"God..." Livia cried, pressing a hand to her chest. She inhaled heavily, but the air seemed too thick to enter her lungs. "I cannot let you do this to me."

"I am not doing anything. I gave you a choice."

"A choice? You threaten to ruin the man I love, destroy his name, shame his family and lock me away for your son’s pleasure, and you call that a choice?"

"You are being offered comfort. A house. Protection. There are women who would kill for such security."

"And I refuse to choose," Livia said, forcing every word through the tremor in her throat, "until the king looks me in the eyes and tells me this is coming from him."

Theodora gave a soft, incredulous laugh. "What would that change, Livia? He is the king. He does not owe anyone explanations."

"I am a human being. I am not some hidden shame to be stored until His Highness grows lonely." Livia stepped closer, damning everything to hell. "If he is going to be my new Beaumont, then he had better look me in the eyes and tell me."

Theodora’s amusement faded completely. "I cannot believe how arrogant you are being. Of all people, you?" Theodora said, taking one slow step toward her. "You?"

The word was full of contempt, rank, blood, history. All the things Theodora believed separated them.

"What right do you have to demand anything?" Theodora asked. She looked her over with cruelty, from her face to her gown, as if searching for worth and finding only insult. "Asides from whats between your legs, you have nothing going for you."

"I am not leaving here without speaking to the king," Livia said. "And I assure you," Livia continued, her voice trembling now with fury, "I will make such a stink about it that my shame will instantly become yours and that of the entire palace."

Theodora didn’t fear noise. But scandal, especially one that involved her son was something else. A screaming harlot in Whitehall’s corridors, shouting that the king’s mother meant to lock her away for royal pleasure, could not be contained so neatly.

A slight nod of her head admitted the point.

"Thanks to you," Theodora said coldly, "the king has not been receiving visitors. But I will have you escorted." she turned away and crossed back to her chaise. She picked up a folded piece of satin from beside the cushions, returned and held it out. "Put this over your face."

Livia stared at the fabric.

"And please, you may keep it once you are done with it."

Livia took the scarf, only to throw it back at Theodora’s chest. The satin fell between them. Theodora’s hand landed a slap across her face.

"How dare you!" Theodora hissed.

Livia did not give herself time to feel the pain. If she felt it, she might remember every other hand that had ever struck her.

No.

Not this time.

She turned back slowly, her cheek burning, her eyes bright with rage.

"How dare you!" Livia snapped back. She was breathing hard, every inch of her shaking and still refusing to bow. "You want to keep a whore for your son, then you get a shameless whore, Your Grace. Because I will make your life shamelessly miserable for as long as you both have me trapped."

Theodora’s face went red. It finally dawned on her. This little girl standing before her—this supposed ruined thing—was going to be far more of a pain in the arse than Madeleine.

Madeleine could be pushed by pride, frightened by the possibility of losing the crown but Livia had nothing to lose anymore.

"Fine," Theodora said. She turned sharply, crossed to the wall, and pulled the bell cord. Moments later, a maid entered and dipped into a curtsy.

"Your Grace."

"Have the guards clear the corridors to the king’s apartments."

"Yes, ma’am," the girl said quickly, and hurried away.

"Clearing the corridors will not help you, Your Grace. I lived in a brothel for years," Livia continued. "Believe me when I tell you, it will take more than empty halls to wipe my shame off Whitehall. I will announce it! I will own it! I will weaponise it!"

The words landed exactly where she meant them to. Theodora went very still. For a second, Livia thought she had struck blood.

Then Theodora smiled.

"There is an easy solution to that too," she said, "but I will not spoil the ending."

The door opened again. The maid returned, and curtsied low.

"Your Grace. It is being cleared."

"Come with me," Theodora said and swept toward the door. Livia followed, refusing to hurry. Her heart still hammered from everything Theodora had said. But her spine remained straight.

If Henry had truly ordered this, she would hear it from his mouth not from his mother’s poison covered tongue.

The corridors had already been cleared. The passage to the king’s apartments stood unnaturally still. Doors closed. Corners watched by guards.

At the entrance to the king’s apartments, Stephen stood guard.

He straightened the moment he saw Theodora. "Your Grace..."

"Inform the king Miss Bellamy is here to see him," Theodora said.

"Livia Valenti," Livia cut in.

Stephen’s eyes moved to her.

"From Beaumont’s," Livia said. "You remember, right?"

Theodora rolled her eyes and sighed. With a sharp flick of her fingers, she sent Stephen inside and turned to Livia. She looked her over slowly. Livia had forced her hand, and Theodora would not forgive that. "Everyone ends up broken, whore...You will be too."

Livia’s throat tightened. Some part of her feared Theodora was right. Everyone had a limit. She had been broken before. Sold, used. Yet here she stood.

Theodora walked away. Livia remained where she was. Alone now, with two guards. The door opened again. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Stephen stepped out. He gestured for her to enter. Livia drew in a breath. This was it. Beyond that door was Henry.

The man who would either deny this nightmare or become part of it. She stepped through.