RED STRING

5. Devious web

"R-Royal highness! S-Sir! I have found something" an arm informed and handed over a piece of paper and a bottle of portion to Zeus.

Zeus held the portion in his hands and handed over Marcella to examination.

Marcella examined that portion and confirmed it was the same portion that was used to poison the deceased.

Zeus tries to read that latter and it was coded so he handed over to Diana because she knew many languages.

Diana holds the paper between her palm and starts to decode.

"I, Hercules state to sell my soul and my body to supreme and in exchange the life of my dear family will spare from any punishment. I won't make any consequences to get punished by the supreme. I won't make myself a hurdle to all the paths my supreme takes." - Hercules.

"He didn't betray us, he was a pawn of this upcoming war." Diana muttered under her breath, the crease between brows became darker.

"Destroy this poison promptly" Diana commended.

Marcus heard everything quietly until now. He has a lingering sensation which kept him going, he took a few steps towards his mother and choked her throat, her legs no longer sticking to the floor.

Arms crowded him with their swords.
Diana nodded in their direction doing her best to make them stop from moving forward. She tried to twist his hand to lose his grip but it didn't work. She felt heartbroken seeing his only son's red raged face who seemed to kill her.

Marcella came forward and blew some ashy dust at Marcus.

Marcus was about to throw Diana with almighty power but before he could, he loosened his grip and collapsed on the floor. Diana hit the floor with a thud and coughed enough to fill her lung with required oxygen.

"What-t ...why-y... Why did he attack?" Diana coughs with a shocking expression.

"He didn't attack you ...your highness! He was possessed" Marcella's voice cracks the disturbing silence.

"Possessed? How can this be possible? Hadn't we spellbound the whole palace?" Taking a few more deep breaths Diana responded in disbelief.

"One of our coven's witch broke the spellbound and now the palace is more vulnerable than before. Pardon me for not enlightening you earlier... Your highness." Marcella state with down head and eyes filled with remorse.

"Whoever the witch broke the spell came forward I commend or panelty will be death!" Diana gritted her teeth and gave a death glare to all the presented witches.

"Pardon your highness! T-They all are innocent! It was Maya who betrayed us and...S-She ran away in the west direction with his lover when we tried to catch her." Marcella hesitated to make eye contact with furious Diana.

"Send a troupe to the west. I need her alive." Diana ordered Zeus and arms.

Zeus took the queen's order and about to leave the hall with followed arms when he stopped between his track hearing Marcella dreadful voice.

"Pardon me! But before we track her, we need to fix something here first." Marcella gulped her saliva hardly.

"What needs to be fixed??" Diana in deep voice brows perplexingly twisted.

"Your highness! we need to perform a ritual for the prince to awaken him." Terror painted all over Marcella's face.

"Why should I give you permission? Your coven is the origin of my son's misery." Diana staggered at her offer.