The Tyrant King Is Obsessed With Me

In the morning, Lilith left her bedchamber to meet with Cassian. She couldn’t prolong giving Cassian an answer about the proposal, and quite frankly, Lilith wanted to see what became of Arthur and Thalia.

Before meeting with Cassian, Lilith made a stop in the garden.

"All the soldiers must have frightened it," Lilith said, unable to find the cat she always fed. "Hopefully, it didn’t go anywhere and get stuck, or no one harmed it. Keep an eye out for it."

Lilith stood up, hoping to see the cat later in the day.

"Princess! Princess!"

Lilith looked to her right at her maid, Mary. "Any louder and you would alert the kingdom to my presence. What is it?"

Mary hunched over, catching her breath. "Forgive me. They have dragged out the crown prince. There are whispers he is going to die."

Lilith looked ahead to where Mary had come from and walked in that direction.

Was Cassian truly going to kill the only male heir?

Lilith wanted to see for herself that Arthur would be out of the way. She didn’t care for her siblings to attempt to stop the execution.

"You won’t be able to see him. They dragged him out towards the gates, and there are bigger issues. Nobles are retaliating," Mary shared, fearing a new war was on the horizon.

"It is to be expected. The kingdom is weak without a royal on the throne, and since no one knows what Cassian’s plans are, they will be restless. It won’t be long before they bring their armies to the castle," said Lilith.

"Would it be wise for his grace to fight the other nobles?"

"No, he should avoid a fight, but if it comes to a battle, he will not go down easily. Before they burn down the castle, I must help calm the tension. Where is Duke Mortimer now?" Lilith asked, having no choice but to see him.

"I last saw him by the courtyard. The others are waiting for your commands. We fear nothing," Mary whispered, ready to fight for Lilith.

"Stay out of sight for now. And Mary, keep a close eye on everyone. For now, no one is to be trusted. Leave us," Lilith ordered Mary.

"As you wish," Mary curtsied.

Lilith continued her walk towards the courtyard, and just as Mary said, Cassian was present.

Lilith looked over her shoulder at Solomon and said, "Stay here. I will go alone."

Solomon stood back but kept a close eye on Lilith.

"Good morning, Princess," Cassian greeted Lilith with a warm smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," Lilith replied. "I always sleep well when I am not disturbed. I came to give you an answer."

Cassian flicked his wrist to send Eric away. "Have you? What is the answer?"

"I will marry you, but you must keep your promise that I am to be the queen while you only stand behind me. While I hated him, every king is given a mourning period. Until it has passed, you are not to touch me. Lastly, you will grant me some of your power."

"As my wife, there will be no limit to the power you hold. From the moment you say ’I do’, my power and lands also belong to you," Cassian said, offering his hand for Lilith to hold.

"I don’t trust you," Lilith said, eyeing Cassian’s hand.

"You shouldn’t trust anyone," Cassian replied. "If I wanted to toy with you, I would have done it already. If I were cruel enough to force you to be my woman, I would have done it, but I have not and will not."

"You would have shared the same fate as the man from last night. You are a decent man now, but it can change in the blink of an eye. You shouldn’t trust me, so we are equal," Lilith said, placing her hand on Cassian’s.

Lilith frowned, caught off guard by a ring slipping onto her finger. "You knew I would say yes."

"You were never going to give up the throne. We will wed in two days, but hold off on the celebrations until the mourning period passes."

"We shall wed in one day to bring peace back to the castle and kingdom. I know the nobles are uneasy, and it won’t be long before they march their armies here. The townspeople don’t need to be caught in war," said Lilith.

"Is that the only reason, or are you eager to lie alone with me?" Cassian asked, grabbing Lilith’s hand to pull her close.

Lilith looked up at Cassian with an unwavering gaze. "We wouldn’t be alone. I always have a dagger with me, so unless you want your throat sliced, you will keep your hands to yourself."

"I want the throne and peace for the people," Lilith said, pulling her hand out of Cassian’s grasp. "It won’t last long, but the kingdom needs order before others view us as weak. Do you agree on a wedding in one day?"

"I do. It would please me if it happened today. I will instruct the maids to start moving our belongings to one bedchamber. Even your little daggers," Cassian said, touching the wound Lilith had made on his throat.

"I will leave the wedding preparations to you," Cassian decided.

"Good. You will need to allow vendors to enter to bring what I need. Now, when will you execute Arthur?" Lilith questioned, wanting to be present.

"It is already happening. His head should be placed on a stake beside your father’s. Why look so surprised?" Cassian asked, leaning forward to reach for Lilith’s hair and run the strands between his fingers. "He would have gotten in your way."

"Twice now you have upset me with your plans. You did not allow me to witness his death," Lilith said, annoyed.

Cassian stared at Lilith.

For a moment, Cassian forgot who he was speaking to.

Cassian let out a low chuckle, and to Lilith’s displeasure, he rested his head on her shoulder. "You still manage to surprise me," he said.