The King of Darkness | ✔️

Chapter Seven

After taking longer than necessary to eat, Serene leaves the room and says that she'll be right outside if I need anything.

No longer being able to deal with the pain surging through me, I place my palms together and let the familiar warmth flood my body - the action reminding me of what I had done to my father before he had died.

The mere thought provokes a pain in my heart that no amount of magic could ever diminish. I can't help but think about the severity of this... nothing minuscule could take such a toll on me like this.

I begin wheezing as it feels as though someone is standing atop my chest, pressing down as much as humanly possible.

At this moment, I couldn't care less if I was truly dying or not... I simply just wanted it to end.

Just outside of the oak door I hear approaching footsteps. "My cupbearer... he's dead," Darian says in a hushed manner and my heart begins to race even quicker than it had previously - if I believed that were truly possible.

"Your majesty..." utter disbelief laces Serene's tone. I'm sure if they knew that I was able to eavesdrop they would cease all conversation.

"I should have known when Cason hadn't returned," Darian says, his voice nothing but pure frustration. What is the point in a cupbearer if you are not to put him to proper use?

"Do you... know the cause of death?" Serene hesitates to ask and I'm afraid that I already know the answer.

"....Arsenic," as soon as I hear that muffled word, I realise that I have to accept my fate. "It must have only been her cup, it certainly wouldn't kill me but I would have felt slight effects if I had also ingested it," Darian explains.

"Do you think someone tried to... kill her?" Serene says as if the words should not be voiced.

"We may have a war on our hands," Darian says casually.

I knew this deal would cause some upset for the people of my court but I never expected someone to go out of their way to try to murder me. I should have known the day that man had ran in front of our carriage demanding me to not go to the Acheron court.

Turn back. Don't do this to our home. His words are still fresh in my memory, still haunting my mind.

I feel a tear slide down the side of my face, wetting my pillow. The door opens, its hinges groaning from the motion, and I wipe profusely at my face. I thank the heavens for the pain being numbed otherwise I fear I wouldn't be conscious right now.

"Nova..." Darian trails off and I can't find it in me to form a coherent sentence without my voice breaking.

"I'm going to die aren't I," I state but my voice manages to become void of any emotion. The last days of my survival are being hauled up in this place, convicted to a life without my family - I want to murder Darian for this.

"No m'lady, we are doing everything in our power to ensure your survival... a botanist will be arriving shortly," Serene says by the door but I remain laying on my side, staring at the wall before me.

I block out the two people in the room as I feel sleep trying to take over me - well what I presume is sleep. Whether these are my last dying breaths, I guess I will never know.

"Nova..." Darian repeats but I close my eyes, begging for him to just leave. If I am going to die I would rather pretend that I am someplace else, anywhere but here. "Please look at me," the words sound strange coming off of his tongue and suspecting his tone I'm sure it felt the same for him.

"What more do you want from me?" I breathe, all I feel is betrayal even though I know that this situation was out of his hands.

I feel betrayed towards the fact that he forced me to stay here even when I decided that this deal was not fit for me, he denied me the right to return to my home thus sentencing me to a life of imprisonment in his court.