Chapter 95: Chapter 95 - Questions
Diana stared at Lilith, once again plagued by doubts about her being married to Cassian, for Lilith did not appear to be in her right mind. A chill prickled down Diana’s spine as she watched the younger woman’s eyes gleam with unsettling delight.
Diana herself had married a duke and a soldier, yet she had never been so excited to see death as Lilith was. Diana had cheered for Richard’s death, but Diana had no desire to see how he looked now. She was not fond of gazing upon corpses.
"I cannot guide her," Diana muttered out loud without meaning to. "She asked that I help her with the ladies, but I don’t think anyone is helping Lilith. There are no ladies in town who will find this normal."
"There shall be a lady in town to become a good ally to Lilith. There are enough ladies that she can find at least one. And Lilith doesn’t need much guiding," Cassian said, his eyes softening as he looked at Lilith, wanting her to remain exactly as she was.
Diana grasped Cassian’s hand to stop him from leaving her side. "I don’t mind that you love her, but don’t ruin your good name for her. You were known as the kingdom’s hero. How do you think the townspeople shall take this when word gets out? Look at the faces of your relatives," she urged.
"I am looking at my wife," Cassian replied, his gaze fixed on the only family that mattered to him in that moment. "Mother, you are already on thin ice. I urge you not to interfere too much."
"My concern is that you are losing favour with the Mortimers. They might side with your cousin, since they worry you could kill them at any point," Diana whispered.
"Didn’t those bastards tell you that I rewarded them with a bit of gold, mother? They might cry to you, but they smile and pledge loyalty after a few gifts," Cassian said, revealing the true nature of the crowd.
"What?" Diana whispered, her eyes darting to the relatives. "When did they take gifts from you?"
"I was Duke Mortimer for three years, mother. I know how to handle our dear relatives, and it hasn’t stopped simply because I have become king. Though Hayden shall become the duke, I hold control over the Mortimer army," Cassian explained.
"All Hayden will have at his side are the guards who roam the estate, and any guards from his father’s home. Would you be so bold as to go against the king who controls the castle army and the Mortimer army? A man so close to the sons of noblemen who control armies?" Cassian asked, his voice carrying a dangerous certainty.
"I am not a little boy. I know what could follow every action, and I consider every outcome. My father set me up well to have allies all over the kingdom and outside of it. Do not show your worry, mother," Cassian said, placing his hand on Diana’s shoulder.
Diana tried to settle herself, but her stomach churned, disturbed by the corpses strewn across the throne room.
"Does she need to vomit? I wouldn’t like the throne room to be spoiled with vomit, so anyone who needs to do it should leave," Lilith said as she approached.
"There is blood all over the throne room," Diana pointed out. "What difference would vomit make?"
"The blood is pretty," Lilith remarked, her lips curling into a smile as she surveyed the mess. "While vomit would be unsightly. As I said, we should let those with weak stomachs leave before the floor is spoiled," she suggested once more. "I want to get a better look at who has fallen."
Lilith clung to Cassian’s arm, her grip possessive, as though she were claiming her reward for his deeds. She had far fewer people to concern herself with now, and the thought pleased her.
Diana stared at Lilith, her curiosity deepening into unease. What about death could excite anyone, even if they were enemies?
She took a moment to calm herself, inhaling deeply, though the air was thick with the smell of death.
"It seems you are not well. You may stay behind with your son while I go alone," Lilith said, dismissing Diana so they would not be held back.
Diana steadied herself with another breath. "No. I can bear it. The guests are still waiting to hear what you gathered them for."
"They are looking at what I gathered for them, but they should see their new queen on the throne. Don’t you agree, Lilith?" Cassian asked, his pride evident as he sought to show her off.
"I do," Lilith answered.
Lilith walked alongside Cassian towards the throne, which had stood empty for days.
As they drew closer, Lilith examined the faces of the fallen. Not only were there members of the Mortimer family, but also maids, guards, and other guests she knew had been loyal to the Beauforts and had once mistreated her.
People, Lilith had intended to kill eventually, since she knew they would target her for revenge. Their deaths now felt like justice fulfilled.
Lilith looked away from the corpses, dismissing them as they were undeserving of her attention. Their blind loyalty to her family had led them to this fate, half of them lying dead because of it.
As she ascended towards the throne, a question repeated itself in her mind.
How did Cassian know whom to go after?
He had not only killed those who might have spoken against her becoming queen, but also maids who had long treated her poorly.
Cassian could not have known they were her enemies unless he had been watching her for years or unless someone close to her had spoken to him. The latter thought unsettled Lilith deeply. She did not want a spy who knew too much about her whispering secrets to Cassian.
"Your throne," Cassian said, guiding Lilith to her seat, completely unaware of the storm of suspicion brewing in her mind.
Though Cassian had placed her where she belonged, she could not shake the question that demanded an answer.
"Cassian," Lilith said, reaching for his hand. "Tell me how you know about the people who hurt me. Do not lie to me, or we shall go right back to the very beginning. Back to how we were when you last entered this throne."
