Chapter 102: Chapter 102 - Order
"That’s nothing new to me. I suppose at some point, he would tire of the little beatings and try to beat me to death. That sounds about right," Lilith said.
A faint chill pricked her skin as she spoke. "And what else do you know? What do you know that we must be prepared for?"
"Do you know where the queen is hiding?" Lilith asked, hopeful that Cassian had more answers. She longed for the game of hide and seek with the former queen to end.
"No, I don’t. You failed against your father the first time, so the queen did not need to hide. Because I have changed our story, there are pieces that are new. Like you poisoning yourself and my uncle’s passing," Cassian revealed.
Lilith glanced back at the path they had taken. "I think we should have this talk in our bedchamber. Though I believe no one would credit your tale, I don’t want it reaching anyone’s ears. The townspeople mustn’t hear that the king has gone mad."
"Your father was on the verge of madness, yet no one tried to end his rule before I did."
"Yes, but I don’t want to hear anyone speak of you being mad. We are married, so that would affect me." Lilith linked her hand with Cassian’s, her fingers trembling slightly as a bit of fear came over her. "There might be changes, but surely there are big events you know of."
"You are starting to grasp this quite well," Cassian said, a smile tugging at his lips.
"You fully believe it is the truth, and I have no way of proving that it isn’t. You indeed know quite a lot about me that you couldn’t have learnt from anyone around me, and you are one step ahead of our enemies. I will indulge in what you said being true," Lilith decided, though unease twisted in her stomach.
So far, all that Cassian had done worked out in Lilith’s favour. There would be no harm in believing him and hearing all that he knew.
"There are big events to look forward to. Some we must stop, but they don’t require our attention yet. Killing everyone who will be a danger to you is my greatest concern," Cassian answered.
"Very well. Who have you told about this dream?" Lilith asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes, wondering how others had reacted.
"Only Eric knows about it. The fewer people who know, the better. I can’t have anyone changing your fate."
"I see. Well, that changes plenty," Lilith murmured. She thought of her plan to have Eric seduced. "I won’t have to toy with Eric. A pity, since I was going to enjoy doing so. I wanted to see him nervous."
Lilith cared little about her death and more about the people around her. "What becomes of Mary and Solomon?"
"You shouldn’t know-"
"They are dear to me. I should know," Lilith cut in, expecting the worst because of his hesitation.
"Solomon remained loyal to you, but Mary did not make it out of the castle during your escape. She perished here," Cassian revealed.
Lilith’s mood darkened. "I see."
"Her fate could have changed. Your family is no longer here to order you killed and to slay anyone helping you to escape. I cannot promise she is safe, but for now, her fate has shifted as well," Cassian said, but he was confident, and Lilith noticed it.
"You were right that I shouldn’t have heard about their futures. Sometimes I think of sending the people loyal to me out of the castle, but then I think they are only safe where I can see them. I have lost too many allies," Lilith admitted, her thoughts drifting to the maids she had once cherished.
Lilith tried not to linger on it. "I still cannot believe I would have left the castle and married you. How did we even cross paths? The more I think about it, the less I can come up with an answer."
"I didn’t expect to cross paths with you either. When I decided to leave the castle and step away from my land, the last person I expected to meet was a gravely injured, stubborn princess who threatened to stab me," Cassian said, smiling at the memory.
Lilith’s lips curved into a smile as well. "That sounds more like me. So, did you take me into your home?"
"No, I left you and your guard. I didn’t want anything to do with the princess whom the king would come after. My apologies."
"No, I would have ignored you as well. Continue," Lilith urged, wanting to hear more.
"You and Solomon remained quite close to where I had settled, and when you managed to heal, we crossed paths again. You weren’t pleased to see me because you thought I was your father’s loyal dog. You tried to kill me, but it didn’t go as planned," Cassian shared.
"The more we crossed paths, the less hostile it became until we finally warmed to each other. After our emotions got the better of us, leading to a passionate night, I asked you to marry me, and you said yes as long as I would hide you from the Beauforts," Cassian finished.
"I am back to not understanding it, but if what you say is true, you have managed to get me to marry you twice now. I hate it," Lilith confessed, pinching Cassian’s arm. "No one should ever succeed in doing so."
"I want this second time to be the last time I ever need to search for you. I will protect you this time and let you sit forever as queen. Mark my words," Cassian promised, intending to keep his promise this time.
"Well, you have already given me the throne and made me queen. If you bring me the heads of all my enemies, I might just be capable of falling in love with you. There is one more important task I want you to fulfil," Lilith said, her gaze lifting to meet his.
"Find out how you came back in time. I never believed that any blessing comes without a string attached to it. Surely, there must be someone who knows of this, so find them," Lilith gave the order.
