Chapter 5 - The King's Choice
"Aurelia!" King Cassian rushed forward, his face pale as he saw his sister covered in soot and blood.
The elite guards immediately surrounded Elara, their swords pointed at her throat.
"Cassian, stop!" Aurelia begged, throwing herself in front of Elara, shielding her with her own body. "It's Vane! It's Dr. Malachi! They poisoned me! They buried me alive!"
At that moment, the garden doors burst open. Lord Vane stepped out, his forehead bleeding, his robes scorched, flanked by Dr. Malachi and his crossbowmen.
"Your Majesty!" Vane shouted, his voice filled with practiced panic and authority. "Step away from the witch! She has hypnotized the princess using dark toxins! She broke into the catacombs to steal the royal relics and tried to murder me when I discovered her!"
"He's lying!" Aurelia screamed, her voice cracking. "Cassian, look at me! Look at my hands! I woke up in the dark! I clawed at the wood until my fingers bled! Elara pulled me out!"
King Cassian looked frantically between his sister and his chief advisor. His hands trembled on the hilt of his sword. "Malachi... explain this. Is my sister sick?"
"The girl gave her a terrible hallucinogenic compound, Your Majesty," Malachi said smoothly, stepping forward with a leather case. "It causes severe paranoia, blood toxicity, and false memories. The princess does not know what she is saying. We must isolate her immediately for her own safety, and execute the grave-digger before she corrupts more of the castle."
Elara stepped around Aurelia, taking a calm, deliberate step toward the king. The guards tightened their grip on their swords, but Cassian held up a hand, stopping them from striking.
"Your Majesty," Elara said, her voice clear and echoing across the quiet, rain-soaked garden. "I am just a grave-digger. I have no wealth, no political ambition, and no power. I have buried three hundred and twelve citizens of this city. I know what death looks like. And I know what poison smells like."
JPG
She pointed a bloodied finger at Dr. Malachi.
"Inside your sister's stomach was a liquid made from crushed nightshade and bitter almond extract. It slows the heart until it cannot be felt by hand. It freezes the breath. Dr. Malachi knows this potion well, because he keeps it in the velvet case right beside his belt."
JPG
Malachi’s face went white. "She lies! Search her!"
"No," King Cassian said softly, his eyes fixing on the physician’s leather case. "Search him."
"Your Majesty, this is absurd!" Lord Vane interjected sharply. "You are taking the word of an untouchable executioner's daughter over your highest councilors? We put you on that throne!"
"And that is what terrifies me," Cassian said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
Cassian stepped forward himself, snatching the leather case from Malachi’s belt. He flipped the brass latch open. Inside lay six small glass vials filled with a dark, sweet-smelling liquid—identical to the scent that clung to Aurelia’s lips.
JPG
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the garden. The guards looked at each other, their loyalty visibly wavering.
"Cassian..." Vane said softly, his tone shifting from frantic to cold, calculated steel. "Think very carefully about what you do next. A king without his council is just a boy in a heavy crown. You cannot rule this kingdom alone."
"I would rather rule alone than stand above a graveyard built by my own advisors," Cassian said. He turned to the captain of the royal guard. "Arrest Lord Vane and Dr. Malachi. Place them in the deep cells."
May you like
"No!" Vane shouted.
In a flash of desperation, Vane drew a hidden flintlock pistol from beneath his coat and aimed it directly at King Cassian’s chest.
