'I need to go to him,' the words leave my mouth so softly they sound like the whisper of the wind, a gentle winter breeze with no destination.
'What do you want? That man beats you black and blue, rapes you until you bleed, and you want to go to him? It's the moment, Cel, we need to leave,' she tries again while pulling at my arm.
'I can't leave, you go.' Nora's eyes dart down the corridor before she lets out a deep sigh. I can't and won't leave without Eliën.
She's about to protest again until a couple of guards walk past us, casting a sidelong glance in our direction.
'Alright, we'll go to Christiaan,' she mumbles reluctantly.
We start making our way to the infirmary. The long corridors have given way to emptiness, deathly silence, and discomfort. A perfect reflection of my emotions.
The sound of busy doctors and heavy shoes thudding on the floor reaches my ears as we enter the infirmary. Nora has let her slender hand slip from mine and stares straight ahead over the open space. The vast room is filled with dozens of beds. Who or why the person is lying in them escapes me.
Doctors move around each other, my father stands beside the bed where Christiaan lies. Several guards stand around them, as if their presence serves a purpose.
Christiaan's eyes are closed. His body lies lifeless on the mattress, wrapped in a sheet that appears like paper. The dried blood around his mouth almost makes him look like a vampire. His lifeless body brings back the ambivalence within me. On one hand, relieved by this sight, on the other, shocked.
'How is he?' I ask in a soft tone. The question isn't born out of interest, more out of formality.
The doctor nods his head slightly. His brown eyes fix on me. His white hair sticks out in all directions. His white coat is splattered with bloodstains, droplets that have slid down. His coat is dirty, clearly reflecting his work.
'We believe we've found the cause, Your Highness. The symptoms are similar to aconite poisoning. He's receiving the antidote now.' A single nod of my head is enough to convey to the man that I've understood him. The small fear of someone discovering the real plant seems to slip away from me. I gaze at my lifeless husband in the white bed. My mouth, like the truth, remains behind closed doors.
'How was he poisoned?' comes from my father's mouth on the other side of the bed.
'The coffee, he took a sip of coffee.' Diana's husband's annoying voice glides through the room, echoing along the high walls.
My father immediately waves a hand to a guard who rushes out of the infirmary. The man returns less than a minute later with the coffee cup and hands it to the doctor.
'Blue leaves, aconite as expected,' the man confirms. Despite the doctor appearing convinced of his diagnosis, my heart beats faster than normal.
'Give it here.' My father snatches the cup from the man's hand. At first, he observes it closely before he brings the cup to his nose.
My heart starts pounding faster, my breathing quickens. I feel Nora's hand slide into mine and her attempt to pull me towards the doorway. I take a step back with her before my father's shouting and the clatter of the cup hitting the floor interrupts us.
'Hemlock, close the gates, search the castle. No one enters or leaves the premises until everything is searched. Anyone displaying suspicious behavior will be reported.'
The guards rush out into the corridors, while I can only look at my father in shock.
'What's happening?' Diana asks her husband quietly.
The aggression in my father's eyes starts to ignite like a flash flame. His black shoes stomp on the floor, making a resonating sound.
'There are night riders in the castle. Christiaan has been poisoned with hemlock. That blue plant smells like chervil and no one but those bastards can get their hands on it.' My heart seems to sink into the ground, clenched until there's no blood left. I hold my breath, afraid to move. My legs feel like pudding, unable to make a move.
The doctor's gaze goes to my father, who looks at him in astonishment.
My gaze seems to be totally swallowed by my father's flames. However, in my peripheral vision, I see Diana's eyes resting on me before she takes a step forward.
'Your Royal Highness, if I may be so bold, I'd like to report the first person. I saw Lady Limmers get up and walk away before Mr. Franders was poisoned. She was about to sit down when the symptoms started.'