Aurelia sat still for a long moment after Lady Levina finished speaking. Her brows knit together, her voice low.
"A child found in a tomb… among the dead?"
Levina nodded, her expression calm but shadowed. "That's what my brother said. Both he and his servant, Taren, found him there. And Valerian has never been one to twist the truth."
Aurelia drew in a slow breath, then let it out, trying to make sense of it all. The idea of a child being found in the tomb of kings sent a strange chill down her spine. "But… if Vaelric was found in a tomb," she said softly, "how did he come to be your brother's son?"
Levina gave a knowing smile. "I knew you would ask that," she said. "Because that's what I asked, too. But I'm not done with the story yet."
She adjusted the sleeve of her gown, her gaze turning distant, as if looking back into memory. "After the storm that night, Valerian returned to the palace with the infant in his arms.
