Chapter 7 - THE POISONED SILK
News of the Moonstone test swept through Ironhold Castle like wildfire. By sunset, the whispers of "the useless Omega" were replaced by breathless, terrified tales of "the Silver Queen."
In the lower quarters of the castle, inside a secluded guest suite assigned to the Windmir family, chaos reigned.
Elena smashed a crystal wine goblet against the stone wall, sending red liquid and glass shards flying across the floor.
"How?!" Elena shrieked, her face contorted in rage. "She is a servant! She ate our scraps! She scrubbed our floors! How can she have the Silver Blood?!"
Maya sat trembling on a plush velvet sofa, biting her nails. "Elena, we need to stop this. If she becomes Queen, she will execute us! She knows everything we did to her!"
"She won't execute us if she doesn't survive to the bonding ceremony," a dark, raspy voice called out from the shadowed corner of the room.
Elena and Maya spun around.
Out of the darkness stepped Lord Vane. The old Elder was no longer wearing his noble white robes; he was wrapped in a dark, hooded traveling cloak.
"Lord Vane?" Elena gasped, smoothing her dress quickly. "What are you doing here?"
"I am saving this kingdom from ruin," Vane hissed, stepping closer. "An Alpha King paired with a Silver Lunar user creates an unbreakable royal line. If Kieran bonds with her, the Council loses all power forever. The traditional hierarchy of our realm will shatter."
"What do you propose?" Elena asked, her eyes narrowing with desperate ambition.
Vane pulled a small, silver vial from beneath his cloak. Inside, a thick, colorless liquid sloshed quietly.
"Tears of the Nightshade," Vane whispered. "An odorless, tasteless poison derived from dark roots found in the Eastern Swamps. It does not kill instantly. It slowly paralyzes the wolf spirit inside the body over twelve hours, causing cardiac arrest that mimics natural heart failure."
Maya gasped, covering her mouth. "You want us to poison the King's mate?!"
"Not you," Vane said, glaring at Maya before handing the vial directly to Elena. "Tomorrow, as custom dictates, the female relatives of the bride must present her with the ceremonial Royal Silk Veil before the wedding feast. You will apply this liquid to the inner embroidery of the veil. When she wears it, the poison will absorb directly through her skin."
Elena looked at the tiny silver vial in her hand. Her reflection in the dark glass looked twisted, malicious, and entirely devoid of mercy.
"And what happens after she dies?" Elena asked.
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"The King will be devastated, his bond severed," Vane smiled wickedly. "In his grief, he will need a strong, stable Beta lineage to secure his throne. You, Lady Elena, will be there to comfort him."
Elena’s lips curled into a cruel, ruthless smile. "Consider it done."
