I have no interest in palace affairs. Not anymore.
But I won't lie, this unfolding drama? I'm intrigued.
So, in the evening, I step out, dressed better than usual. A subtle statement. Not to impress. Not to compete. But to remind them I exist.
I stroll leisurely through the palace gardens, letting the cool evening breeze kiss my skin. My feet carry me toward the queen's special lounging spot, where she sits with Liliana. The two of them talk like old friends, sipping from delicate crystal glasses, their laughter filling the air.
Good for them.
I would have walked right past them, pretending not to notice, but the queen calls my name.
I pause, considering my options. Then, with a measured breath, I turn and walk toward them.
"Your Majesty." I greet with my head high, my voice even.
The queen smiles, gesturing toward Liliana. "Celeste, meet Liliana, the prince's ex-fiancée and mother of his child. Liliana, meet Princess Celeste."
I don't greet her. I don't need to.
Instead, I tilt my head slightly. "Mother of Cassian's child? The prince has a child?" I ask, feigning surprise.
The queen beams, as if relishing the moment. "Yes, dear. We are just learning about him. Cassian was engaged to Liliana six years ago, but they had a falling out, and she left. We didn't know she was pregnant. Now she's back, with our child. Back where he belongs."
Back where he belongs.
I let the words settle, then smile. "Awesome! That must make Cassian's coronation process faster, doesn't it?"
The queen laughs, a rich, satisfied sound. "You're quite right."
I watch Liliana closely, catching the dark flicker in her eyes.
Interesting.
"I'm sure my husband is thrilled about this." I add casually.
Liliana tenses. The queen, however, smiles brightly. "Oh, of course! He is!"
Liar.
I bow slightly. "Well, I'll leave you two to it."
As I turn away, I can feel Liliana's eyes burning into my back. She sees me as an obstacle to whatever shady plans she's plotting.
What she doesn't know? I'm not playing this game.
But if she insists on making me her opponent…
She'll lose.
***
I don't mean to linger. I'm only passing by Cassian's chambers when I hear the sharp edge in his voice, stopping me in my tracks.
"You shouldn't have come here," he hisses.
The door is slightly ajar, and before I can think twice, I step closer, my heart pounding with curiosity.
"Don't you know I'm married now?" His voice is low but firm, weighted with something I can't quite place.
I freeze. Married? He says it like it means something. Like it matters.
"Married?" Liliana's voice drips with disbelief. "You think a paper wedding changes anything between us?"
Silence stretches, thick and charged. Then Cassian laughs, but there's nothing amused about it. "Between us? There hasn't been an 'us' for six years, Liliana. You made sure of that."
I shift closer, careful not to make a sound.
"You don't understand," Liliana pleads. "I had to leave."
Cassian scoffs. "Oh, I understand perfectly. You told me you couldn't stand the palace, that you wanted freedom. And then you ran off with another man. That wasn't 'having to leave.' That was a choice."
A choice that, apparently, still haunts him.
"It wasn't like that!" Liliana snaps, frustration laced in her voice. "I…" She hesitates. "I didn't run off with another man, Cassian. I… I had reasons."
Cassian exhales harshly. "Right. And now, six years later, you magically return with a child you claim is mine."
I tense. So he doesn't believe it either.
"He is yours!" Liliana insists, her voice breaking. "Cassian, I wouldn't lie about this."
"You wouldn't?" He chuckles darkly. "You lied when you said you loved me. You lied when you said you'd stay. Why should I believe you now?"
Something shifts in my chest. So this is why he is the way he is. The drinking, the women, the recklessness, he had loved Liliana, and she had left him.
For the first time, I feel something I never expected: sympathy.
"I came back for our son," Liliana whispers. "He deserves to know his father."
Cassian exhales sharply. "That's convenient," he mutters. "But I don't believe he's mine."
Silence. Heavy. Unforgiving.
Then Liliana's voice, softer now. "Cassian, please… I just want to fix things."
Cassian runs a hand through his hair. "It's too late for that, Liliana. Too late for us. And if you care about that boy, you should leave before my wife finds us talking."
My pulse spikes. Before his wife finds them? He cares about that?
I back away quickly, my mind racing. I slip down the hall, unseen, unheard, but my thoughts spin wildly.
Cassian isn't the careless, indifferent man I thought he was. He isn't unaffected by this marriage.
And now, I have a feeling I'm about to see the real Cassian for the first time.
As I slip away from Cassian's chambers, my heart pounds in my chest. I have no idea where I'm going. I just need to get away, to clear my head.
Cassian is not the careless, indifferent man I thought he was. He may be reckless, but beneath that arrogance, there's something else. Something broken.
I reach the palace garden, breathing in the cool night air. My thoughts race as I try to make sense of everything. Liliana lied to him, betrayed him, and now she's back, expecting him to pick up where they left off. And yet, despite it all, he still worries about me catching them together.
Why?
Before I can dwell on it further, I hear voices approaching. I turn, stepping into the shadows.
The queen's voice is sharp. "You need to move fast, Liliana. We don't have much time."
Liliana's reply is hushed but urgent. "I know, Your Majesty. I just need him to believe it first."
Believe what?
I press my back against the stone pillar, my breath shallow. My grip tightens around my dress as realization dawns.
Something bigger is at play here. And I'm right in the middle of it.