Cost of the Crown (UNREVISED VERSION)

Apricot

As Cassandra's treacherous plan was into play, Clara just got back from the town. She went to the library and took a book she could read.

Belle noticed the Clara in an instant,as she was skimming through the card catalog, she asked. "I heard you have another voyage by the end of the month... Why not stay?"

"My duty is to the people, I understand, but King Cedric has yet to find himself a queen who would do the things he's doing here." Clara explained.

"Why not you be queen and he stays king?" Belle asked again.

"Because I'm older than him. I have more experience being with Eduard on voyages than Cedric." Clara smiled. "Besides, I am not going to risk his life going to sea. I gave his mother my word."

"Let me ask last time... Why have you not found a man to love?" Belle questioned.

Clara smiled faintly as she sighed. She felt her tears welling up, "For I am not looking for a man that I'll love, I already have someone who I loved and will always love. That's why I'm doing my best to take care of Cedric."

"You loved the king..." Belle said.

"Nuo, curdetum E zje wafu... [No, I loved his wife...]" Clara admitted

Belle's eyes widened as her grip on the card catalog drawer tightened. She felt her heart beating faster as that line echoed through her head.

"Are you alright?" Clara asked.

"I'm fine... I just never knew you swung that way..." Belle smiled.

"I must be off, I have to report my voyage to the king..." Clara waved as she left.

As the royal advisor left the library, Belle blushed bright pink. She has never seen that part of Clara and she wanted to know more about it...

The sun was nearly setting and the golden glow of the sun can be seen shining through the window panes as the king wrote on his study.

"Does the king never sleep?" Cassandra asked as she held Cedric's shoulders.

"I sleep... When I have the luxury of time to." Cedric replied without trying to look at his fiance.

"Awww... I wanted to have a drink with you..." Cassandra pouted.

"Please leave me be for now... I have so much work to do."

"Why don't we have a little drink? You've been working too hard, you deserve it." Cassandra smirked as she hugged Cedric.

"Since when did you like to drink?" Cedric asked her without stopping what he was doing.

"Oh come on, is it wrong for your future queen to long for her king?" Cassandra whispered in his ear.

Cassandra pulled the chair away from the table then she stood in front of Cedric. He was not in the mood for a drink but he did not want to upset Cassandra.

"Fine... Only one glass." Cedric sighed.

"Sure, can do." Cassandra smirked.

She walked towards the bed where she put away the wine she took from the cellar then put it into a glass. She mixed an intoxicating drug with the wine in the glass before giving it to the king.

"Thank you Cass." Cedric took the glass then drank the wine in one gulp.

"Oh you're welcome." Cass smirked as she drinked her glass of wine.

The drug was slowly taking over Cedric as he felt intoxicated. His sight was starting to get blurry and he felt himself weaken.

"Are you okay?" Cassandra asked.

"Anio li de raho ed ma iromun? [What did you put in my drink?]"

"Oh nothing... Just a little Madaran poison that guarantees my stay on the throne." Cassandra whispered.

"You!" Cedric stood up from his chair only to fall down on his knees.

"Aww... How sad, he can't stand! You sottish swine! You should have given up the throne long time ago." Cassandra held the king's throat.

Cedric tried puching Cassandra's leg, but it did not inflict any damage on the maiden. He was helpless and though he could move, he moves like a drunk man on a friday night.

"How pathetic you look. The last time I saw you this pathetic was when you saw your sister die. Ah, the memories!" Cassandra mocked.

Cedric tried standing up using the last of his strength as Cassandra took the knife she hid under the bed.

"Please just give up... One last chance." Cassandra pointed the knife at the king's throat.

"Not today, not ever..." Cedric told the maiden.

Cassandra's eyes glowed gold then she heard knocking from the other side of the door.

"Who is it?!" Cassandra yelled at the door.

"Lady Cassandra, may I please see the king?" Clara asked from the other side.

"Help..." Cedric whispered as he felt his eyelids get heavy by the second.

Clara was feeling a little uneasy and she felt like something was wrong, she didn't want to break the door so she teleported into the room where she saw Cassandra pointing a knife at Cedric.

"Don't come near me, or the king is going to say goodbye to his head..." Cassandra smirked.

Cassandra held the hand of the helpless king as she chuckled. She placed two small flasks in front of the helpless king before going near Clara.

"What have you done?!" Clara ran towards the king, past Cassandra.

"You have two flasks... Choose the correct one, and save the king, but it won't be that easy." Cassandra snapped her fingers then the three were taken into a mirror.

Inside the mirror was nothing but a white void with only the three of them inside it. Cedric was already coughing up blood as he tried staying conscious enough to try and fight back.

"Let the game of death begin..."