The Royal Harem

Capitol XIII

Wolf gave Nathan a brief look before pushing him aside and enter the room once more "What happened to her?" he asked as soon as he saw Alathea sleeping quietly on the canopy bed. The maids had also redressed her wound and changed her clothes to a cleaner one.

Lia looked by Nathan's direction to ask if she is even allowed to answer but he did not return her gaze, so she just had to tell the truth "The Empress is currently experiencing her heat period but is now suppressed by the medicine provided to her by her royal physician"

"Heat period?" Wolf asked in confusion, looking back at Lia who had been keeping her head low

Hesitant, Lia can't help but to continue "Heat, meaning, her greatness' mating period. Once a month, the Empress will have to experience this. It's a state where her body releases pheromones that only her bonded mates and males, could smell. It's dangerous for males to stay inside the room with her greatness on heat that is why it is carefully advice to let only females attend her in these types of emergencies. At usual events, the consorts are responsible to help and attend to her at a time like this"

"I'm confused" Wolf uttered, looking back at Alathea

"Only the consorts and the empress could tell you the whole details, eight imperial consort" Lia answered "I could only give you a brief knowledge about it since it is a personal situation that the consorts and the empress fully understand"

Wolf briefly closed his eyes and let out a sigh before asking the important question "then who did stab the empress?"

"That's—" Lia pressed her lips tight as she fought the urge not to tell Wolf the truth. She repeatedly told herself that she made a vow not to utter a word to the consort.

"Are you asking for yours and that knights' head to role on the ground?!" Wolf shouted once again, snapping at Alathea's attendant

Lia flinched in fear and shook her head "No, your highness"

"Then who was it?!" he lifted Nathan's sword and pointed it right at Lia's head

"It was Lady Madelaine!" she cried in fear

Nathan and Wolf looked at her, appalled. Even the other knights and her fellow maids were surprised to hear her say the truth. They vowed to not let anything out of that room and yet Lia broke that vow.

"Do you have a death wish!?" Wolf shouted at her with so much anger

Shaking, Lia grovel at the floor and begged for his mercy to not kill her "Lady Madelaine barged inside the Empress' room even though we begged her not to! The Empress was not feeling well and yet she tried her best to welcome Lady Madelaine in. We do not know of their conversation as the Empress dismissed us out of the room but when the door opened again, Lady Madelaine ran out of the room and I found the Empress kneeling on the floor with a poisoned dagger on her shoulder" Lia cried, digging her face on the floor "The Empress told us not to take Lady Madelaine and keep everything inside the room, we vowed not to tell you or the king. She also strictly told us not to call the physician"

Wolf wanted to believe that Lia was lying but how can she lie when a sword is threatening to slice her head and how could she even benefit if she lie to him? It was too impossible for Wolf to think that his sweet Madelaine could hurt someone but what if?

Clicking his tongue, Wolf threw the sword back to Nathan "Get out all of you!" the servants looked at each other and Wolf had to repeat himself "GET OUT!!" he screamed. The maids quickly left the room in fear while the knights moved calmly and closed the door behind them, leaving Wolf alone inside the unconscious Alathea.

He sat by her side and reached for her cold hand, hoping to warm it with his hands. He couldn't believe what he just did to her and he could not digest the fact that Madelaine tried to kill her. She had been kind to him, to the both of them. If the king heard about this situation, he will surely not take this lightly. He would probably have someone to cut Madelaine's head and showcase it for the capital to see but she made those who knew the truth to vow not to tell anyone.