Chapter 71: Chapter 71

Lady Edelfina woke up with the dreadful news.

“My lady, the king – he’s dead!” Talita exclaimed in one breath.

For a second, Edelfina’s body trembled in shock. That was such sudden news! However, it was only a mere second of thought. The next thing she had felt was utter delight.

“The king... is dead? Are you sure?” She couldn’t help but smile as she clasped Talita’s sleeve. The king is dead! That vile, stinking, rotting garbage of an old man is dead! What great joy!

“Yes, my lady. He was found dead in his study this morning. The Royal Inquisition is currently investigating the cause.”

“I see... I’m sure he died of natural causes, given the shock he received yesterday...” Edelfina stated.

Indeed, yesterday was also a joyful event. Edelfina had left the castle early on the day before to fret somewhere. She didn’t want to bump into that Andry girl in her wedding dress, and she wasn’t invited to her uncle’s wedding.

Not that she cared about the wedding anyway. All she really cared for now was the state of her health. She didn’t want to be aggrieved to see that girl in a wedding dress and to watch her get married earlier than her. Right now, she’s more concerned of her child’s health and safety. Vengeance could come later...

However, in the midst of the day, she heard a rumor that the king’s bride was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she had cold feet. Either way, since the wedding did not take place, that Andy girl had missed the chance to become queen. That seat would only belong to her now!

Child... She is with child! She almost forgot about this fact! Instead of wallowing in sadness yesterday, she secretly went to a physician to confirm her pregnancy. She made excuses to be away from Danterion for the day. She wanted everything to come as a surprise later on for him. Indeed, it would be a great surprise now. He is going to be both a father and a king!

“Did Danterion already hear about the king’s death?” Edelfina wondered. She had come home so much later yesterday, and she had not seen him yet this morning. She had suddenly missed him.

“Ah, miss, Prince Danterion is very busy. Too many things have happened yesterday that warrants his attention.”

“Too many things? Pray, tell me what else took place yesterday. Did something else happen other than the bride failing to show up and the king dying?”

“Yes, miss. The bride and her lady-in-waiting disappeared in the palace! She was on her way to the wedding, but her carriage had gone missing, and the servants who were supposed to send her off cannot remember what happened. It was strange!”

Strange indeed, but Edelfina was not concerned. She was a cursed one after all, so she must have hatched a plan to escape from the old prune. The important thing was that the irksome girl had disappeared, and Langrion could be finally set free!

“How about Prince Langrion, is there any news about him? Has he been released now that the king is dead?”

Talita froze for a moment before answering. “About that, miss, something horrible took place...”

Edelfina’s face rapidly lost blood. “What? Did something happen to Langrion? Tell me quickly!”

“The prison where he was kept burned down yesterday... It was burned badly, but it seemed that they haven’t found any bodies yet...”

A wave of relief washed over Edelfina’s heart. No bodies – that meant Langrion had escaped! That Andry witch must have planned all of these. Even though she hated her to the core, she was happy to see that she had freed Langrion. She almost half-thought she would abandon Langrey and escape on her own. Well, that was what she had actually hoped for, but at least Langrey is alive somewhere. Edelfina’s heart could take a rest now.

“Let’s get dressed and meet Danterion,” Edelfina said excitedly. This will be a busy day for Danterion. She should better find him as early as possible.

Despite her eagerness to look for her prince, Edelfina took her sweet time bathing and donning a dress. This day is a pivotal moment for her and her fiance. With Langrion missing, who else would be there to take on the throne? She must be in her prettiest when she greets Danterion and tells him her surprise. She is sure that the governing heads will soon make an official announcement of him becoming Gascone’s Imperial King. She’s also pretty sure that her announcement as queen is already forthcoming...

While Talita was still busy fixing her hair, a soft rap came to the door. As soon as it was opened, Edelfina heard an official summon.

“Lady Edelfina,” a knight of the Imperial Palace declared, “your presence is requested immediately at the Tribunal. You are to come with us as soon as possible.”

“The tribunal? What is this for?” Edelfina said, hiding her irritation and surprise.

“It concerns the death of the late grace, King Caldwell the First.”

What on earth is happening? Are they seriously requesting her to stand witness in the king’s death? Well, she’s knows none about it anyway, and this is also a perfect opportunity to sow seeds of suspicion against Shia Andry. After all, she ran away on her wedding day and immediately that night, the king died. Despite the possibility of natural causes being the actual culprit, there won’t be a much stronger suspect than her in this case.

Lady Edelfina calmly rose from her seat and followed the knights. She hoped it will be quick. She wanted to be by Danterion’s side when they announce his name as the new king.

The Tribunal Heads had gathered at the palace’s receiving hall. Edelfina was surprised to see that Danterion was present at the meeting. She wanted to break the good news to him. She flashed a wide smile towards him, and he tilted his head and smiled back towards her.

Edelfina wouldn’t have seen it for she was far away, but because she knew Danterion like the back of her own, slender hands, she saw that his eyes looked odd. His irises were ocean-blue, and yet the eyes that looked back at her were a dark shade of purple. Was she just imagining it? Maybe these hallucinations were simply pregnancy symptoms that she had never heard about before...

She was suddenly brought back into reality when the old, balding man who headed the Tribunal, Lord Jenisson, spoke.

“Lady Nanris, we apologize for the early intrusion. We know you are not feeling well these past few days, but we needed to question you. Will it be alright to proceed?”

Indeed, she wanted to glare at him for summoning her in such fashion early in the morning, but Edelfina knew that queens weren’t supposed to slight their subjects on such trivial matters. She decided to make an exception on him to show everyone how good of a queen she could be.

“Do proceed, Lord Jenisson. What is it that you wanted to ask?”

The Lord had signalled to a servant, and that servant quickly obliged by bringing in a half-full bottle of red wine.

“Are you familiar with this drink, my lady?”

“It’s red wine judging from the label,” Edelfina said coldly. Why were they asking her such a pathetic question?

“Yes. Have you ever purchased one like this, by any chance?”

“I haven’t purchased any wine in the past few days... I shan’t be able to drink it given my current situation,” Edelfina’s eyes darted for a bit towards Danterion. Did she get her hint back there?

“I see. Did you by any chance purchase some tea from a certain merchant in Jazamel?”

“I did. Why?” Edelfina’s patience is drying out quickly. What does her purchase of tea have anything to do with the king? Is it perhaps?...

“I’m afraid we have to confiscate the tea you have purchased, my lady.”

The tea bags she had recently purchased were safe for consumption, except for a single tea bag that had been laced with poison – the one she had used especially for Lady Shia. Surely, Talita would have already gotten rid of it by now. Still, these suspicions and interrogations were making her quite uncomfortable.

“Tell me, Lord Jenisson, what does my purchased tea have anything to do with the king?”

“I’m afraid that a merchant had been caught supplying poisoned tea to the palace. This same poison was found in the king’s wine and inside his body.”

“P-poisoned! You meant to say that the king was poisoned? It cannot be!” That Andry girl must have told someone about the tea! Or worse, that Andy girl could have purchased the same exact poison to kill the king and frame her up!

“That’s right, my lady... I’m afraid we have to detain you for now as we investigate this matter further.”

“What? No!” Edelfina’s hands shook as she tapped her fist sternly against the table.

The knights flinched and tensed up at the situation at hand. How can they arrest Lady Edelfina Nanris – the darling of the crowd and the Apparent Imperial King’s fiancé?

“This is just part of the investigation, my lady. Once we find insufficient evidence, you’ll be free to go.”

“No, I don’t want to go! You cannot force me to do that!” Edelfina snapped, and the last bit of patience that she was trying to hold on to so desperately at the last few seconds dwindled away in the air.

It was Danterion’s commanding voice that had cut through the apparent tension that had lingered in the atmosphere. “Lady Nanris, you will have to follow Lord Jenisson’s command and abide by the law.”

Edelfina looked back at the dark violet eyes that threatened to engulf her very existence. The man who spoke did not raise her voice and his expression did not change, but there was something very sinister about this person – this man. Is this really Danterion? Her Danterion?

The knights started to move towards her. Edelfina’s body shook more visibly now. “N-no... Listen.... Listen for me for a minute, will you?” She was pleading to the man whose face looked like Danterion, but his eyes did not even move an inch. Who was this man? Where is her betrothed?

“I-I cannot be detained. I need some rest – complete rest...” she began to mumble. The man who looked like Danterion continued to stare at her without any emotions. Who is this imposter? Why isn’t anyone arresting this man?

“Deary, you can get the rest you need inside the holding cell. I’ll see to it that you remain warm and comfortable,” he said, a slight smirk forming at the corners of his mouth.

“No, no! M-my prince, how heartless can you be?! I am with child!”

At the sound of her voice, the eyes of the imposter opened a little bit wider. However, the surprise that he had shown was that of curiosity, not of joy.

“Hmm, interesting, my lady... I suppose that child is mine?”

Edelfina wanted to come up and slap his face. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing... I was just asking to make sure.”

Unable to control herself any longer, she did as she had imagined. She stepped towards him, and slapped his left cheek for good measure!

The knights weren’t fast enough to restrain her. It was only after the deed was done that they were able to surround the fake Danterion.

“My Lady!” Lord Jenisson and the rest of the Tribunal yelped.

“If that is what you want, then by all means, detain me. I am not guilty. I did not poison the king!”

She stared at one of the knights closest to her and said, “Go on, lead the way. I’m tired.”

After the knight’s initial shock, he nodded, and Edelfina was immediately escorted to a guarded room in the left wing of the castle. She exited the hall without looking back at the man who was pretending to be her Danterion.

As soon as the doors were firmly shut, Edelfina slumped to the bed inside the room she was provided and cried.

What happened back there? Who was that prince before her? He was certainly not her beloved. It was not her Danterion at all!

In a fit of emotions, she had ruined her surprise for him, and it had also cost her dignity. She was always looked up to in the inner circles of high society. Now, they will only look at her in disdain for being pregnant and unwed.

Before long, Edelfina heard nimble footsteps and sounds of the door opening and shutting softly. She did not look up from the bed. She continued to bury her face in the blankets.

“Fina...”

Of course she knew it was her would-be husband who came. He hugged her sprawled countenance softly and patted her hair gently.

“Fina... Let’s talk...”

She didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to talk to him. She had forced her to reveal her secret, and he had definitely insulted her by asking if the child was his. She had just lost face because of that someone who looked just like Danterion. Edelfina regretted slapping Danterion’s face but that man, whoever he was, deserved it. Even if her whole being wanted to, she wouldn’t give in to Danterion’s coaxing that easily...

She utterly didn’t expect the next few words he would say to her.

“My Fina... If you don’t want to talk to me, then just listen...” The voice of Danterion moved closer to her ears and whispered. “If you want to save your life and that of our child, you need to leave this palace - now.”