ALL US VILLAINS

Chapter Nineteen

Diana and Liam have been acting differently since they returned from the battlefield. The pair are no longer giving the other cruel, snide remarks, speaking civilly on matters. It's strange to watch them wander the hallways of the palace together, discussing different strategies as if they were not at each other's throat only a week or so before.

The sorceress has also stopped purposely losing Rosalie in the maze, instead walking at the guard's side. In their time together, Rosalie has learned more about the sorceress. Diana is the oldest of three children, she is an excellent baker, and she loves to dance. As a child, she wanted to become a seamstress and give up her magic to live a normal life. She had hopes, dreams, and aspirations that died the very moment Prince Andrew drew his last breath.

Rosalie never wanted to like her. Diana goes against every belief that has been taught to Rosalie her entire life. She is a traitor and a manipulator. The sorceress does whatever she likes because she can. To her, people are expendable.

Yet, Rosalie cannot help but find her to be nothing short of a human being when she discusses her past.

The way that Diana has been speaking about her siblings has made Rosalie miss hers a lot more than usual. It has been a little over five and a half months since she has last seen her family. There hasn't been the time or the opportunity to visit her family since she started her position.

To convince one of the guards to watch Diana while she visited her family, Rosalie had to bargain half her paycheck. Rumors have been circulating among the guards that the pair who arrested Diana were killed. Some believe that she had casted a curse upon the men that had slowly weakened them.

Diana stretches over the library's couch where she and Violet had shared their first intimate moment with one another. Her eyes scan the pages of a dusty, old book reading at a slow pace. It takes her approximately three minutes to turn the page, taking quite a bit of care with understanding the work.

Rosalie casts her gaze toward the slowly rising sun, anticipating for Johnathon to act as her replacement. They had agreed to switch just a few hours after dawn so that she could maximize as much of the day with her family as possible.

"Do you have somewhere to be?" Diana questions. Her eyes are still on the pages before her, stumbling over some of the words.

After debating with herself for a few seconds, Rosalie cups her hands together. "I am going to visit my brothers at the barracks," she claims. "I have a guard coming to take over for me."

Lowering her book onto her chest, Diana faces dances between disgust and confusion. "The men in this palace do not like me." Her book snaps shut and Diana throws her legs over the ledge so that she is now sitting. "I will come with you."

If the men in the palace do not like Diana, the men at the barracks will certainly hate her. Word about the deal Diana and Liam had struck has not spread very far, despite the gossips that roam the palace. Diana's very name strikes fear in the hearts of others, so it is almost never mentioned.

Some even believe that the mere thought of the woman will give her the strength to kill people in their dreams.

"I believe it would be better if you stayed in the palace, If the men recognize you—"

"I'll wear a wig and color my eyebrows," Diana interrupts. She stretches her arms overhead while she stands, popping the bones in her back. "My hair is the only feature those men will recognize."

Rosalie can feel her mind divide between the two choices. Something tells her that bringing Diana to the barracks is a bad idea. Too many things could go wrong, which could all be easily avoided by leaving Diana here. Diana would follow Rosalie to the barracks if the guard attempted to leave her here. Then, the guard would be out half of her paycheck for no reason.