Page 31 of His Dark Delights
“And this war you play at,” she continued, barreling over me, “The council was overly hasty in placing you on the throne. Their decision thrust us into this needless conflict.”
“A throne I never asked for—”
“The Carnifex lineage has sat on the throne for centuries. The gods betrayed us with the plague that wiped out your father and his trueborn heirs.”
“Fuck that old bastard and everyone else related to him. You praise him so highly when he was the one sowing his seed through the city. Blame him for my place here. But do not ever, ever disparage the woman who saved my life. Lilliana deserves to be in the palace. She’s earned it.”
“Then you make the decision for war, so lightly,”the woman prattled, as if I hadn’t spoken at all. “Your father wouldn’t have made such a rash decision. He understood the cost of life and death and the effects of war on his people.”
“The fae pose a threat we no longer have the freedom to ignore!”
Her voice hissed with her derision. “A threat they may have been, but nothing more than that of an irritating fly at a picnic. War is not the path.”
“And my mother is dead because of the fae scourge! Every day of her absence reminds me of the fae treachery threatening us all.”
If the Duchess’s face could soften, it did then, but only slightly. “A tragedy that seems to affect us all. Would your mother, rest her soul, agree to this path, Soren? Or would she have urged diplomacy? A king is not merely a soldier, a commander, but a guiding hand and diplomat of peace.”
The chair clattered to the ground when I surged to my feet. Cecily didn’t so much as flinch as she regarded me.
“I am aware of the duties foisted upon me by the very council you scorn! Responsibilities handed down by a man who I never knew!” My voice edged with contempt. “I am in power now, I am in command, and I will not live in a kingdom that bends to the whims of such fickle creatures. If the Fae Queen and her son will not bow. They. Will. Break.”
Not to mention the fae prince’s ambush in the mountain that caused my near-death. Another tally on the board of my vengeance.
Cecily nodded, sighing with the weight of her long years. “So much like your father. You are as stubbornand headstrong as he was. He had such blazing passions and a king’s hunger as you do. Though half of your heart might be in the right place, your methods and need for revenge poison you. Remember, Soren, that fury and a sword are not the only things that make a king. Your victories will mean nothing if you leave behind nothing but bones and ash.”
“I will heed your advice, aunt.” No, I wouldn’t.
Her lips curled as if sensing the lie. “Do not be late for dinner. I know you didn’t grow up with etiquette lessons, but have some propriety and decorum, please.”
Our conversation ended with a piss-poor excuse of a truce. She hobbled out, leaning heavily on her cane. A gentleman might have offered to help, but as she liked to remind me, I was no gentleman. Since we met two years ago, our relationship had remained fraught.
Grand Duchess Cecily was the last trueborn pillar of the house of Carnifex, a focal point of the kingdom and a fixture of the royal court. She closely monitored tradition and advocated for propriety. The old bat wouldn’t view Lilly favorably regardless of saving my life. She’d think of her as an outsider, as much as she still viewed me.
Perhaps it was that thought that curated images of Lilly at the head of the royal dining table. Her presence would equally mock the Duchess and give me the opportunity to show her off as my savior and the woman I cherished most in the world. A daydream of her sitting in my lap filled me with a sense of obscene anticipation.
The prospect of bringing that dream to life thrilled me, thrummed through me, kicking me into action. I would flaunt Lilly like the priceless gem she was.Tonight would be a defining moment, a chance to prove that she belonged with me and our connection went beyond her obstinance.
Chapter Eleven
Lilly
Rhydan paid me a favor by avoiding the busier halls of the palace. He’d seen me at one of my lowest points and hadn’t judged me for it. Simply held out a hand and offered assistance. He knew his friend was in the wrong and showed me the empathy I hadn’t realized how badly I needed.
As we traversed the corridors, I kept track of every statue and every tapestry we passed. There might come a time when I needed to know my way around. Admittedly, the sapphire hued stone of the castle walls and the wondrous views through the windows were lovely. Almost annoyingly so.
The castle of Elleslan was resplendent and grand. Beyond anything I had the experience to imagine. The shimmer of the stone walls and the art carefully spacedacross every surface stole my breath. And gods, the views from the balconies and sky bridges from one tower to the next might have entertained me for days.
I wanted to hate being there with every fiber of my being. It was beautiful beyond what a lonely girl from an isolated farm could conceive of. The size of my world reached exponentially farther; too large, too bustling, too burdened by the will of another.
Doubt coiled through my mind, whispering that I was a perpetual outsider. I didn’t belong, and I never would. My every dirt-smudged step stained the otherwise pristine marble floors, sinking home the fact I sullied the palace with my presence. Even the servants we passed glanced sideways with judgment in their eyes.
Thank the gods, and Rhydan, for saving me from humiliation. Without him, I’d still have the king’s cum smeared in obscene streaks across my face. Though his support didn’t reveal his intentions. Was Rhydan an ally? Or was he another player in the game of the royal court, eager to manipulate the new pawn?
“Here we are. This’ll be the room for you then.” Rhydan gestured to the second to last door at the end of a long hall. It had blue painted wood with glittering gold embellishments that likely cost more than my entire cottage.
“And what are those other rooms?” I pointed along the corridor to the widely spaced doors lining that wing of the palace.
“Rooms for the royal family.” He gestured at the door beside mine. “That’ll be the king’s room.”
