Chapter 94: Chapter 94 - Message
Inside the bathing chamber, Mary helped Lilith dress after her bath had been prepared and a gown chosen for her.
Mary tried not to comment on the marks scattered across Lilith’s body, each one revealing what had transpired between Lilith and Cassian during the night. The bruises and flushed imprints seemed almost deliberate, as though Cassian had branded her with his possession.
Mary’s eyes flicked to the two maids assisting her. Their hands moved dutifully, but their glances lingered too long. They were bound to gossip about how close Lilith and Cassian had become.
"They will soon speak of it to others," Mary murmured after the maids left.
"Good. I want everyone to know what my marriage is like. He placed it high on purpose," Lilith said, brushing her fingers over a mark revealed at her collarbone. Her touch was fleeting, almost proud.
She did not linger on it, instead striding towards the door where Cassian should be waiting. Mary rushed ahead to open it, holding it wide for her mistress.
Lilith stepped out, her eyes immediately finding Cassian. "I am ready," she said as she extended her right hand to him. "Are the guests gathering for what you have to show us?"
Her mind raced, trying to guess what Cassian had planned. No matter the scenario she imagined, none seemed to match the dark anticipation that coiled in her chest.
Cassian clasped her hand and walked beside her towards the throne room. "They have started to gather. They wait only for us. You look lovely," he said, his gaze lingering on Lilith with an unsettling intensity.
He yearned to kiss her again, but knew it would not be accepted here.
"Do not think a compliment can save you if you disappoint me with what you have planned," Lilith warned, though her lips curved, betraying her excitement.
"Can I not compliment my wife? You are so beautiful in simple dresses that I wonder if I should have grand gowns made for you. I do not want you to catch the attention of other men, or I will be forced to imprison them," Cassian said, his possessiveness slipping.
"How charming it would be to fill the dungeon with men," Lilith replied dryly, though her eyes gleamed with delight. "I must sit with ladies soon, so I need new dresses. I do not want to hear how you think I look lovely in simple gowns. I want grand dresses to match those around me."
She would not give the other ladies a chance to mock her.
"I will send for the royal dressmaker this evening before our dinner. Take as many gowns as you wish," Cassian offered.
"I intended to from the start," Lilith said, glancing up at him briefly. "Will you not gift me jewels?"
"As many as you desire," Cassian answered without hesitation. "I can help you know what looks best if you wear only them before me in our chamber."
Lilith chuckled softly. "I do not need you to tell me what looks good. I have eyes."
As they neared the throne room, Lilith’s anticipation grew into a thrill. Her pulse quickened, and her lips twitched with a smile she tried to suppress.
Lilith’s brows furrowed when a lady rushed out, hand clamped over her mouth, leaning forward as though she might vomit.
A man followed soon after, pale and shaken, but before they could gather themselves in the presence of the queen and king, Cassian’s soldiers forced them back inside with merciless efficiency.
Lilith’s shoulders grew heavy, but it was not fear. It was the weight of expectation. The closer they came, the more her excitement burned. The last time Cassian stormed into the throne room, he had beheaded a king. She remembered the spray of blood, the stunned silence, and the way her heart had raced.
Lilith tightened her grip on his arm, her touch firm, showing she would not cower. Her eyes gleamed with hunger for what awaited.
The throne doors creaked open once more, revealing Cassian’s plot. Lilith froze, her gaze locking on the bodies strewn across the floor. Some were headless, their identities lost to the carnage.
Lilith was lost for words, but not in horror. This was not what she had expected. It was better.
She forced herself forward, step by step, her smile widening as she sought to see who Cassian had slain.
Diana rushed towards them, her face pale. She had been waiting to demand answers. "What is the meaning of this, Cassian? How could you be so cruel, letting the guests walk into such horror?"
"It is a message not only to the nobles, but to our family and servants. This is what becomes of those who defy us. Anyone who tries to hurt her," Cassian said, his gaze fixed on Lilith. His voice was terrifyingly calm. He watched Lilith closely as she tried to recognise the fallen.
Not once did he spare his mother a glance.
"Why let our enemies live to stir trouble in my marriage or harm her? I knew who they were, so I killed them," Cassian said, no hint of regret in his voice.
Anyone who threatened all that he cared for would receive a death sentence.
"We should pursue our enemies, but to display them like this may not have been your wisest decision. What if you frighten Lilith with your behaviour? You are frightening me," Diana confessed, her voice trembling. She was not accustomed to this side of her son.
Diana knew well that Cassian had slain many in war, and he had killed a king, but now he was massacring his enemies mercilessly. Men and women she had spoken to only yesterday now lay lifeless before her.
A smile stretched across Cassian’s lips as he studied Lilith’s reaction. His gaze slid from his wife to his mother.
"Does my wife look scared to you, mother?" Cassian asked, bringing her attention to Lilith. A cruel satisfaction filled his eyes.
Diana turned around and was startled by the sight. Lilith was smiling.
Smiling at the sight of the corpses. Amused and delighted, as though the spectacle entertained her.
Any other lady would have backed away in fear, but Lilith relished seeing the servants who once dared to target her now lying dead upon the floor.
