Chapter 221

Violet’s POV

I sat in the royal conference room an hour after Master Remy had completed taking our measurements. Theo sat on my right with Dahlia on his right. Kincaid sat on my left while we waited for our guest to arrive.

The tension in the room was thick. No one liked my answer to what would happen to Darkmoon. I hadn’t even told Theo before Kincaid asked about it.

But I felt strongly about this, and despite all my jokes about my new queenly power, I was prepared to pull the monarch card if everyone refused to agree with me on it. Despite my king and both Betas immediate misgivings, I had convinced them to at least consider my idea.

We sat waiting to face it together.

The door to the conference room opened, and Sophia entered. She, like our Betas, had been offered a substantial raise and moved to the palace as the official Royal Assistant. As such, she was expected to sit in on meetings such as this.

Her opinion would be called on less than the Betas, but it would be listened to if she had something to contribute. Mostly, she was expected to be informed, to assist in a wholistic view at all times.

That, and it was her responsibility to present our guest who walked in behind her.

“Your Majesties, may I present Olivia Bronson.”

Sophia offered Olivia a seat directly across from me, then took a seat at the head of the long table, close enough to hear everything, but far enough to position herself out of the way should a brawl break out. In that situation, the Betas priorities would be me, then Theo. They would help Sophia, too, as a third priority, but preferably she would take care of herself.

Olivia sat across from us gracefully, her well-known venomous smile plastered on her face. Tension coiled tighter on both sides of me.

“Quite the welcoming committee you have for me,” Olivia smirked as she eyed all four of us one after the other, not missing the loathing in everyone else’s eyes.

“A welcome fitting for you,” I replied. It wasn’t the first time I had warned her that there were consequences to her reputation as a snake.

She scoffed dramatically. “After all I did to help you both? Befriending that bore you call Eva and getting her to keep her hands off you,” she looked to Theo, “not to mention keeping her from fleeing so that you could arrest her last weekend.”

She turned to me next. “Or getting Owen to change the succession law that allowed you to be crowned days ago. Or connecting you with Judge Alonzo who was willing to fake your divorce in public.”

“You wouldn’t have done any of that,” Theo sneered next to me, “if it weren’t in your best interest to befriend the next king and queen.”

“True,” Olivia crooned, flipping her hair over a slender shoulder, then turning her gaze to me, “though I was promised much more than friendship in return.” Her venomous smile grew. “I’m here to collect on that promise.”

Theo didn’t move, didn’t make a sound, yet still I could feel his aggressiveness radiating off him. I placed a calming hand on his forearm, willing him to be open-minded to what I said next.

“I know you, Olivia. We’re cut from the same cloth: two women born to upper-class families in a world where men are in charge. The only difference is my father gained his wealth as the Alpha of a territory, whereas yours gained his wealth as a judge.”

Her venomous smile didn’t fade, but she didn’t try to interrupt me either.

“It’s an important distinction because it forced my father to expect something of me. He had no son to inherit his territory, and though he was traditional enough to believe that my future husband would be more fit as Darkmoon’s Alpha than I, in the meantime, he had to pass on all his knowledge to someone. Had he not been in that situation, I bet he would have done exactly what your father did to you: expect nothing of me at all.”

I waited for her to contradict me, but she didn’t. Though her smile slowly started to fade.

“For women as intelligent as us, having no expectations, no prospects, no opportunities, no challenges, is a death sentence. In your situation, I would have done the same: scraped and clawed for any semblance of control over my own life, using my intellect against the world that refused to acknowledge it.”

I leaned forward as Olivia’s nose flared, the truth of my words clearly resonating with her as she clenched her fists.

“But the world is changing Olivia; we have the first female in history as ruler of our country. I see your intelligence, your cunning, and I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to scrape and claw to make your own way anymore.”

Olivia swallowed, her eyes gleaming with what looked almost like hope.

“So let’s drop the deviant, manipulative act. I see your value, and I want to reward it. Let’s stop playing games and start helping each other out.”

Olivia straightened her shoulders, that hope still glittering in her eyes, even as she looked me over, assessing. “And a pretty little speech is supposed to be enough to convince me to shuck the persona I built to protect myself all these years?”

It was only because of how well I knew my husband that I could feel the shock in him as Olivia admitted that I was right, that everything she did and the reputation she had garnered was all because she had no other way to make her way in the world.

“Of course not,” I replied. “I know it will take time. I’m simply telling you what I can offer and what I hope to receive in return: trust.”

Olivia pursed her lips, steepling her hands on the table. “I’m listening.”

No snide remarks, no mischievous smile. These were good signs that I was finally breaking through to the real Olivia.

“You will preside as the interim Alpha to Darkmoon starting Monday. My Gamma and best friend, Lily, will work by your side for the first year, reporting to me to ensure your actions benefit the territory and not yourself. She will help you select a Beta to serve beside you as well.”

I waited for an argument but none came.

“After the first year, we will reevaluate to see if you as Darkmoon’s Alpha is working for everyone, including you. Regardless of how the reevaluation goes, you will be awarded a scholarship to the business school at Darkmoon University, which will open around that time. If we all decide that you should remain Darkmoon’s Alpha, the education will benefit you in running your own territory.”

I watched the poise of her arms, the stillness of her mouth, neither of which was hiding that hope blossoming into outright desire in her eyes.

“If any of us decide that you will not remain Darkmoon’s Alpha, you may use the scholarship as you see fit, including a transfer to a different school within the university if you wish. Because no woman should be left without prospects to build the life that she wishes for herself. None of us should be dependent on the men who are blind to our potential.”

Olivia blinked. “Anything else?”

“Yes,” I leaned back leisurely in my chair. “Regardless of whether or not you accept our offer, I want to thank you. Thank you for your help these past weeks and months – it has made all the difference.”