Chapter 144: Stanic Seed

Ariana’s eyes widened as the dining room fell silent.Stephanie had noticed earlier, when she entered, that the drink looked darker orange than it should have been for orange juice. At first, she brushed it off, thinking something might have been added for the Queen herself since she had just given birth—perhaps some medical ingredient. Stephanie had a habit of observing the dining table whenever she ate, especially the drinks, since she was skilled with concoctions. She could usually guess the fruit of a drink from its color. At first, she thought she was mistaken, but when Ariana raised the cup and she noticed the lighter shade beneath, something inside her snapped. This was poison. There was only one seed that could make a drink turn this way. "Stanic seed, if I am not mistaken," Stephanie spoke, a deeper frown forming on her lips. Lady Emberg’s eyes widened in visible shock as she stared at her grand daughter. She knew that seed. It was usually found after uprooting a flower, as it killed harmful plants and weeds around it, but it was never meant to be consumed by humans. "It is known for causing feverish coldness and slow death. It works through sleep...making one die while asleep," Stephanie explained as she rose from her seat. She walked to the drink, took the cup, and poured a little into a bowl of pure water. To Ariana’s surprise, the water thickened orange immediately after she added the drink. She just stared at it in shock. Stephanie’s expression darkened with anger. Poisoning was rare...so rare that it hadn’t happened within the castle grounds for centuries. No one dared. Yet now... "This, once taken into the body, circulates through the blood and dries the skin. That is why when it is consumed, there is a high chance of death. And the fact that someone gave this to Her Highness..knowing she is human—means they wanted her dead." The hall fell into complete silence. Lady Emberg just stared in disbelief. "This has never happened before." She turned sharply to the maid, who bowed quickly on the other side of the room, waiting for the meal to finish so they could clear the table. "All cooks and maids must be moved outside for checks now," Lady Emberg ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument. The maids, already shivering, nodded fearfully. "His Majesty’s Royal Guard will need to come for investigation. Thankfully, the culprit will be caught quickly since the workers here are fewer compared to the castle," she added. Stephanie nodded, her eyes filled with worry as she looked back at Ariana, who stared first at the poisoned cup, then at her. "Thank you, Lady Stephanie," Ariana whispered softly. She wasn’t scared for herself—what terrified her was the thought of her little one and her husband. What would have happened if Lady Stephanie and Lady Emberg had not been here? Would she have drunk it already? She could not even imagine it..her little one, her husband... She finally realized what she was. She needed to stop acting like this. She needed to be extra careful. She was Queen now and had to act like one. Yet, she had no idea what was going on in the palace...nothing. And still, she dared to call herself Queen. She was almost poisoned, and yet she still called herself Queen. All she did was sit here, waiting for her husband. Ariana became angry at herself. She was supposed to check things out as Queen—meet the people, see the children, visit the Royal village, and know the dealings of the palace. She was meant to gather meetings with the elders and know what was going on, not just sit and wait. Was this how she would keep up her role? Meanwhile, Stephanie was already getting worried about everything. She wondered why the Queen’s body remained unmoving like she was in a deep thought. She began to blame herself for her rashness. This must have scared the Queen. If she had known, she would have handled everything calmly, but it seemed anger had taken over her maybe she had caught the queen off-guard. Lady Emberg stood, pointing at a maid who was rushing in. "You—get the Royal physician," she ordered, but Ariana interrupted, her tone firm and final. "No. I am fine. All the maids, cooks, and workers of this palace should move outside," she commanded calmly. Lady Emberg nodded with a smile, respecting the Queen’s decision. "I will also come for the inspection," Ariana added with finality in her tone. Stephanie nodded at her words. Ariana turned to Stephanie, a small smile resting on her lips. "Thank you, Lady Stephanie," she said with pure sincerity once more as she could not thank her enough, If not for Stephanie, she would not have known what had just happened. She would have been completely unaware. Maybe this was her sign—to finally stand up as Queen and as Luna. To carry her crown. Zavren had given her that will, and she needed to hold it firmly. She could not just sit and watch the crown be taken away by someone else. She was Queen, and after Zavren, it was her. She had every right to be careful and to know what was happening in the palace. She needed updates about the war. She needed to sit up and arrange her crown. **** Raven stood in the garden as the Queen and Lady Stephanie faced the assembled maids and cooks. Ariana sat, her gaze resting on the workers gathered before her. There were ten in total—five cooks, five maids, plus the head maid, making eleven. Ariana had just finished feeding her little one minutes ago. The place was silent. Lady Emberg sat on a bench, unable to stand too long. She relied on her walking stick, and standing too long strained her legs. Everyone waited for the Queen to speak first. Ariana lifted her head, observing each of them carefully, then finally spoke. "We are not pointing fingers at anyone, as we do not yet know who did it," she said firmly. The silence remained heavy. The one most frightened was Raven. He knew how terrified he had been when he was called and told the Queen was almost poisoned. He knew what would have become of him. He would have been a living dead man, for he knew how deeply his King was already madly in love with his wife. If something had happened to her, Raven was sure he would have been killed and brought back to life just to suffer more torture. From this moment on, he knew he needed to keep a close eye on her. He would have to report to the royal duplex every morning and night, bringing updates. The place was still silent as Ariana’s lips finally curled upwards. "If you are the one who added the seed to my drink, or know anyone else who did—simply speak. You will not be punished, only sent away," she said firmly. The workers stilled, knowing she was not joking. A decree spoken by the Queen had to be upheld. Yet no one dared to speak. Lady Stephanie’s eyes swept over the maids, observing them closely. They all looked so innocent some even surprised—but she knew better than to be deceived by outer appearances. "Last chance for all of you. Today, your Luna is very grateful to Lady Stephanie for her guidance," Ariana continued. Stephanie turned to her with a smile, happiness warming her chest. She was relieved she could help. She did not want to even think of what might have happened otherwise. Ariana had once helped her when she thought she was all alone—seeing through her smile, the pain, and everything she tried to hide. If not for Ariana, she might have been married off to a man she did not love at all. Ariana turned back to the maids, her voice calm but sharp. "You know the punishment for this could be death. Not only did the one who did this attempt to poison me, but they also wished me dead." A heavy silence blanketed the air. "You..." Ariana’s eyes locked on a particular maid. Her face was pale, and her shoulders trembled. She was the same maid who had earlier called them, announcing that the meal was ready. "Who grounded the fruits?" Ariana asked calmly. Just as she spoke, a small petal from a flower drifted to the floor, though no one noticed. A maid stepped forward and answered, bowing. "It was m..maid Stella, Luna Ariana." Stella stepped out, trembling so hard that her entire body shook. "Did you add the seed?" Ariana asked, her tone still calm. The young maid shook her head violently, bowing more deeply, her voice breaking. "Luna A... Ariana, I did n... nothing to the fruits," she pleaded. Raven began wondering what was happening, if the Queen was aware of the culprit. He knew no one would want to be killed and so they would not admit it, but Ariana remained calm, her hand gently rubbing the handle of her wheelchair. "Very well," she said at last. "Mister Raven." Raven stepped forward immediately, bowing deeply. "Send for the seer." The moment her words left her lips, the atmosphere grew suffocating. The maids trembled in shock, horror flashing in their eyes. None had expected the Queen would actually call for the seer. It was the last thing they thought she would do...infact no one had thought of that. Suddenly, the head maid collapsed to the floor, her body shaking violently. "L... Luna Ariana, please, have mercy on me!" she cried out, her voice cracking with desperation. "I was the one w..who tried to p..poison you."