GOLDEN POISON - BOOK 1 DOMINA - {MXM}

Voodoo

The doors to Lady Eleri's apartments open, and the young woman's servants exit the premises in haste. They keep their heads down, avoiding challenging the prince's dark aura. The heir enters, and the door panels softly close behind him. Since leaving the council, those who have crossed paths with him quickly averted their gaze, understanding his somber mood. Now, he stands on the floor of his concubine's sitting room. The one who should have been his queen, the one who was his hope and would have silenced the naysayers. Unfortunately for both of them, building a family together and ruling the country side by side is now a distant memory. Mahery finds this unjust—unjust for Eleri, who does not deserve to suffer in such a way, and also unjust for him.

If the spirits are to be believed, and there truly is a mole poisoning his lovers within the palace, it means that for the past two years, his younger sister, Princess Arisoa, has been toying with him and his lovers. It also means that she is the cause of all their torment. Arisoa did not poison her brother because members of the three royal families are immune to poisons. Their ability to withstand any form of mithridatism is due to one of their common ancestors—the goddess Nodite. She was the deity of medicine and protected her descendants by strengthening their immune systems.

In conclusion, it was pointless for Princess Arisoa to poison any member of her family since it would have had no effect. Mahery feels foolish; he thinks he should have realized sooner that something was wrong. Previously, he thought it was his fault, then his lovers started to believe they were to blame for their failures. The prince does not want his concubines to feel guilty about anything. He prefers to take full responsibility himself. Now that he has called for the taster, he hopes the situation will improve. The day before, he had told Aleksander that he wished to wait until after the Jubilee, but when the marquis advised him to make Eleri his priority, it was a wake-up call. The prince cannot believe it himself; he is about to risk losing his poisoned lovers daily just to avoid hearing the court's vipers gossip about them. The heir realized his own folly the previous night and changed his mind by calling on Volana. For now, it is all he can do. He does not wish to imprison or kill all his employees, as it would make him appear as a cruel future ruler and he would lose all the sympathy the people have for him. Mahery knows he must remain consistent in his decisions and align them with the image he projects to his nation.

He has been standing for a long time, lost in thought, staring at the bluish hair of his companion, resting fully on the couch. Mahery approaches silently, sitting at the end of the long couch next to the young woman. He does not dare to look at her and prefers to gaze at the ocean visible intermittently through the curtains fluttering in the sea breeze. Suddenly, guilt overwhelms him. He had managed not to collapse in front of Volana earlier when she slapped him. Now, he cannot hold back anymore. Quickly, he hides his head in his hands and cries silently. There is so much Mahery wishes to confide to Eleri. Guilt is eating him up inside. His salty tears flow silently; he does not sniffle, and no loud sobs are heard. The pain is inaudible and deep.

The prince is thinking of many things at once. First, he realizes he will have to make a choice. Aleksander told him to make Eleri his priority, but with Arisoa's actions, his cousin Volana strongly advises him to have a child and marry the marquis immediately. A few weeks ago, the prince did not think that his decision would need to be made so quickly. He knew it would come, but he thought it would happen a bit later. However, the present moment shows him the opposite; his indecision annoys those around him, and he is aware of it. Mahery does not wish to hurt anyone, but he has no choice.

″Sacrifices exist to be made.″

Two frail arms wrap around his body, and a head rests on his forward-bent back. It is the first tender gesture they have shown each other in a long time. Over the past few weeks, Mahery has visited Eleri every day. It has been his ritual since the loss of their children. After his lunch, he finds himself in the same place, in the young woman's apartments. Eleri no longer speaks, and the prince is content with her silence, appreciating her presence. He does not wish to abandon her and intends to make her his priority.