the other, he carried a small velvet case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without the throne, the guards, or the entire court surrounding him, he once again looked like the man I had met that night at sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arthur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man I had dragged from the black water during a storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I could still remember his freezing fingers gripping mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His weak breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And his stubborn determination to remain conscious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour Majesty,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He made a dismissive gesture with one hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cArthur,\u201d he replied. \u201cAt least when we are alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wasn\u2019t exactly sure how to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I remained silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The king approached and stopped beside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For several seconds, we watched the sea together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor three years,\u201d he finally said, \u201cI wondered why you rejected every attempt I made to thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t reject them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The wind stirred the silver hair at his temples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he opened the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inside was a star-shaped medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At its center gleamed a deep sapphire surrounded by a thin ring of gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Order of Saint Mary,\u201d he explained. \u201cVelaris\u2019s highest civilian honor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He smiled slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNormally, it is presented during a very long ceremony. There are speeches. Music. And, frankly, an excessive number of people forced to remain standing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I couldn\u2019t help myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He removed the medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI would like you to accept it now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I lowered my gaze toward the small star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Part of me wanted to refuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wanted to return to my old life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A life where recognition came rarely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A life of missions without photographs, names blacked out in reports, and operations no one would ever discuss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had learned to believe that survival was reward enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I thought of the letters thrown into the trash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I thought of my mother\u2019s fragile hands brushing over my medals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I thought of every time I had lowered my voice, hidden my accomplishments, and made myself smaller to keep the peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had always called that humility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe it had simply been fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I slowly bowed my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The king pinned the medal beneath my ribbons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sapphire caught the final ray of sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you, Emma,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I raised my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor saving you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arthur smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He gave a small nod toward the palace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor finally coming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before I could answer, the balcony doors flew open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The royal secretary appeared in the doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His face was tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arthur turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I immediately felt an old instinct awaken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same instinct that, during a mission, warned me of danger before anyone even said the word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRachel?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The secretary shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stepped forward and handed me an envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The edges were worn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the front, I immediately recognized handwriting I had not seen in years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My mother\u2019s handwriting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My heart began pounding again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere did you find this?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAmong the documents recovered from your sister\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I took the envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My hands, which had never trembled during storms, evacuations, or missions under fire, suddenly refused to remain steady.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the back were only five words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FOR EMMA. ONLY AFTER MY DEATH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I slowly raised my gaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arthur watched me in silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I opened the envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inside, I found a photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two young women stood in front of the palace of Velaris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One was my mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I recognized her smile immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other woman wore a small crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turning the photograph over, I found a date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thirty-two years earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And beneath the date, a sentence written by my mother:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emma, if you are reading this, it means Rachel has finally discovered enough to become dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stopped breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I continued reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next sentence changed everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
King Arthur is not the first member of the royal family our family has saved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The wind seemed to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at the king.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arthur was staring at the photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All color had drained from his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou knew my mother?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first time since I had met him, the king looked afraid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEmma,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he pointed to the crowned woman in the photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat was my sister.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I felt the world tilt beneath my feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arthur closed his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd she died thirty years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He slowly opened them again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt least\u2026 that is what the kingdom has always believed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clutching my mother\u2019s letter between my fingers, I watched the lights of Velaris come alive one by one below us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That morning, I thought I had been dragged to the palace to witness my sister\u2019s wedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I discovered I had saved a king.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I watched years of lies collapse before an entire royal court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I believed the story was finally over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because Rachel had not only tried to erase my name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had found something our mother had hidden for thirty years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Something connected to the royal family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Something someone had already lied about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And perhaps killed for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at the letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then at the king.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cArthur,\u201d I said slowly, \u201cI think we need to find my sister.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the distance, beyond the palace gates, a black car sped into the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And in the back seat, hidden from our eyes, Rachel clutched the second half of our mother\u2019s letter in her hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The half containing the real name of the woman who could destroy the crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
THE END\u2026 OR MAYBE ONLY THE BEGINNING.<\/p>\n\n\n\n