Lucien

He thought of how he had announced the news of his wedding on a similar stage, years ago. Proserpina had been taken by surprise when he had dragged her onto the dais and made his declaration before his guests. He had just received the report confirming that the twins were his children through a DNA test. Not that he had ever really had a doubt. Proserpina had run away from him after discovering that she was pregnant. He had wanted to hurt her, to break her, to humiliate her.

Sweeping the startled young Proserpina into his arms that evening before his guests, he had crushed her soft lips to...