Chapter 168: Amara Wakes
{Third Person}
Elsewhere in the palace, Zarek’s morning had begun far earlier than he would have liked.
He was seated inside his private study when one of his informants was quietly ushered inside. The man wasted no time kneeling and delivering the latest findings from the investigation.
The more Zarek listened, the darker his expression became.
When the report finally ended, silence settled over the room.
"The incense?" he repeated.
The informant lowered his head. "Yes, my Lord."
Zarek leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. ’So it had not been the drug.’
The drug hidden in Alexander’s wine had not been responsible for poisoning him. It had been the incense burning near the royal table.
For several moments, he said nothing. Then he slowly exhaled as he concluded on a few things.
Someone else had been involved.
Someone else had been operating during the banquet.
The realization irritated him more than he cared to admit.
His original plan had been simple. He wanted Alexander publicly humiliated. He wanted his brother’s temper to flare in front of the guests and dignitaries.
He wanted damage to Alexander’s reputation.
Death had never been part of the plan.
Now it appeared that another person had been moving pieces across the board at the same time.
Someone had attempted to use the chaos for their own purpose.
Someone had nearly turned his scheme into an assassination.
The thought made his jaw tighten. "So," he muttered, "someone wanted to borrow my hands."
The informant remained silent.
Zarek’s eyes narrowed. Whoever was responsible had not only endangered Alexander. They had endangered him as well.
If Alexander had died, the investigation would have become far more ruthless than it already was.
And there was every possibility suspicion could have eventually reached him.
A cold smile slowly appeared on his face. "Find them."
The informant looked up, as if he had entered into an unforeseen trance.
"I don’t care who they are." Zarek’s voice hardened. "But when I find out who thought it was acceptable to interfere with my plans, they will regret it."
The informant bowed deeply. "Yes, my Lord."
Outside the study, Julia stood motionless.
She had not intended to eavesdrop. Unfortunately, she had arrived just as the conversation began.
And now she found herself more confused than ever.
For the first time since that fight with Zarek, a troubling realization settled into her mind.
Zarek had not tried to kill Alexander.
Though the drug had been real, and the plan had been real, it had never been intended to end with Alexander coughing blood.
Someone else had wanted that.
Someone else had taken advantage of the situation.
Julia slowly stepped away from the door. Her thoughts immediately turned toward Queen Lysandra.
The suspicion came naturally. Yet the more she thought about it, the less certain she became.
Would the Queen really sabotage Zarek’s own plan?
Would she knowingly place her son in danger?
Julia could not answer those questions.
For the first time, she found herself wondering whether there was another enemy hiding within the palace.
Someone none of them had considered.
---
Meanwhile, at the Third Prince’s residence, the atmosphere was considerably calmer.
Rowan had spent the early hours of the morning in his wolf form, running through the palace grounds and surrounding forests before sunrise.
By the time he returned home and shifted back into his human form, most of the palace was already awake.
After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, he settled comfortably in the sitting room. And not long afterward, Yara joined him.
She moved naturally to his side and leaned against him while he rested. The familiar closeness immediately eased some of the tension left over from the previous night’s chaos.
"You’ve already heard?" she asked.
Rowan glanced down at her. "Heard what?"
Yara looked at him in surprise. "You really haven’t received the latest report?"
Rowan shook his head. "I went running before dawn."
Yara smiled slightly. "One of your guards came while you were away."
Immediately, Rowan’s expression became more attentive.
Yara proceeded to explain everything she had learned. The discovery involving the incense. The mages’ conclusions. The fact that the poison had not originated from Alexander’s wine.
When she finished, Rowan sat quietly for a moment. His expression barely changed.
Finally, he shook his head. "I knew Zarek was planning something. But I didn’t think he would go this far."
A faint smile touched Yara’s lips. "Your brother has become very bold."
Rowan looked down at her. There was amusement in her eyes.
Despite the seriousness of the conversation, her mood appeared considerably lighter than his.
He slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. Yara relaxed against him immediately.
For a few moments, neither spoke.
The morning sunlight filtered through the windows while the residence remained pleasantly quiet around them.
Eventually, Rowan stood. "Come on."
Yara looked up. "We will spend some time together before breakfast."
The smile that appeared on her face was answer enough.
Hand in hand, they left the sitting room, while far away, the investigation into Alexander’s poisoning continued to spread through the palace like a gathering storm.
---
At the same time, Queen Lysandra was receiving reports of her own.
Unlike most members of the royal family, she had not spent the night pacing or worrying.
She had retired to her palace shortly after speaking with Zarek and waited for information to reach her naturally. However, that did not mean she was unconcerned.
When one of her trusted attendants arrived with the latest findings from the investigation, Lysandra listened carefully from her seat.
The attendant explained everything the investigators had uncovered.
The incense and the poison hidden within it. The way it had reacted with the drug in Alexander’s wine.
The mages’ conclusion that the incense was ultimately responsible for the poisoning.
For several moments after the report ended, Lysandra remained silent. The information answered one important question which she already knew.
Her son had not poisoned Alexander. At least not in the way it had looked like.
The realization eased one of her concerns, but it immediately created another.
Her expression darkened as it dawned on her that someone had used her son’s plan.
Someone had taken advantage of the chaos Zarek intended to create, almost turning it into an assassination.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
It was not because Alexander had been poisoned, but because someone had dared to use her precious son as a shield.
Someone had deliberately positioned matters in such a way that suspicion could easily have fallen upon Zarek if Alexander had died.
The audacity alone was enough to irritate her.
"Interesting." The word was spoken softly.
The attendant wisely remained silent.
Lysandra tapped a finger lightly against the armrest of her chair. "Continue monitoring the investigation."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Then, she narrowed her eyes slightly. "And the moment they discover who was responsible for the incense, I want to know."
The attendant bowed immediately. "It will be done, Your Majesty."
Only after the woman departed did Lysandra lean back in her chair.
Whoever was behind this was either very brave or very foolish. Perhaps both.
Either way, she fully intended to find out.
***
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the palace grounds, the first rays of morning sunlight were beginning to filter through the curtains of Amara’s bedroom.
For several hours, the room had remained quiet.
Mrs. Woods had barely left Amara’s side.
Even now, she sat nearby with a book in her lap that she had not actually read for more than an hour.
The moment she noticed movement from the bed, however, the book was forgotten entirely.
"My Lady?"
The young woman stirred slightly. Her eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened.
For a few moments, Amara simply stared at the ceiling above her. Everything felt strange, heavy, and distant as though she had slept for far longer than intended.
Mrs. Woods immediately rose from her chair and hurried to the bedside. "My Lady."
Amara blinked several times before turning her head.
The concern on Mrs. Woods’ face immediately brought back fragments of memory.
The banquet.
The toast.
The wine.
Then... Alexander.
The image struck her so suddenly that she attempted to sit upright.
Mrs. Woods quickly helped support her. "Easy."
Amara barely heard her. The memory of Alexander coughing up blood replayed vividly in her mind. And immediately, her heart began racing.
"His Highness."
Mrs. Woods froze, not understanding her words.
Amara looked at her anxiously and inquired, "What happened to His Highness?"
The question came so quickly that Mrs. Woods was not surprised. In fact, she had expected it.
Amara’s expression only became more distressed when no answer came immediately. "Mrs. Woods."
The older woman quickly placed a reassuring hand over hers. "His Highness is alive."
The tension left Amara’s body so suddenly that it almost made her dizzy.
’Alive. Thank goodness.’
She released a breath she had not realized she was holding.
Mrs. Woods offered her a small smile as she explained further, "The mages treated him throughout the night. Thankfully, they managed to stabilize his condition."
The relief that followed was immediate.
Then Amara lowered her gaze briefly before asking another question. "Will he recover?"
Mrs. Woods nodded. "That is what the mages have said."
A visible weight lifted from Amara’s shoulders. She sat quietly for a few moments, then another thought occurred to her.
"What happened after that?"
Mrs. Woods understood immediately, so she proceeded to explain everything she could.
How the banquet had been stopped. How Alexander had been taken back to his residence. How the mages had worked throughout the night.
And how the entire palace was now under investigation.
Amara’s eyes widened. "The entire palace?"