Chapter 275: Family
He sat alone in his chambers, moonlight spilling across the polished floor like silver ribbons, and for once, Leon let his mind wander—not to battle strategy or politics, but to the past.
The truth was... The throne was never meant for him.
Their kingdom had always been matriarchal. The bloodline passed through the women. The crown, the power, the legacy—it was supposed to be Catalina’s. She was the firstborn. The prodigy. The one everyone knew would rule.
And he was just the baby brother.
He’d heard it all the time as a kid. "Our future Queen Catalina," they’d say, smiling. "And her sweet little brother." That was his role. The prince. The little lion cub trailing after them, looking for attention. And gods, did they give it to him.
All the women in his life—his mother, his aunts, his sisters—adored him. Coddled him. Let him get away with everything. He was the only boy in a household of powerful women. The golden child. The only son. He never had to fight for anything, because everything was just... Given.
And somewhere along the way, he started to believe he deserved it.
He remembered the day his father died. He was fifteen. Catalina had just turned eighteen and was already attending court meetings with their mother. The entire palace was dressed in black, the halls heavy with silence. And then, out of nowhere, his mother had announced—Leon will be king.
Just like that.
He hadn’t asked for it. Not then. Not really. But he didn’t protest either.
Catalina had looked at him like he was a stranger. There was no shouting at first. Just betrayal.