Chapter 48 The Lady in black
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I was thoroughly angry as I made my way to the ice palace, Annalise, Eria, and other maids hot on my heels. I understand that Meisi missed her child but she was under punishment for her mistake and the ice palace is no place to raise a baby. I wore a fur jacket on my dress because the ice palace is extremely cold as I heard.
The old building lived up to its name, it was really cold indeed and looked unhabitable. Only royal prisoners are kept there without warm clothes and enough meals to keep them alive. It was looking so miserable and lonely and I almost pitied Meisi.
” My beautiful baby” I heard a soft coo as we neared Meisi’s room. Annalise opened the door and I stepped in immediately. Meisi was seated in an old wooden chair dressed in nothing but a cotton plain Nayak dress. The top was armless and the skirt barely reached her knees. I could only imagine how cold she must be. The baby was wrapped in a silk blanket thoroughly though so that gave me a little relief. At least the baby was warm.
She saw me and stood up immediately, she knelt slowly with tears running down her eyes. I was shocked at her actions but I masked it and I gave Eria a look. She moved forward to collect the baby but Meisi’s words made me stop her.
” Please..” She cried and Eria stepped backwards.
” This is no place to raise a baby Meisi,” I said softly and she nodded. Her eyes were red and puffy, she must have been crying.
” Let me hold her for a while Please. It is my first time holding her in my arms, I am so ashamed to be called her mother. I know I don’t deserve it but I just want to hold her in my arms I didn’t mean to kidnap her. I’m so sorry” She pleaded, cradling the baby closer to her chest.
” Meisi..”
” I know I am a horrible mother, I didn’t even bother to look at her before exchanging her with a baby boy that is not mine. Thank Nati that his majesty found out immediately and brought her back. I threw my beautiful daughter away because of my stupid delusions. I’m sorry, I was just hoping to correct my wrongs even though it’s too late” She sobbed as she kept patting the baby. I pitied her a little, but nobody forced her to do those vile things. She knew that only Natalí’s chosen could become Queen yet she allowed herself to be carried away by a thirst for what she couldn’t have.
I walked forward to sit on one of the wooden chairs when I saw the recent dish that was brought for her on the table. The person who brought the food brought the baby too. It was a bland porridge and pickled vegetables but the colour of the porridge looked a little bit strange.
” I’m glad to see that you are remorseful at least but we need to take the baby now. This place is too cold for her” I said and Eria moved forward, Meisi nodded and handed the baby to her while I used the opportunity to stir the porridge with a wooden spoon. I almost screamed when I saw the purple underneath. I dropped the spoon immediately.
” Did you eat out of this porridge?” I asked and all eyes were fixed on me. Meisi nodded, I gasped as I noticed her face had become paler than before. She tried to stand but fell immediately. Even if she took just a spoon, the poison would still affect her. It must be the person that tried to poison me that did this to her too. Who the hell is this person?
Annalise gasped seeing the colour of Belladonna inside the porridge bowl. Meisi looked weaker than before and her breaths had gotten heavier too. I broke a bracelet and the tears flowed out, shining bright.
” I was poisoned right?” Meisi asked seeing the shiny orb with me. I nodded and a tear slipped from her eyes.
” I knew it.”
” Stop talking and let me heal you,” I said kneeling beside her but she held my hand, preventing me from placing the tears on her body.
” Do not worry about me, your majesty. Please look after Estella and Aria for me, when they become a proper lady. Tell them I’m sorry for being a pitiful mother to them. I’m sorry Your Majesty for trying to harm you with Sylvanis petals. Tell the other consorts, that I’m sorry for being selfish too. And lastly, tell the king that I love him a lot and I hope he forgives me” She said, spitting out blood. I felt the tears prickle in my eyes.
” Let go of my hands Meisi! Damn it! Let me heal you. I will tell your daughters how much of a horrible human being you are if you die on me” I cried but the woman was damn stubborn. She held my hands with all the strength she had left and I was frustrated.
” You are… Such a wonderful woman. I’m *coughs…. Sorry for everything” She finally took her last breath with a smile. I couldn’t control my tears. I want her to be alive, No matter how shitty she was, Estella and Aria don’t deserve to grow up without their mother.
The door burst open and the king’s Aunt, Princess Cixi walked in dressed in her signature black and gold garment. She was frowning and I didn’t want to deal with her presence at the moment.
” What happened here your Majesty?” She asked with a sneer. She saw the dead consort on the floor and I could swear I saw her lips curl up in a smirk.
” You can see with your eyes, can’t you?” I snapped at her. My head was in a Shambles and I didn’t have a hold on my emotions at the moment. The tears I was holding went solid immediately but I didn’t even care to look at it.
” She brought this upon herself, with all the atrocities this woman committed in that palace. I won’t be surprised if she was the one who attempted to poison you a few days ago. You should be happy that she is gone” She said offering me a smile for the first time since I have known her. But I don’t care about her smile, it was what she said that had my hands sweating immediately.
” What did you just say?” I asked staring straight into her lifeless eyes.
” I mean, you should be happy that she is gone, she tried to harm you so many times,” she said nonchalantly but I nodded my head.
” She wasn’t the one who tried to poison me”
” Then who else will be so brazen to do that in this palace? Except for the king’s bitter bitch?” She scoffed and my lips curled into a smile. I finally have my answers. The news of the poison never left my room and I made sure no one spoke about it. The only one who could have the faintest idea would be the lady in black, the one who threatened the maids to serve the poison. Lady Cixi shouldn’t have an idea of the incident unless … She is the lady in black.
” Yes sure” I smiled at her, and I walked out of the ice palace with Meisi’s blood on my jacket and the truth I sought. I watched her walk away after commanding the maids to take care of Meisi’s body and the mess in the ice palace. She gave me a bow and my eyes caught some black veins on her hands. This is more complicated than I had thought.
” Did you witness that?” I asked Annalise who nodded her head with a worried expression on her face.
” I think she is after the king’s life,” She said and I nodded agreeing with her. I felt tears prickling my eyes as I realized the plan. I am Treven’s weakness, if anything happens to me, he will surely lose the war. But what is Princess Cixi’s gain if Nayak is defeated by the barbarians?