Clovis sat in silence for several moments, trying to put himself in his father's shoes. Some of his father's actions were explained, but… why couldn't he forgive him? The solid block of ice was still firm against his father and those women.
"Mother, did he at least treat you well in the beginning?" He asked honestly grasping at straws. She seemed thoughtful for a moment and then a brilliant smile crossed her face, breaking through the pained fog for but a moment before the emotions returned to pouring out of her.
"I fell in love with your father the second week, baby. He respected me and cherished my help and my opinions. At one time I thought he loved me too. He is a good man, Clovis, he is simply flawed. Every man has his weakness and your Father's is his heart. Your own was always your heart as well love, but it was the opposite. A woman could never twist your heart, but that's because no one can touch it." Her hand brushed his cheek, as if making her point. A sadness appeared in his eyes. It was true that the mother knew the son often better than the boy knew himself.
"Until now." He whispered as Kyera's face passed behind his eyes. The soft expression on his face made her smile, truly smile.
"Yes, Little Raina was the secret Key to your heart. I was so pleased when you brought her home. I hoped she would heal the pain your father left." Eve replied, retracting her hand and sipping her tea again, just letting the warmth spread through both her hands as she did.
"Mother, she isn't who I was referring to." Clovis replied with a soft smile, avoiding his mother's now curious gaze. That curiosity turned to contemplation then the spark of realization dawned.
"You mean…" She began and he shook his head without looking at her, focused on the snowy mountain peaks in the far far distance, barely tips of white against the sky.
"Don't jinx it, Mother." He replied softly.
"I wouldn't dare." There was excitement in her voice that he couldn't miss. He couldn't blame her really, it had been a long time since he let a woman into the gardens of his heart. Most the flower beds were burned to ash, and others were trampled by the hatefulness of his brothers and their wives. Much of the damage came from that woman, but now the central garden was blooming again, and the ice wall had a door only accessible by a hand full of people.
He remembered the way his heart hurt when he lost his first wife. The utter betrayal of his second love, and heartache for what she had done to their child. All those pains, and then the glow of holding Raina for the first time and knowing the child was his alone. No one could take her from him, not even father. Especially not father. However, now there was something new in his heart. There was a rose vine, growing steadily and sneakily weaving itself between the flower beds, and closing off those old pains. It was as though the ruined garden was being overrun by wild Roses and vines but looked all the better for it. She was both a flower and ivy, perfect strands to mend a broken heart together.
"I… I have the right to fight for the heir title." Clovis whispered softly, and his mother looked shocked. Her eyes met his and Clovis took the thin chain circlet out of his pocket offering it to her. Her delicate fingertips brushed over the warm chain, the sapphire stone and its feline, sleeping, protector was clear as day. It was the mark of Crown Prince of the Frost Born.
"How… what happened?" She asked dumbfounded. She hadn't seen this circlet since Clovis was born. It was the one time the royal family had come to visit, and brought along their grandchildren to play. Several young boys, and a little girl, if she remembered correctly.
"Kyera is their long lost Crown Princess. Her mother was the Forest Knight's Lady but her mother was the wife of their crown prince. Kyera is the heir to the Matriarchy and they formalized and accepted our union while I was there. Grandmother Crystalsa gave me this, and the title with it." Clovis condensed the story down to its least worrying form before conveying it to his mother. If she knew how close he had come to never returning… he shuddered to think of it.