"I have no intention of fighting with you and spoiling the morning, but I can see you have no intention of leaving this chamber until you get what you came for. You may be stubborn, but you have never met a woman quite like me," Lilith said, without moving an inch.

"Your Highness, you may be a royal, but you married my son. A certain amount of respect ought to be shown," said Diana.

"On that, we agree, but it is precisely these small things that can give a person the impression they are free to order me about. If what I do displeases you, you are welcome to run to your son. I am sure he would take his dear mother’s side and deal with me accordingly," Lilith said, catching Mary’s eye and nodding for her to leave.

"Your Highness, I would prefer you keep my son out of this," Diana said, her earlier warmth vanishing.

"I am afraid you were the one who brought him into it by entering our chamber unannounced. You are a lady of rank. You know perfectly well that your presence must be announced before you step inside," Lilith said.

Lilith moved to sit on the bed, smoothing the nightgown across her lap before continuing. "This is a small matter and a chance for us to learn from it. I hope it does not keep us odds. I only ask that until we know each other better, we keep things between us formal and respectful."

"I apologise again for entering without your permission. I am accustomed to walking freely into my son’s rooms, but I must remind myself that he has a wife now," Diana said, offering an apology to please Lilith. "About the blanket. It concerns me that you are so unwilling to have it seen."

"This was never really about the blanket. It is about drawing a line. About making it clear that certain things which were done before cannot be done now. I have heard too many stories of mothers who find their way into the middle of their son’s marriage. I want you to know that he is in good hands," Lilith promised.

"Is he? So far, you have not shown yourself to be a promising wife or queen," Diana said, yet to be impressed. "I want what is best for my son. That is all."

"Let me remind you that your son pursued me. He could have chosen any woman to stand beside him, but he chose me. If he wishes to take another wife, I welcome it, and I welcome you to persuade him to do so," Lilith said, thoroughly entertained by the idea.

"You are far too sure of yourself, Your Highness. It seems you have forgotten that you are now under the Mortimer name. We could cast you aside at any moment," Diana threatened Lilith.

"You also seem to have forgotten that I am a Mortimer now, and a Beaufort by blood. With both names behind me, I will not leave this castle without a fight. One might think a woman who herself married into the family would not speak of casting people aside," said Lilith.

"I have long since made my place within the Mortimer family. You, my dear, are only just beginning. Being a princess and having grown up in this castle does not change your position now. You are under my son’s authority and are expected to follow the Mortimer traditions," Diana said, showing no signs of retreating.

"I am following your son’s lead. He is the one who said the blankets were not to be inspected, so that I would not be made uncomfortable. If you doubt me, I invite you to go to him directly. I am happy to join you, though you will need to wait until after my bath," Lilith said, rising from the bed.

"I did not come here to be your enemy, Your Highness. I was only carrying out what the Mortimers have always done. I will take your word that my son made that promise," Diana said, though her expression showed clearly that she did not believe it.

"The others are waiting to speak with you in the dining chamber. I would suggest you set aside this stubborn act before you arrive. They are already against this union, so you would do well to make a decent impression. Good day," Diana said, and curtsied before turning to leave.

Lilith watched Diana leave. The door shut behind her with a soft click. Diana had given up for now. Whether she would return or go straight to Cassian, only time would tell.

Mary slipped back inside a moment later. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I should have called out to warn you she was here." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"No. I am glad to know she wanted to pressure you in private. I was right that she would be something of a nuisance. Not a genuine threat, but someone who needs to understand her place. I hope she soon grows out of the habit of being quite so curious," Lilith said, moving towards the door and turning the lock.

"Hold your head up, Mary. You did well to hold onto that blanket and not surrender it to her. Since you were only following my instructions, I will stand by you if anything comes of it," Lilith assured Mary. "I don’t take kindly to anyone marching uninvited into my chamber."

"What will you do, Your Highness? It is common for a husband’s mother to want some hold over the wife. She seems no different from the others. What if she goes to him and he raises his hand to you?" Mary asked, the worry evident on her face.

"Then I would raise mine back to him, and it would have had a blade in it, but it will not come to that. I am not going to fight with Cassian whilst Virgil is lurking about somewhere in the shadows. I will not turn him against his mother over something this small," Lilith said, already having an idea.

"Let Diana do her complaining. I have far greater threats to deal with. As long as I keep him smitten with me, his mother will not be marching through that door much longer."

Lilith moved towards the bathing chamber. "We must hurry with my bath. I have maids to question and a new family to get acquainted with. I can hardly wait for it."