Chapter 169: Right Into Business
{Third Person}
In just one night, everything had changed.
Mrs. Woods nodded. "The King is furious."
That part was hardly surprising.
Amara lowered her gaze. After everything that had happened, she could only imagine how angry King Sebastian must be.
The room fell quiet for a moment, then Amara looked around. The palace felt strangely calm considering everything Mrs. Woods had described.
It almost seemed impossible that such chaos had erupted only a few hours earlier.
"What about the culprit?" she asked softly.
Mrs. Woods shook her head. "They are still investigating."
Amara nodded. That made sense. Whoever had done something so terrible would not be easy to find.
As she sat there processing everything, Mrs. Woods quietly studied her.
The older woman said nothing about the poison that had been found in Amara’s body. She said nothing about the toxins Elder Mage Seraphina had removed during the night.
And she certainly said nothing about the terrifying conclusions the mages had reached.
For now, those truths would remain hidden. Amara had already endured enough.
At least for this morning, Mrs. Woods wanted her to have a little peace.
---
When Alexander finally opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the silence.
The room was unusually quiet. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the bedroom.
For a few moments, he simply stared at the ceiling while his mind slowly pieced together his last memories.
The banquet.
The wine.
The blood.
Then nothing.
A movement near the window caught his attention.
Jasper, who had been quietly keeping watch over the room, immediately noticed that he was awake and rose from his chair.
"Your Highness."
Alexander turned his head slightly toward him. "You look disappointed."
Jasper blinked before realizing what Alexander meant. A rare smile appeared on his face. "I will try harder next time."
Alexander snorted softly.
The simple exchange reassured both men more than either cared to admit.
Jasper approached the bedside table and picked up a bowl that had been left there. "Elder Mage Seraphina instructed me to give this to you as soon as you woke up."
Alexander eyed the bowl suspiciously. "What is it?"
"Medicine."
Alexander frowned. "Very informative."
Jasper’s expression remained perfectly serious. "It is supposed to help your recovery."
Knowing there was no point arguing with one of Seraphina’s prescriptions, Alexander accepted the bowl and drank its contents in a single swallow.
The bitter taste was every bit as unpleasant as he expected.
After handing the empty bowl back to Jasper, he settled against the pillows once more. His body felt surprisingly strong, and that alone caught his attention.
Seraphina had said he would need a few days to recover fully, yet he no longer felt weak or exhausted. There was still some lingering discomfort, but nothing severe enough to keep him confined to bed.
Before he could think further about the discomfort, the question that had been lingering in his mind finally surfaced.
"How is she?"
Jasper was not surprised by the first person he would think of, so he answered, "She’s awake."
Some of the tension immediately left Alexander’s face.
"She is stable as well," Jasper added.
Alexander gave a small nod. Just then, the bedroom door opened.
Barron walked in without ceremony and immediately stopped when he saw Alexander sitting upright in bed.
For a moment, genuine relief crossed his face. "You’re alive."
Alexander immediately regretted waking up.
Barron ignored the look he received and continued toward the bed. "Remarkable, really. The mages deserve a reward."
Alexander rolled his eyes. "Good morning to you too."
Barron grinned. "I was hoping for at least another three days of peace before you started giving orders again."
"Disappointed?"
"A little." The grin widened.
Alexander looked toward Jasper. "Why do you keep allowing him in here?"
Before Jasper could answer, Barron spoke first. "Because I’m family."
Alexander sighed. Unfortunately, there was no arguing with that.
The lighthearted atmosphere did not last long. The reason for Barron’s visit quickly returned to the forefront of everyone’s mind, and the mood in the room became noticeably more serious.
Alexander’s gaze settled on Barron. The latter immediately understood the silent question.
Without waiting to be asked, he began explaining everything that had happened during the night.
He told Alexander about the investigation. He explained how the mages had eventually discovered the poisoned incense and how the drug hidden in his wine had accelerated its effects.
He described the tests that had been carried out and how the mages had finally connected all the pieces together before dawn.
When he finished, Alexander sat quietly for several moments. "So there was someone else."
Barron nodded. "It certainly looks that way."
Alexander’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "We spent so much time watching Zarek that we never considered another enemy might be operating at the same time."
Barron folded his arms. "You almost died because of it."
Alexander did not dispute the statement. If the mages had not been present at the banquet, things could have ended very differently.
Just then, Jasper stepped forward. "His Majesty has turned the palace upside down."
Alexander glanced at him. "He already started an investigation?"
Jasper nodded. "The guards have been arresting servants since last night. The entire palace is under scrutiny."
Alexander was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Father won’t find them."
Both Barron and Jasper looked at him.
Barron’s eyebrows rose. "You sound very certain."
"I am." The answer came without hesitation.
Barron immediately leaned forward. "You know who did it?"
Alexander’s silence spoke volumes.
"You actually have someone in mind?"
"Possibly."
Barron’s eyes lit up. "Then who is it?"
Alexander looked directly at him. "No. The information is not for your ears."
Barron stared at him. "No?"
"Stay out of it." The refusal was immediate and absolute, leaving Barron looking deeply offended.
"That is incredibly rude."
Alexander ignored him.
After a few seconds of futile disappointment, Barron finally abandoned the subject with a dramatic sigh.
"Fine."
He pulled a chair closer and sat down. "Then let’s discuss the second problem."
Alexander’s attention sharpened immediately. "What second problem?"
Barron’s expression became serious. "Your political bride. Amara."
"What about her?" Alexander sat up a little straighter.
Barron exchanged a brief glance with Jasper before beginning.
He explained how Amara had fainted shortly after the banquet. He described bringing her back to the residence and summoning a mage to help remove the aphrodisiac from her system.
Then he revealed the unexpected discovery.
The poison.
Alexander’s expression immediately hardened. "What?" He was not expecting to receive this kind of information.
Barron nodded. "That was my reaction too."
Carefully, he explained the red markings that had appeared beneath Amara’s skin. He described how the veins had turned red and how both the younger mage and Elder Mage Seraphina had identified them as signs that poison was present in her body.
As the explanation continued, Alexander’s expression became increasingly unreadable.
"The markings were essentially a warning," Barron explained. "A way for her body to indicate that it had been poisoned."
Alexander remained silent, allowing him to continue.
Barron then explained the rest. The poison had been slow acting. It had likely been inside her body for several weeks. Months even.
Whoever administered it had intended for the symptoms to appear much later, making it difficult to trace back to the culprit.
When Barron finally revealed the poison’s purpose, the room grew noticeably colder. "The poison was designed to prevent her from ever conceiving children."
Alexander’s eyes darkened as Barron continued. "And eventually, it would have killed her."
Nobody spoke for several moments. Even Jasper remained silent.
Eventually, Barron continued. "The good news is that the poison has already been removed. So has the aphrodisiac."
Alexander nodded once. "And Amara?"
"She doesn’t know anything about this," Barron answered immediately. "We didn’t tell her."
Alexander understood the reasoning.
There had been little point in overwhelming her with yet another revelation immediately after she regained consciousness.
However, another detail had captured his attention. From everything Barron had explained, something stood out to him, and he wasn’t going to overlook it.
"Seraphina."
Barron immediately nodded. "She definitely knows something."
Alexander’s gaze sharpened.
Barron proceeded to explain Seraphina’s reaction when she first saw the markings. He described how she had recognized them instantly, how uncomfortable she became when questioned, and how she had ultimately refused to explain where she had seen such markings before.
By the time he finished, Alexander had fallen into deep thought. Turns out that he was right after all. The Elder Mage knew something important about what Amara might be since she was most definitely not a human.
The room remained quiet for several moments.
Finally, Alexander looked toward Jasper and instructed, "Send for Elder Mage Seraphina."
Jasper nodded immediately.
Alexander’s gaze drifted toward the window. "I have questions for her."
"Yes, Your Highness," Jasper said, then bowed and turned to leave the room.
Barron’s gaze followed Jasper until he left the room before shifting back to Alexander. "You just woke up. You should have given this some time. You need to eat and freshen up."
"Do I look like I have some time?"