I Was The Perfect Queen But He Forgot My Name Chapter 43
From the age of nine, Rowan had been building his own private power base within the secret training program.
He had planned to one day openly fight Julian for his own name and his own life, and he hadn’t cared if the outcome was victory, defeat, or death.
But before he could make his move, Julian was targeted for assassination.
Rowan was also wounded in the ambush and fell into the Lorne River, where Iris found him. Unsure if the enemy was still nearby, he pretended to have amnesia.
Secretly, he searched along the river for Julian.
On the day the royal guard found him, he also found his brother’s body.
The guard mistook Rowan—wearing Julian’s mask and carrying a similar royal scent—for the prince. He accepted the identity and temporarily buried the real Julian on the riverbank.
Once he returned to the capital, he quickly took over Julian’s guard command and political resources.
“I never intended to be him forever. I wanted to one day tell everyone that my name is Rowan.”
“But before my position was secure, I had to get rid of Cedar Ridge. So I used Iris to break off your engagement.”
“So both she and I were just pieces on your board,” I said evenly.
Rowan looked at me, his gaze deep.
“At the time, I thought I hated you.”
“Then I saw you cry in the gorge. I saw you publicly donate your old things. I saw you play the harp and give the red plum to yourself.”
His voice lowered.
“That was when I understood. I never hated you.”
“What I hated was that the person you clung to, trusted, and depended on had always been Julian. Never me.”