Page 17 of Destiny Redeemed
I felt my cheeks burn with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. “So that’s it then? All my efforts mean nothing because I didn’t play by your arbitrary rules?”
Lady Minerva leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. “The rules aren’t arbitrary, my dear. They’re there to protect us. To ensure that those who join our ranks truly understand the value of hard work and integrity. You need to think of long-term gains, not short-term gains.”
I wanted to argue, to point out the hypocrisy in her words. But I stopped. This woman wasn’t going to be easy. I needed some better plans. Even though she was a pain in my side, I did have a grudging respect for her.
“Fine,” I said, standing abruptly. “I’ll find another way.”
Lady Minerva nodded and raised her glass.
As Laurel and I turned to leave, Lady Minerva called out, “Lady Ilyana?”
I paused, glancing back over my shoulder.
A small smile played at the corners of her mouth. “I look forward to seeing what you come up with next.”
As we slipped out of Whispering Leaves, the warm night air did nothing to calm my raging headache. I’d just been thoroughly outplayed by Lady Minerva.
“Well,” Laurel sighed, “that was a waste of a perfectly good disguise.”
I snorted, shaking my head. “Oh, yeah, we just got outplayed and wasted a whole evening.”
“What do we do now?”
“Let’s get home for now. My brain isn’t working. I need a good night’s sleep.”
Chapter 5
For the last two days, I had been stalking Lady Minerva and planning how to get the permit, but I had been miserably failing. Today, I finally decided to go to the palace and visit the Queen, as I heard from Seb that the security restrictions had been lifted.
I stepped into the palace, my heart beating with each step. The grand surroundings felt both familiar and foreign after my time away, like I was an imposter in my old life. But I had a mission, and failure wasn’t an option.
Lady Amelia stood waiting, her usually stern face softened into a smile. I nearly tripped over my own feet in shock. What alternate universe had I stumbled into?
“Lady Ilyana, how wonderful to see you,” she said warmly. “Her Majesty has been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”
I blinked hard, composing myself. “Thank you, Lady Amelia. I hope I haven’t kept her waiting long.”
“Not at all,” Lady Amelia smiled.
As we walked, I marveled at how much had changed. In my past life, as Queen Felicia’s most trusted maid, Lady Amelia’s eyes held nothing but daggers for me. Now she chatted amiably about palace gossip. Progress, indeed.
When we reached the Queen’s chambers, I took a deep breath before entering.
Queen Felicia’s solar was a vision of elegance, all cream and gold. The Queen herself sat by the window, bathed in afternoon light that made her look almost ethereal. She set down her teacup as we entered, her eyes sparkling as she welcomed me.
“Ah, Lady Ilyana. How delightful to see you again. Please, join me.”
I perched on the edge of an ornate chair, my back ramrod straight. “Your Majesty, thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”
The Queen poured tea with practiced grace, the delicate porcelain clinking softly. I watched the amber liquid swirl, gathering my thoughts.
“I must thank you again for your help with the divorce, Your Majesty. Your intervention made the process… considerably smoother. That day after the poisoning when we had that conversation, it helped me a lot to make the decisions I had been avoiding.”
Queen Felicia’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “I love my nephew dearly, but Noah isn’t the right husband for you. And neither are you the perfect wife for him, my dear. I knew you were wise and would make the right decisions. You just needed a little nudge in the right direction.” She paused, studying me over her teacup. “Though I must say, you’ve flourished since then. I could see the ambition in your eyes. Your partnership with that dressmaker - Annalise, was it?”
Of course, she knows everything. Her son and her friend, all of them are scarily similar to her.
“Yes, Magnolia Boutique has exceeded expectations.” I kept my voice measured, though pride warmed my chest. “Annalise’s talent deserved recognition.”
