ALL US VILLAINS

Chapter Thirty-Three

Liam had appeared to be startled by his summons to the queen. When the page had hand delivered the notice to him, he made no effort to conceal his surprise. Diana wonders how often his mother summons him for a discussion.

Since he is now heir to the throne, Liam cannot be in the same room as his mother too often. It leaves too much room for potential assassins to end their entire line. For the queen to risk their family line, there has to be a great reason.

Though their marriage is a temporary secret, Liam stands intimately close to Diana while they wander the hallways. Their hands brush against one another, gentle touches that would go unnoticed by the untrained eye.

"Your mother will not want me to be in the room with you," Diana informs him. She keeps her tone casual while glancing at the guards lining the halls. "I will wait outside."

The prince shakes his head. "No. You will be inside with me for whatever news she wants to deliver." His tone makes the decision sound final. Diana does not wish to bicker with him, so she does as he says.

She follows him into the throne room, where Rosalie kneels before the throne. Two guards stand on either side of her, refusing to look in her direction. Were it not for the lack of ropes or shackles around the woman's wrists and ankles, Diana would be certain that she is a prisoner.

Katherine's eyes flare with anger when she catches sight of the sorceress. Her chin juts toward the door, her order silent. "This matter is of no concern to you, sorceress. Wait in the hall."

"Whatever you have to say to me, mother, you can say in front of Diana," Liam argues. He uses that same tone on his mother, certainly having a death wish. Both of his hands rest behind his back with his palms facing outward.

Narrowing her gaze, the queen glares at her son for a few moments. Then, she sniffs and redirects her anger toward Rosalie. "Fine. She shall be in the room to witness the embarrassment that has befallen you."

Liam scoffs. "Embarrassment?"

One of the queen's manicured brows lifts. "Certainly, you have noticed the absence of your fianceé?"

Diana had forgotten all about Liam's engagement— a problem that needs to be dealt with quickly. They were supposed to come up with a plan to break off the engagement this morning, but had gotten sidetracked.

Scarlet dances across the prince's face, indicating that he is also thinking of how they had gotten sidetracked this morning. "I have been busy, so I cannot say that I have."

"Right. Perhaps if you had set aside more time for your fianceé, she wouldn't have sought attention the way she had."

With a flick of her wrist, the queen commands the guards to pull Rosalie onto her feet. They turn her around so that she is facing both Diana and Liam. Her eyes are puffy and red, rimmed with tears. Shame deepens the shade of her face, making it seem discolored.

"Go on. Tell him of your treachery," the queen pushes.

Rosalie's throat bobs and her gaze falls to the floor. "I apologize, Your Highness. Princess Violet and I... we... we were..." the guard struggles to find the proper words.

Rolling her eyes in irritation, Katherine grits her teeth. "My ladies and I caught this guard and Princess Violet being... intimate with one another."

Liam makes no effort to hide the relief on his face. The smallest hint of a smile even grows across his face. He looks in Diana's direction, communicating with her through his gaze. Their problem has been solved for them. "Is that right?"

Though Liam is focused on the fortune that has fallen before them, Diana is focused on the new problem that has arisen. The queen is going to call for Rosalie to be stripped of her position as a guard. Rosalie will be left as an outcast and a failure. When word gets out of what she has done, she will be forced to flee the city and live deeper into the country.