Chapter 809: Take Out The Queen And Princess

"I can explain!"

Those were the first words Violet blurted out the moment she stepped into her mother’s private chamber.

"It’s not their fault. It’s mine. They were only following—"

"Take a seat, Violet."

Queen Seraphira cut her off with a voice so flat and serious that Violet halted mid-sentence.

The queen’s gaze moved slowly from her daughter to the four men standing behind her.

"All of you."

The Cardinal Alphas exchanged brief looks with one another before glancing back at Violet. Then, without another word, they began pulling out chairs around the table and sat down.

Their expressions were puzzled and wary.

Just like Violet, they could sense something was wrong.

Seraphira sat at the head of the table, her back straight and her hands clasped neatly on the glossy surface. While the queen was never particularly expressive—as a ruler she rarely allowed her emotions to show—this was different.

There was tension in the room. Heavy and

ominous. It hung in the air like the warning before a storm. And because of it, Violet began to suspect that the palace reconstruction disaster might not be the reason they had been summoned.

Queen Seraphira didn’t beat around the bush. "You have just three days to the Ascension of Death."

"What?!" Everyone in the room shouted.

"But I’m not ready!"

"What do you mean she has three days —?"

"Are you kidding me?!"

"That’s not enough time!"

"That doesn’t make sense!"

Their voices overlapped in a chorus of protests.

"Trust me," the queen said calmly, though there was steel beneath her tone. "I refused as well. But the council has made up its mind. My hands are tied."

The moment those words left her mouth, the Cardinal Alphas gave the queen incredulous looks.

Roman let out an exasperated breath and muttered under his breath, "We might as well have Annequin teach you how to handle an insolent council."

"Excuse me?" Queen Seraphira heard that.

Not that Roman had gone for subtlety, everyone heard that.

Violet told her. "You are letting the council walk over you, Mother!"

"And what do you want me to do? Kill them? Fire them?"

"Maybe," Roman mumbled.

Queen Seraphira’s furious gaze shot to Roman, who turned the other way with an innocent look, his lips pursed. He was beginning to get on her nerves.

Queen Seraphira said to her, "I could fire the members of the council, but it would be just the same. Baron would sneak his way in again."

"But Violet would have more time, and the newcomers might be a little more respectful, with all due respect, Your Majesty." Griffin said, his expression serious.

The queen shot back. "No amount of time is enough for Violet. That’s the one thing I can agree with the council on."

"And whose fault is that?" Violet snapped.

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. She saw the hurt that flickered briefly across her mother’s face.

They had already argued about this before.

Her temper had simply gotten the better of her.

"I’m sorry —" Violet wanted to say, but the queen lifted a hand, halting her. So she worked her jaw, letting the matter be.

"I have already made my mistake," Seraphira said. "However, the Ascension of Death itself requires no special training. Violet only needs knowledge of our people and the ancestors who came before us."

"And the other trials?" Alaric asked. "Violet doesn’t have enough training for those."

"There won’t be any other trials."

The queen said it so suddenly that silence crashed over the room. For a moment no one spoke, and then the questions burst out.

"What?"

"What are you talking about? Aren’t there three trials?"

"What do you mean by that?" Asher spoke up.

Seraphira’s expression hardened. "Baron is making his final move. Lila believes that he intends to take me out once and for all. We are willing to bet it’s during the trial."

Lila, who had been standing silently beside the queen, finally stepped forward.

"We have been quietly observing Baron’s residence, and while he had been oddly inactive, the same couldn’t be said for his lover, Celeste."

"We’ve followed Celeste certain times only to suddenly lose her. And then here comes the council demanding the competition be moved suddenly?"

She shook her head. "It’s a suspicious and bold move. Which brings us to think Baron might have found a way to eliminate Violet or take out the queen. Or both."

Violet couldn’t understand it. She said, frustrated, "So if we’re sure that the evil Fae is planning something, why can’t we drag his bitch out and torture her until she speaks the truth? Or are your hands tied until you end up dead in Baron’s hands?"

"We can’t make a move because we can bet that Celeste has already sworn a Fae oath to keep quiet. Fae oaths are binding, and if she tries to speak, she’d likely end up dying. That would not solve our problems, and we’d end up alerting Baron that we know they’re up to something. It’s best they presume we don’t know a thing. That way they end up caught unaware."

Violet threw her hands up. "So we just sit around and wait for them to attack? Or is there a plan?"

"Exactly, Queen Seraphira," Asher supported her. "What’s the plan? And you know what I mean. It’s three days."

Perhaps it was the meaning in Asher’s words and the way he pinned her mother with that stare, but Violet suddenly felt like something was off.

She frowned. "I don’t understand. What do you mean by that?"

She looked at her mates as well, who all looked anywhere but at her.

Asher insisted. "Are you going to tell her, or should I tell her? We don’t have much time here, and she deserves to know."

"Tell me what exactly?" Violet’s voice rose. "What are you guys hiding from me?"

Queen Seraphira sighed heavily. "You’re right, Violet. There’s something I need to tell you."