Alpha stormed into Morena’s chamber, his presence filling the room with an air of authority. His eyes widened in shock as he beheld Aurora, blood trickling from her nose. The sight sent a jolt of panic through his veins, and his voice thundered, overpowering every other sound in the room.
“What is going on here?!” he demanded, his voice reverberating with urgency and concern.
The force of his voice made Morena snap her head in his direction, her eyes filled with worry. Evans, Shastina, and the other maid present in the physician’s chamber followed suit, their gazes dropping in deference.
Their murmured response of “Your Highness” barely registered as Alpha’s attention remained fixed on Aurora’s ailing form. He spoke again, the urgency in his voice demanding an immediate answer.
“I need to know what is happening here,” he pressed, his tone filled with a mix of fear and determination.
Morena, realizing the weight of the moment, turned to face the king. She spoke softly, her voice betraying a hint of anxiety.
“Your Highness, the arrow that struck her was poisoned. It appears that only the one who fired the arrow possesses the antidote. We attempted a remedy that has worked powerfully in the past, but it seems to be worsening her condition.”
Alpha’s fist clenched involuntarily, his face contorting with a dangerous mix of worry and anger. He tried to regain control, his voice lowering but still resonating with an undercurrent of threat.
“Why are you informing me only now?” he questioned, his gaze piercing into Morena’s.
Sensing the king’s anger, Morena instinctively bowed her head, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I am sorry, my king,” she offered, her words laced with remorse.
Alpha’s gaze then shifted to Evans, his suspicions still lingering from the queen’s revelation of deceit. Pushing those thoughts aside for the moment, he issued a command, his voice laced with a firm resolve.
“Evans, make your way to the throne room and summon Jaguar. Instruct him to meet us at the passages leading to the prison where the assassin is being held. Remain in the hall; you have answers to provide,” he declared.
Evans, a mixture of fear and curiosity coursing through his veins, nodded in compliance, his voice tinged with apprehension.
“Yes, Your Highness,” he replied, his voice quivering ever so slightly.
Alpha’s attention returned to Morena, his voice now filled with concern and determination.
“Can she hold on for a while longer? I will procure the antidote,” he affirmed, referring to Aurora’s desperate need for salvation.
Morena’s eyes met his, filled with a mixture of hope and trepidation. She responded with a single word, filled with both trust and uncertainty.
“Yes.”
Alpha turned away, leaving the chamber, his eyes briefly meeting Shastina’s before he exited the room. On his way to the designated meeting spot, he found Jaguar waiting obediently, fear evident in his eyes, mirroring the turmoil within the king’s heart. Unspoken questions filled the air, but silence prevailed in the face of impending danger. Jaguar bowed deeply, showing respect for the king’s command, and followed closely as they ventured toward the depths of the dungeon.
.
Upon reaching the prison door, Alpha’s face contorted in disbelief. The door stood ajar, revealing an empty cell where the assassin should have been confined. A moment of stunned silence passed, Jaguar’s mouth agape, unsure of what to say or do.
Alpha’s voice trembled with a mixture of disbelief and urgency.
“Where is the assassin?” he whispered, the weight of the situation sinking in.
At that moment, Jaguar’s voice caught in his throat, his mind racing for an explanation. But finding none, he could only manage a plea, his voice strained and filled with desperation.
“I… I don’t know, Your Highness.”
Meanwhile;
Jaguar stood alongside the assassin in the dimly lit, incomplete building, his eyes locked with a mixture of determination and concern. The palace guard, trembling with fear, stood nearby, unsure of what was about to unfold.
Jericho, a man of ruthless ambition and cunning, towered over the captured assassin.
“Tell me everything you tell the King” He uttered, the assassin was tied down, her face was being disfigured with wounds and bruises, and blood was seeping out of his mouth due to constant beating by the guard, after he was taken out of the prison, he has been beating him continually.
The assassin, aware of the consequences if he confessed to mentioning Jericho’s name, kept denying any involvement. Jericho grew impatient, and with a cruel intention, he chose a painful form of torture that the assassin couldn’t bear.
Jericho’s hands moved swiftly, causing great pain to the assassin. He used a torture rod on the wounded man’s body.
Yet, despite the excruciating pain, the assassin remained defiant. With every scream that echoed through the desolate building, his refusal only grew stronger.
Frustration and anger surged through Jericho’s veins, consuming him. In a fit of rage, he unleashed a final, deadly blow upon the assassin. The assassin’s life abruptly ended, his body falling lifelessly to the floor.
A chilling silence enveloped the room, broken only by Jericho’s heavy breathing. The guard stood frozen, his face pale with terror, fully aware of the ruthless nature of the man before him.
Jericho’s gaze pierced through the guard, his voice dripping with an eerie calmness, deliberately meant to instill fear.
“No one will betray me and live, he sold me out to the King” he declared, his words resonating with a sinister finality.
Turning to face the guard, Jericho’s eyes bore into his soul. The guard trembled, his voice barely above a whisper.
“What… What do you want from me, Your Highness?” he stammered.
A sinister smile crept across Jericho’s lips as he reveled in his power. His words were laced with calculated malevolence.
“Tomorrow, you will take the blame for killing him and for the attempted assassination of the king. Your history with the king will make it all the more convincing,” Jericho stated, his voice dripping with venomous certainty.
The guard, overwhelmed by fear and trapped in a web of manipulation, responded with a resigned acceptance.
“Your Highness… as you command.”