Chapter 8

As Rose and Petra sat at the head table eating dinner, Rose lent in and whispered to Petra.

‘My brother has told me that he’s looking for a husband for me.’

‘Really, how do you feel about it?’

‘If he chooses the right man, I will be thrilled, but it won’t be formalised into an engagement until next month.’

‘Have you anyone in mind my friend?’ Petra tried not to notice the sudden pain in her stomach and the small tremor in her hands.

‘Yes.’ Rose said as she let her eyes wander back to a young man who sat not far away.

‘Does King Skylar know of you preferences?’ Petra said with a smile but let her eyes flicker to Skylar who looked at the same man.

‘This is a delicious dinner isn't it?’ Rose said with a dreamy look in her eyes

‘Yes.’ She ate a little more before she knew something was wrong. Poison? She looked at her plate, it tasted the same as usual. She suddenly thought of the king and princess and glanced at their food, not the same as hers but no use taking any kind of risk. She leant over and touched Rose's arm, nothing in her. ‘Rose, stop eating and tell Skylar to do the same.’

‘Why?’

‘Just do it my friend, but don't let anyone know what you are doing or why.’ She watched as Rose and Skylar talked, both looked at her. ‘How do you both feel.’

‘Fine, why?’ Skylar asked with a frown.

‘You both need to stop eating and drinking, just in case.’ She felt the pain grow. ‘Are you both sure you are feeling well.’

‘Yes, what’s wrong?’ Rose said with a forced smile as she grabbed her friends’ hand, she felt the tremor. ‘Petra!’

‘I need to leave.’ She used the napkin.

‘I want to go with you.’

‘No, if this is aimed at you, I think I’ll be fine.’

‘You’ve been poisoned.’ Skylar said.

‘I’m sure of it Your Majesty.’ Petra said as she gathered herself and stood up. She rose to her feet and gracefully left the room as if her stomach didn’t feel like it was being torn itself apart.

Skylar was surprised that he was able to keep the smile on his face as he lent in and whispered into his sisters’ ear. ‘I know this has nothing to do with earlier, Louisa has had a guard on her also.’

‘Good, but who would do this? And why?’

Once inside her room Petra staggered her way to the sofa and lay down, closed her eyes and concentrated on her stomach, trying to find what it was but she found nothing that was actual poison. She coughed, she felt her lips and found blood on them.

Skylar and Petra both sat with smiles on their faces that made both feel like they were about to scream.

‘I really want to go and see to Petra.’ Rose smiled and watched as her brother picked up a spoonful of soup, she placed her hand on his arm. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Putting on a show I really hate.’ He put down the spoon and took her hand. ‘Say loud enough for the people close to us that you want something from your room.’

‘Why?’

‘Then I’ll say I need to walk off a little of this meal and go and check on her myself.’

‘Thank you.’ Her smile wavered before she lent back in her seat. ‘I need my fan.’

‘I’ll get it Princess Rose.’ Louisa jumped to her feet but stopped at the kings’ voice.

‘Don’t bother; I want to walk off some of this wonderful food.’ He stood up and dropped his napkin on the bowl. A small sign that this part of the meal was over, all throughout the room people placed their cutlery down. He knew that two of his guards would follow him out the dinning hall and waited around the first corner.

‘Dennison I need you to head back in, unseen, warn the others to keep a close eye on my sister but make sure no one knows what’s going on. Petra’s been poisoned.’ Without pause Dennison turned around and headed back to the dinning hall. ‘Conner, keep an eye out. Let me know if we are followed. We’ll have a meeting in my rooms tonight at midnight.’

Petra tried again to find anything in her, but the poison eluded her. The door opened and closed quietly as pain wracked her body.

‘Petra, what is it?’ He picked up her hand and held it gently against his chest as he smoothed her hair off her sweat slicked forehead.

‘Sire, what are you doing here . . . you need to be near Rose . . . she might be in danger.’

‘It’s alright; I have my guards watching her and the others around her very closely. She’s not the one who’s in danger. Now tell me, is it poison?’

‘Defiantly poison . . . I need the plate of food that I was eating.’

‘Why?’

‘I can't find any poison inside . . . not what I know as poison . . . I need to know what was in it.’

‘You are sure you have been poisoned.’

‘Yes.’

‘Try and describe how you feel, I have extensive knowledge of poisons.’

‘I can't find anything in my body . . . but my stomach feels like it is being torn apart . . . perspiration, tremors . . . now I am coughing up blood.’ She opened her eyes and gripped his hand. ‘Quickly.’ She coughed and Skylar gasped, pulled out his hanky to wipe her lips.

‘You can find no poison at all in your system?’

‘Not what I've learnt your people like to use.’

He thought for a moment and a picture of a glass being ground up came to him. He didn't question it. ‘It might be glass.’

‘Glass? Surely I would have noticed eating that.’

‘It’s ground up to a fine powder and placed into food or drink, you wouldn't have noticed it.’ He watched her close her eyes. ‘I haven’t heard of anything that can remove it completely, it’s a horrid way to die.’ He watched as she became so still he thought she had died in front of him. ‘Petra . . . please don’t die.’

‘That's it.’ Her eyes opened to show her surprise.

‘I will send for our healer, she will be able to dull the pain.’

‘No, now that I know what it is . . . I should be able to remove it . . . But I will have go inside and shut out everything else . . . too much pain.’ She squeezed his hand as another wave of pain hit.

‘How do I know if you are healing and not . . .’ He watched her as she relaxed enough to open her eyes and look at him.

‘I will still breathe.’ She said as she dove deep inside and started to gather every single tiny grain, slowly healing herself.