“Unfortunately, I am not aware of who might have bribed that horrible maid, but I found out what kind of poison was used.”
Blanche was more than cautious about this, but she knew that this was a great chance for them too. She wanted to know more. “Go on.”
Cedar had a strange glint in his eyes while he resumed. “The poison seems to be made from a combination of the extract of some rare flowers from the northern coast of one of our neighboring countries, Travuan. As you may know, that nation is a very famous spot for nobles to go on vacation. Many of our friends mentioned visiting that area during the past months, so it must truly be interesting. But I am digressing. The poison that can be made from those flowers is truly special. Its use has only been proven four times in total all across the continent. It's called ‘Midnight Sleep’. The description matches what you told others. A bluish liquid. Sweet smell and taste. Sticky. But there is something extremely strange about it.”
It did sound weird that someone would put in so much effort to get some of this rare poison just to harm Blanche. She observed Cedar's face and searched for any sign of him lying but didn't find anything but his infuriating grin. “That title sounds like it's something you made up. Are you sure that this is real? I mean, using such a liquid that is probably very expensive and hard to obtain to kill me is unnecessary. Besides, I never heard about it. A few sips made me faint after five minutes even though I got rid of it early. If there is such an effective way to eliminate people, why isn't it used much more often?”
The prince raised his index finger. “That's the strange part. That poison isn't deadly.”
Blanche felt like she had been slapped when she heard that. “What?”
Cedar's grin widened. He seemed to enjoy seeing her in disbelief so much that he waited a few seconds before continuing. “This poison will not kill the person drinking it, even if you happened to swallow a whole flask. What it will do instead is paralyze you. Only for a few days though. You experienced a lighter version of that since you got rid of most of the poison. Small portions aren't too bad as they will only do what I just said. The effect is a temporary inconvenience that makes you unable to move on your own. But drinking more does something way worse.” He paused as if he considered not telling her, but then he just seemed even more amused and continued. “You could even argue that it would be worse than killing the concerned person.”
Blanche narrowed her eyes at him. “Tell me already. Don't draw it out unnecessarily.”
Cedar chuckled to himself before responding. “I wanted to ask you for another favor first. But after seeing how nervous you are, I will kindly refrain from doing that. You seem to be so curious that you can't wait for even a second longer. I won't make you wait. Aren't I generous? The most interesting part comes now. If you ingest large quantities of that liquid, which only means about three teaspoons or more since it's a concentrate, it will do lasting damage. Apparently, three of the four people drank that much, and it affected them for their whole lives until they died. It made them unable to exhaust themselves even the slightest bit. Their stamina was completely gone, and their muscles had lost most of their energy too.” He paused as if he wanted to emphasize the next part. “That meant that they were extremely weak. Walking was about the hardest thing they could do on their own, and that only seemed to be possible if they wanted to move from one room to the other. Meaning, that even going outside for a walk was impossible for them. They needed someone to take care of them. Someone that was always there to feed them, carry them around or wash and dress them. The ones that had drunk less were a bit stronger, but one person had ingested more than five teaspoons of that liquid. They were nothing more than a limp, compliant doll until the day they breathed their last breath.”
Blanche felt her heart skip a beat at that. Those people had experienced the same weakness that she had been confined to the bed with. But not just for a few days but for their whole lives. Her hand wandered up to cover her mouth before she could try to hide her emotions. “That's...horrible. Why would anyone want to do this to someone? If you wanted to get rid of someone, this is the cruelest thing to do it.”
Cedar's eyes stared right into hers. His grin widened, and this time, he barely seemed to hide how calculative his gaze was. “Oh, that is the most awful part. Those people weren't supposed to be eliminated or killed at all. In all four cases I managed to find, this poison was used by a spouse or lover on their beloved to keep that person from leaving them. Isn't that horrid? To do something like that to someone you love? It seems like that definition that you are so proud of varies from one person to the other one.”
Blanche felt the blood drain from her face. Imagining something like that being done to another human being to keep them with you was awful enough to make her want to throw up. But more than that, anger filled her. Not just because those poor victims had experienced something horrible like this, but also because Cedar's amusement was dripping out of his words. He found this matter funny even though real people had been hurt because of this poison. The way that he ridiculed love as being something meaningless was enough to make her fume.
But there was something worse. She didn't need to think twice to guess what he would say to her next. She was already bracing herself for those harsh words, but every fiber in her being was on edge. If Cedar would truly hint at what she thought he might be referring to, she would snap. Despite Theodore's warning, she might just lose her composure then and accidentally provoke the one person she should ignore to the best of her ability.
Right now, Blanche still managed to hold herself back and just glared at the prince. “You think this is funny, don't you? Those poor people suffered for years, and still, you laugh as if nothing happened. You should keep your mouth shut from now on.”
Cedar smirked at her without any sign of him possibly reconsidering. “Naturally, the matter itself is not funny, but I do feel like watching your reactions is entertaining. Research the matter more before complaining. Are you sure that you want me to keep quiet? I need to share such information with you. After all, the investigation regarding your poisoning is still ongoing. And the previous cases might give us a clue on whom the perpetrator was, or at least seemed to be, this time. The pattern could have been repeated here, don't you think?”
Blanche couldn't keep herself from raising her voice as a wave of wrath rushed through her veins. “I swear to the gods, if you finish that thought, I will-”
Cedar laughed in her face before she even finished. He raised an eyebrow at her and met her gaze with a haughty grin. “What are you going to do? Tell me more, I'm curious. Is there a specific reason why you dislike me pointing out that there was a pattern regarding the perpetrator each time? It's almost like you don't want to consider that someone close to you might have vile intentions. Say, do you perhaps doubt him? If you were certain that he didn't do it, you wouldn't need to argue against me now, would you? It's unlikely, but it isn't impossible. What if your dear Theo was the one that put the poison in your drink? He was a bit jealous sometimes, maybe he lost-”
The concubine had given her best. Theodore's words about not provoking his brother under any circumstance echoed in her mind, and she tried to act on his advice. She had gritted her teeth, balled her fists and disregarded her desire to throw something heavy at the prince. But with every harsh word that left Cedar's mouth, she felt her self-control draining away. There was nothing she could do to stop him from talking if she kept quiet. Even though just ignoring it would be for the best, she couldn't do it anymore. If she didn't want to get angry enough to hit him, she at least had to yell.
So, she did yell.
“I told you to shut up, didn't I? Why can't you do anything but spout lies? I'm sick of you and everyone in your stupid faction. You won't make me go against Theodore, no matter what!”
The prince didn't bat an eye even while she screamed at him from the top of her lungs, as if he was far too used to hearing people yell. “This seems to be an issue that bothers you a lot, aren't I right? Are you sure that you don't believe me and just vent your anger on the wrong person? My mother would react very sensitively to someone raising their voice at members of the royal family. But I like you, so I'll ignore it. You owe me a favor. Anyway. Is the pattern here not concerning to you? What if the person that drugged you actually knew about it and-”
Maybe it was the arrogant tone of his voice, his words or the fact that the concubine was unable to do anything but glare at him unless she wanted to offend royalty. Maybe she also didn't want to back down, even when she knew that she would be at fault if something happened. She didn't know, but she lost any hint of respect that she had for Cedar as a prince.
It felt like Blanche was too angry to think clearly, but somehow, she still managed to realize one thing. She just wanted to say something, anything that would wipe that smile on his face. But she wouldn't be able to do that easily, so her only option was truly throwing something at him. If he stayed here for one more second, she might really grab her cup and smash it onto his head. Before she ended up doing that, she had to make sure that the prince left immediately. Doing so calmly would be best, but obviously, she didn't have the nerves to do that.
Blanche started yelling before she could think about it. “You arrogant bastard! Get out! Now!” Those words left her mouth, and she instantly regretted them. Insulting a member of the royal family was the last thing she could do. Blanche took a step back and stared at the man in front of her widened eyes.
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Surely, he would lose his temper at this. No one, especially not the prince of Artias would accept a baroness insulting him.
That's why Cedar's everlasting smile made everything worse. The silence hung heavy in the room, and still, all he did was grin at her. It felt like an eternity passed before he finally opened his mouth and chirped in a tone that was way too happy for this situation. “Oh, Blanche. You will really need to work on your manners if you don't wish to be chided by people less kind than I am. If you kindly ask for my forgiveness, I won't hesitate to overlook this. If not, I might get my compensation another way.”
The concubine took another step backward and gritted her teeth. Even though she was at her breaking point, the prince still had no issue covering up his emotions. It was pathetic. How good was he at hiding his anger? Or did he really not mind being called a bastard at all? Instead of becoming upset, he just stayed composed, which was more terrifying than his wrath could have been.
But Blanche couldn't keep silent now, or she would show that she was giving in. “I told you not to use my name.” That was all she managed to press out in a way too low volume. Before she could think about what else she should say, the door was opened.
Whoever wanted to come in had as little patience left as the concubine. The door flew open with so much force that it slammed against the wall and made everyone inside the room flinch and turn to the entrance.
Theodore took a step inside and showed so much hatred on his face that it wouldn't have been surprising for him to immediately order his brother's execution. But as soon as his eyes fell on Blanche, he calmed down a little. He was still furious, but he didn't seem as murderous anymore. With a few steps, he was in front of his lover and cupped her face with his hands. “Is everything alright?” No. In fact, nothing was alright.
The concubine felt her bottom lip tremble. She was fuming but couldn't do anything about Cedar being here. She dove into her Theodore's arms before knowing what was happening. “You're finally here.” She clung to him and pressed her face against his chest, which allowed her to stop trying to control her expression.
Theodore pulled her close without hesitation and planted a kiss on top of her head. Then he turned them around just enough so that he could look in the direction where Cedar had to be. “Why are you here? I don't remember you asking for permission to visit.”
The prince replied in a voice that sounded even more chipper than normal in comparison to the emperor's cold tone. “It's a pleasure to see you again, Theodore. I'm sorry for surprising you, but there was something urgent that I needed to discuss with Lady Blanche and you. I already told her most of it, but I can repeat it if you want me to. Besides, might I ask you for one little favor? Could you not open the door this suddenly anymore? I think you might have damaged the wall.”
Theodore wasn't impressed by his brother's words at all. “This is my palace, isn't it? I can enter each room whenever I want without having to announce myself. Do you have a problem with that?” He patted his lover's head while speaking without any intention of letting go of her, for which she was very thankful.
The concubine turned her head slightly to glance at the prince, who was still smiling as if nothing had happened.
Cedar was showing his perfect act despite the emperor's obvious dismay and certainly didn't seem like he would stop pretending any time soon. “Of course not. I would merely ask for some warning. You could have just opened the door slower too. That would have been fine, but you burst into the room like that. Everyone was startled by you, and it interrupted our wonderful conversation. You scared Lady Blanche too, see? She almost had a heart attack because of you.”
The concubine snorted quietly and hid her face again while gritting her teeth. Her lover definitely wasn't the one at fault for her current state, and the previous discussion had been the opposite of wonderful. She still trembled with anger, and her desire to throw out the prince hadn't disappeared either. But now that her lover was there, everything would be fine even when it was clear that Theodore was upset too.
The emperor responded to his brother in an icy tone that wasn't anything like the polite one he used whenever he talked to any noble that wasn't his close ally. This could only mean that he was boiling. “This is my home, so I doubt that you can tell me what to do here. I can enter and leave whenever I want to. However, that does not apply to you. Maybe I need to remind you of that. This is the second time that you came here unannounced. You can't simply enter whenever you want to. I'll have someone bring you back to your carriage now. If you have to see me, send a letter first, and we can arrange a meeting for the day after. I obviously can't ignore you refusing to abide by perfectly logical rules, so I have to ask you to leave now.”
Cedar let out a sigh. “I see. Then I apologize for arriving unannounced. I didn't think that both you and Lady Blanche would react so sensitively to this matter. I did not mean to upset you. Please forgive me for today, and in return, I will also choose not to mention your mistakes in the future. Since I did give you an interesting piece of information, I hope you use it well. I will take my leave then. Goodbye, Theodore.”
The concubine turned her head just in time to see Cedar grinning at her.
The prince locked eyes with her for a few seconds before speaking up. “Until next time, Lady Blanche. I'm looking forward to seeing you again. You'll be at my brother's birthday banquet too, correct?”
She fought the urge to turn her head away again and just met the prince's gaze. “I will. Goodbye, Your Royal Highness.”
Cedar's smile widened at that. “Suddenly, you're awfully formal again. I told you that that wasn't necessary. Though, I would favor it if you called me by my first name instead of the phrase that you used a while ago. But I was the one that made a mistake first, so those two issues cancel each other out. Please think about the offer about going without our titles from now on. Naturally, the other offer is still available too. Think carefully before making a decision. Sometimes, it might be better to be neutral than to choose too.” With those words, he nodded at his brother one more time before he stepped out of the room, where Gloria was waiting to lead him to the entrance.
Blanche was a bit taken aback by Cedar truly leaving instead of causing more issues, but she was glad about that. She might not have been able to endure even more provocation.
For a few seconds, everyone inside the room was silent.
Then Theodore put his hands to her cheeks and guided her head up to look into his eyes. “He didn't hurt you, did he? What did he say?”
The concubine would have liked to explain everything at once, so it was hard to sort her thoughts. She had to begin with the most important part, but it was nearly impossible for her to decide what that was. So, she just said what came to her mind first. “I never agreed to anything he proposed. Cedar tried to get me to join his faction, but I declined. I said that I would never help him no matter what and that I love you. But he kept telling me that I would change my opinion on that topic indirectly. Then he hinted that you might have been the one using this poison on me, and I couldn't take it anymore. I called him an arrogant bastard. Is that bad?”
Theodore's expression became grim when he heard the part about his brother accusing him. He gently stroked over his lover's skin and made sure to lock his gaze with hers while speaking. “It's alright. Cedar isn't the type of person that cares much if people insult him. But even if he did, it wouldn't matter. They can never hurt you. The emperor is on your side, so the rest of the royal family can make as many accusations as they like. Besides, there were three of us here and only him. I'm sure Owen and your maid wouldn't testify about you insulting him.”
Stella seemed to be too upset to hold herself back as she hectically nodded to affirm Theodore's words before speaking up. “Of course not! We would mention the fact that he tried to hurt her though.”
It was like a switch had been flipped. The emperor's unrestrained anger returned again. “What?” Even that one word cut through the momentary silence and erased any doubt that he would have snapped his brother's neck if anything had happened. “He did what?”
Stella wasn't being threatened at all, but she took a step back at that.
Owen began explaining before the concubine had a chance to speak up. “Lady Blanche wished to leave the room after she denied multiple offers of working together with people that promise to give her more power. His Royal Highness stopped her by holding her shoulder, and it looked like that might have been painful. I intervened, but he had already let go of her at that point, so I could not act in self-defense.” That sounded like he had just waited for a reason to attack Cedar. Due to the prince's rivalry with the emperor, to whom the knight was completely loyal, this made sense though.
Theodore looked like he might commit murder at any second as he gazed down at his lover. “He hurt you? Say the word, and I'll drag him back here by his neck.”
Blanche would love to see the prince being punished, at least she told herself that. But that punishment would have to happen due to a just trial. Anything else would harm the emperor's reputation and enforce his image of being a tyrant. So, she shook her head. “Not really. He touched it for a moment in a weird way so that my muscles hurt a lot, but it wasn't anything bad. It's more important that he said that he knew what kind of poison was used.”
Judging by her lover's expression, the former topic wasn't done for him yet, but he complied with her wish anyway and focused on the second part. “You said that he wanted to accuse me. How exactly did he justify that?”
“Apparently, that liquid I drank is called ‘Midnight Sleep’ and is made from a concentrate of poisonous flowers. It comes from Travuan, I think. Cedar said that bigger amounts would make you weak forever. That would mean that the symptoms I showed for the first days would remain until the concerned patient dies. I don't know whether this is true, but we could try to research that matter. Cedar claimed that it's very rare, and in all the cases that use has occurred, a lover drugged their spouse to render them immobile for the rest of their life. He didn't admit it openly, but he hinted that that could be the case here too.”
Theodore glared into this distance, and his forehead was covered with wrinkles as he listened to her. After hearing all of that, he paused a moment before forcing himself to soften his expression a bit and looking at his lover again. “We have little information about poisons that do not kill. It's very much possible that something like this exists and isn't written down in the royal library. I'll look into this matter. It might be a lie, but we'll know soon enough. Even if the name is wrong, the fact that it might not have been supposed to be deadly could help us.” He was silent for a moment in which he scanned his concubine's face. “You didn't worry about what he said, did you? I obviously would never consider harming you in my wildest dreams, not to mention doing something that disgusting.”
Blanche wrapped her arms around his neck and stood up onto her tiptoes to be closer to his face. “Of course, I didn't worry. I didn't believe that for one second. He kept insisting, and that is why I insulted him in the first place.”
Theodore softly kissed her nose before resting his forehead against hers. “That's good. Because I would never, never, never hurt you to keep you from leaving.”
The concubine moved upwards a bit to reach his lips with hers and kissed him gently before lowering herself again. “I would never try to leave either, so that issue can't develop in the first place. I'm right by your side and will always help you, no matter what you want to accomplish. That's also why I agreed to meet with that horrible person. I hoped that he would get careless and give me information that we can use against him, and I think I succeeded. Can't we use the fact that he managed to identify the poison that was given to me as evidence to prove that he is involved in this matter? He said that it fit my description, but I'm very sure that I never told anyone about it except for...” She paused when she remembered that she had recounted this multiple times.
Theodore gave her a sad smile at that. “Exactly. You spoke about that during the banquet. I'm almost sure that the Duremont family didn't chat about this issue with him, but in a trial, you could argue that gossip spreads quickly. We can't prove anything.”
Blanche couldn't help but pout at this. It was unfair. They clearly knew who the perpetrator was, but they weren't able to convict them of anything. Though, they couldn't do anything about this for now. It was still depressing.