Revenge of the Duchess

Chapter 32

"Yes, Your Highness." The maid bowed. Her eyes were glassy, as if not truly in the right state of her mind.

Medea smiled inwardly, fingering the onyx ring. The maids in the palace were easy to manipulate, although it had been harder to find a suitable person to do her bidding. She would have had Kelli do so, but after last time's fiasco, Medea couldn't trust Kelli as much. Still, the Colchis princess needed the military influence of the White Knights Order, so she would keep Kelli around just a little longer. It would be difficult to hide the presence of the large Colchis armies at the border of Cuora and Colchis, but to use Cuora's own soldiers against its monarcy... Medea smiled at the thought.

"Send Lady Kelli this necklace. Tell her it'll be suitable to wear to the ball."

Her command was obeyed. Medea pursed her lips and rubbed her onyx ring. How easy life would be if all her words were followed without her exerting her power. Honestly, it would be so tiring to have to manipulate so many people at once.

Slim, elegant fingers picked up the invitation to the annual winter ball held at the Cuora palace. The timing, the location, the witnesses. A drop of this here, and a drop of that there. The set up was perfect.

Her efforts so far had been rebuffed, but Medea attributed it to placing her trust on the wrong person. But she was still reluctant to use her own hands to start the fall.

But no worries. Everything would soon fall into place.

"Has our special guest received an invitation?" Medea asked to her most trusted confidant a maid who went by the name of Svelare.

The dark haired woman nodded.

Medea liked using this maid the best. Svelare's tongue had been cut out since she was young, rendering the woman mute. Even if the maid was caught, she could not raise her voice to defend herself. Svelare had been Medea's maid for nearly ten years, so it was plenty of time for Medea to mold the maid into what she wanted.

"Good. It'll be quite a show this time. Make sure to prepare properly this time. Or else, you know what consequences this will bring."

Svelare's head drooped lower. She indeed knew that the consequences were. After all, her own tongue had been taken when Svelare had accidentally spilled a drop of tea on the table. And in her years of servitude, the maid had seen many people come and go when they did not fulfill Medea's wishes back in the Colchis kingdom, often leaving with their heads detached from their bodies. It was only that they were in the Cuora nation that Medea could not easily order her servants to be killed.

The maid quietly received the small bottle of a clear liquid glistening inside.

"One drop is enough. But as for that bitch, you can be more liberal." Medea sneered.

The maid nodded her head and tucked the bottle away in the folds of her dress.

Medea picked up her tea, looking forward to having the Cuora prince kneel before her. What a sight it would be to have that golden hair bowed in deference.

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Piper flipped through the papers, taking care to memorize every detail. She had tasked Sir Leo with gathering information on every single person who would be attending the winter ball.

The winter ball was crucial for the selecting of the bridal selection as the final selection would be made just a few weeks after. Just in case, Piper had taken care to prepare for anything to happen.

On the outside, Piper looked calm, but she was boiling inside. To be honest, she felt weak and useless ever since Lady Annabeth had been poisoned by those dreaded flowers. And her own life was threatened as well.