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“You’re committing treason!”
“And I won. Also, Father wouldn’t have allowed you to remove me from the succession.”
“I’m the Queen, and you’ve proven yourself to be unfit.”
“We heard what you spoke of to Princess Betty,” shouted Sally.
“I went away because I’m not well,” said Rainier. “I’ve already been told what you said to Aunty, and since you haven’t moved to do anything else, I moved first.”
“I was going to give you a few more days to come to your senses before telling you your options,” said Eliza. “One was coming home without the whore, so send him out, we’ll undo this, and we can go on as before.”
Rainier’s eyes darkened. “I don’t want to go on as before. Aunty honeycoats it by saying you’ve been too hard on your children. It took Felix for me to see the truth that others also knew even if they said nothing: you’ve abused me for years. As soon as Addy started her natural development into a young lady, you came down hard on her, and then you started on me. Do you want to know why I said nothing when she was vomiting? I didn’t know it could kill her, so my biggest worry was you yelling at her and making her feel even worse. I had to sit there and watch you tear into her at meals even as she withered and grew sick-looking.”
The occupants of the Hall glared at Eliza as he slapped the armrest of his throne and leaned forward.
“Once she was dead, I became the sole target for your insults. Nothing is ever good enough for you. I want you off my damn back, and that’s why you’re moving out. You won’t be permitted to return unless I say because I can’t live like this anymore. I’m done with you, and you can go now.”
Eliza turned crimson, as she turned to some of the guards. “I want that whore by him arrested-”
“I can’t arrest either King,” one of the men said in a blunt tone. “King Rainier wishes for you to leave, and I’m pretty sure King Felix does too.”
“Servants will pack your things and send you off in a carriage,” said Rainier. “You’ll leave Rosewood, and we will only communicate by letter if needed. If I don’t feel you’ve learned how to treat me in the future, you won’t be permitted to visit, and our contact will be minimal.”
“You’ll just send off your Mother into the world?” she hissed. “You’d rather stay with him?”
“I have to put myself and Felix first for a time,” said Rainier. “I don’t want to cut you off, but it’s best. You’ve spent years abusing me, and I need time away from you. I also need for my future husband to be safe, and I can’t trust you since you’ve already paid someone to hurt him once. Guards, take her away. I’m done.”
Two of them took her by the arms and started to lead her out.
“He’s only with you because of money! That whore doesn’t care about you, and I can guarantee he thinks you’re fat. He’s disgusted by you.” The guards tugged her into the entrance hall and toward the stairs. “I’ll never speak to you again, Rainier! I-”
Whatever else was said was lost, but it had been enough. Rainier looked like he wanted to shrivel up into nothing as his face tightened. Felix leaned over to take his hand, and Rainier waved a hand at the room.
“Someone’s to pack her things. Make sure she’s sent away. The rest of you can go. I need a minute.”
Some of the people cast him pitiful glances as they filtered out. Once the room was empty, Felix got up so he could slip himself into Rainier’s throne. The King immediately wrapped him in his arms as he took a deep breath.
“I didn’t think it’d come to this. I never thought I’d have to cut off a family member, especially her.”
“I know, but it’s best for you right now, and you do need to put yourself first.”
“It hurts.”
Felix leaned back to look at him. “Normally, I wouldn’t say to cut someone off, but…those closest can’t hurt us the worst because they know right where to stab. Your position is safe, you have your home, you can focus on you, and in the future, maybe you can work something out with her. It doesn’t have to be forever.”
Rainier gave him a weak smile and smoothed a little piece of hair back by his ear. “I want you forever.”
“I want you forever too.”
***
Rainier went up to their rooms to rest since the day had taken a lot out of him. Felix sent servants to fetch their things from the house along with Inky who was probably miffed at being left behind.
A servant said she had spoken to someone outside. Eliza must have figured something was up, and it was quite possible someone had come into the dressmaker shop and said something about a giant crowd at the Temple. Whatever happened, Eliza had tried to get through in her carriage, but people had been refusing to move in the streets, and they’d purposely blocked her away to keep her at bay. That had given Rainier and Felix enough time to get to the Castle and settled.
Rainier and Felix had been in their rooms, but she kicked up an awful fuss when guards forced her out. A second carriage had been needed for their things, and it was only when they’d ordered her into one that she’d shut up.
It was clear no one was listening to her anymore, and nothing she said would work. Rainier had everyone’s support, and nobody felt sorry for her since everyone knew what she’d done.
