38

Chapter 38

Her heart skipped a beat. “So he did die.”

She shook her head. “No. Commander Archer was a good leader, but cold.”

Madison nodded her agreement, having reached that conclusion just by what Tiernan had revealed about his childhood. “I can imagine.”

“She didn’t want the Federation torn apart by two heirs, and she said there was no room for co-leaders. A commander had to make the final decision with no one having the authority to question him.”

Madison grimaced. “She was thinking all this as she held her babies?”

Joan scowled. “No, dear. She found out in her second trimester she was having twins, so she had time to think and plan. When the babies were born, she never held the younger one. Instead, she had me take him to his father, and troops escorted them from Seattle-Archer, along with instructions never to return.” Looking disgusted, she shook her head. “The woman just sent away her infant without looking back, as though he was no concern to her at all.”

Madison’s heart stu