"What are you doing here?"
"She's my wife." Vicenzo said, hugging her around the waist.
Anna shook her head.
"But... Everyone believes that you're in love with Ian, that..."
Genevieve shook her head.
"I'll always be loyal to Ian, but I've never been in love with him. God! He's only four!"
Anna looked back at the boy.
"You said you're the king. By what right do you proclaim yourself king? By what right do you dwell on the land where the castle of the true king once stood in all its past glory?"
The boy looked sharply at Anna.
"You're slow to realize the obvious, aren't you?" He asked sarcastically.
"Anna, he's your brother. He's Jenna's secret." Genevieve's melodious, seductive voice revealed itself with malevolent satisfaction.
Anna was paralyzed with surprise.
"Mom didn't have any more children." Anna said, taking a step back.
"Do you remember that she was pregnant when Sarah shot her in the forehead?" Genevieve recalled.
"The child died with her." Anna said, but the truth was that she had never thought about the brother in her mother's womb. She had never asked about him.
"Brianna thought he should die with her, but Jenna, who loved her mother, couldn't bear to see a part of her die. Jenna was present at her mother's execution, and she could hear the baby's heartbeat inside her womb beginning to weaken. She simply acted."
"Why would she hide him from her own father? From me?"
"Allister and Dester's eyes were on you. They were wiping out entire families in Avallon, to exterminate them with the Mists. She didn't want to risk his safety, so she brought him here."
Anna looked at Vicenzo.
"It wasn't just him who survived on our blood, was it? You said you were the king's cousin..."
"Yes. We're related. The Alpha protected me. He told his father that he had killed me. I changed my name, dyed my hair..." He said and shook his shoulders.
Anna frowned.
"I can't think of a reason for Adam to protect you."
"We're friends. We studied together." Vicenzo said, thinking it unnecessary to tell her that he was the detective who had passed information about her to Adam.
Anna wasn't satisfied with that answer, but she thought of something more important than her suspicions.
"Henry can't know about this boy's existence. He would kill Jenna."
"I have a name, and it's not 'boy'." He said reproachfully.
Anna smiled.
"What's your name?"
"Byorn."
"Good, Byorn. I'm very sorry, but I can't allow you to meet our father. He won't understand. I know Jenna did it to save her life, but Dad will take it as an offense. He still won't accept that he's weak."
"Don't be sorry, Anna. I don't want to meet him. Anthony is very good to me."
"Who's Anthony?" Anna asked, knowing it couldn't be her grandfather.
Byorn glanced sideways at Genevieve, who hurried over and stood next to Anna.
"Anna, my dear. Why don't you take your father to visit your mother's grave? He's already getting impatient on that ship."
Anna nodded.
"But first, we still need to solve the problem of possession. Even if Byorn is my brother, I'm still the rightful queen of Avallon. As well as being the eldest daughter, I am Bruma."
For the first time, Anna saw Byorn smile.
"Ah! Please! Stay and take over. I'd love to." He said it sincerely, and Anna looked at Vicenzo and Genevieve's faces. They didn't think it was funny, and looked disapprovingly at Byorn.
"Good, then. Now, I run this place and..."
"You don't want that, Anna." Genevieve interrupted her.
"Who doesn't want to be queen?"
"You don't." Vicenzo said and pointed to a door. "Can we talk in the library?"
"Of course." Anna said, determined not to let them manipulate her.
They made their way there, except for Byorn, who said goodbye, saying he was late for school.
After everyone was seated, Vicenzo, with Genevieve by his side, their hands intertwined, Anna asked impatiently:
"Can you tell me what's stopping me from being queen? I have children and a husband waiting for me at home."
"That's the impediment." Vicenzo said. "To be queen of Avallon, you have to live here. And what are you going to do with your children? Donald and David, they can't come here. Maxwell, no way. Are you ready to live a life without ever seeing them again?"
"What are you talking about? My children have Bruma blood in their veins, and Maxwell... Well... If Genevieve can, why not him?"
Vicenzo looked at Genevieve, who was concentrating on her nails, and turned to Anna.
"Genevieve has agreed to be our emissary. She's going to carry out tasks... She's the only one who can get in and out of Avallon. Apart from the Mists, of course. We trust her, and Ian has a great deal of influence over our decisions. He..."
"Ian? A four-year-old child is influencing your decisions? For sure, you'll be extinct!"
"Anna... If you stopped to observe your own son, you'd realize how special he is. But you're always too busy. We've already had to intervene in the memories of human nannies and maids many times. David and Donald, however, we can't alter their memories." Vicenzo said and stood up. "You can decide to reign, Anna. But... That's not what we need from you. Your destiny lies with the Lens family. Ian won't have memories of some of the things he does now, in the future. We need to take advantage of his wisdom. And he knows you need to come back."
"I... I don't want to stay. I just wanted the title. I guess out of futile vanity. I can't condemn my children to live in a place like this. It's wonderful here, but it doesn't offer many opportunities for children to choose... I'm going to meet my father on the ship." Anna said thoughtfully.
"Will you be able to take him to your mother's grave?" he asked.
Anna stood up too.
"I know every speck of dust on this island, Vicenzo. I may not be the queen, but this island belongs to me. Don't forget that. If one day I learn that you have closed your doors to any of my children, I myself will be the cause of your extinction." Anna said and left.
Vicenzo and Genevieve looked at each other and smiled.
"She's no fool, Vicenzo. Why didn't you say Tayme was on that island? She'll rain penknives down on our heads when she finds out."
"Isn't that a good reason to hide some truths from our Bruma?"