"Pumpkin.." Mum said, crestfallen at the news. Even though she was my secretary, she had mostly focused on the ongoings internally in the castle. The few times she heard about the war were minor and she generally stayed out of any planning Marcus, Amelia, and I conducted late into the night. "I.. I didn’t know." She hung her head. "I had agreed to be in this position to help you but I didn’t even notice the pressure you're under." Her next words were so quiet that I barely heard her, "how can I call myself a mother if I-"