The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 511

Bianca’s POV

The palace suited me quite well.

I’d gotten used to it more quickly than I expected. At first, the servants looked at me like I was an unwanted outsider, but Aunt Belinda had seen to that. Now, every door was opened for me, every meal served to me exactly to my tastes on a silver platter, every pillow fluffed, a new, extravagant gown laid out for me to wear each morning.

It was exactly what I’d always wanted. Exactly what I had always deserved. A life in the lap of luxury, separated from the rabble. I never had to look at my whore of a mother’s sorry face again, not when my father, the King, looked at me like the sun rose and set on me and only me.

Even though he was under a spell, it didn’t make a difference to me. Just having him look at me like that was all I wanted in life, and it never made a difference to me how I got it so long as I did. As long as it came with all of the privileges of a princess, of course.

The queen, however, was another story. I didn’t see her often these days, as she’d been emerging from her chambers less and less, too frail most of the time to even get out of bed. But on the rare occasion that we crossed paths, I could practically smell the stink of hatred on her skin.

But Aunt Belinda would handle it. Just like she was handling everything else.

“Your Highness,” a guard said, bowing his head respectfully as I wafted through the corridors, my skirt trailing a full yard behind me. I’d had it made recently, not for any reason other than I could, layers upon layers of the finest imported silk and lace in colors you couldn’t find in any chain store.

I lifted my chin, not even looking at him as the guard opened a door to let me through to the next set of corridors. There, a maid curtsied deeply, not lifting her head until I had passed by. I heard her footsteps scurry away when my back was turned.

Belinda’s voice echoed down the corridor, clear and certain. I followed it, hoping to talk to her about my upcoming coronation ceremony; the King was getting on in years, hardly fit to run the kingdom as of late. And soon, once Callum was mine, I could finally take the throne for myself. I wanted a party, a big one, to celebrate.

Or at least, this morning I wasn’t.

But now…

“I want them all dead.”

Belinda’s voice made me stop in my tracks. I froze, hands curling into my skirt, certain I had misheard her or misunderstood. What happened to Zane was of no consequence to me, but Liora was mine to kill, and Callum was mine to have.