CHAPTER SEVEN - THE PALACE REGICIDE
2139 Words
“What’s this……”
“What have I gotten myself into?”
The maid’s trembling voice resounded through the empty hallway as she held the small vial tightly in her hands.
Her breathing became uneven. Fast. Heavy.
“No… no, I can’t do this.” She whispered, stopping near a palace window.
Her reflection started back at her. Pale face. Shaking lips. Terrified eyes.
“I can’t kill the king…” she said going back to the maid quarters to rest.
———
The following day she travelled back home to visit her ill mother.
“Please! Somebody help her!”
The scream echoed through the small house the moment she arrived home.
It was their neighbor trying to hold onto her mother.
The maid froze.
“M…Mother?”
She rushed inside immediately, carrying her mom in her arms as the neighbor helped called over for help.
Two healers surrounded the old woman lying weakly on the bed.
Her mother’s breathing was shallow.
Painful and violent coughs shook her body as she opened her eyes slowly.
“Mother!” The maid cried out.
The old woman grabbed her wrist weakly. “You came…” she whispered.
“How is her health?!” The maid asked the healers, her voice high and eyes widened.
One of the healers sighed heavily.
“Her condition has worsened suddenly, she needed immediate treatment.”
“She was coughing out blood this morning,” the neighbor added
The maid’s face drained in pains and desperation. “No……”
“You need to save her!” The neighbor said
The first healer looked at her carefully.
“We can stabilize her for now… but.…”
“But…?” She asked fearfully
Silence.
Then…
“We need to perform the surgery as soon as possible.” The healer took a slow breath and continued.
“We can only keep her alive temporarily and sustain her strength with some medication but it won’t last long.” The healer explained quietly
“How long?” She asked weakly
“Two weeks maximum, her body may no longer respond after that.”
“So she’ll need to be operated as soon as possible or else you expect the worse.”
The room fell silent.
Tears rolled down the maid’s cheeks
Her mother held her trembling hands.
“Don’t cry,” she whispered weakly. “I’m tired already.”
“Stop saying that!” The maid sobbed “I’ll save you.”
“How?” Her mother asked gently
The maid froze.
Her wolf became restless.
“I’ll find a way,” she responded
“You always say that,” her mother coughed painfully
“You always suffer because of me but it’s time to let go.” Her mother added
“You’re my mother!”
“And you’re my child, no mother wants to see their child suffer because of them.” She paused
Then continued
“I don’t want you ruining your soul to save me,” the mother muttered.
The maid’s eyes widened instantly filled with tears
“Mother…”
“Promise me.” The old woman’s lips trembled violently
“I…”
But she couldn’t say it.
Because deep down.…
She already knew what choice she was going to make.
After a few hours of visit she traveled back to the palace.
———
That night…
The maid stood outside Theresa’s chambers again.
She looked around suspiciously before announcing her presence.
“Pardon me, my lady, but I must speak with you immediately.”
“You may enter,” Theresa said
The maid walked slowly.
Theresa sat calmly beside the fireplace, sipping wine.
“You came back quicker than expected,” Theresa said without looking at her.
The maid swallowed hard.
“My mother…” her voice cracked. “She’s dying.”
Theresa finally looked up.
“And?”
“They said she only has two weeks.”
Theresa could sense the desperation in her eyes, a slow smile spread across her lips.
“How convenient.” She said
The maid kneeled before her immediately lowering her head. “I’ll do as you said.”
Theresa stood slowly
“You,ve made the right decision.”
“But… I want to ask for a favor,” the maid added quickly
Theresa raised a brow “What favor?”
“When this is over… I want to leave.”
Theresa stared at her silently
“I don’t want to stay at the palace anymore tied with guilt.” The maid continued shakily
“I just want enough money to save my mother and disappear somewhere far away.”
“You wish to run?” Theresa asked looking directly into her eyes
“I wish to live.”
Then studied her carefully again.
All she sees was Fear. Desperation. Broken mentality.
“You have my word,” Theresa said finally.
The maid looked up quickly.
“You’ll let me go?”
“Yes.”
“And the money?” The maid asked in desperation
“You’ll get more than enough.”
The maid broke into tears. “Thank you…”
Theresa smiled faintly “Don’t thank me yet.”
“When should I start?” The maid asked
“Tomorrow’s night,”
“The king’s condition is already unstable.” Theresa continued without hesitation
“One drop every night, they’ll think his health worsened naturally.”
“What if someone notices or finds out?” The maid asked
A dangerous filled the room
Then Theresa smiled
“They won’t live long enough to speak.”
The maid froze instantly.
She knows.… she just made a deal with a devil.
“Go,” Theresa ordered calmly
“And remember …”
The maid stopped at the door.
“If you betray me,” Theresa continued softly, “your mother dies first.”
The maid’s body trembled violently.
Then she hurried out immediately.
———
Meanwhile
I was having a quite peaceful time with my new lover Dan.
“Careful,” Dan laughed softly as he held the little boy upright.
The child giggled loudly.
“I think he likes you more than me,” I teased.
“That’s impossible,” Dan replied dramatically.
“Aiden,” he said seriously to the child, “your mother is lying.”
The baby laughed again.
Aiden suddenly grabbed Dan’s finger tightly.
Dan turned at him acting funny as they laughed
I laughed softly
“He’s attached to you.”
Dan stared at the child quietly
Then at me
“I’m attached to both of you.”
A brief silence followed
Then…
“Dan…”
“Hmm?”
“What if this happiness doesn’t last?” I completed my statement.
His expression softened immediately
“Then I’ll fight for it.”
“You don’t understand…”
“I do.” Dan said and he held onto my hand gently
“Why are you scared?” Dan asked
I lowered my gaze slowly.
“My past always finds me.”
Dan lifted my chin carefully. “Then let it come.”
“You’d really stay?” I whispered.
“Always, no matter what happens.” Dan’s jaw tightened slightly.
But his voice remained calm.
“Anyone that wants to destroy this happiness nor take either you or Aiden away from me,”
He took a slow breath looking more serious than before
“That person will have to go through me first.”
My lips parted slightly.
Emotion filled my chest instantly.
“Dan…”
“I mean everything I just said.” Dan interrupted me
His forehead rested gently against mine.
“You and Aiden are my family now.”
My eyes filled in tears of happiness
For the first time in ever
I felt comfort and loved in the arms of a man.
———
Back at the palace…
The storm finally arrived
It had been two weeks.
Two weeks of silent poison.
Two weeks of watching the king grow weaker.
And tonight…
Was for the final dose.
“Your Majesty! I have brought your medication.”
“Please come in.” The king said his voice barely heard
The maid pushed the King’s chamber door open quietly and walked in with the silver tray balanced carefully in her hands.
Then king was still laying down breathing slowly, weak but awake.
“My king,” she said softly. “Here’s your medicine.”
The maid walked closer calmly and helped him sit up properly against the headboard.
Then gently carried the cup of medicine to feed the weak king
The king looked at her briefly but said nothing.
This was no longer new to her.
Every night had become the same routine.
“Drink it before it gets cold.”
The king sipped every bit of the medicine but gradually.
“I should let you rest now.” The maid said and quietly took back the cup from him.
Still, the king remained silent.
The maid placed the cup back onto the tray and adjusted the blanket over his legs slightly
Then she picked up the tray again and turned to leave.
Suddenly…
A strong hand grabbed her wrist tightly.
The maid froze immediately.
Her heartbeat stopped.
“My king…?”
The king’s grip tightened.
His voice came out low. Cold. Painfully calm.
“I know everything.”
The maid blinked in confusion.
“My king… I don’t understand…”
The king slowly lifted his eyes towards her.
“I know what you’ve been doing to me.”
The maid’s expression changed instantly.
Fear crashed into her chest.
“You’ve been poisoning me for weeks.”
The tray slipped slightly off her trembling hands and hit the edge of the table with a sharp sound.
Her lips parted shakingly.
“My… No… My king, I…”
“You changed my medicine and you thought I wouldn’t notice?” The king said his eyes fixed on her trembling face.
The maid’s knees weakened immediately.
“My king… I’m sorry.”
“No you’re not, you thought an old wolf would not recognize death once it entered his blood?”
Tears filled the maid’s eyes as she knelt before the weak king
“I’m sorry my king, I never wanted to do this!” Tears rolled down her face.
The king’s jaw tightened slightly. “Then why did you do it!?”
The maid cried harder.
“I had no other choice…”
The king remained silent.
The maid shook her head violently as she cried.
“My mother was dying… she needed treatment… I begged everywhere for help… but got one”
Her voice cracked painfully
“Nobody helped us…”
The king’s expression slowly hardened.
“So you sold your loyalty?”
The maid lowered her head in shame.
“Who ordered you to do this? Who have you this poison?”
The maid froze instantly refusing to speak.
The crown princess said if I betray her my mom dies first
What will I do? I can’t let my mom die
But I can’t lie to the king right to his face
However the princess isn’t here
Thoughts ran through her mind for a moment before the king interrupted.
“Answer me!”
“My king…” she paused as her hands trembled
“It’s… it’s the crown princess …”
Silence
Disappointment filled his tired face more than anger.
“The crown princess…?”
The maid quickly crawled closer desperately.
“Yes my king… she promised to save my mother if I obeyed her.” She kept crying
The king remained silent.
“I swear, I never wanted to do this! Please forgive me.”
The king laughed bitterly.
A weak painful laughter.
“So this is what the palace has become.”
He looked at the maid. “Exposing her doesn’t justify your actions, you’re an accomplice.”
The maid looked up slowly, eyes red and filled with tears.
“We fed you,” the king continued
“We took you in,” his voice became colder.
“But you chose to be loyal to a crown… instead of the kingdom that raised you.”
The maid broke down completely beneath his gaze.
The king started coughing out blood.
“My king…” she called giving him some water
“Leave at once.… before someone sees you here.” He said releasing her wrist.
But suddenly…
Outside the king chamber’s door
There was a heavy thud against the outside panel of the door.
It sounded like someone lost balance, stumbling over a heavy object beside the door.
Through the gap under the door, a shadow shifted, followed by a heavy scuff of boots sprinting away down the corridor.
The maid froze at that moment.
Because whoever it was, they know her secret and now they’re already gone.
- Writer
