Ordained

Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen

"Poison?" Cassius demanded. "What do you mean poison?"

Emmeline reached behind her to grab his arm, her limbs shaking. He quieted at her touch, focusing on rubbing the tops of her arms reassuringly. Ariana's frown looked uncharacteristic on her pixie features. "Doctor, how do you suspect the poison is entering her system?"

Cassius's grip on her grew almost painful as the doctor spoke. "It is hard to say, your majesty. It is most likely being added to her food and drink, but it could be in face creams, or perfume, or even in her clothes. Regardless of how, it is evident that the lady has been ingesting small amounts of poison for several weeks, maybe even months."

Emmeline felt herself sag. Her sense of security shattering.

For months?

She tried to think of everything she regularly came into contact with and who gave it to her. At once her thoughts flickered to Clementine but she dismissed the idea immediately, unwilling to consider such a painful reality.

"Emmeline. Emmeline." Cassius was shaking her; her thoughts having distracted her utterly from what was happening around her.

"Yes?" She breathed, collecting herself enough to look up at him. He was upset, no, he was livid. The blue of his eyes was hard like ice, his jaw clenched so hard it looked painful.

"I swear I shall find the culprit. I swear to you." His gaze bore into her with a frightening ferocity.

It was strange but she couldn't find it in herself to be angry, or even feel hurt. The shock of it was more numbing than anything. "I – I believe you."

Alexander, devoid of his usual air of humour nodded solemnly. "I will assign you the help of the royal guards Cass. An attack on our cousin's ordained pair, is an attack on our family. It will not stand."

Glancing around she felt her eyes grow wet. How strange it was that words of support were the ones to make her teary rather than the words of her diagnosis. Cassius pressed her softly against his chest, smoothing her hair with his hand. "Is there anything of sentimental value in your rooms?"

Emmeline pulled away just enough to look at him confused. "Why?"

Ariana moved to her side, like she couldn't help herself she hugged Emmeline's shoulder, leaning against Cassius. He had never seemed a particularly tactile person to Emmeline, but it seemed that the prince and princess brought out a different side of him. "Everything you own, everything you need. I shall get you new."

Trailing a finger along Emmeline's hair, the princess spoke in a muted voice. "It is for the best."

She wanted to protest, wanted to express how such a dramatic step was unnecessary, but she couldn't. They were right. The prospect of such an expense however, made her uncomfortable. "I- I won't need anything too ostentatious. I believe the cost shouldn't be too much to replace my things."

Ariana laughed her tinkling laugh, moving from Cassius's shoulder and pushing him aside to rest her hands on the top of Emmeline's arms. Her thumbs rubbed affectionate circles as she spoke. "Dearest Emmeline. You are so funny." She chuckled.

....

The royal palace seemed to hold an endless number of rooms full of comfortable furniture, beautiful art, and staggering luxury. Cassius absolutely insisted that Emmeline sit beside him rather than Ariana when they had entered the powder blue salon. William draped himself across Alex's lap, the two filling a chaise. Cassius had worried how Emmeline might react to his cousin's nontraditional proclivities, but she had just smiled and seemed unbothered.

She was so perfect.

"This has been happening for weeks, maybe months, yes? Then we know we can rule out everyone you have met since arriving in the capital. It began whilst you were still at the manor." The prince speculated, running his fingers through William's hair absently.

"Suspects?" Ariana's frown looked odd on her face, her dimples seeming all the cuter when her brow creased.

Emmeline spoke up at once. "Not Clementine."

Alex glanced at Cassius. "Her woman?" Cassius just nodded, capturing her hand, and holding it tightly.

"She is your woman, who has better access to you than she?" Alex offered, fairly.

Emmeline shook her head. "No, Clementine has taken great personal risks for my benefit. She wouldn't take that risk to keep me alive only to poison me later."

Cassius nodded. "I trust the maid. She has become particularly attached to Emmeline."

Ariana's brows raised at the mention of personal risks, looking at her cousin in a way that said they would discuss it later. He sighed deeply, obviously not wanting to advertise his mother's failings.

"Who else in the manor would wish you harm?" Ariana wondered aloud, running the pad of her thumb along her bottom lip and she thought.

Cassius and Emmeline glanced at one another but said nothing. Surely not.

It was no secret that Carmen disliked Emmeline. That she saw her as an obstacle to a bright future for the house of Marcellus. But to go so far as to poison her? Emmeline didn't voice it, but from the pained expression on Cassius' face she knew he had arrived at the same conclusion.

"Perhaps the Count's daughter? Miss Ottilie would have reason to wish Emmeline out of the way. Perhaps she paid off a servant." Alexander, threw his arm above his head, staring at the ornate ceiling. William tried to snuggle in a little closer, but quickly got the message that the prince had grown bored of their touching and went to sit in a chair with a pout.

It was a plausible theory, one that Cassius seemed to cling to at once, far preferring to blame an outsider than his own mother.

Emmeline let them discuss the possibilities without her input, knowing in her heart that it wasn't Ottilie Claude who was set on her death. 

...............

Author's Note:

Oooooh Cassy isn't happy at all. 

S x