Sairis's POV
Markus smiled faintly at the memory. "She was disguised as her elder sister," he explained. "The woman I was originally meant to marry."
Sairis stared at him in disbelief while the king continued.
"Her sister wanted nothing to do with palace life. She wished to travel the world freely and had no desire to be tied to a crown. Athena took her place instead, hoping to preserve peace between our families long enough to convince me to end the arrangement myself."
The king chuckled softly under his breath. "But I fell in love with the wrong woman." he muttered.
Sairis could only blink at him in shock. The late queen had worn a disguise too?
Markus nodded slightly, as if he already knew what was running through Sairis's mind.
"Yes," he said. "And after the truth came out, she taught me how to notice such things. The little signs people overlook when looking at people pretending to be someone else."
Sairis felt dread slowly settle in his stomach.
