The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

“I know.” He lowered his hand. “It wasn’t something any
of us enjoyed, but it had to be done.”
“It didn’t have to be done.” Tears crowded my eyes. “He
was a kid, and he was innocent.”
“Innocents die all the time. You spent the entirety of
your life in Solis. You know that to be true.”
“And that makes it okay to harm another?”
“No. But the end justified the means. The people of
Atlantia will understand that,” Jansen countered. I couldn’t
fathom how anyone could understand the murder of a child.
“And why do you even care? You stood by and witnessed
people being starved, abused, and given over to the Rite.
You did nothing.”
“I didn’t know the truth then,” I spat, blinking back
tears.
“And does that make it okay?”
“No. It doesn’t,” I said, and his eyes widened slightly.
“But I didn’t always stand by and do nothing. I did what I
could.”
“It wasn’t enough.”
“I didn’t say it was.” I drew in a ragged breath. “Why are
you doing this?”
“It is my duty to stop any and all threats to Atlantia.”
A hoarse laugh of disbelief left me. “You know me.
You’ve known me for years. You know I’m not a threat. I
wouldn’t have done anything in that Temple if I hadn’t been
threatened.”
“That is what you say now. One day, that will change,”
he said. “Strange how small the world is, though. The whole
purpose of assuming the role I did was to ensure an open
pathway between Casteel and you. I spent years living a lie,
all so he could capture the Maiden and use her to free his
brother and gain back some of our stolen land. I had no idea
what you were or even why you were the Maiden.”
“And him marrying me felt like a betrayal to you?” I
surmised.