Improper Queen

Improper Queen Taylor Westwood Copyright Copyright © 2023 by Taylor Westwood All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. Contents Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-one Chapter Twenty-two Chapter Twenty-three Chapter Twenty-four Chapter Twenty-five Afterword Acknowledgments Chapter One Lady Liana Monroe sat in the stifling carriage contemplating just how much her life took an unexpected, yet not entirely unwanted, turn. She imagined a simple life with a husband she could tolerate while practicing her magic in secret. Instead, she fell in love with the King of Triaedian and her secretly powerful magic became known to all the key players in this game of power among the royals and elite. She’d woken peacefully in Damien’s bed late in the morning of this warm summer day. And after the difficult night she survived - the magic it required to help Cass birth her baby girl, her resulting panic and magic-fueled race through the woods, and the mercenary holding a knife to her throat – Liana had been more than happy to wake with Damien’s comforting arms, and spicy scent enveloping her. He said he loved her last night. Confessed many things that set her soul aflame with joy. She had been over the moon at his confessions because she was terrified by the fact that, despite her better judgment, and despite her conviction to stay guarded, she loved him just as deeply. He may have relayed some harsh truths as well. Including her own bias towards all men and her stubbornness to accept everything she truly yearned for but never dreamed of having. That had been most difficult of all to hear because he had been right. Damien offered her everything she ever wanted, and she was too stuck in her own mind to accept him. Never did she think she’d find love in this kingdom ruled by males. Nor did she think she’d find a male that would cherish her for the being she was, not the power contained within her. Damien loved Liana not because of the unique magic she possessed, but because of who she was. On an entirely unexpected and unwelcome observation, he said that he suspected her lady’s maid - the only woman that showed her the proper love of a mother, who protected her secrets since she was a child, who helped cultivate her magic instead of scolding her for it - was stealing her memories. Liana couldn’t believe it, refused to believe it. Phillipa would never steal her memories, nor could she when that kind of magic was far more advanced than a servant should know. Liana looked to her lady’s maid sitting opposite her in the carriage. Phillipa insisted on caring for her and escorting her home after Damien sent word to her parents last night that she was safe and staying at the castle. There was no doubt in Liana’s mind that Phillipa loved her, would do everything in her power to protect her, which is why she doubted herself in thinking Phillipa wouldn’t steal her memories. There remained the undoubtedly gaping hole in Liana’s memory from when she was a child though. It was this hole that she believed this intrinsic and all-consuming fear of anyone discovering her magic stemmed from. Something clearly happened, and Phillipa was her only lead. She couldn’t face it though. Couldn’t face it if it was true. If Phillipa took her memories, Liana wasn’t sure how she would deal with that. She knew the woman would have only done it to protect her, to keep her safe from whatever happened, but she was nineteen now, almost twenty in a couple months. Whatever happened, Phillipa should have told her about it by now. She was old enough to know. Old enough to know the trauma that plagued her soul so greatly that her magic forced her to flee the safety of her home for places unknown. For years she lived in fear. Lived with this nagging whisper of danger lurking around every corner that kept her on edge and hiding her magic from everyone. To think Phillipa held all the answers to this mysterious terror gutted Liana. She didn’t want to think of the woman that was more of a mother to her than Lady Monroe as one that hid something so vital from her. And to do it in such an invasive way, to steal her memories, that was unforgivable in mage culture. It was forbidden to use mind magic to take away someone’s memories. The punishment for it being death. Liana forced her eyes toward the older woman. She had aged quite a bit in the past few years, but still held the youthful plumpness to her cheeks. Brown hair grayed at the temples which was twisted into a simple updo. Lines crinkled at the corners of her eyes which Liana watched grow over the years the more the woman laughed at her antics or narrowed her eyes with each glare. She did so more often for the latter. Liana always got herself into less-than-ideal situations that Phillipa didn’t agree with but nevertheless, went along with simply to protect her. It became more difficult to reconcile the woman she knew so well, the one that kissed every scrape and bruise, to the woman that possibly stole her memories. Phillipa was not the type to perform such an unfathomable act. Then again, she would do anything to protect Liana, even protect her from herself as Damien pointed out. Sensing her stare, Phillipa looked to Liana. “Everything all right, dear?” Liana rolled her lips inward, not yet ready to confront her, and nodded. “What happened last night when you ran out