Isabella's POV
They wanted to poison me. They should've aimed for my heart instead because now, I was going to burn their little kingdom of secrets from the inside out. I summoned Lord Marrow at dawn. He entered the throne room with that same sly, silver-tongued arrogance he always wore like armor. Too bad it wouldn't save him.
"My queen," he greeted with a bow, "to what do I owe the early summons?" I held out the wine goblet. The same one he'd tried to kill me with. "I wanted to thank you," I said. "For your generous… gift." His eyes flicked to the cup. One beat. Two. Then his gaze narrowed. "I don't take your meaning." "No?" I stepped forward. "Because I took yours quite clearly. Arsenic. Cloaked in cherry and sage. Subtle. Elegant. Predictable."
The room went still.
Behind him, Dominic appeared from the shadows silent, watchful. "You would accuse me of treason?" Marrow sneered. "Without proof?" I smiled. "Who said anything about accusing?"
He blinked and then I dropped the real game piece.
"I'm offering you a deal." The tension twisted. "If you wanted me dead, you'd have used a blade," I said. "This? This was a test. You wanted to see if I'd flinch. But here's the thing, Marrow… I don't flinch. I calculate."
He said nothing. I didn't let him.
"You want power? Fine. Let's make this simple. You help me clean this court of the real traitors those loyal to the Old King's bloodline and I'll let you keep your seat." "And if I refuse?" he said coolly. Dominic stepped beside me. "Then we test the poison on you." I leaned forward. "Pick your loyalty, Marrow. The past… or the queen holding the knife now."
He paused. Then bowed.
"Long live the Queen," he said. That night, I stood at my tower window, watching lightning crawl across the darkening skies. The war hadn't started with armies. It had started in whispers.
In shadows. In poisoned cups but it would end with fire. They would learn every last one of them that the only thing more dangerous than a cursed queen… was a mother with nothing left to lose.