Purple Dragon [REPUBLISHED]

Chapter 24: Poisoned

"Let us toast!" Chief Eira called, raising a glass of wine. "A toast to the peace between Keslin and Icina!" The guests sitting at the tables cheered, raising their own glasses. "Cheers to peace, happiness, and friendship!" Chief Bastian raised his glass, his mouth a straight line. His wife, seated beside him, scanned the aisles warily.

Cheers to my reign, Eira thought as she smiled fakely. The dragoness would be smuggled out by now. She had crafted a perfect plan. Her soldiers were stationed in various places outside the palace ready to respond to any threat in a moment's notice. She would crush any force that stood in her way. Including the new Keslin Chief.

"Cass!" Eira barked. Cass materialized next to her.

"Yes, Your Excellency?" she asked.

"You are off probation," Eira said shortly. "You will assume Seal's position as my personal advisor."

"Your Majesty is kind," Cass said, bowing her head. "Thank you for the opportunity." She turned to leave.

"And Cass?"

"Yes?" Eira leaned forward in her chair. "Don't let me down." Cass's face was composed and cool as she nodded.

A bell dinged and Servants entered the banquet hall with platters of steaming food. A shell bowl of oyster soup was set down at each place. Daintily, Eira took a sip, but the food churned in her stomach.

She let her soup sit until it was cold. All around her, guests chattered and talked and laughed, trying to ignore the tension between the two Chiefs. Luckily, Servants came to whisk away her full soup bowl. They brought out the second course.

Eira sighed as her seaweed salad was set before her. It was her favorite dish.

She picked up a curly red leaf. It smelled off. Strange.

She checked the oyster meat, but nothing was wrong with it. She felt eyes on her, and she looked up. Cass was staring intently at the salad, but when Eira met her gaze, she looked away.

She inspected the dish again. Definitely an off smell. Irritation and rage welled up inside of her. The fools in the kitchen couldn't get a simple salad right! She would punish them with fifty lashes for their spiteful little mistake.

It was a strange smell though. It was somehow familiar. Like she had smelled it before...

Then she remembered. Tipping the little vial into a bowl of stew, the solution immediately blending into the broth. She smiled as her father took the first sip. That smell that was too sweet, almost sickly sweet.

Watching as her father fell to the floor before the poison ever even hit his stomach.

She had only been fifteen when she murdered her own father. With the same poison that smelled syrupy sweet.

Eira remembered the recipe well. It wasn't something you could forget. One third chi leaf, two thirds arsenic. It would stop your heart almost instantly.

Discreetly, Eira reached for her glass. She poured a tiny bit of water onto the leaves. It sizzled.

The salad was deadly.

...

"WHAT?!" Edin yelped.

"Ssh!" Xaria hissed, covering his mouth.

"Thorry," he mumbled, sheepish. She took her paw off his mouth.

"Kill the Chief?" Amasya gasped. "It's a suicide mission!"