Chapter 174: Cheesetrap 2

LYSANDER

"Let us suppose I killed my father. You seem to believe that revelation settles something, that it makes me unfit to rule, unstable, and dangerous. Perhaps you think it gives you the right to question my place on that throne."

I paused, studying her expression.

"But what about you and my dear cousin?"

Edelina’s expression remained unchanged, but I noticed the way her fingers tightened around the napkin in her lap, twisting the fine fabric between them.

"I have more than a suspicion that you killed my uncle," I continued, watching her face for the smallest crack in her composure. "You thought you were fucking clever, didn’t you? You believed it would be quick, clean, and that Johann would be sitting on that throne by now. Then I happened." I smiled faintly, taking in the tension gathering around her mouth. "Uncle Cornelius planned ahead, and it must be eating you alive that you have no idea how far his plans go. I imagine you’re terrified. He made arrangements so far beyond your reach that you cannot even begin to see where they end."

Her breath caught, so faintly that anyone else might have missed it. I didn’t.

"Do you know what else?" I asked, leaning forward. "He was the one who told me Johann couldn’t be his son. That he was infertile."

The words landed with all the subtlety of a stone through glass.

Johann’s head snapped toward his mother, his casual indifference vanishing as his eyes widened. For the first time that evening, he looked genuinely unprepared for what was being said. Beside me, Bonnie slipped her hand into mine beneath the table, threading her fingers through mine. I squeezed them gently, grateful for the quiet reminder that I wasn’t alone in this room.

Edelina recovered with impressive speed, her composure settling back over her features as though nothing had happened.

"Which only proves that my husband was delusional," she replied coolly. "Bradley has taken a blood sample. The results will vindicate me."

"Even if they do," I said, "and I sincerely doubt they will, it changes nothing."

I leaned back in my chair, giving her a moment to absorb that before continuing.

"Why weren’t you or Johann here on the day he died? What happened between you and my uncle that your relationship deteriorated so badly? And why would you kill the man you expected everyone to believe was your son’s father?"

I let the questions hang between us, watching her carefully.

"Go on, Edelina. You’ve been so eager to discuss sins. I’d love to hear what you have to say about yours."

Edelina slammed her palm against the table, the crack of it cutting through the room. The plates rattled, wine sloshed over the rim of her glass, and for the briefest moment, her carefully maintained composure shattered. What surfaced beneath it was raw, unfiltered fury.

"You twitchy boy!" she snarled. "You think you have the right to point fingers at me? You think sitting in that chair means you know anything about what I have endured?"

"I am Regent," I reminded her, my voice dropping to a level that left little room for argument. "You would do well to remember that before you speak to me like that again... Your Majesty."

She straightened, lifting her chin as though the gesture alone could restore the authority she had just lost. "I am fucking Queen."

"With fading power."

I picked up my fork and cut into the lamb on my plate. I brought a piece to my mouth and chewed slowly, deliberately, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing how much her outburst amused me. If she wanted to make a spectacle of herself, I was perfectly content to let her do it while I finished my meal.

"I suppose you should have thought about that before you killed my uncle."

She stared at me, her chest rising and falling with tightly controlled breaths. For a moment, I thought she might reach across the table and slap me. Instead, she shoved her chair back, the legs scraping harshly against the floor as she rose.

"Thank you for the meal," she announced, her voice clipped and cold.

She turned to Johann, who remained seated, staring at her as though he were seeing his mother for the first time. Whatever questions had surfaced in his mind, he seemed unable to bring himself to ask them in front of us.

"Let us go," she ordered.

Johann jolted into motion, scrambling to his feet so quickly that his chair nearly toppled behind him. Before following her, he turned toward me, his expression twisted with resentment. His eyes blazed, and his upper lip curled as he leaned just close enough to make his threat sound personal.

"You will pay for this," he hissed. "I swear it to you."

I tilted my head, regarding him with the mild curiosity one might reserve for a dog that had mistaken barking for a threat.

"Perhaps. But first..." I let the words trail off, watching the anger in his face give way to a flicker of uncertainty. "Was that a threat, Johann? Are you threatening me?"

He opened his mouth, but I had no intention of giving him the opportunity to answer.

"Sentinels!"

The doors flew open, and three guards hurried into the room, their hands on their weapons as their eyes swept across the table, searching for whatever danger had summoned them. They found no intruder, no drawn blade, only a royal family tearing itself apart over dinner.

I pointed my fork at Johann.

"Arrest this man. Five days without light, food, or water."

Edelina spun toward me, her face flushing with outrage. "What is this? You cannot simply..."

"I am punishing his audacity," I interrupted, setting my fork down. "A formal sentence for threatening the Regent would amount to treason, and we both know how fond you are of the law when it gives you an excuse to punish innocent people for your own ends."

I leaned back in my chair, meeting her furious gaze.

"But unlike you..."