Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns, #1)

by Catherine Doyle

‘Your mother is dead. And so is your father.’ She gave Rose a measured look. ‘And now that you’re here, it’s time you knew the truth about what happened. Your parents were killed in cold blood by Willem Rathborne, the man who now orbits the throne, pretending it’s his.’ Rose tried to shake her grandmother off, but her grip only tightened. ‘Willem isn’t capable of such a thing,’ she said, before she could even consider it. ‘It was a witch who killed my parents.’ Even after what Rose had seen in the Weeping Forest, this was the story she held closest to her. The one that informed so much of who she was. If it wasn’t true … then nothing in her life was, and she simply couldn’t accept that. She wouldn’t. ‘The witches were angry at my mother for marrying a Valhart. They were jealous of her. They—’ ‘Don’t you dare say such a thing in Ortha!’ Banba squeezed Rose’s wrist until it felt as if talons were digging into her skin. ‘You’re hurting me!’ cried Rose. Banba released the wind and Rose stumbled backwards, cradling her wrist to her chest. She looked away sharply, tears burning in her eyes. She didn’t know a great deal about family but she felt very certain this was not how meeting your long-lost grandmother was meant to go. ‘The witches loved your mother. I loved your mother,’ said the old woman, fiercely. ‘But it was not enough to save her from Willem Rathborne. A man who has always sought to destroy us.’