Caspian.
I slowly regained consciousness, a deep headache assaulting my brain, my eyelids strangely heavy. It felt like someone was pounding a hammer inside my skull, making every movement a chore. Taking several deep breaths, I managed to muster the strength to open my eyes one more time, squinting against the bright light shining against my eyes. The light was like a thousand daggers stabbing me, making me wince.
Waiting a while for my eyes to adjust to the light, I raised myself to a seating position, running a hand through my head as I tried to ignore the pounding headache to no avail. A groan escaped my lips as I struggled to remember what happened last before now. My memories were hazy, like a fog had settled on my mind, blocking me from remembering anything.
“Your Majesty, you’re awake. Thank goodness.” A voice said, and I raised my head to see the Royal healer walking up to me, a relieved expression on his face. That confused me. Whatever happened to require the presence of the Royal healer? I wasn’t one to get sick easily, and injuries were rare for me.
“You finally woke up, for a moment there, I thought you would give up the ghost.” Another voice said and when I turned towards the direction, I found out it was Hermes who spoke. He was standing at the entrance to my bedroom, his arms crossed as he stared at me, a pensive expression on his face.
I tried to speak, but my voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. “What… what happened?” I managed to croak out, my throat dry and parched. The healer immediately offered me a glass of water which I promptly downed, clearing my throat afterwards. He stretched the cup toward the healer who accepted it and placed it on the table nearby.
The healer smiled, his eyes filled with concern. “You were poisoned, Your Majesty. At dinner last night. We’re lucky to have gotten to you in time or it would have proved fatal.” He said, his voice somber.
Poisoned? The word sent a chill down my spine. Who would dare try to kill me? And how did they manage to get past my guards? I tried to stand up, but a wave of dizziness washed over me, forcing me back onto the bed. The healer rushed to my side, holding me down.
“Your Majesty, please. You need to rest. The poison was powerful, and you’re not out of the woods yet.” He said, his voice filled with concern.
I nodded, still trying to process what happened. Poisoned. The thought sent a wave of anger through me. “Who did this?” I asked, unable to keep the anger from my voice.
Hermes shrugged, coming to sit down on one of the chairs in the room while he stared at me. “Right now, all the evidence is pointing towards Lienna.” He announced, and I stiffened, shocked. That didn’t sound right. Why would Lienna do such a thing?
“There’s no way she would have done that.” I found myself saying before I could stop myself. I knew Lienna, and she wasn’t capable of such treachery.
Hermes pressed his lips together into a thin line, letting out a sigh afterwards. “That was what I thought at first too. But when all the evidence we found from the investigation is pointing towards her, there’s little we can do.” Hermes said, and it only confused me more. Why would Lienna want to poison me? All the while we had been together, I hadn’t sensed any hostility from her. It didn’t seem like her at all.
I realized that Hermes was still talking and gave him my attention. “We also found out that the poison used was crafted out of magic. It only works after it has been ingested by the intended host, and some of those magical traits remained on Lienna while we were finding out who poisoned you.”
I shook my head, trying to process this new information. Magical poison? That was a rare and dangerous thing. And Lienna had traces of it on her? It didn’t add up. Though, if we looked back, I always had suspicions that Lienna may possess magical powers, but trying to use such powers to kill me was a bit too extreme.
“Are you sure?” I asked Hermes, my mind racing with doubts. “Could there be another explanation?”
Hermes hesitated before speaking. “I’m afraid not, Caspian. The evidence is clear. Lienna had the means, motive, and opportunity to poison you. And with the magical traits on her, it’s hard to deny her involvement.”
We fell into a tense silence afterwards before I spoke up once more. “Where is she now?”
“She’s in the dungeons. Adonis took her there the moment he found out she was the one. He seems he wants to execute all who were involved tomorrow.” Hermes announced and the air between us stilled, growing heavy. Though the act seemed a bit too extreme, I understood where Adonis was coming from. If we let this go, it would open more avenue for more people to try to harm us and we couldn’t let that happen.
“I’m sorry for intruding, but it’s time to use your medicine, Your Majesty.” The royal healer interrupted, a cautious look on his face. We both turned to look at him, and I could sense Hermes’s reluctance to leave the conversation unfinished. But I knew I needed to focus on my recovery, so I let out a sigh and allowed the healer to do what he wanted.
He immediately set to providing me with pills and potions, his movements swift and precise. I took them without question, still lost in my thoughts as I contemplated what Hermes had just told me. Lienna, poisoning me? It didn’t seem possible. But the evidence…
As the healer continued to administer his medications, I began to feel a familiar drowsiness creeping in. My eyelids grew heavy, and my thoughts started to blur. I tried to fight it, but it was no use. I was too weak.
Laying my head back on the pillow, I turned my gaze back to Hermes, who looked like he was getting ready to leave. I forced myself to speak, my voice slow and slurred. “I don’t quite believe Lienna would do something like this. Could you look into it one more time before she’s executed, at least?”
Hermes stared at me, his brows furrowed in thought. I could see the wheels turning in his mind, weighing the possibilities. Finally, he nodded. “I don’t know, but I’ll try.”
I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. That was good enough for me.