Chapter 108: Chapter 108 - Tea
"Your Majesty," one of the guests said, her voice trembling as though caught between awe and fear.
"That was cruel of me, was it not? To teach you better, I shall let you sit, but you will have to stand again when I command you to. It will help teach you how to rise when a royal enters. Even the children know how to do it, so why can’t you ladies?" Lilith inquired, her words laced with a mocking sweetness.
"I am still waiting for all of you to stand. I have not given the order for you to sit," Lilith said, her gaze narrowing as she prepared to send for the guards. "Do you not cherish your husbands’ heads?"
The ladies began to rise one by one, their movements hesitant, waiting for Lilith to grant permission for them to sit.
"I thank all of you for gracing the castle with your presence today. I know we have never been formally introduced, which is why I called on you today. Some of you were close to Princess Thalia, while others were close to the crown prince," Lilith said.
Eve Thomas, the former lover of Arthur, smiled from where she stood at the end of the table. Her heart raced with excitement at being invited to the castle to sit with the ladies, instead of meeting Arthur in secret.
Arthur might be dead, but Eve relished boasting that she had been the last woman he ever entertained. She also wanted to see if Lilith would welcome her into the castle more often.
’I must succeed,’ Eve thought, her mind already weaving schemes.
"Your Majesty," Eve spoke up, gathering the attention of the women around her. "Forgive us, foolish ladies, for not standing right away. In my case, I was so stunned by your beauty that I forgot to stand. For many of us, this is our first time speaking to you. You must pardon us."
"That might be true, but I must help teach you proper protocol. I know that, despite my title, some of you might be hesitant to respect me because I am a bastard. Or it might be out of your loyalty for my half-sister," Lilith said, her gaze locking on Thalia’s old peers.
"I am an understanding woman. You may remain loyal to Thalia. I can send you to the dungeon to experience all that she did. That might offer all of you some peace of mind, so you do not feel as though you are betraying her," Lilith added, her voice chillingly calm.
Diana kept her gaze fixed on the tea before her. Though she was quietly enjoying herself, she did not want to let it show. She would not be surprised if Lilith began filling the dungeon with the ladies seated around them.
"Your Majesty," Eve spoke up again. "I speak on behalf of my peers that we are truly sorry. I wish to stand to follow your orders, but," she said, placing her hand delicately on her belly, "I am unwell."
"Then you should sit and drink some tea. I am not so cruel as to let a sick woman suffer. Mary!" Lilith called, her eyes flicking to the empty cup before Eve. "Please serve the guest some tea. Sit," Lilith commanded, allowing the other women to sit.
The ladies sat down, relief washing over them as they realised they would not be forced to stand and make fools of themselves.
"If anyone else is sick, do let me know. I would have accepted if you had sent a letter saying that you were unwell," Lilith said, being deceptively gentle.
Lilith watched as Mary poured the tea, the other maids following suit to serve the guests.
A smile touched her lips as she saw Eve lift the cup and drink just as her peers did.
"It is an honour to sit before the new queen, so I wanted to attend. I did not have the pleasure of being introduced to you before. I also thank you for allowing me to enjoy my first time in the castle," Eve said, her words dripping with false sweetness.
"Oh. I find it odd that this is your first time in the castle," Lilith said, seeing through Eve’s lies. "You have been to the castle before. I did not see you, but I know you came here. It might be the first day you are made to feel like an important guest, but not your first time."
"I have always been an important guest wherever I go. Your Majesty, there is a secret you must know," Eve said, wishing she were seated closer to Lilith. "I was the lover of the crown prince."
"So? He could only marry a woman selected by the king, so he did not show you off. That is the real reason you are so eager to speak, but I urge you to be careful. I am the host, so be quiet until I address you," Lilith said, annoyed that Eve was acting so fast.
Eve liked hearing that Lilith was well aware of her time with Arthur. She touched her face, feigning weakness. "I did not mean to speak up too much, Your Majesty. I am simply too excited to meet you, as I said. I was once well-acquainted with your husband."
Diana looked up at the mention of her son. She had never seen Eve before, so where did this woman find the courage to speak of Cassian so boldly?
Diana noticed the looks exchanged by the other women, which told her they, too, were not fond of Eve. Lilith had invited someone who did not belong.
’Did she invite her because she was Arthur’s lover?’ Diana wondered. She herself would never have invited a woman, known as a mistress, to sit amongst wives.
"We should move on now. I have spent too much time on you and not on the other guests," Lilith said, no longer interested in Eve until the reveal.
"I hate to take the attention off you, but there is some news I must share," Eve said with a broad smile. "I might be carrying the child of your half-brother. I was too scared to come forward before, but now I have the courage. I need support."
"You are not pregnant," Lilith said with great certainty. "For your sake, you should not be, but if you were, you are not wise. To help you, that tea you have been sipping on will remove any chance you had of carrying Arthur’s child."
"Carrying the child of the former crown prince will make you a target, and you will eventually die. It was cruel, I know, but I have a feeling you were never pregnant," Lilith said, feeling no guilt over what she had done. "I would rather do this than let the child enter the world and have to be killed later."
