Page 54 of Take My Throne

Chapter Twenty-One

“What’s wrong, my dear?” asks my father, as we pull up outside his mansion. “You seem a little agitated.”

“N-no, I’m fine,” I say.

What the hell happened? Why weren’t we ambushed?

“That’s funny, because I could have sworn you looked like you were expecting something to happen.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say. “I am just missing Lucas and want to get home to him. In fact, if you don’t mind, I’m going to head straight up to our suite and show him how much I missed him.”

“How sweet of you,” my father says, “but you’re going to have to put your plans on hold, just for a little while. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“A surprise? For me?” I don’t like the sound of this.

“Oh yes. And I think you’re going to love it.”

Confused, I follow my father into the house and through to the dining room.

“Oh no!”

Tightly tied to the chairs are Romy, Declan, Archer, and Milly along with all their parents, gags around their mouths.

“I thought we would bring your wedding reception forward a day,” my father explains. “You see, after I discovered word of a plot to assassinate me, I realised I needed to accelerate some of my plans. I’m afraid I can’t have anyone getting in my way, not when I’m so close to achieving everything I’ve dreamed of. I’d been willing to overlook your little dalliances as long as you were discrete, Ivy. But when you actively conspire to kill me? I’m afraid lessons need to be learned.”

“I don’t understand. How did you find out? Nobody knew except us and none of us would have said a word. Archer? Romy? Declan?”

The three boys all violently shake their heads, desperately trying to speak through their gags to let me know they weren’t the ones who betrayed us.

“Much as I’d love to let you think that one of your sweethearts had turned against you, unlike some, I cannot tell a lie.”

“Oh, please.” All pretence of caring about my father is gone now that our plan has been exposed. “Just tell us already.”

“Very well. Since very few will be leaving this room alive, I see no harm in letting you know where you slipped up. Young Archer there did well in finding the bugs in your clothing, and you did a good job of trying to feed me falsehoods by writing down your conversations. However, what you didn’t realise was that I’d planted another bug inside your pen, one which came with a camera as well as a microphone. I anticipated your attempts to circumvent my surveillance. I saw every single word you wrote. I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist making a move against me. All Archaics rebel at around this stage in their life. I myself took over the House by killing my father with my own bare hands, although I had the guts to do it in his study without running to the other Houses for help. So, I forgive you, Ivy. You couldn’t help yourself. But now the time has come to put aside childish things, and since I can’t kill your lovers without incurring the wrath of their parents, now’s the time to eliminate all the competition and take over the whole town once and for all. Michael-–go and fetch Lucas. He needs to be here for this.”

“Yes, sir.” One of the guards nods and leaves the room.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, tears running down my face. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Of course it was,” my father says. “Why do you think Isabella had you handwrite all those invitation cards? After I had my men gather up all your friends, it was a simple matter to contact all their parents and inform them we’d made a mistake with the date, hoping they’d be able to come out this evening. Fortunately for everyone, they were available. I’d hate to have had to use brute force to get them here for this special occasion.”

“No!” I gasp.

“Yes, Ivy. This is your wedding reception. All these people came here in good faith, expecting to celebrate your nuptials. And in a way, we still are. I’m doing this for you, Ivy, for our House. Their deaths are my wedding gift to you, that you and Lucas will be able to enjoy the fruits of my ambition.”

“You’re a monster!”

“You think that now, but in time you’ll be able to see that what I’ve done was for the best.”

I want to slap him, but I am distracted by Lucas coming in.

“So you’ve started the party without me?”

“You knew?” I may be reluctant to attack my father, but I have no such qualms when it comes to my so-called husband. I throw myself at him, wanting to scratch his eyes out.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my father make a gesture to one of his guards, who steps forward and grabs my arms. He pulls them behind my back, restraining me tightly.

“Now, now, Ivy,” my father says. “Don’t blame poor Lucas here. He was only following orders. He knows what it takes to be a true Archaic.”

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