A Call To Answer

chapter 11(Caught In The Act)

Princess Gersemi shook her head in disbelief.

“That's a lie”

“I thought so too but it could be true you know,i mean,haven't you noticed that Logan looks hot?”Pearlene asked,waggling her brows at the Princess teasingly.Princess Gersemi shook her head in disbelief.Pearlene can be such a drama queen at times.

“okay,what's the wagging of brows for?”

“You've never had a tiny crush on him huh?”Pearlene asked blinking her eyes like a baby-doll

“Never”

“Why?”Pearlene asked with a frown.“Is it because he's a mere guard?”

“That's not it Pearl.I just don't feel that way for him.In fact,I've never taken a good look at him.I just hope it's just a rumour and never happens to be true”

“...and again,I need you to warn those girls to keep shut cause if the king finds out about this, Logan will be in a great deal of trouble”Princess Gersemi said sternly and Pearlene nodded lightly.

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Soon, it was almost lunch time.Nettal walked to the cracking fire which has a large steel pot on it.The other girls in the kitchen were setting the platters ready.This was the time to strike but not with the girls inside the kitchen.

“Um, girls, you all have worked a whole lot today.Why don't you have a rest whilst I continue from here?”Nettal asked with a smile on her face.As the head of the kitchen, she had some authority over the rest.

“But Nettal, the work would be cumbersome for you to handle alone”Marie argued.

“It's fine Marie.I've been working here for years now.i'm used to it.Just go set the dining table whilst I dish out the food”Nettal said in a cagey tone.The five kitchen assistants, nodded and left.

Nettal smiled at their ignorance and began dishing out the food into the trenchers;every member of the royal family have their special trenchers.She looked around carefully before sticking out a tube from the little pocket in her apron and opened it before pouring the powdery content in princess Jennell's trencher.She stired the meal thoroughly before returning the tube back into her pocket.

“Turn that poisoned food into Gersemi's trencher”

Nettal's ears made a humming sound when she heard Queen Irina's voice.Oh no, this is bad.She's been caught red handed.She bowed her head in fright.

“I do not intend on killing you now for poisoning my daughter, all I ask of you is to pour the poisoned food into Gersemi's trencher.Rinse Jennell's trencher and dish out a harmless food into it.I'll ask the maids to take it to the dining table, then after the lunch,you shall come see me in my chamber”Queen Irina said with folded arms and watched as Nettal poured the poisoned food from princess Jennell's trencher into Princess Gersemi's trencher.Nettal rinsed Princess Jennell's trencher thoroughly and dished out a harmless meal into it.

‘I'm sorry Princess Gersemi’ Nettal said remorsefully in her heart.Only heaven knows what punishment she'd be receiving from Queen Irina, later.

“Good girl.Now go call Agueda to come take the food to the dining table”Queen Irina ordered and Nettal walked out with her head bowed.

“Once Gersemi is dead,I'll have my husband to myself and my daughter”Queen Irina said inaudibly and a mischievous smile crept on her lips.

★Few minutes later★

Agueda and Nettal came into the kitchen.She set the teachers on the platters and placed them on the locally made food trolley.She began pushing the trolley towards the dining hall,wheeling it to where the king was seated.

Queen Irina shot Nettal a glare before exiting the kitchen.

Princess Gersemi arrived the dining hall, beaming with smiles.Her favorite spinach falafels was being served and looked way bigger than the size of meal she usually ate.She licked her lips hungrily as she earned a glare from her father who gave her a 'remember you are a princess' kind of look.Princess Gersemi rolled her eyes secretly.hell,she was tired of living by those archaic principles_can't she act like a normal girl, like her mates?

Queen Irina smiled inwardly as Agueda placed Princess Gersemi's meal on the table.

“Where is your sister?”The king asked Princess Gersemi when he noticed princess Jennell's seat was empty.

“I dunno”Princess Gersemi shrugged and began eating her meal.Just then, princess Jennell began descending the spiral staircase.She strutted to the dining hall,she took her seat and began eating.

“A princess ought to be early at every meetings”The king said particularly to Princess Jennell who rolled her eyes.

Nettal watched from the doorstep of the kitchen as Princess Gersemi ate the poisoned food.

In no time, the princess should be coughing out blood and if not treated immediately, would lose her life.

Queen Irina couldn't quit stealing glances at Princess Gersemi.By now, the poison should be working ,she thought, but princess Gersemi seemed perfectly fine.

Nettal was as surprised as the queen.she was expecting to see some reactions from Princess Gersemi but the princess was looking perfectly okay.

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After the meal, Nettal was summoned to the Queen's chamber.Her body shook as she imagined what punishment she would be receiving.She got to the wooden door of the queen's chamber and her heart began throbbing with fear.Conniption gripped her as she knocked on the door and was summoned in by the queen.She gulped hard and opened the door.

“You sent for me my queen”Nettal mumbled with her head bowed.

“Come closer”Queen Irina ordered from the place she was seated, giving her (Nettal) a dirty look.Nettal could feel hotness emitting from the queen's body already.Nettal walked closer to the queen,a resounding slap was struck across her face and she fell to the ground in tears.

“Get up!!”The queen ordered and Nettal stood up immediately in tears.queen Irina sent another ear-deafening slap across Nettal's other cheek and Nettal almost staggered backwards.

“what grudge have you against Jennell that you poisoned her food today, and why is Gersemi still alive?”Queen Irina's voice was a whisper.Nettal couldn't speak.Never will she renege on her promise to Logan.She loves him a lot and can't afford to see him being killed or hurt by the King or the Queen.

“Tell me Nettal!!”The Queen bawled out and slapped Nettal again but Nettal refused to speak.

“I can see you're one stubborn girl.i'll have you locked up in the dungeon without food or water until you die of hunger”Queen Irina declared and stormed out of the chamber to go call on the guards.Nettal fell down in tears.No, no, she can't tattle on Logan,he means a lot to her.Oh, how she wished she hadn't been caught by the queen,princess Jennell would have been dead by now and her Logan would have been set free.

★Few seconds later★

Queen Irina emerged with Logan who has a shocked look on his face on seeing Nettal.Her face had turned crimson because of the slaps she'd received from the queen.Logan pretended to not be affected by Nettal's tears so he switched his gaze back to the Queen.

“Listen here Logan,I want this girl thrown into the dungeon.She shall have no food to eat or water to drink until she dies of hunger, am I clear enough?”The queen asked and Logan nodded his head vigorously.

“Good.Take her out of my sight right now”The Queen ordered and Logan helped Nettal stand up before walking her out of the queen's chamber.

The two walked in silence, earning suspicious stares from the maids and guards but they ignored them.

When Logan had gotten just in front of the dungeon, he turned to Nettal with pain filled in his eyes.

“Why did she hurt you this way, why?”He asked softly and looked around to know if anyone was looking at them.

“Nothing”Nettal replied curtly and turned to hold the dungeon's gates so as to avoid his gaze but Logan held her wrist in a restraining manner.

“What happened Nettal, we don't hide things from each other.Tell me the truth,I beg of you”

“I poisoned Princess Jennell's food but the Queen caught me and asked me to pour the meal into princess Gersemi's trencher instead”

Logan's grip left Nettal's wrist.He covered his mouth in disbelief.He couldn't believe his ears.

“How could you do that?”

Nettal angrily turned to look at him.Her eyes were smouldering with anger.

“How could I?Logan, how could I?You said you love me yet you lie with another woman and you except me to be calm about it? I wish she had died”

“I'm sorry Ne_”

“Don't call my name.I hate you now!”Nettal snarled and walked into the dungeon whose gate wasn't locked.She turned her back to him and sat on the floor.

“I need you go be patient with me Nettal.I love you and I'll look for a way to get us out of this mess”Saying that, Logan padlocked the gate, and after sparing her one last look, he left.

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TBC

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