Her Three Kings {Volturi Kings}

Chapter Twenty-two

As time passed, Liliana's things slowly migrated into her mates' rooms. It was done without discussion or fanfare and duplicates appeared when needed. In the same vein, belongings from all of her mates made their way to her room. It wasn't as prevalent as less time was spent there than elsewhere but their lives had all mingled just the same.

She also took on more responsibility as their queen. She still sat trials only on occasion, but she was on hand to greet visitors and receive petitioners. Her skill with words had also led to her taking over most of the written correspondence. They'd also started to include her in their private meetings though to be fair she spent as much time working on her own things during the meeting as she did contributing to their discussions.

Lily had found her niche. Her home. She no longer knocked before entering her mates' space. She didn't require their approval for every decision. Didn't want them to read every letter or email before she sent it off. She no longer flinched every time someone called her queen.

A beautiful spring morning found her strolling through the gardens with Sebastian. She had grown closer to the guard in recent weeks. He reminded her of a slightly more sarcastic Demetri and they had similar sense of humors. His arm brushed against hers as they walked but it didn't faze Lily in the slightest. Sebastian had always made it a habit to stay closer than the other guards. He was like that with everyone though. Always wanting physical contact of some sort. He hadn't stepped over a line and she'd be swift to correct him if he did.

They were returning to the castle when she heard two familiar voices in conversation. Heidi and Chelsea. Lily smiled. While the women weren't her best friends by any stretch of the imagination, they all got along well and Lily enjoyed excursions around town with them. She prepared to call out to them, but a hand on her arm stopped her. She glanced to Sebastian and he motioned for her to listen. Lily tilted her head as if that would improve her hearing.

"To be honest, I'm surprised that she's still here," Heidi said.

There was a light laugh from Chelsea. "She's their mate. They aren't likely to kick her out."

A little pang of hurt flared in Lily's chest as it became obvious they were talking about her.

"Mate or not, they had to be hoping that immortality would suit her more than it does. That it would fix all those flaws. And she's so damn clingy. It's like she can't function on her own."

Was that what people really thought of her? Were all of the friendships she'd made here false?

"She's not that bad," Chelsea argued. "But she's certainly not who I would have pictured with any of them. She just doesn't quite measure up, you know?"

Lily slid a block down on her emotions. The last thing she needed was the kings asking why she was so upset. Tears leaked from her eyes and she wiped them away. "Are you alright?" Sebastian asked after they heard the women return to the castle.

She didn't look at him as she swallowed past the lump in her throat. She nodded once and headed toward the door. He steered her through the halls with a hand on her arm only stopping when they arrived at the stairs leading to the private residence.

She paused before heading up the stairs. "Please don't mention this to anyone. If it needs to be dealt with, I'll handle it."

"If you're certain, fiore."

Her gaze found his. That was the first time he'd called her by the name the rest of her guards used. "Thank you," she finally said before heading to her room.

***

Though Liliana tried to forget about the events in the garden, her thoughts continued to turn to it at the oddest times. Three days had passed and she was curled up on the sofa in their common area reading a book. Normally, she would have been near one of her mates, but she'd been trying to be conscious of the time she spent with them. She didn't want to bother them. Or for them to get tired of her.