ONYX

Chapter Four

___________________________________

                      F O U R
___________________________________

"The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has been before."

—Albert Einstein
___________________________________

Gathered inside a private meeting room, there were seven chair members of a council. Remington Trescot was the appointed Duke by the King. He upheld his duties to an extent. Then there was Edmund Dowry who aided and worked under Remington. Also, David Bowden, Fredrick Swansburh, Samuel Levins, Christopher Bevlen, and Thomas Gaylen. Those were the men who aided any decision of the throne. 

Poison?

Alessandra was silent as she processed that. It must have been a cover-up. She saw the chalice, it was tipped over and the wine had spilled over the ground. Elizabeth had kept herself calm throughout the revelation because any signs of emotion might give away to her misdeed.

"Mother, what will happen?" Alessandra whispered.

"It has become even more imperative that the marriage falls through.” Duke Trescot answered as if he heard Alessandra ask the question.

"Since he has no male heir, the crown does not immediately go to the Princess.” Lord Winston said. Elizabeth held her daughter close.

Alessandra was seated at the head of the table next to the Queen, the feeling and atmosphere entirely new to her. To be included in such activities that her father once held. Her fingers fumbled nervously with the pendant of her necklace, awaiting the words of her future to be spoken. 

It was Duke Trescot who called order to the council. “It is evident that His Majesty, the late King James was poisoned last night. We have the servant boy who fetched the King wine in custody. He is being interrogated as we speak.”

Interrogated or tortured? Alessandra shuddered the thought. She didn’t want to think about what could be happening to the boy. Servants were as young as eighteen served under them, but what if he had been guilty? She tried not to be relieved, but the poison covered up the fact that she killed them then she should be grateful.

Alessandra wanted to throw up before the councilmen because she was disgusted with herself for making such a confession.

“Did you speak with his mistress, the Lady Lucille? She often visited the King in the dead of night.” Elizabeth said with cool mask of calm on her face, but on the inside she plotted. She had to turn the blame to another, someone who had more access to the king’s private chambers than her.

“Forgive me for my carelessness, Your Majesty. How could I not have thought?” the Duke Trescot said. “We will have her ceased and questioned immediately.” He nodded to a guard posted at the door and quietly exited.

“This is a tragedy we have not foreseen in the long run. Our king is dead. We have matters that the king set in motion, such as the marriage of Prince Daniel to the Princess Alessandra to continue to proceed with."

Lord Swansburh spoke next. " Should the marriage be faltered, the crown will go to Nicholi Russell. The nephew of King James." 

Elizabeth scoffed in disbelief. "No one has heard from that side of his family for ages—”

"That is not important. Is there an objection to the marriage?” Swansburh remarked acidly. 

Elizabeth had to be calm and play her words wisely. She wasn’t favored by the councilmen because the men believed she was useless to the crown when she couldn’t conceive. At any given chance, they would try to discredit her.