Chapter 31: No Relatives

Linda pressed her forehead against the bars, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. Her cries had long since broken down into uneven, trembling breaths. Basil’s anger seemed to fill the corridor, turning the already narrow space oppressive and difficult to breathe in.

"You ruined a boy’s life because you wanted a better future for your grandson," Basil said, his voice low but sharp enough to cut. "You left him to rot in whatever gutter he grew up in, all for the sake of giving your blood a golden cradle. You looked at him and decided his life was worth less than your grandson’s. You looked at two innocent children and decided one of them deserved to be destroyed."

Linda shook her head so violently her gray hair came loose around her face, clinging to her wet cheeks. "That’s not what I thought. That’s not what I wanted."

"Then what did you think?" Basil demanded, stepping right up to the cell bars. "What were you thinking when you switched us? And how do you still have the audacity to talk to me about your grief and bitterness as if they excuse a single thing you did?" His voice rose with every word. "If you wanted a better life for your grandson, then you should have worked harder for it. You should have struggled for it, not stolen it from someone else."

Linda shrank under his words, her shoulders curling inward as though each accusation carried weight. Her chest rose and fell unevenly, her lips trembling as she searched for an answer, but none came. There was nothing she could say to defend what she had done. No explanation could make it anything less than what it was.

Basil took a harsh, shuddering breath, dragging his fingers through his hair.

"That’s not even why I’m here."

The admission seemed to catch her off guard.

"I didn’t come down to this wretched place to lecture you or listen to you beg." His jaw tightened. "I’m here because I need answers."

Linda slowly looked up.

Basil held her gaze. "Do I have any relatives?"

The question visibly stunned her.

"My father. Does he know about me? Is he alive? Are there grandparents? Uncles? Aunts? Anyone?"

Linda stared at him through swollen eyes.

"Why..." Her voice trembled. "Why are you asking me this?"

"Why else?" Basil snapped. "Because I need a way out of this palace." His expression hardened. "After everything you’ve done, I suppose you’d hate to see all your hard work falling apart."

Linda flinched as though the words had struck her.

"I thought..." she said almost desperately. "I thought the Queen said you’ll always be her son. I heard her say it. That you’ll always be their son, that they’ll never stop loving you."

Basil stared at her in disbelief.

"Do you have no shame at all?"

Linda lowered her eyes.

"How can you still think that’s the point?" Basil asked, disgust dripping from every word. "Do you honestly expect me to spend the rest of my life living on their pity?"

He shook his head. "This has nothing to do with Their Majesties or how much they love me. This is my decision."

He took a sharp breath. "I want out of here. I can’t stand being in this palace anymore. I can’t stand the stares, the whispers, or the constant reminder that I don’t belong here."

His hands clenched, knowing full well that wasn’t the actual reason. The real problem was far more humiliating. Ever since Darius had entered his life, he had been feeling things he didn’t understand and desperately didn’t want to understand. Feelings that made him want to run before they turned into something he could no longer control.

"I would’ve left already if I didn’t know they’d just track me down and drag me back. But if I have relatives somewhere, they wouldn’t have a legal leg to stand on." His voice dropped. "So if I have living kin, just tell me. Give me a name, Linda. Anyone. Once I leave, the royal family won’t have a reason to keep me here."

For a moment, Linda simply stared at him. Then something strange happened. Relief flickered across her face so briefly Basil almost missed it.

He couldn’t tell whether she was relieved because she had just heard the royal family wouldn’t abandon him, or relieved because the conversation wasn’t going where she had feared it would.

Fresh tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. "There is no one," she whispered.

Basil’s stomach sank.

"My daughter was my only child. Her father died years before she was born. I had a younger brother, but he passed away from cancer over a decade ago." Her voice cracked. "And I don’t know who your father is."

Silence settled between them.

Basil’s jaw tightened. He stared down at her, searching her face for any sign of a lie. For some reason, he couldn’t quite believe that last part. When she spoke about her family, the grief had felt genuine. Raw. Unfiltered.

But when she spoke about his father...

Something had changed. Her gaze had flickered, her tone shifting just enough to set off alarm bells in his head.

Basil caught himself with a bitter, internal sneer. Why did he even expect honesty from her? This was a woman who had successfully replaced him with the true prince and looked the people who trusted her in the eye for twenty-one years while hiding the truth. She had lied to the King and Queen. So who was Basil to think she would suddenly start telling the truth now?

Deception was practically her native tongue at this point. He should have just hired a private investigator instead of coming down here to breathe in more of her lies.

"You’re lying," Basil said flatly.

Linda’s eyes widened.

"You know exactly who he is," Basil continued. "And believe me when I say this, I’m going to find him, whatever hole he’s hiding in. And while I’m at it, I might even look into whoever helped you switch the babies. I still don’t believe you could’ve pulled off something like that entirely on your own."

Linda visibly paled. "Basil..."

"Enjoy your cell while you still can," Basil said coldly as he stepped back from the bars. "Because once I start digging, I intend to uncover every last secret you’ve buried."

"Basil!" Linda called after him.

Without another glance, Basil turned and walked away. Behind him, Linda remained kneeling by the bars, staring after him long after he disappeared from sight. Slowly, she sank down onto the floor with her back against the bars and pulled her knees to her chest.

"I’m sorry, Your Highness," she muttered.

Fresh tears rolled down her face. "If anyone deserved that throne, it was you more than the one I threw away." Her voice broke.

"I’m sorry I couldn’t see it until the end."