Chapter 96: Chapter 96 - Plot
"It took a little bit of reward to convince some of the castle servants to speak of those who troubled you. That, and a few blades pointed at their necks. You would have loved the way the maids turned on each other?"
"How they fell to their knees, begging to be spared," Cassian said, suspecting Lilith thought there was a spy again.
Lilith stared at Cassian, still not yet believing the tale. "I would have loved that sight. A pity you kept me from witnessing it, and from seeing you kill these people."
"Were you not afraid that they lied about who hurt me? It seems rather confident on your part to kill them without confirming with me. It is as though you witnessed it yourself, or had knowledge from someone close to me," Lilith said, her smile lingering as she studied him.
"How would I have witnessed it? And the only person loyal to you that I have seen is Mary. We both know she will not speak of your private matters to me," Cassian replied.
"No, she won’t, but there are others, and you know it. I don’t enjoy that you have a spy on my side, while I don’t have a single spy on yours," Lilith said, irritated.
"There isn’t a spy," Cassian said, leaning forward.
"Then you have heard it all from my family. Unless you plan to proclaim yourself a man who receives word from the heavens. That you see and know all," Lilith said, her annoyance rising at the very thought. "I would rather gut myself than lie with a man who thinks like that."
"It is not what you think. Shall I gather the servants who betrayed their own before you, to prove myself?" Cassian asked, already prepared for this moment.
"That would be lovely, but you could act fast to have them lie. Even if I keep you at my side now to prevent you from giving secret orders, you are a clever man. You must have planned for this," Lilith said, breaking eye contact. "I will unveil it one day."
"Unless I share it, you will never find the answer. I truly bribed the maids. There are more servants still imprisoned in the dungeon. We can go there afterwards," Cassian offered.
Lilith thought it over, her fingers tapping lightly against the armrest. "I am not going to spoil the day by going to see people who once upset me. It is not as though they are going anywhere. I can visit them in the dungeon tomorrow, to have a good laugh."
"So, you are no longer upset with me, right?" Cassian asked, hopeful.
"Who said that? You are not very honest about how you came to know who hurt me. I shall use this against you," Lilith said, smiling sweetly. "Since you continue to keep secrets concerning me, I shall have more concerning you."
Lilith reached forward, fixing Cassian’s shirt, straightening it to tidy his appearance. Her touch was deliberate to tease him. "Now, go on and give your little speech."
"You must remove the word little from your mind, Lilith. Enjoy," Cassian said, kissing her cheek before leaving the throne.
Cassian turned too quickly to miss the look Lilith gave him.
As Cassian gathered the attention of the guests present, Lilith watched him intently. The words spoken by Cassian’s soldiers had never once left her mind.
’He’s a different man,’ Lilith thought.
If the men who had followed Cassian’s orders for years found him strange, and she herself noticed he was odd, then there was truly something amiss.
Her gaze shifted from Cassian to Diana, who appeared completely stumped by his actions.
’What happened at war?’ Lilith wondered. The answer laid in what had happened to Cassian on the battlefield, but she had no one to ask.
Lilith sighed, bothered that she had no answers. Then, someone came into view.
’Eric,’ she thought, her mood lifting as her eyes settled on him.
The nervous man was always at Cassian’s side, so if anyone knew Cassian’s secrets, it would be him.
Eric’s eyes met Lilith’s for a fleeting moment before darting away. Curiosity got the better of him, and he looked at her again, as though wanting to be certain she had indeed been staring at him and not someone else.
Before Eric could panic, Lilith looked away.
It was unfortunate for the nervous man, for Lilith now planned to make use of him in a way he would never expect.
Her smile deepened as her mood lifted, and only now could she focus on Cassian addressing the crowd.
"Lilith," Cassian said, returning to her side. "Pledge your loyalty to Her Majesty, Queen Lilith Mortimer, or die. You may join your peers on the floor by nightfall."
Diana looked around at the relatives and nobles muttering amongst themselves. Some seemed to second-guess the decision they had made before entering the throne room.
Diana held her breath, worried Cassian might be met with objections. The people gathered had the power to go against him.
"All hail the queen!" The first cheer rang out, followed by others.
Diana turned, ensuring that everyone was pledging their loyalty. Even Richard’s sons. Relief washed over her, and she chuckled softly, glad there were no objections. Deep down, she knew it was not Lilith they supported, but Cassian, who held all the power.
’I should speak to the wives,’ Diana planned, wanting to settle them after the horror of the corpses. She slipped away from the front of the crowd to greet the wives of noblemen, who stood at the back with their hands covering their mouths, their backs turned.
Lilith descended from the throne, and rather than stay at Cassian’s side, she met with Mary.
"Your Majesty," Mary curtsied.
Lilith checked that her guards were not near and whispered, "Send for Katrina to be at Eric’s side. I need her to find out what happened to my husband on the battlefield. Do not let anyone see you meeting with her, and tell her not to let Cassian see her. He knows far too much," she said, her eyes flicking to Cassian, who was already staring back at her.
