Chapter 10
Suddenly, the Lord Chamberlain entered, his voice trembling with uncertainty.
“Your Majesty… the investigation into the fire at the royal chambers has been completed. There was no foul play… it was… it was…” He stammered, unable to finish his sentence.
Alistair, his fury barely contained, barked, “What is it? Say it, or I shall have your head!”
The Lord Chamberlain, unflinching in his loyalty, finally found his voice. “Lady Elvira set it herself. Your Majesty. No one harmed her, and no one saw her leave the premises. She… she ended her own life.”
The words struck Alistair like a blow to the chest, his heart seizing in disbelief.
“Lies!” Alistair’s voice cracked. “She wouldn’t–I gave her everything she could ever want… freedom, luxury, everything. Yet she would rather die than stay with me?”
Pain, sharp and unrelenting, pierced his heart as he spoke. A single tear, as bright as blood, rolled down his cheek and fell upon the coffin.
The Lord Chamberlain bowed deeply, his tone apologetic but resigned.
“Your Majesty. Entering the palace was never her choice, and for the past five years, she has endured much suffering. It is known to all that she longed to leave, to gain her freedom. But Your Majesty, you would not let her go. You forced her to remain.”
He continued. “If she had found happiness here, she might have chosen to stay. But she lived in torment, suffering punishment after punishment. For her, to remain trapped here, without freedom, was akin to death. Your Majesty, if you truly cared for her, you could have allowed her to leave. If you didn’t care, you could have set her free. Why keep her caged like this?”
Alistair stood frozen, his mind racing as the memories of the past days flashed before him- her pain, her suffering, her pleading eyes.
His lips pressed into a thin, hard line, his gaze dark and troubled. He remained silent for a long while before finally forcing the words from his throat.
“I don’t care about her!” He shouted coldly. “Whether she lives or dies, it’s of no consequence to me! She would never have taken her own life. I don’t believe it. Someone else must be behind this. Someone dared to harm her under my nose, and they will pay for it!”
The air in the room grew tense, suffocating under the weight of his rage.
The Lord Chamberlain, though troubled, bowed and left to carry out his king’s command
As he was about to step out, he collided with a maid from Isabeau’s side, who had come to seek His Majesty
“Your Majesty, please, I beg you to act on behalf of Her Grace, the Duchess! We have uncovered the one who poisoned Her Grace, and the culprit has confessed that it was Lady Elvira who paid for it!” the maid cried, her voice trembling
“All the evidence is in place. She meant to kill our Duchess, and yet, Her Grace remains merciful, saying that, after all, they are sisters, and she will not hold a moment of foliy against her.”
“Your Majesty, if you spare Lady Elvira now, what will happen next? What if, next time, Her Grace is poisoned again, and there is no one to heal her in time? Her Grace did not wish to trouble Your Majesty with such matters, but I cannot stand idly by. I must seek justice for Her Grace! Please, Your Majesty, punish Lady Elvira severely! Give Her Grace a sense of security, and show the world that justice will prevail!”
The maid sobbed uncontrollably, her words ringing with resolve. She fell to her knees, striking her forehead on the cold marble floor, and blood immediately began to stain the ground.
The Lord Chamberlain’s face darkened, but Alistair’s expression grew even more forbidding, as though ink itself might bleed from his brows.
He approached the maid with a slow, menacing stride, his dark eyes burning with a dangerous fury.
Bang!
Alistair kicked the maid forcefully, sending her crashing across the stone floor. She slammed against the wall, a gout of blood spilling from her mouth, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Chapter 10
