Lienna.
“Poison!” I exclaimed, my voice barely above a whisper. “The food has been poisoned!” I cried out, my voice shrill, as the reality of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks.
The soldiers sprang into action, surrounding the king and ushering him out of the room with a sense of urgency that made my heart skip a beat. I followed close behind, my heart racing with fear, but they stopped me at the door, their faces stern.
“Leave now,” one of them ordered, their voice firm as he narrowed his eyes at me “This is no place for a maid.”
With tears in my eyes, I ran out of his chambers, my heart pounding in my chest, fear filling my heart like a dark, suffocating cloud. What if it was too late? Oh, heavens… I didn’t even want to think about it.
As I emerged into the corridor, I saw the other Shifter Kings approaching the Dragon King’s wing, their steps hurried and their faces set into a grim line. They were accompanied by their soldiers, who looked equally concerned.
I froze in my steps, watching as they were ushered into the Dragon King’s Chambers, the door shut tightly behind them. The sound of muffled voices and urgent footsteps echoed from within.
A short while later, the Royal Healer arrived, his face grave with concern. He was ushered into the Dragon King’s residence as well, and I could sense the weight of his expertise being called upon to save the king’s life.
I stood there, feeling helpless and alone, as the minutes ticked by at a glacial pace. What was happening behind those closed doors? Was the king’s life slipping away? And who could have done this? The questions swirled in my mind like a vortex, refusing to let me go.
After what seemed like forever, King Adonis and Hermes emerged from the Dragon’s King wing, their expressions as hard as steel as they looked out upon the sea of anxious faces before them. A cloud of uncertainty had settled over the fortress, with no one knowing what was happening or what it would mean.
I was particularly anxious, my mind racing with thoughts of the king’s condition and my own role in the events that had unfolded. I was the last one with him, the last one to see him before… before whatever had happened.
King Hermes called out, his voice firm and commanding, “We need to speak with the maids who served King Caspian and the chefs who were on duty at the time.” His eyes scanned the crowd, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before moving on.
The dread in my stomach multiplied as I followed the frightened maids and cooks to the spot that would be used for the meeting. We stood together in a crowd, nervously waiting for King Hermes to come and address us.
My heart pounded in my chest, I couldn’t stop worrying, feeling pale and nauseous. What would they ask us? What did they know? And what would happen to us?
As we waited, the silence grew thicker, punctuated only by nervous whispers and fidgeting. I couldn’t help but think of the king, lying in his bed, fighting for his life. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was somehow responsible.
King Hermes arrived, his presence commanding attention. We all turned to him, the silence so profound that nothing could be heard except the soft hum of the torches. He swept a gaze over all of us, his eyes piercing and intense, before clearing his throat and beginning to speak.
“The Shifter King is out of danger,” he said, and we all let out a collective breath of relief. The tension in the room eased slightly, but only for a moment.
“But that is not all,” he continued, his voice firm but controlled. “We need to know what happened.” The tension returned, like a palpable force, and I could feel my heart racing once more.
“We need to know who was in the kitchen, who prepared the food, and who served it,” he said, his eyes scanning the crowd, his gaze lingering on each of us. At first, none of us said anything, but soon a low murmur began in the space as people tried to figure out who would be responsible.
I just stood on my own, a nagging feeling tugging at the back of my mind that only seemed to grow more intense as seconds ticked by. It was as if I knew something, but couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
A soldier came up to the king, whispering something in his ear, and Hermes’ expression hardened. His jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed.
“Who were the maids that served the Dragon King this evening?” he thundered, his voice echoing off the walls. I froze, a shiver going up my spine.
Looking around, I saw the blanched faces of the maids who had accompanied me, and my heart began to race. We exchanged nervous glances, our eyes wide with fear.
“Come out here,” he ordered, his voice grated. One by one, we began to step out of the crowd, our movements hesitant. I joined in, lowering my head, feeling faint with fear.
“You’re the ones that served the Dragon King this evening?” he asked, his voice scalding. We murmured in unison, our voices filled with fear.
“Yes, your Majesty,” we whispered, our eyes cast down. I could feel the weight of his gaze upon us, and I knew we were in grave danger.
He began to walk away, and like puppets on a string, we followed after him, all of us exchanging glances, too afraid to say anything. The silence was oppressive, heavy with unspoken fears and doubts. We trailed behind him, our footsteps echoing off the walls, our hearts racing with terror.
They took us back to the dining area of the Dragon King, where his meals still sat, untouched. The room was frozen in time, the only movement the flickering candles casting eerie shadows on the walls. King Adonis was standing there, the expression on his face terrifying, his aura deadly. The royal healer stood not far behind him, a grave expression on his face.
I suddenly wished the ground would open up and swallow me. I didn’t want to be here at all. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, with no escape.
After we had lined ourselves into a straight line, a soldier came and carried a meal, bringing it closer to the healer. Some of us moved backwards, the fear radiating from us in waves. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my breath coming in short gasps.
“Who brought this food to the Dragon King’s table?” Hermes asked, his voice firm and commanding. We all tensed, our eyes fixed on the meal in front of us.
I managed to peek a look at the meal in question, and my blood curdled, panic surging through me. The tray the soldier was holding looked a lot like the one I had brought in. Oh heavens… This can’t be!!!
My mind was racing, thoughts tumbling over each other in chaos. Had I somehow poisoned the king? No, that was impossible. I had only brought the food, I hadn’t prepared it. But then, why did the tray look so familiar?
I felt like I was going to pass out, my vision blurring at the edges. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. All I could do was stand there, frozen in terror, as the soldier turned to face us, his eyes scanning the line of maids.
His gaze paused on me and I’m sure he already caught my unease. King Hermes and Adonis gaze zeroed in on me, their eyes narrowing. I suddenly wanted to throw up.
“Lienna, did you bring this tray in?” Hermes asked, his voice firm and commanding. At the mention of my name, the other maids immediately gave me distance, singling me out. My legs had begun to tremble, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
“I-i did, Your Majesty..” I stammered, my voice breathless, tears stinging my eyes. This can’t be happening!!!
Adonis let out a sardonic smile. “So you tried to poison the King.” He said, and everyone around me gasped. I felt like I’d been punched in the gut.
“No!” I screamed out, desperate. Backpedaling, I tried again. “What I mean is, I didn’t, Your Majesty. I would never try to harm the Dragon King. Please, have mercy on me.”
Hermes raised an eyebrow. “Why is it the only one that holds the poison?” He asked, his voice dripping with skepticism. Tears spilled from my eyes as I choked on a sob.
“I didn’t do it. I took it directly from the kitchen and brought it here, there’s no way I would have poisoned it.” I said, my voice shaky.
All of a sudden, King Adonis moved from where he stood, stalking towards me. He was in front of me in an instant, his eyes blazing with fury. He yanked me towards him with a vice-like grip, taking a deep inhale. His eyes must have caught something, as his eyes switched color, heightening my dread.
“The sort of poison used was created with magical powers,” he growled. “It wouldn’t work unless ingested by the intended host. You have the remnants on your body. You tried to kill Caspian.”
“No, please!” I screamed, desperate. “I would never do such a thing! I didn’t try to kill King Caspian!” I cried out, my voice hoarse from screaming.
Adonis’s face twisted in disgust. “Liar…” He growled, throwing me to the ground. I landed hard, the wind knocked out of me. I looked up at him, pleading, but his face was unyielding. He was beyond furious. He looked murderous, even.
“I didn’t do it…” I pleaded, my voice trembling with sobs. I tried to scramble to my feet, but my legs wouldn’t cooperate. I was shaking all over, my body wracked with fear.
“You’re going to pay for your treachery,” he spat, turning to Hermes. His voice was venomous, dripping with malice. “Everyone who worked today in serving the Dragon King will be punished accordingly.” He bellowed, his voice resounding in the room.
A shocked gasp broke out of some people’s lips. They obviously weren’t expecting that. The other maids looked like they were about to faint, their faces pale and terrified. Turning to me, Adonis snarled, his eyes blazing with fury. “Take her away. Throw her in the dungeons.”