Chapter 98: Chapter 98 - Rumours
"I don’t know what you speak of," Lilith said, feigning innocence.
"But I am most certain we understand each other, Your Majesty. I would be forever indebted to the person who killed my father, since they did what I never dared to do. I know many expect me to fight my cousin," Hayden said, sparing a glance at Cassian. "But I won’t."
"Because you are close?" Lilith asked, testing him.
"My father didn’t give us the chance to become as close as we should have been. He always compared us to Cassian and tried to keep our interactions low, but I do respect him. He never let my father’s actions cloud how he treats me," Hayden admitted, his voice carrying both regret and admiration.
"Cassian appears to be so smitten with you that he lurks in the distance now. You can assure him that I am not trying to court you. I would not like for my head to roll next, and I am no match for Cassian. Unless-"
"There is no unless. It takes a special kind of man to get my attention, and right now, your cousin is doing quite well. I will never have any interest in little boys like yourself, so please, don’t embarrass yourself. I will laugh at you," Lilith warned.
A smile stretched across Hayden’s lips, unbothered. "I am glad the new queen is not a bore. You might not have any reason to trust or make use of me, but should you need me, this loyal servant will come to you. You have my loyalty. Not my cousin, but you."
"Well, it is comforting to see a future duke pledge his loyalty to me. Time will tell if you shall become useful to me. I bid you goodbye," Lilith said as she wanted to end Cassian’s stare.
"Before you go, I must offer you a bit of news. I heard whispers that there had been a woman the crown prince had entertained in secret. A scandalous woman, famous for going after high-ranking men. I recall her once having an interest in your husband," Hayden shared with sly intentions.
"I don’t care for mistresses," Lilith replied.
"No, but you do care about women showing up claiming they are pregnant with Arthur’s child. The dead cannot speak to clear their name, and many would be foolish enough to believe her. Like the queen who still lives," Hayden pointed out.
"If my stepmother were to learn of this child, she would toss it into a fire rather than hold onto what Arthur left behind for her. That is how much she hates bastards. So, if this woman were carrying his child, she should hope she falls into my hands," Lilith said.
"Still, I thank you for the news, and I shall look into it. You might be of use if you bring me more news. I just might be able to find a reasonable position for your mother in the castle. Now is the time others would abandon her because her husband is dead," Lilith offered a piece of advice.
"I am the duke," Hayden said, but his voice betrayed him with a sound of insecurity.
"These people won’t care about you being the duke. You were handed your title by Cassian because he became king. I advise you not to search for more power, or you will become my enemy. But let your mother rise. She will need to do so for both your sakes," Lilith advised, giving Hayden a chance to help his mother.
"You two are becoming quite close."
Lilith turned to her right, where Cassian approached. He truly was a jealous man, even with his own family.
"Well, we are family now. Your cousin was just pledging his loyalty to me and going on his way," Lilith said, dismissing Hayden with a subtle flick of her hand.
Hayden bowed his head and backed away.
.
"He’s an interesting one, but I suppose all your family is that way. Must we stay in the throne room to keep entertaining the guests? I want to go for a walk with you," Lilith said, linking her arm with Cassian’s.
"I get the sense that I am in trouble," Cassian said, though his grip on her arm remained protective.
"You presented me with a wonderful gift. Why ever would you be in trouble unless you did something wrong? I might be the queen, but you hold all the power here. A simple woman like myself can never hurt you," Lilith said, followed by a chuckle. "Forgive me. I couldn’t resist."
Cassian walked out of the throne room with Lilith, unconcerned about the guests left behind.
"Do you know of a lady who once entertained Arthur and tried to entertain you?" Lilith asked, her mind already plotting around the news Hayden had shared.
"I do. You mustn’t worry about her being pregnant. As one of the men meant to be at Arthur’s side, I knew that he made certain she never carried his child. He used methods even she was unaware of. He would have killed her if he suspected it," Cassian assured Lilith as he made a note of it.
"That won’t stop her from coming to the castle to claim she is pregnant. It might be worthless for her to claim to have Arthur’s child. Is there reason to believe some woman will claim to be carrying your child?" Lilith asked as she looked up at him.
"Yes," Cassian answered smoothly. "My wife shall do it eventually."
"Do not toy with me. You know who I was speaking of. I have said before that I don’t care what you do with your time as long as you don’t bring other children to the castle. I don’t want to waste my time entertaining a woman with such claims," Lilith said, irritation flashing across her face.
"Any woman who comes here with those claims is a liar. You merely have to think about how long your father had me away at war and connect it all. It pleases me that you are so eager to be the one to carry my first child," Cassian said, leaning down, only for Lilith to step aside.
"Don’t flatter yourself," Lilith said, releasing his hand and walking ahead.
