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“Did we know any of those people?” Gray asks, barely moving his lips.

“I’m pretty sure the one on the right was the auditor who was watching the house and came to the door earlier this week,” Ayden mutters.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I can’t even wonder what those people did to deserve their fate, because I’ve learned that it could be anything with the Queen of Forbach.

“Other than people being irritable, have you been well?” Grayson asks graciously.

Cinder glances over her shoulder, smiling at him. It’s meant to be flirtatious, but she’s an awkward taco instead. “I have, but my husband won’t leave the castle,” Cinder grumbles. “I’m irritable, and want to play. Since I can’t, my pet is forced to hide in the west attic wing.”

Pouting, she continues on through the castle, and I recognize that we’re headed toward the dining room. I am both happy to get this over with, yet terrified as well. Ayden links his pinky finger in mine, squeezing lightly. That’s the closest he can come to reminding me that he loves me, so I force myself to bask in that.

“Charming!” Cinder barks as we walk into the dining room. Ayden releases my finger as we enter, and I swallow at the sight of the empty table and a naked maid on it. I’ve never known Charming to flaunt his infidelities in front of Cinder at the castle, and I wonder what has changed in the last few days. I also don’t understand why Cinder is holding onto the civility of keeping Lana hidden.

Charming is sucking on the maid’s breasts, drizzling caramel syrup over her body.

“What, Cinder?” he mumbles, looking up. “You left me to my own devices an hour ago, and I was bound to get bored. What did you—Drizella! You’re here. Hello, darling girl. Did your sister keep you long?”

Charming has always called Cinder my sister because we look so alike, outside of our hair color. I don’t understand why, I just thought it was an odd quirk. Now I can feel how creepy it is and shudder.

“No, not at all,” I tell him, my voice curiously even.

“Your Queen has been redecorating as I’m sure you saw when you walked in. Isn’t it dreadful?” Charming complains, his eyes on me as he pinches the maid’s breasts.

Ignoring her pained cries, I force myself to answer. I can’t help her right now, I need to figure out why the hell we’re even here.

“I saw the evidence of my sister’s distemper,” I say easily with a shrug. “Maybe the staff should ensure that they don’t upset her.”

Charming shrugs at my answer, his fingers skimming the maid’s body. Looking closely, I realize that it’s Zachary’s sister, which explains Cinder’s annoyed look.

“I see you’re busy, Your Majesty. Should we return another time?” I ask, wondering if I can safely get the girl out of here. I might hate the woman’s brother and what he did to us, but she hasn’t done anything to me.

“No, no. I don’t believe that’s necessary. Please sit, and we’ll get dinner served soon enough,” Charming murmurs. The girl moans as he rubs her clit, legs opening wide.

“You’ve stolen my plaything,” Cinder complains. “Why can’t you go home already to your little whores?”

The king’s jaw tightens, and I realize that he’s closer to the edge of madness than I thought. I wonder if my step-sister has been dabbling in gardening recently. Taking my seat, I can see the king has a paler demeanor than the usual healthy tan he usually sports. Charming also doesn’t seem like himself at all.

We’re all mad here it seems.

“I can’t go home until I have what I want, Cinder,” he growls. “Your sister is a cheater and a cunt, Drizella.”

I can’t process what he’s said because of his words. No one curses in front of my sister. She screeches, scandalized, forcing me to wince.

“I don’t understand what you mean, Charming,” I gasp. Cinder watches to see what I’ll do, curious as much as she is scandalized. “You’re the one currently with his fingers deep inside the maid.”

I will do anything to stay on my step-sister’s good side, even though it’s clear they are both dangerous as fuck. I have been terrorized by her for longer though, so the need to make her happy is well ingrained.

Charming shrugs with a smile, beginning to finger fuck the maid. “She’s so beautiful,” he murmurs, his other hand touching the girl’s hair. “I know my wife wants a divorce, dear Drizella, so I’m afraid that 'jig is up' as they say. The truth is she’s barren, which are clear grounds for my own divorce!”

He is angry at what he feels is a faulty wife’s reproductive organs. Cinder can’t change this, but on the other hand, I wonder how long they’ve tried since they’re rarely in the same place for long.

“You don’t know that I am barren,” Cinder hisses. “How dare you air out our dirty laundry in front of guests.”

“I wonder if this girl will get pregnant if I fuck her,” he muses, pulling his fingers out of the maid’s pussy. Arousal coats them, and I struggle to maintain eye contact as he sucks them clean. “She even tastes better than my wife, who complains of a headache and refuses to have sex with me for the succession of the crown. What kind of queen are you?”

“A busy one,” Cinder counters. “I’ve been in meetings for the past few weeks, and I need to figure out how to make the changes everyone is insisting on. Apparently people are starving in our realm and I was never given a report about it. How would I know this is happening without that?”

“It’s called leaving the bedroom for longer than a few moments a day, dear wife,” Charming complains. Grabbing a huge knife, he raises it to the maid’s throat. She trembles for an entirely different reason now. “Are you one of the Queen’s favored whores?”