Soraya's POV
The hallway stretched before us in heavy silence.
Only the soft echo of our footsteps filled the space between the towering walls. I walked beside the prince with my hands folded before me, my heart pounding harder with every step. I already knew what was coming. I had seen the question in his eyes back in my room.
He finally spoke.
"So… you have a son."
I turned to look at him, meeting his gaze calmly. I had been expecting it. "Yes," I said quietly. "I do. His name is Liam."
He nodded once, slowly. There was something like faint disappointment in his eyes—something unspoken. Perhaps the fact that I had never told him weighed on him more than he wanted to admit.
"And his father?" he asked. "Where is he?"
My steps faltered.
I swallowed. "It's a long story, my prince… a really long story."
Alderon stopped walking. I had no choice but to stop too. He turned fully to face me. "I can give you all this night, Maria," he said gently. "If that's what it will take."
