Royal AU: Yellow Jessamine

Another Target

In the following days, Caroline returned home but seemed to be quite more irritated than usual. She kept trying for ways to get rid of Sky and seemed angry about the supposed scam as she heard nothing else from the servants and saw him just fine. Since it was afternoon, the other servants had decided to prepare some tea for the rulers which then Flora offered to bring himself, not yet in the room.

Caroline kept staring at Sky with her hands tangled and her eyebrows briefly furrowed, watching him do his thing. "So, darling..." she said forcing a smile "How have these days without me been? Nothing dangerous happened, right?" She asked, wanting to know if perhaps the servants had shown up but failed

He was looking at some papers, scanning over the words before Caroline spoke to him, making him briefly glance at her with his eyebrows slightly raised "Mh? Dangerous?" He smiled a little and chuckled "I don't know why you'd think that but no. Not that I can think of. Did something happen from your side?" He asked, setting the papers aside and turning to her

"No, nothing. I was just making sure" she said with a fake smile and glanced away a bit irritated. It wasn't long until Flora arrived with the tea, setting it down in front of them. "Your majesty..." she said to both, bowing and serving them. After preparing everything, she put her arms behind her shoulders and took some steps back, standing a bit behind Sky and looking toward Caroline. "It's a pleasure to have you back, Queen Caroline..." she said, furrowing her eyebrows slightly although it seemed to the ruler was happy to hear that. "Why thank you~," she said, holding the cup and taking a sip.

"Alright, if you say so" he answered with a slight smile. When the servant had entered to serve them the tea he gave her a nod and thanked him for the tea. He took the cup and cooled it down a little taking a sip and smiling warmly to himself, looking more rested for once.

Caroline stayed silent for a while before she leaned a bit forward on the table and tilted her head, locking her eyes on Sky. "Hey, darling..." she spoke softly, already using the tone and stare to hypnotize him "Pay attention to me." She mumbled, probably fully hypnotizing him by then. Flora widened her eyes a little as she realized what was happening and also glanced at her, seeing that Caroline now was staring back. "You too, Gabriel... you mustn't remember a single word of this conversation. Don't let anyone in." She ordered, although it didn't affect Flora as the antidote still worked for her she nodded slowly to pretend. "Of course, my Queen..." she mumbled lowly.

When she had leaned a bit forward and locked her eyes on him he looked towards her "Mh?" He felt his mind going foggy as she hypnotized him "Yes...Of course, my dear" he mumbled as well and paid attention to her as she had ordered him to do, setting down his cup of tea

Caroline smiled to herself and tilted her head. "You know your sweet, lovely sister? Well... You must tell her to wait in the back garden of the castle tonight, tell her you're waiting for someone important and that she has to bring them to you." Caroline said, then turned to Gabriel "And you must assure no one will be nearby then... If anyone asks about Jennifer, tell them that she's visiting her parents."
Flora quickly had a feeling about what she wanted to do, but slowly nodded in fake obedience. "Of course, my Queen." She repeated, glancing down at Skylar for a moment.

He listened to her attentively and obeyed without hesitation "Yes of course" he nodded and slowly stood up from his chair "I will let tell her as soon as possible. Thank you, dear" he spoke already wanting to make his way out of the room they were in

Caroline smiled satisfied and also stood. "Lovely~ I will be heading into town. I might come late, so don't wait for me..." She smirked as she finished her tea and calmly walked past Gabriel and Sky, leaving the room. Flora sighed in relief once she was gone and quickly grabbed Sky's wrist before he left. "Your Highness, wait" she urged, keeping him in place. While he was still distracted and hypnotized, she reached into her pocket and poured a part of the antidote into his tea, then hid it again. She pressed her hand down onto his shoulder to make him sit again. "Your tea, my King. You must finish it, Caroline wouldn't want you to waste it." She reminded.

"Yes, Caroline. Have fun" he nodded and watched her leave before he was also going to walk his way out of the room. Once he was stopped by the servant he looked back at her with a rather empty look, until he was led to sit back down to drink the rest of the beverage. He looked back down at the cup and took it, drinking the rest of it in one sip to get it over with. Once he gulped everything down he raised his eyebrows slightly and cleared his throat for a moment as the antidote was taking its effect. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked back down at the cup "Ah- A little bittersweet" he commented on the taste

Flora watched him anxiously hoping it would work and that it wouldn't harm him too much but exhaled in relief, smiling. "Oh, I am terribly sorry. I'll let the other servants know to add more sugar next time" she said softly, taking his cup and putting it back on the tray. "So, what were you saying? You're going back to your office?" She asked, knowing without hypnosis he probably didn't even know what he was going to do and leading him to do something different.

"Ah don't worry it's alright" he shook his head and tried to remember what he was going to do. "I don't know I thought Caroline asked me to do something just a moment ago...uhm" he tried to think a little more before eventually standing up "Ah, whatever. I suppose you're right. She probably just asked me to keep working on the papers. She's so insisting sometimes" he shrugged and walked towards the door "Thank you for the lovely tea, I'll go back to work now" he smiled slightly at her

"Surely, I don't doubt that" She chuckled and watched him go back to the door. "Of course, my King. Take it easy, and don't hesitate to call me for anything at all, even if you'd like some company or help with that." She said, bowing to him and also leaving after the man, going back to the kitchen. After that she returned to her room and gave herself a longer break, getting rid of the bandages and throwing her head back with some deep inhaled and a few coughs due to the tension of that situation.