Amethyst (A new Kingdom)

Part 25

At the tail end of our journey, horrible rain had caught us. Large chunks of ice were falling from the sky, and we had to use magic to continue while our driver was left unscathed. Our pace was quite frantic, trying to get the horses out of this weather while still traveling safely. But then Ziv's home rose before us as we crested the last hill to the low country. We would be there in the hour. Upon arrival, the darkened castle made us worry, but Faith assured us that Ziv may keep a low-staffed house due to his single status. The housemaids he did have were a very aware bunch and would notice a carriage pulling up.

"I'll get out and try the door," Faith said, reaching for the carriage door. "Estella, stay with the baby; you must protect the horses." 

"go," I said, nodding curtly since I knew she was right about her situation assessment. Faith ran up to the door in no danger from the hail because of her magic, but we could only do that as long as no humans were around to witness this. She banged on the door, begging for entry, but to no avail. I could see our driver fatiguing from the travel and the spell it would slip, leaving himself and the horses in danger from the hail. I opened the door to the carriage, readying myself to go to my sister's side and free our driver to find safe logging for the horses and perhaps at least shelter for himself. 

"no, princess, you must stay in the carriage," he pleaded out of his sense of duty. 

"I am not so high that I can bear the injury of others for my comfort. Take the horses to the stable. The doors will not be as sturdy with magic. You should be able to enter. I will send someone to find you when we enter the house." With that, I hopped out, carrying my son in my arms. All my energy went to protect him from the elements, and I was soaked to the bone when I reached my sister. 

"is the baby alright," she asked. 

"Ambrose will be fine. I am protecting him," I responded, not even noticing that I revealed his name, or at least what I wanted to name him since that was another thing I was not to do to my sister, but she only smiled. Then returned to the banging. The door flew open, but it was not a maid that opened. No, it was Ziv, and he was as white as death when he saw me and the baby. 

"In now, all of you get out of the rain," he assured us. He took a closer look at Ambrose in my arms before gasping slightly. "Get towels and two rooms ready. Oh, and in the morning, when the storm is over, have someone go in and buy nursery furniture." Ziv yelled this at no one in particular, but he was obeyed at once

"our driver went to try and find your stables so we could get the horses out of the storm," I mentioned. 

"Someone goes to the stables and assists their driver with the horses," Ziv yelled again.

"I'm so sorry, my lord, for the inconvenience of arriving in the night, but we were so close we thought we could make it to your home before sundown, but then the storm slowed us," Faith apologized and dipped her head in thanks. I awkwardly curtsied in greeting. He was still the lord of the house, and while I was married to the prince, I still felt very much the second daughter of an untitled family. 

"my dear Faith, your arrival is not an inconvenience. It is always exquisite to be in your presence, but unfortunately, the arrival of the princess and prince has me in a bit of a bind. I trust you are aware that the castle is looking for you, and I will need to send word immediately that you are safe and in my home, for I can not harbor you." 

"I am aware," I answered, "but could you possibly write it to Demetri and request that he comes here alone." 

"I can do that, but I fear he may need more convincing that your request is simply that he wants to tear your head off," Ziv remarked, and that is just as I feared. 

"I think that the person trying to hurt my son is in the castle, and I am trying to limit those that know my location so that we can oust the guilty party, and I have reason to believe that they were targeting his offspring long before I arrived." 

"Are you saying that you think your attacks have something to do with Cora's death?" I gasped. I didn't know the poor thing had died. 

"she died?" Faith asked 

"no one told you?" he questioned. "About a day or so after Demitri sent her home, she was found dead in her room. No one knows exactly what happened, but I think she may have been poisoned. She was found with her tea in her hands." 

"oh go- no," I gasped, almost exclaiming in full," after we discovered we should have found the maid, oh no, I think we killed her." Faith and Ziv's eyes widened in surprise. 

"Explain now," he ordered. I paused as the servants arrived with towels and our bags. Once he dismissed them to prepare our rooms, his eyes turned back to me. "Not on purpose. Honestly, it was a mistake, a careless mistake. When we arrived, we wanted to ensure that I was with a child before Cora, so Priscilla found a maid that Cora particularly mistreated and had her drop a remedy in her tea to stop her from conceiving. It is a perfectly safe brew in the right doses. My mother takes it herself now so that there will be no accident of a child in her advanced years." 

"she is right. It is a perfectly safe tonic," Faith agreed 

"then how did you kill her," Ziv asked, his patience waning. 

"Well, that is why we ran. There is someone in the castle who does not want Demitri to have a child. They arranged my attack, the knife, and the tea posing, but Demitir and I were too fast, to be honest, and I only drink tea that I make myself, so we had our son. But that is why there was an attempt at taking him. They weren't after me. They just don't want an heir to be born." 

"What does that have to do with Cora's death?" he snapped out. 

"Whoever was trying to stop us most certainly would have been trying to stop her, but Cora was easy. She never made her tea, so slipping a tonic in that drink was simple." 

"yes, you stated that is what you were doing." 

"But what if we were not the only ones? What if this mystery person was also slipping her a tonic? These tonics are not toxic in small doses, but with you double to doses in her tea, she could have died from ingesting too much of the tonic," I surmised. 

"Damit," Ziv cursed in front of us, which was not proper at all, but we could forgive him since it was clear that he believed me. "I will do as you bid and instruct him to come alone, but I cannot ensure he will listen. Demitri will be angry, hurt, and obstinate." 

"I am ready to face the consequences of my actions," I said with a deep sigh.