Page 58 of Wicked Queen

“She started—”

“The Queen can do as she damn well pleases,” he informed her. “Personally, I’d love to let her kick your scrawny ass up and down this ballroom, but I have the line of succession to consider.”

“Oh, let’s not forget, she’s pregnant.” Pepper rolled her eyes dramatically.

“I don’t think you understand your place here,” Brex said. “That may be because you have no place here.”

“We were invited by Sarah,” Priscilla stepped in. Maybe it was years of royal intermarriage, but she obviously had no sense of self-preservation.

“This isn’t Sarah’s house.” Not anymore. She’d worn out her welcome.

“And it’s yours?” Priscilla spat at me.

Brex and I exchanged a look. How dumb could you get?

“Yes,” he told her. “She’s the Queen.”

“I’m a Princess.” Priscilla puffed up her chest as though this was a fact worth acknowledging.

“And she is the Queen,” Brex repeated. “You seem to be struggling with this. Do you want me to draw a diagram?”

I’d never wished to have a pen and paper handy so much in my life, but before I could tell him to wait here while I retrieved one, he motioned to a man in the corner.

A moment later, four men in suits flanked us.

“These guests need help finding the exit.”

“We are not—” Pepper’s protest died on her lips, her gaze caught on something by the door.

I followed her stare in time to catch Sarah sneaking out of the room, clinging to a familiar blond.

“Son of a bitch,” Pepper said.

For once, Pepper and I agreed on something.

“Sarah’s more forgiving than I am,” she said.

“Get them out of here,” Brex ordered. The lot of them stomped away, tossing dirty looks at me. I recalled how they’d treated me when we’d first met. Catty remarks and comments laced with double meanings. They’d made it clear that I didn’t belong in their circle.

They were right. My place was well above them.

“Should we do something about that?” Brex hitched a thumb toward the door they had just disappeared through.

“Unless you want to help Alexander bury a body, then we need to get him out of here before the two cross paths,” I told him.

He jerked his chin, not looking terribly concerned at the prospect of digging graves. I filed that information as far back into my gray matter as I could.

Sarah was headed in the direction of the courtyard from the look of it. I allowed Brex to part the sea of drunken debauchery before me, wondering why on earth everyone hadn’t been kicked out yet. And where was Alexander? As soon as we reached the gallery, I gulped down fresh air.

“Are you okay, Your Majesty?” Brex asked.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve smelled that much sweat and liquor and desperation in one place.” I rubbed my stomach.

“Miss it?” he asked.

“Not even a little.” I tilted my head. “My guess is the courtyard.”

God help her if she took Jonathan back to her bedroom.