It was apparent to her that his mother was a sore subject. She knew from council meetings that she’d passed only two years before. “I’d still hard to talk about my mother sometimes,” she quietly admitted. “Though she’s been gone since I was a girl.” Her eyes met his. “It didn’t get easier, just different.”
“When you’re next in line to be a lord, you grow up being prepared for your father’s death. They forget to prepare you for your mother’s.”
“Yes. All the planning for my future has been around the underlying cause of planning for my father’s death. And honestly, I would gladly never be queen if it meant that day never came.”
He gave her a sad smile. “I understand.” He cleared his throat, as if clearing away words unsaid, joining her in petting Lake. “So now that you’ve met Lake, when d
