My eyes strained as I looked out from the throne room window. I focused my eyes on the distant mountains, trying to distract myself from all of the frustrations of the world.
Three days has passed - and quite quickly, to be frank - since we arrived in Bethilda’s residence. When we, especially James, thought that everything would be solved here, that everything would finally end here, we were proven wrong.
♔♔♔
I stumbled backwards, slowly falling to the ground as my world came to a screeching halt. Shock and fear overcame my whole body.
“Your Highness!” the captain and soldiers screamed, catching me right before my body could reach the ground. Everyone shouted in a panic as they scrambled around me. But their voices slowly turned into muffled noises as my surroundings swirled before my eyes.
Laura wasn’t here. If she’s not here, where could she be? Where was she taken to? Who took her?
Could it really be Mallory?
Or was this another evidence that pointed to the obvious truth? That Benjamin indeed kidnapped Laura?
“Robert? Robert?” a calm voice slowly pushed through the overwhelming noise of muffled screaming. I slowly looked up and saw James, kneeling before me. “Robert, calm yourself,” he said.
Dizzy, I reached out to him and clutched onto his sleeves. “Where is she, James?” I asked, trying to form a coherent sentence through my ragged breathing. “Where’s Laura?” I widened my eyes as I gasped for air.
James held onto me and I replied, “Pull yourself together, Robert. Don’t allow this situation to decrease your morale.”
“Why isn’t she here?! Where is she?!” I screamed as I shook him.
Before I knew it, my world fell into darkness.
♔♔♔
Ever since that incident, James has kept me away from any sort of dealings in regards to the mission or with Bethilda. He wouldn’t tell me anything about those matters and told me to focus more on resting. He told me to remain in my quarters whilst he took care of everything.
But I couldn’t wait for him any longer. I couldn’t just sit around and wait for everything to unfold before me. I went here to the throne room in the hopes that I could speak with him. However, he wasn’t there upon my arrival. When I asked the guards where he was, they only told me that James was taking care of something. They advised me to go back to my room and that they would inform me once James has returned.
As pleasing as that might have sounded, I insisted on staying and waited for James’ return. I knew all too well that James wouldn’t want me out of my room. He would do anything to avoid speaking with me.
Letting out a sigh, I leaned my head onto the glass. I closed my eyes and allowed the sun’s warmth to touch my skin. Slowly, Laura’s image appeared in my mind. It was her usual smiling self. The version of her that only saw the beauty in everything. Untouched by the world’s wrath and impurities.
How I wish that I already found you, Laura. Grandpa Ben needs you more than ever.
I need you.
Tears were about to escape my eyes when the doors suddenly opened. I turned my head and saw James with the soldiers. He stopped abruptly, surprised that I was in the room.
“Robert?” his brows furrowed as he approached me. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in your room.”
“I have nothing else to do. And besides, I wanted to talk to you,” I said as he reached me.
“I told you to stop worrying and leave everything to me,” he argued.
I answered, “James, I’ve rested enough. And I believe I shouldn’t be kept in the dark in regards to this matter. If you have questions that you need answers to, so do I.” I added, “You can’t keep me in the dark forever.”
He sighed. He was going to respond when a group of men entered the room. They walked up to us and bowed instantly. “Your Majesty, here are the confessions of Duchess Bethilda’s servants,” the leader handed over a bundle of papers, tied neatly together. “They all admitted to one of the accusations.”
“Which is?” James asked as he looked at him.
“All but the abduction of the mortal.”
I interrupted the conversation, “Then, what crime did they admit to?”
The leader turned to James, unsure if he should respond.
James replied to the leader, “Thank you for this, sir. You may go.” He then turned to everybody else in the room and continued, “You are all dismissed. I need to have a word with the prince in private.”
They all gave their bows and left us alone. As soon as the doors were closed, James turned to me and handed over the letters. He grabbed one from the pile and began to open it.
“What was he talking about, James?” I asked as James immersed himself in the letter. “What’s going on?”
“Your aunt is currently imprisoned in her room whilst I hold an investigation regarding her case,” he answered. “I had her servants locked in the dungeons. Those, on the other hand,” he briefly pointed at the bundled letters, “Are written confessions from them.”
“What did you accuse of Bethilda of?” I asked.
As he finished reading the letter, he folded it and looked back at me. “I openly accused her of poisoning your mother in the hopes of taking over the role of consort of our kingdom. I also accused her of the abduction of the mortal,” he explained.
My ears rang as James referred to Laura as the mere mortal. The disdain he had towards her was evident in his tone. He could’ve still called her by her name as a manner of respecting her being, I thought to myself.
I glanced over at the letter that he was holding. “What did that letter say?” I asked.
He hesitated for a moment before he handed over the letter. I quickly put the bundled letters down and read it. It said,
May the gods be my witnesses as I write down this confession.
My mistress, Duchess Bethilda, has indeed conspired a plot to take over the crown and title of our reigning Queen, who is her sister.
She gave instructions to us, her servants, to concoct a poison that would have slow yet lethal effects once taken. And it is with great regret that we admit our compliance to what we were told to do. However, as a servant who had nowhere else to go, we had no other choice but to follow.
Along with her plan, the duchess promised us land and riches once she sat on the consort’s throne of Western Wind. She was absolutely confident that she would succeed with her plot. And if her plans were to be foiled by unforeseen circumstances, she claimed that she won’t be easily caught and accused with the kind of poison that we made.
In regards to the abducting a lowly mortal, I regret to confirm that the duchess never did such a thing. Although, we, the servants, are unsure if she did something like that behind our backs. But even her closest servants and advisors weren’t aware or told of such a scheme.
May His Majesty, King James of Western Wind, and His Highness, Prince Robert of Western Wind, find it in their hearts to forgive us for proceeding with what was asked of us. We will accept any punishment, in order to atone for our sins.
May the monarch of Western Wind live long, prosperous and just.
Without saying a word, I folded the letter. I knew Bethilda was up to something. Especially when she was the only one who protested against me when I wanted to look for the ledoras plant. No family member within their right minds would oppose another in an attempt to save a fellow family member from certain death.
Her poison was designed for a slow yet miserable kill. But I supposed she got too excited for the project of being my father’s consort and our nation’s queen. She must have thought that the discreet effects were too boring. Thankfully, the heavens didn’t allow for that to happen and Mother recuperated just in time. Bethilda’s sudden attempt to take over the whole household was proof enough that she planned something. From the moment she entered our home, I never trusted her and her meek smile.
And I couldn’t be more thankful that I never trusted her until the very end.
“Well?” James’ voice brought me back to reality. My head shot up and he added, “What do you think?”
I put the letter on top of the pile and replied, “I can believe these statements. Bethilda’s overall aura upon her arrival was already a suspicious one. Didn’t you wonder why she appeared all of a sudden after Mother was bed-ridden due to her illness?”
James nodded as he raised his hand to face, resting his chin on it.
“And if you think about it even more, why wasn’t the Medicine King able to detect what sort of illness Mother had?” I added. “He didn’t know what caused it. He couldn’t trace its origins. His usual medicines and medical practices never worked. All he said was it was killing her. And after he suggested the ledoras plant to me, that alone healed her.”
James nodded again.
“This confession,” I briefly raised the letter, “Is credible.” I untied some of the letters one at a time. I skimmed over every single one and they all said the same thing: Bethilda poisoned Mother to overthrow her.
James grabbed a few and read them as well. He sighed as his shoulders slumped. His eyes didn’t leave the letters for one bit. “I never thought that someone would still try to take over the monarchy. Especially, a relative,” he remarked.
I turned to him, confused. I then asked, “Do you have any idea why Bethilda attempted on Mother’s life?”
Putting the letter down, James walked towards the window. “I don’t want to assume anything. But I have the biggest suspicion that it’s somehow connected to what happened in the past,” said James as he looked out the window.
Slowly, I approached him and asked, “Why? What happened?”
He turned back to me and was about to respond when someone knocked.
“Come in,” James answered.
The door opened and a guard rushed over to us, clutching a folded piece of paper. “Your Majesty. Your Highness,” he bowed, out of breath.
“Breathe, young man,” James replied as we walked over to him. “Breathe,” he repeated, patting the guard gently on his back.
The guard took his time in order to compose himself before he stood upright. “Your Majesty, another servant just finished his confession,” he reported.
“There will be no need for that, good sir. You don’t have to tell us what it entails,” James smiled as he raised his hand, stopping the guard from speaking. “We’re already aware that the servants only admitted to one of the accusations to be true.”
“No, Your Majesty,” the guard took a step forward. His eyes were wild as he quickly moved closer to us. “This servant confessed to both accusations against the duchess.”
My eyes widened. Immediately, I shared a shocked stare with James.
“Give it to me,” James handed out his hand.
Without a moment to waste, James read the letter as soon as he received it. His eyes skimmed through the letter. After a few seconds, his eyes widened even more.
“James?” I stepped closer. “What did it say?”
“Where’s the servant that wrote this?” James asked the guard.
“He’s still in the torture chamber, Your Majesty.”
“Bring him to me.”