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"She coht," I told Mott

"It’s not Conner’s plan --" Mott began

"It’sall day?"

"Conner heard a ruht He sent the"

"What’s the rumor?"

"That there are other princes, Your -- other princes, Sage It appears that Conner is not the only one with this plan"

"Yes, but Conner has an advantage the others don’t, correct?" Mott returned e between us but of course said nothing

Conner returned to the rooen to return the tray, and Mott to wait outside, then he shut the door behind us He carried two bundles in his arood," he said

"Better than I feel," I responded coolly

Conner looked at me without sympathy "I trust your bruises will keeptiet theht of his cursed words I tilted an unwrapping the first, s the eed to Queen Erin There is so about her that few people knew Indeed, I did not know it myself until I took this box after her death and saw the contents" He slid a thin bronze key into the lock and opened the box All I could see were a few folded papers

"What are they?"

He handed them to me "You will put these in your pocket I think we have h to earn your identity, but it’s alise to have a backup"

I unfolded the papers and an inadvertent gasp escaped me I had known my mother was artistic but did not appreciate her abilities while I was a child It was a sie I would have been when she and my father first sent me away

I becaance or defiance the castle artists inevitably gave me, but with the subtle details only a s about her son that everyone elseat the pictures, I saw ently brushed , I felt her love forI quickly folded it and shoved it in a pocket of my tunic

Conner continued to watch me "Prince Jaron?"

I scratchede as a nickname?"

"No, you cannot" Conner sin calling you Jaron, to get you used to it" He hesitated "For a ht --"

"What’s in the other package?" I asked

It was a sufficient distraction "Ah!" Conner set the box down and began unwrapping the other bundle "This is the proof that will seal your identity When the prince boarded the ship that day four years ago, he earing his crown It has been lost all this time, assumed to be at the bottom of the sea Indeed, even if a diver had found it with the intention of putting forward a false prince, the ed by the salty waters But see it for yourself" He finished unwrapping the bundle and pulled out the crown I had last worn on that ship