As soon as they stepped their foot inside, the door closed. It was a simple yet delicate room. There stood a desk that was paired with a chair. Both were made out of pure ebony and it was perfected with rose carvings. On both sides of the room stood giant bookshelves that were covering the wall. From top to bottom it was all covered with books. There are a pair of candle lights on each side of the desk and Isadora light them up with matches.
Elena reached the third bookshelves and took a wooden box. Specks of dust flew around the room as Elena clean it with her hands. After all, it had been untouched for years.
"What exactly are we doing here?"
"Arbatus flower," Elena simply replied as she was placing the box on the desk.
"Can't Achillia flower and mint leaves cure it?" Isadora asked while she approached her.
"Indeed, but I've read that after a few days longer. The side effect of an Arbatus flower would change. Although, I'm not sure what."
Isadora stood silent. If it's a political problem, she would give the best advice. And if it has something to do with battle strategy then Matthias is the one she would find. But as for plants especially herbs and toxic plants, there's no other person in the entire kingdom that is more experienced than her father. Although Elena had discovered new ones still, she hadn't memorized all. Unfortunately, her father had passed away and so the heirloom is her only source.
She opened the wooden box and took the notebook. It was not just an ordinary one. It was the late king's notebook and it was also her manual book. She gained most of her knowledge about herbs and toxic plants from that book. She hasn't read it again after a very long time since she didn't find any problem. But Arbatus flower was something uncommon.
She took out her necklace and use the pendant as the key to unlock the book. Her father gave the book and the key to her as a birthday gift. And now, it's a family heirloom.
Then she unwrapped the leather cover before turning the pages over. The left pages were filled with drawings while the other side of the pages were filled with handwriting.
"I'll go and pick the tools," Isadora said as Elena nodded her head. She went into the other side of the room and pulled out a book. The bookshelves moved as clouds of dust fell off from the movement. There revealed another room but it was no ordinary room.
The wall was made out of stones and there were soft glimpse of light decorating the room. It was used to make many kinds of antidotes, herbs, and sometimes poison to fight against other kinds. There are piles of cauldrons, brass scales, mortar and pestle, and tiny glass bottles to put the liquid. They were all neatly placed on the shelves. A table was placed in the middle of the room. While the other side of the shelve was filled with dried plants and herbs for the ingredients.
She took a basket and collect all the tools that are needed to make the antidotes. While she waited for the queen's instruction to use which ingredients.
In the other room, Elena finally found the information she needed. She carefully read the description and with a satisfied smile. She closed the book and locked it before putting it back inside the wooden box. Keeping it safe is a need since it contains important informations.
If it was false into the wrong hand then it would cause catastrophe. The information itself could harm people's life. And that is one of the main reasons it was hidden. The greenhouse itself was only accessible by selected people including Cassandra and Matthias.
"A branch of Achillia flower, ten drops of Daredeville liquid that are boiled for ten minutes, and a few peppermint herbs should do the work," Elena said as she entered the other room. A proud smile appeared on Isadora's face as she gathered all the ingredients.
Isadora took a medium size cauldron and a small one and placed them on the stove. She took a bottle of Daredeville liquid and poured it into the small cauldron and mixed it with a small amount of water before lighting up the fire to boil it. On the other hand, Elena was cutting the Achilia flower. After ten minutes, Isadora dropped ten drops of the boiled Daredeville to the bigger cauldron. Then, Elena gathered all the flowers before scattering them inside the cauldron. She slowly mixed it before adding the finishing ingredient, peppermint herbs.
Basically, a plant itself is already sensitive. It needs the right amount of sun and water to grow. And each and every plants need special treatment before it's ready to harvest. It could either be dried and pounded into herbs or it could be left dried just the way it is. Some other would be dried and turned into liquids.
One of the thing Elena had learned from years of experiences. Is that mixing took an important role in producing a good quality potion. Nevertheless, it all depends on the plant and potion that will be made.
A moment later, the antidote had been made. Elena carefully dropped the mixed liquid into a small bottle before putting on the cork. She took a piece of Arbatus flower that had been harvested a few days ago and dropped the antidote to see the reaction. The petal that was once blue slowly turned to white. It was a sign that the antidote had worked.
"Well done, El," Isadora praised as she tapped her shoulder with a smile. "Couldn't do it without you," she replied with a smirk. "Alright, I'll clean this up, you go send the antidote. The sooner he drinks it the better."
Elena nodded her head and said a "thank you" before heading out of the room.
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As she entered the room, some are sitting on a chair while some other standing. Leon was the first to ask, "Have you made it?" Elena lifted the small bottle.
She then approached the king before handing him the antidote. Edmund took it from her hand and hesitantly opened the bottle. He stared at it for quite some time. It was strange both for him and Leon. The bottle itself was different. There was a carving of leaves on the glass, simply as a decoration. The color of the liquid was clear but bubbles are coming up to the surface.
"I've tested and it worked," Elena stated as she slightly rolled her eyes. Leon gave him a reassuring nod before the king drank it. Leon stayed silent to see the reaction but nothing seemed to happen. "How are you feeling?" Leon asked, breaking the silence.
Elena and the other two knew that the effect from the antidote would take a while. Edmund shook his head since he didn't feel a thing. Cassandra approached him with a cup of warm water in her hand which Edmund gladly took. There was an amount of burden that drifted away from his body as the second passed by. Although he wasn't sure it's the effect of the water or the antidote.
"Why hasn't he feel a thing?" Leon worriedly asked.
"Calm down, it would take a while for the antidote to work, about a night or two. After all, it has to be digested first," Elena answered as she shook her head. "Matthias here will escort you to your rooms and I'll check on you tomorrow," she continued. "Get some rest, both of you need that."
"I'll come with you," Cassandra quickly stated as she quickly catch up with their pace and walked beside Leon.
Isadora came just in time, she took a quick glance at her friend before walking towards the queen. "I see that she'd found a new lover," she giggled.
"Let's just hope that he's the right one."
"He seems nice."
"But the person he serves doesn't seem like it," Elena stated with a sigh.
"Well, this is the perfect time to tell everything that had happened before."
- ☽.
09 | castle in between
Start from the beginning
