The Eternal Queen

Chapter 15: Ardele

The fragrance of sweet roses stirs me out of my sleep, and I pull myself up. The warm, honey-like scent still lingering in the air. My view starts to clear up and the canopy bed, lined with white silk, is a definite contrast to my usual hard rectangle back at the inn.

The dawn of the sun catches my eye, and I push the comforter off, stumbling to the washroom. After visiting the king last night, the crown prince took me up my room. He basically shoved me in the room, locked the door behind me. I did not mind. Rest was all that was on my mind. I cleaned myself up before falling right into bed. That summed up last night.

In a basin in the washroom, I splash water on my face to wake myself up a bit. The cool water is freezing to the touch but does me no harm. A little bit of pain is quite comforting at a stressful time like this. A piece of cloth is folded neatly next to the basin, and I dab my face dry.

Putting on the creams that are displayed on the vanity, I look into my reflection. My face is looking healthy for once, as there is natural color on my face and no undereye bags. The comb next to me is made out of bristles I have never seen before, and I inspect the thick bristles before running it through my hair. After brushing out the tangles in my hair, I twist my hair up again, before changing into a day attire.

Nora had given me a simple dress, the top a beautiful pale blue with white lace around the collar and a matching skirt. She had insisted that I take a few of her custom dresses that she made for me. She is so sweet, and I am forever in her debt. My boots are tucked away, and I pull out a fresh new pair before throwing the old ones away. Zipping up the black boots, I grab my coin purse before exiting the room.

Curving around the halls as I remembered them last night, I bump into Lady Coralie in the hallways. Her face lights up, and I nod in greeting.

"Good morning, Lady Coralie."

"Good morning! I hope you rested well last night."

The sunrise casts gorgeous colors through the windows and compliments the color of the curtains well. With the warm palate being painted before me and the warm company, I am put more at ease.

"I did, your highness."

"That is good," she says as she links her arm through mine. "Why are you headed to the laboratory so early in the morning? You need to eat breakfast to fuel your body and mind first!"

I shake my head. "You are very gracious, but I have to finish the task I was sent here to do. You can help me, as I am sure you would be useful."

Lady Coralie's eyes immediately fill with sorrow and I feel guilty for taking her there.

"Okay. But first let me go ask the maids for some fruit. I will meet you in the laboratory in a little bit."

I am about to tell her that there should be no food in the laboratory, but she whisks away, humming to herself. She really is something else. Turning myself back around, I stride to the doors of the lab. Pushing them open, I scan for the medical pamphlet before spotting it on the shelf to my right. I dust the particles that have already settled on top, before flipping through the pages, looking for important information.

The first few witches had no idea what they were doing. They were likely only a tier 1 or 2, with very basic knowledge of medicine. The fourth witch was on the right track about the mutated vegetation. But she couldn't collect all the ingredients to make the antidote in time, creating a mixture that was a dud. The fifth witch successfully found the antidote to one of the possibilities of the mutated vegetation, but unfortunately got it wrong.

I cross that vegetation off my list before continuing. The sixth witch assumed that it is a uliope root. She had all the data to support her answer but lost the time to actually create the antidote. Leaning on the counter of the table in the center of the room, I write down some things. It seems as though the king has already had his stomach pumped. And the sixth witch was correct. The vegetation that he most likely ate is uliope root, and I start to get anxious.

Uliope roots are dissolvable in almost anything when crushed finely enough. The root is used to garnish dishes, mostly soups here in the North. The root rarely grows around here, as it only has about a month to fully sprout before it dies. The weather conditions here are not ideal for the root, but when it does grow, it has a slightly floral essence, an almost silt-like texture on the tongue, which pairs it nicely with most liquid dishes. And it is written here that the king consumed sweet potato soup during that week. So, a deformed uliope root looks to be the most likely cause here.

Flipping through the pamphlet again, I scan over some more details. The witches before had made little progress. It seems that all their spells had cancelled out the other's or plainly just did not work. The first witch deemed that the king must eat only floral smelling foods to help with his digestion, while the second recommended sour tea.

My mouth frowns as I read the ridiculous remedies the first couple witches had tried, but then again, they likely had very basic knowledge of spells. There are many different types of witches with a variety of gifts, but we all have magic in common. People like to assume that all witches know how to heal and cast spells, but that is a myth. And to some, it has costed them their lives.

Luckily, I know the antidote to kill off uliope residue in the system. The ingredients are quite hard to obtain, but I am sure that the crown prince has his connections if I cannot get them myself. And I want to. Because it is my job. Now I am emotionally invested, but it's fine. I am glad to be of service.

Lady Coralie pops her head through the doors, and I nod my head, telling her to come in. She carefully saunters inside the large room, carrying a silver tray and puts it down at the end of the table. The table currently is messy with all kinds of acids and organisms spread out. Lady Coralie plops a plump strawberry in her mouth, observing the laboratory as she chews. She is extremely out of place, but she smiles as if she fits in perfectly.

"What are we doing today?"

I smile back. "Ah. We are going to look for some sirens."

"Great! Wait. What?"