The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

how hopeless it would be to believe that you could fight
against Solis.”
“Then why haven’t you just seized Atlantia?” Casteel
demanded.
“Half of my armies would die or become lost crossing
the Skotos. Even the Revenants wouldn’t fare well in the
mist,” she stated. “Besides, I do not want the Atlantian
people to hate me. I want their respect. Their loyalty. Not
their loathing.”
“Well,” Casteel started. “That ship has already sailed.”
“Feelings can be changed,” she said dismissively.
“Especially when their Queen is the daughter of the Queen
of Solis.”
“My mother?” I laughed hoarsely. “I thought you were
my grandmother.”
“I don’t know why that silly bitch told you that,” she
replied. “Duchess Teerman was loyal but not exactly the
most intelligent.”
I shook my head in utter disbelief. “Your claim of being
my mother is such a ridiculous lie, I cannot believe you
would even think that I would entertain such a statement.”
“Oh, please do not tell me that you still believe Coralena
is your mother. That treacherous bitch did not carry you for
nine months and then spend hours screaming in pain to
bring you into this world,” she spat, climbing the wide, short
steps that circled the entire chamber and led to the alcove
of the curtained windows.
“Neither did you,” I growled.
“Is that so?” she replied.
“You’re a vampry.” Casteel’s hand pressed against my
lower back. “You cannot have children.”
“She is not a vampry,” Ian said, looking at me. His
features were drawn. “And she speaks the truth. She is your
mother.”
“Coralena was Ian’s mother. Leopold was his father,”
Queen Ileana said, placing her empty glass on a marble