Their Hidden Princess (Zora) novel Chapter 223

Chapter 223

Thome

The door closed behind Zora and Thorne turned to look at his adoptive mother. Rage seemed to be spilling out of her like smoke out of a chimney. He was suddenly far more awake than he’d been for the whole time they’d been

in the office.

He’d barely remembered getting into the office, honestly. He’d felt ground under his feet and wind rushing by him but other than that, it’d been a blur. Fuck that fucking mage and whatever spell he’d been hit with..

As he looked back at the Queen, he realized now was not the time to be complaining about one of her employees. He swallowed thickly and opened his mouth to speak. Victoria shot a hand out and stopped him.

“You’ve done enough talking, Thorne,” she said, so calm it chilled him to his core. He almost shivered as Victoria dropped her hand and met his eyes with her own. He cursed himself as he realized they were almost the same color as Zora’s. How had he been so daft?

“I understand that I have not been a very attentive mother,” Victoria continued. “And so many this acting out is part of my fault, but Gods be damned Thorne. A succubus?!”

“The patterns fit,” Thorne said sharply. “Had I not been kept in the dark, maybe I would’ve let them go.‘

Victoria jammed a finger in his direction and rose to her feet. “You don’t get to be angry with me right now,” she snapped. “You have no right when you’ve endangered my daughter-‘

“Your daughter I didn’t even know existed!” Thorne cut off the queen. He cursed himself internally for being so brash and felt heat flare up in his cheeks. He took a half a breath in to calm himself then continued.

“I mean, she had Amara arrested, Victoria,” Thorne said, gentler than before. “Do you really care more for the kid you had sent away than the one you raised her entire life?”

Victoria brought her bottom lip between her teeth before sighing and closing her eyes. “No daughter of mine drinks vampire blood,” she whispered. Her voice was shaky and he knew how disappointed she was in Amara. She straightened back up and looked at Thorne plainly.

“Besides that Zora is my daughter,” she said. “She’s also a student of this school. One who came here with no knowledge of who she was or what she is. And instead of being kind and taking her under your wing, you and your friends sought her out as a target.

“Then why aren’t you saying the same things to Max and Kairos,” Thorne said back. He laughed, humorlessly.” Is it because they’re now plot piece in your plan?”

“You could’ve been too,” Victoria snapped. “Had you not broken your bond because she was wolfless-”

“Well, I fixed that for her, didn’t it?” Thorne hissed. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands before dropping them in his lap and looking at his adoptive mother. “You must know I did this all to protect all the promises I made you.”

“Promises I never asked you to make,” Victoria shook her head. She frowned. “I would’ve liked you to be happy with your fated mate over rather than married because I asked you to. I had no idea that your fated mate would be the same person I’d be asking you to marry.”

+25 Bonus

“None?” Thorne scoffed,

Victoria tilted her head, “Not with any certainty,” she said, “I knew Zora would have to be fated to the strongest of our bloodlines. Given that the Blythwitch legacy is strong, it makes sense. But my first thought was the Hight Alphas.”

Thorne scowled. “Which my father should’ve been.”

“I regret not standing up for his title,” Victoria said, solemnly. “I’ve told you that every time we’ve talked about it. But it doesn’t negate what you’ve done here.”

“I’ve protected what I’ve known,” Thorne threw back. “I’ve been loyal to the crown.”

Victoria gave him a said smile. “Something that would’ve made your father proud,” she said. “But me? I’m just disappointed you didn’t lean with the empathy I imbued in you.”

Thorne stared at her, utterly unaware of what to say next. Victoria knew her words cut him deeply. She’d always tried to emphasize empathy over loyalty to the crown. And he’d gone and fucked up every lesson she taught him.

She stood up and the guards left with her stiffened and got into formation. She was leaving and leaving him there, alone. She looked at him one final time.

“Until you earn forgiveness from Zora, consider yourself uninvolved in the fulfillment of the prophecy,” she stated. “You’ve been stripped of your knight role to Zora. You are to follow orders from your usual commander in event of a vampire attack. Do you report to Zora. Understood?” 1

Thorne paused for a moment before silently nodding his head. Victoria nodded in return. She gathered her robes and swung her red curls over her shoulder. It was nearly identical to how he’d seen Zora wrangle them before. Another knife wedged it’s way into his heart.

Victoria turned and left the office without another word. Her royal guard flanking her sides. Thorne felt like there was a gaping wound in his soul as she left. He had nothing now. He wasn’t a night. He wasn’t part of the prophecy fulfillment.

He.

Was.

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