I didn’t knock, just opened the door and entered.
Valentina was perched at her dressing table, having her hair done, looking bored. Upon my entrance, however, she abruptly sat up, indignation turning her expression stormy.
I turned to my knights and ordered, “Find the files. There’s three, with my seal on them.”
“What are you doing here?” Valentina sneered at me. “Get out!”
I ignored her and watched the knights.
Valentina’s stare became more intense, and she spoke with a harder, colder tone, with an authority that shouldn’t be questioned. “You, look at me. You are not to undermine me.”
I gave her an odd look. “You, princess, have no power here.”
She blinked, as if not expecting my response, and then hastily stood, glaring me down. “I said, come here, and stop trying to undermine me!”
What was she even on about? Was she on drugs? Or did she still think of me as James’s toy who could be ordered about?
It didn’t take long to locate the files. Sir Joseph found them on the bed, half hidden under a pillow, which had been clever on Tabitha’s part. Made it look like Valentina had been reading them in bed. Sir Joseph immediately grabbed them and brought them back to me.
I made a show of looking them over before growling, “These are not files you should have, Princess.”
Her eyes narrowed on me. “Where did those come from?”
“Won’t admit to stealing these?”
Knocking her maid’s hand aside, she stood and screamed at me, “Are you playing games now, false king?”
Well, yes, but it was such a fun game! Plus, I got an amazing prize from winning. You, gone.
Sir Collins brought a lacquered box to me with a grim expression. “Your Majesty, take a look at this.”
I had no idea what he meant until he came in close enough for me to see inside the box. Four bottles were stacked inside, and when I lifted one up, the label declared it a mild poison. The same type my peppermints had been doused in.
There was, needless to say, only one reason why she would have this.
Well, this little she-demon was both full of herself and stupid to keep the evidence on hand. I hadn’t expected this windfall. While it was circumstantial evidence at best, it was grounds for investigation. I had the option to throw her into a holding cell and put her on trial, but I still wouldn’t be able to really punish her. Sadly. I’d keep this as evidence to revisit later, assuming her parents ever responded, but for now? I just wanted her out.
“Princess Valentina of Ascor, your engagement with Victor has been annulled. Your excuse to stay here has ended, and because you have broken the rules of hospitality, I hereby banish you from my country. You are not allowed to return. My knights, seize her, throw her on a ship going to Ascor. If none are leaving today, order a naval vessel to take her. She is not allowed back into the city or the palace, no matter the reason.”
Valentina started screaming the second knights grabbed her arms. “I should have done it myself! I should havefucking done it myself! You! How dare you still live?”
I startled. Surely she wasn’t alluding to my poisoning attempt? So blatantly?
“You’re like a damn cockroach!” Valentina raged, trying to hurtle herself free of the knights’ hold. Small as she was, strong as they were, they still had a hard time keeping hold of her. Her rage was that incandescent. “Why won’t you die andstay dead?”
Wait, that sounded like…she couldn’t possibly remember our first life, could she? Or was that just my paranoia speaking? Or did she think her poisoning attempt had succeeded and I was somehow brought magically back to life?
I was making the cardinal mistake of trying to decipher crazy, but still, the things she was saying…almost like there was some basis, some knowledge she held.
Surely I was being paranoid. Surely.
The knights dug in their heels and hauled her out of the room, even though she screamed and kicked at them the entire time. Her maids dithered in place, but I ordered them taken as well. Her things I’d have shipped to her. I was fine with Valentina being stuck in the same dress for the whole voyage. A little suffering would do her good.
Valentina continued to scream even as she was hauled down the stairs, mostly obscenities and promises of what she’d do to me. All music to my ears. She was finally, finally gone.
All that remained was me and Sir Seymour when Tabitha showed up with James in tow. My husband pointed at the files in my hands.
“She really had some of our files?”
