Insist she go first

"I believe I have already shown good faith by my words and my actions," replies Duncan. "It would do you well to show my trust is not misplaced by giving me this information you suggest would be to my interest."

Madam Banntrach smiles. "Of course. You are wise not to give away too much at one time. Tell me, Your Highness, for I do in fact believe that is who you are... Tell me if you have not wondered at all why you and your sister bear no resemblance whatsoever to your royal father."

Despite his every effort to retain a neutral expression, Duncan's face betrays surprise at these words. "Whatever are you implying, Madam? Surely you are not about to impugn the reputation of my mother by suggesting something that would border on treason itself?"

Banntrach smiles placatingly. "You asked me what information I had, Your Highness. Please do me the courtesy of allowing me to accede to your request. I assure you what I have to share did not spring forth from my imagination, but is passed along to you as I have heard it."

Duncan nods warily. "Go on then, but I warn you, I do not take kindly to slander against my family."

Banntrach begins again. "I understand. So let me just tell you a story, if I may. Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who ruled a fair land. Outwardly, all seemed well in the kingdom and in the royal palace. It was well, that is until the queen fell under the spell of a wizard. Whether it was an actual, magical spell, or if it was the enchantment of love, I cannot say, but the result was that the queen was with child. She tried her best to hide her indiscretion, and when the baby girl was born, looking like a miniature of the queen herself, she was relieved and swore off further contact with this wizard so as to not have to endure such a thing again."

Duncan listened, without expression, fighting the urge to walk away from these blatant falsehoods. Despite his revulsion, he remained still and listened.

"When the second child was born and it was a male, itself the very image of the king at that age, the succession of the Crown was assured, and those very few who suspected the relationship between the Queen and the wizard were relieved that it seemed to be a thing banished to the past."

"As it turns out, it was not such a distant memory. The wizard gained a position of trust within the King's circle of advisors, and his proximity to the Queen reawakened their feelings for one another and gave opportunity to give in to temptation. The rumors are that they gave in to their passions just once more, but that was enough. Nine months later, a third child was born. This one, like the first, was enough like his mother that it would not raise suspicions, except for one very discriminating feature. This child, like the wizard who loved his mother, had a birthmark -- a birthmark in the shape of a star, and in the same location as the wizard's."

Duncan gasped and involuntarily placed his hand on the inner thigh of his left leg. Banntrach smiled wryly in response. "So you know that what I tell you is no mere fairy tale, Your Highness. I assume by your expression and your gesture that you can identify with this youngest male offspring of our fairy tale queen."

Duncan does not respond, but turns his gaze toward the window, looking absently outdoors as he trying to sort through the swirl of conflicting feelings and thoughts in his head.

"And now, Your Highness, I believe it is your turn to share some information with us," says Madam Banntrach. "Tell me why you are here."