As Belladonna had suggested, Eli had tried to to talk to a handful of people but he could not really say if the conversation had the desired results. Most of the village Heads he had spoken to were too afraid to give a clear reply once he lingered past the normal pleasantries of asking how their villages were. It was obvious that they were petrified of him. As he had said earlier, nothing would really change until the Red Moon.Tired of working on something that was bound to fail because of its weak foundation, Eli sought Belladonna in the crowd. It was easy to find her, whenever he turned, his gaze always somehow landed on her, as if some part of him always knew where she was. She had been talking to her family. He wondered why she would still even calmly exchange pleasantries with people like that. If he had a choice, he would have let his dragon set them ablaze a long time ago. He was only a couple of steps from then when he heard the stupid words that slip out of golden boy's
Lady Kestra's grin dwindled, slightly, not observable to one that wasn't intently watching. When Belladonna took a couple of steps towards the dinning hall and noticed that Lady Kestra was still not coming along with her, she asked, "Are you not coming for dinner, Kestra?""I just have to excuse myself briefly. I will be there with you shortly.""Alright, I will be expecting you at the table. Do not let me miss you too much, please."Kestra let out a short laugh. The spell must be messing with her brain. Using forgetting spells always had an effect on her, it was strange. It always left her slightly different than she was. She would have to be careful though, the King would not be pleased at all if he were to find out, she had done something to her yet again. "I will try."They giggled. Belladonna had expected the King to have gone into the dinning hall, so it was a bit of a surprise to find him by the door, waiting for her. But best not to assume."What are you doing there?""I
The dinning hall had thrown into choas, not a physical one though, as everyone was too petrified to move but their minds had bursted into real chaos, even Aniya, whose husband had just fallen down in a fit of agony was so shaken by the sight that she couldn't move.People rushed in immediately, taking Lytio away to be taken care of.Gazes flying around, silent words being exchanged without their lips making the slightest movement, before their attention all landed on one person. "I did---" Kuftan's words were cut off by Mayti's sharp voice, and the scratching of the chair against the floor as she fell down on her knees, tears in her eyes and her hands pressed flatly on her laps. "It is true. My husband wanted me to poison the Dragon King's bride.""Mayti, what is the me---" he attempted to speak for himself but he was cut short off too soon. "Yes, you did! Because you--you wanted to use it against the Village Head of Inaymi becau---" her hands clenched on the gown, her body shaky,
"I'm sorry." She finally said but she didn't sound one bit remorseful. Instead, there was a certain eagerness in those seemly ocean eyes as her gaze zeroed on his lips before moving back to his gaze.When he freed a hand from the support system he was relaying on, permitting him for his next act of slipping his finger underneath her chin instead, her eyes rolled shut for a brief moment and he frowned. "I miss you could get rid of that glove." She muttered, before she opening her eyes, a sly and suggestive smile making it up to her face. He wasn't in the mood for her little tease game tonight, one that she seemed to very much be in the mood for. He knew how it would end, in yet again another painful rejection, leaving him hot and bothered, while she allowed the promise she had made to herself to remain and an unbreakable wall between them.Besides, he still had that maid to question.When his frown didn't vanish, she grumbled. "I already said I'm sorry. Fine. If it happens next tim
"Let me take care of this, Your Majesty." Kestra's voice snapped him right out of his train of thoughts."I will try and find out the aura she had last been in contact with and we can trace it. Hopefully, it will give us answers."Eli sighed."If you had reported this to me immediately, this would not have happened."He just couldn't figure out why she hadn't come to him with the report. This had nothing to do with just a simple dress, this was his his castle, his Kingdom even, if something was going wrong, he had the right to know and fix it immediately. "I am sorry, your Majesty.""Your apology would do nothing to make proper amends to what your lack of proper calculatuon and dispense of duty has cost us." He finally turned to her now and the rage in his eyes made her fix her gaze to the dungeon floor. The putrid smell around them made it to her nostrils, the smell of the blood in the nearest cell finding it's way into her lungs. This wasn't the kind of death she liked. "Look a
When Kestra got into the room that had been set aside for her work, along with the dungeon workers that had helped bring the body into her room, her smile dwindled, completely vanishing after she had snapped her fingers for them to leave and shut the door firmly right after.The gems that hung around different spots in the room provided her dim lights of different shades, the only thing she believed they were used for. The sharp smell of different herbs as they clashed against each other filled the air and the bubbling sound of something boiling without fire some distance across the room in a big, black clay pot added a nice ring to it. Kestra took in a deep breath. By Ignas, this place was the only one that now gave her ease and peace......and responsiblities.Reminded of the task at hand, she look at the lifeless body that was at one side of the room, on the floor. The blood on her dress and face now turning into a shade of red that seemed stale. The King had asked her to give he
It was still a surprise to Mayti, everything that had happened tonight. How she had gone from being in the dinning hall with Kuftan by her side, to the dungeon and now free in the carriage to go back home. By Ignas, it was a wonder, but still she couldn't stop the slight shakiness of her body, as it remained tensed to any possible danger that might be lurking around. She wasn't out of the woods yet.She knew. Someone knocked on her carriage window and she jumped in her skin, startled beyond doubt, before she reached for it, hesitating even as she did that, till she couldn't stop herself anymore and just finally lifted the carriage's window. It was the face she had been expecting. Basti. The Village Head of Inaymi's most trusted warrior. He was at his master beck and call, serving him like a loyal dog. That had been what Mayti used to be to Kuftan until tonight. The built, bald man, smiled at her, revealing his gap teeth under the dim moonlight. He looked young enough to be t
Lies rushed right out of his mouth. "No, it isn't true. I was threatened. My master threatened me to this!""Take him away." The King ordered and he was dragged away, his strength nothing against the number and better strenght that defeated him. "I am very grateful your Majesty." Mayti said, as she stepped out if the carriage. "Thank you for helping me."The tears that streamed down her face, made it into a mess of scars and messed up make up, black watery stains running down her cheeks from her eyelids, revealing the blue bruise she had earlier done so much to hide. She bowed over and over again in gratitude. When one's trouble reached a certain height, even the greatest fear became nothing. Desperation was a mighty blindfold.Torn with what she had to do and the role she had to pay in the conspiracy, Mayti had wandered across the hall before dinner, scared that the plans they had would make her end up in the Dragon King's dungeon. She hadn't even been scared of exchanging her lif