Betrayed By The Hero, Loved By The Lord
Chapter 149: Plotting for the future (2)

Chapter 149: Plotting for the future (2)

"We were worried for nothing since they look so happy now. She has it all figured out," Juliana said, watching Vivienne dance with Darius from the sidelines.

Natalie chuckled. "You still have much to learn and unfortunately, I cannot teach you it here. There is too much eavesdropping."

Juliana turned to Natalie who was being strange these days. "You think you know more than me? Vivienne is closer to me so if she had something to share, I would have heard it long before you. Your behaviour is odd these days as if there is something you are hiding from us."

Natalie did not mind Juliana was close to Vivienne. Her interest was with Darius.

"Must I tell you everything that goes on in my life?" Natalie asked. "I do not know everything about you like why the man you spoke of is not here."

"Vivienne spoke of finding men for us so I took her advice to have fun tonight. I was not abandoned, I left him," Juliana clarified before Natalie thought otherwise.

"You do not need to get so angry with me. I am going for a walk. It is boring to watch others dance," Natalie said, taking one final look at where Darius danced with Vivienne.

Natalie didn’t enjoy seeing Darius with other women though she had convinced him she did not care. Before her feelings showed, Natalie wanted to go somewhere alone to get over her anger.

’What is she hiding? Has she gotten closer to Vivienne?’ Juliana wondered.

Juliana had considered herself to be closer to Vivienne but with how she was treated recently, she could believe Vivienne took more of a liking to Natalie.

Rather than stand by to watch Vivienne dance with the king, Juliana followed Natalie in hopes she could find out what Natalie was trying to hide. Who was the mystery man Natalie did not want to speak about?

In the centre of the room, Vivienne found some relief when the music stopped, allowing her to stop touching Darius.

Vivienne was quick to leave Darius’ side, storming off for one of the doors so she could be alone.

Darius stayed behind since he had a ballroom to entertain and Vivienne was acting like a child.

Vivienne picked up on footsteps following where she walked. She did not stop to address the follower until she came across a secluded area.

"Father," Vivienne whined, turning around to face the only one who could help her. "I have sent servants out of the palace to bring you sooner. I will not last much longer by his side. I need him dead-"

"Vivienne," Victor Devereux covered Vivienne’s mouth before she said something foolish. "I have raised you better than this. Many are listening to what you say."

Victor fished a magic stone from his pocket so they could speak in private.

Vivienne moved her father’s hand so she could speak freely. "No one should wander close enough to hear us since Darius closed off parts of the palace. Father, I have done all that you ask but I cannot go on like this. I cannot be his wife and your queen. I have lost Theresa."

Victor knew it would one day come to this but it wasn’t time for Vivienne to end the marriage. Not when she had not given birth to a boy. "Put up with it."

Hearing this, Vivienne became frustrated since she had been putting up with it from the moment she married Darius.

"I did just that. I have endured this marriage to please you but now, I cannot take it anymore. I cannot live like this with him taking every servant he fancies to his bed, with him taking mistresses officially and forcing my maid to bed with him. I have had enough," Vivienne said.

Victor did not see any of those things worth Vivienne leaving so soon. "Hold out a little bit more until you are carrying his child. You must be the one to give birth to the next king. I don’t want to hear any talk about you harming or leaving him. Be smart," he advised Vivienne.

Vivienne laughed at the simple instructions passed to her. "Be smart? You don’t know what it is like to put up with him every day. There is always a new woman and all he speaks of now is Xavier’s wife. He wants her to enter the palace just so he can bother Xavier. I am tired of all of this."

Victor understood her feelings but now truly wasn’t the best time for it. "Give him a boy first and then we will go from there. You can control your son and rule the palace. Don’t worry about these other women."

Victor placed his hands on Vivienne’s shoulder. "I know you can do this, my child. Push through a little longer for us and then I will take care of everything else."

Vivienne wanted to hear her father making plans to end her marriage or to kill Darius but she should have known better. Her father was the one who jumped at the chance to have her marry Darus when she had been against it.

"Have you heard which women he will bring to the palace?" Victor asked, needing to stop it from happening.

Vivienne turned away from her father. "I do not know."

Victor looked around, listening closely for anyone who might be near. "I will have a word with the king on your behalf. He must not touch one of your people again and I will try to persuade him against taking more women-"

"Then you don’t know my husband. Nothing will stop his plans and his family are all for it. If he is allowed to have children with other families then I should be able to. I also want to see our bloodline become stronger. I will take lovers," Vivienne informed her father.

"Vivienne," Victor sighed. "You shouldn’t go so far to get back at him. You have sisters who will marry into other families so you don’t need to do this. Do not think of it anymore."

"Father, our family are just as important but why does it feel like Darius is the only one with freedom and power while I am the one who has to follow his lead? It makes our family look weak and I will not be this way anymore. I am the queen," Vivienne said, wanting it to mean something. "I am asking that you help me remind them how important our family is."

Victor smiled, proud of his daughter. Perhaps Darius had pushed Vivienne to a point where she might take over the palace. Truthfully, Victor didn’t care about Darius. He wanted Vivienne to have a prince before the conversation of changing the king came up again.

Darius might not have much longer sitting on the throne.

"Remind them of who you are, Vivienne. You have always allowed Darius to be the only one to speak or to tell you what to do. It is time you show that you are his equal and I will support you. From tomorrow, I will be staying in the palace to watch over you. Would that make you happy?" Victor asked, holding her hand.

"It would but there are two things which would make me happier. Ruin his dreams for his bloodline and should his seat ever be empty, fill it with the man I wanted from the start. Get rid of his wife for me. You owe me that much," Vivienne said.

It displeased Victor to hear that Vivienne’s mind was still on Xavier. That boy wasn’t an easy one to tame. It wouldn’t work well for their family to have Xavier become the next king.

Vivienne noticed his hesitation. "Father, he will do what he can to get her here. Will you have me live side by side with a woman who once tried to kill us?"

"No. I will not allow it," Victor replied. However, rather than go after Xavier’s wife, he preferred to get rid of Darius in due time so Vivienne wouldn’t face trouble anymore. "I shall free you from all this heartache. Just get a son and it will all be over."