Page 108 of Throne Off Course

Alexander flinched at the harshness of her words but didn’t back down. “I know exactly who he is. Who he is to me.”

“And yet you parade him about, bring him into my palace—”

“He’s my brother,” Alexander said firmly. “My half-brother. And none of this is his fault. He didn’t ask to be born into this situation.”

The Queen stared at him, her eyes cold. “I have tolerated his existence. That is more than most in my position would do.”

Alexander shook his head. “Sebastian isn’t responsible for what our father did. Neither am I. And I won’t punish him for it.”

She regarded him silently, her fingers tapping once against the polished surface of her desk.

After a long moment, her gaze softened almost imperceptibly. “I think,” she continued, her voice lower, “that you are more like me than you realize.”

Alexander was surprised to hear her say it, but he didn’t let it show.

Because wasn’t that what had terrified him for so long? The fear that no matter how much he longed to be different, no matter how much he had admired his father’s warmth and light—he wasn’t him. He had inherited something else entirely.

But he wasn’t just his mother either.

He straightened, exhaling slowly. “I am going to be king.”

She didn’t react, but he saw the way her fingers tensed slightly against her desk.

“And I will not be your king.”

That did it. The flicker of something deeper in her gaze—surprise, wariness, maybe even something close to regret.

“You think you can do this without me?” she asked, her voicemeasured, but softer now. “You believe you are ready?”

“No.” His answer was immediate. Honest. “But I believe I can be.”

Another silence stretched between them.

“I won’t hurt someone the way Father hurt you,” he added quietly. “I won’t marry out of duty while loving someone else. That’s the difference between us.” He hesitated, then continued, “And I won’t turn my back on Sebastian either. He’s as much a victim in this as anyone.”

For a long moment, the Queen simply studied him, her face unreadable. Then something subtle shifted in her expression—not softening, exactly, but a certain recognition.

“You have more of your father in you than I wanted to see,” she finally said. “His heart. His rebelliousness. But you also have my clarity—my ability to see things as they are, not as you wish them to be. You face reality directly, without flinching.” A ghost of something that might have been pride flickered across her face. “I spent so long trying to protect you from making his mistakes that I failed to see your strength.”

Then, finally, she leaned back, studying him like she was truly seeing him for the first time.

It wasn’t an apology. It wasn’t approval, but it was the closest thing to acceptance she had ever given him.

And for now?

That was enough.

49

Something Just Like This

Emilia sat frozen, her tea long forgotten, as the interview played on her laptop screen.

“No one should be forced into marriage for any reason, let alone as a requirement for leadership.” Alexander’s voice was steady, clear. His expression was unreadable, yet somehow filled with conviction. “Not me. Not anyone.”

She had expected careful, strategic answers. The kind of polished responses meant to appease the public while revealing nothing. But this—this was something else entirely.

Then came the moment that truly shattered her composure.