"You’ll go and be alone with her? But Cassian, many of the relatives have come from far away. You have nobles you are still trying to win over, yet you won’t meet with them? There is only so much your uncle and I can do," Diana said, worried Cassian was losing sight of what he needed.

"You know that I don’t trust your uncle, so you shouldn’t leave him alone with all your allies. Just listen," said Diana.

"You don’t like him because he proposed that you take him as your second husband. Or has there been other trouble in my absence?" Cassian asked, and Diana went still.

Diana stared at Cassian. "How did you know? Did he speak of it to you?"

"No, I simply got the sense of it," Cassian answered.

Cassian remembered learning this secret being exposed in his life before. His uncle’s pursuit of his mother was the very reason he had killed him, and in this second chance, it seemed Cassian would have to kill Richard again.

Diana lowered her head. "I wanted to keep it from you. I have rejected him each time he has brought it up, out of love for your father and for you, but he is persistent. I will never marry your uncle."

"I trust your word, but if you were to have a lapse in judgement, I would kill him before the marriage could be completed. Is that all he has proposed to you? Nothing more?" Cassian asked, watching his mother’s face carefully.

"Aside from suggesting that you take another young woman as your queen, yes. He said that if I were to marry him, he would think of you as his son," Diana shared.

A low sound of laughter escaped Cassian. "I will meet with the relatives after I have eaten with my wife, and then I will gather the family to speak."

Diana reached for Cassian’s arm. "Cassian, whatever you are planning, I urge you not to do it. You and your uncle both hold weight within the family."

"He is an ambitious man. He would have liked to have been the duke, and he wished it for his sons too. Now he will set his eyes on the throne. Being the uncle of the king will not satisfy him for long. I must put an end to it now," Cassian said, his mind made up.

"Then his sons will come after you. It will divide the family," Diana said.

"Then they shall join him. I can give them a proper send-off together. Why should I ignore those who will one day threaten my life? No more shall I wait for enemies to plot and make their move. I will kill them before I lose someone I love," Cassian said, ignoring his mother’s wishes.

"If he turns his sword on me, he will turn it on my wife and on you. It is not only myself that I am trying to protect by acting quickly. So don’t get in my way," Cassian said, his tone making clear it was not a request.

"I know. I know he is an ambitious man, but many of the nobles will turn to the church. You need your uncle’s allies, and you need the family not to be divided. Whatever you do, it must not lead back to you," Diana said, giving in to what Cassian wanted.

"Mother," Cassian said, placing both hands on her shoulders. "I will come up with a way. You only need to act as though you know nothing and go and meet with the others. Go and speak to them, and place Lilith in a good light. Show that she has your support." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Cassian," Diana exhaled.

"If you show that you are against her, they will plot to remove her from my side. If Lilith leaves the castle, I shall leave with her. If she dies, I shall kill everyone behind the plot, ruin this kingdom so they feel her pain and then follow her in death," Cassian spoke with certainty.

Diana stared at him, taking a moment to settle in what he said. She had not quite understood until now just how much Cassian loved the woman in that chamber.

’No wonder she carried herself so,’ Diana thought, remembering how Lilith had spoken to her.

"I will do as you ask. Just promise me that you will be safe, Cassian. You are all that I have," Diana said, raising her hand to cup his cheek.

For Cassian’s sake, she would say whatever was needed about Lilith and make herself believe every word of it.

"I shall be on my way and keep an eye on the relatives in the meantime. I wish you well," Diana said, rising onto her toes to press a kiss to Cassian’s cheek. "Now, if you would excuse me, Your Grace," she added, enjoying using the address for what might be the final time.

Cassian bowed his head and watched his mother as she moved around him and out of the study. For now, one matter was settled.

Meanwhile, in the bedchamber, Lilith had gathered all the maids after getting dressed.

Lilith sat on the bed, watching each woman’s posture and expression.

"One of you brought me a garment which did not come from my husband. You passed it along through your peers to hide your tracks. Step forward now, and I won’t make your death a painful one," Lilith said, and the offer was as close to kindness as she ever came. "The longer I wait, the more your suffering will be."

The maids kept their heads down.

Lilith tapped her fingers against her leg. "Each of you has disrespected me at one point or another, but I am willing to overlook the past and let you keep your place in the castle. I was going to hang all of you."

The maids lifted their heads.

"Bringing me food meant for the dogs, putting dirt and sand in my water, neglecting my wing of the castle entirely, spitting in my food, and so much more. I should kill all of you. I am not a forgiving woman, and I like to settle my debts," Lilith said as she rose from the bed, her eyes moving slowly from face to face.

"I chose to place each of you at my side so I could watch you and deal with you in my own time, but what I am most interested in is the maid who worked with the high priest. Expose the spy now, or face a rope around your neck by noon," Lilith said, leaving two choices.