Morning arrives after a night that seemed to last forever.
Really, you'd think that you could limit the number of poisonings at a party to either one mass poisoning or one single poisoning... at least do better than 4 separate poisoning events. Security is too lax here, is the conclusion I've drawn, either that or there's way too much poison around here.
Well, I expect another attempt today. The target of course, is going to be me.
I'm tired. I feel like I might snap. Ameline even ended up screaming when she saw me after the incident yesterday too since my night gown was red with blood...
Breakfast is served in the garden, due to good weather. Honestly, it was like last night hadn't even happened in the mind of the Salenders, but at least it's fresh air.
I get down there with Eric as some of the first people in the garden. After the assassination attempt Eric has been sticking around quite closely. He doesn't seem to know what to say, but he looks a bit worried.
The only ones in the garden before us were the crown prince and the Salenders themselves along with the servants setting the tables. Most of the adults had yet to wake up apparently. Well, that is to be expected. I mean, both my parents and Lionel's father had to get up from bed and deal with the whole assassination attempt.
After properly greeting Alstair and giving a polite curtsy, Alstair gives a small frown as he looks over me.
"Are you okay, Lily-chan?"
Alstair voices out with worry, though I couldn't tell if it was sincere or not.
"Yes, your highness. There are no complications of the incident yesterday. Thank you for your concern."
My answer was polite, but I also tried to brush him off. I don't want to talk about the incident, and I'm a bit too tired to deal with him.
Alstair presses his lips together for a moment, but doesn't press whatever issue he found with my words.
Alstair's calculative personality was a bit too much to deal with on top of Gilbert's killer instincts. That and... well, there was the whole dance event yesterday where he 'was kind'? Well, telling me not to mind the eyes of others was indeed kind, but I'll decline kindness from you, prince Alstair.
Alstair gives a nod to accept my words.
"I see. Good."
He then moves and then finds his seat near the end of the table.
I glance down the long table and decide to pick a spot as far away from Alstair as possible.
As soon as I sit down the maids pour my first cup of tea immediately. Thankfully it doesn't smell weird, and upon tasting it doesn't taste weird. Safe to drink.
"Lily-chan! Good Morning!" A bright voice calls my name from behind me and a small figure flies into my back with a 'thump'. If not for the voice I would've smacked the person, but it's Curtis, the youngest of Lionel's brothers. He grins up at me with a disarming smile... at this rate he could grow up to be a charmer. How frightening. He easily slips up on the chair next to me and claims the spot without a moment of hesitance while Reynold sits down next to Curtis like a good responsible boy and sends me a smile as well.
"Good morning," he adds more reservedly.
...I thought this last night as well... but shouldn't you two be terrified of me? I killed someone in front of you, you know... Apparently protecting them earned me their goodwill... Well, I'm not complaining. They're better company than Gilbert any day.
Still, is it okay for them to be out? I didn't see them all day yesterday and now it's okay? What about Bertram? He shouldn't be here since he's a bastard child, but since he was brought along in the first place I can't be sure. Normand might have had the intention of publicly claiming him.
I shake off the curiosity and focus on the two kids instead.
"Good morning, did you get to sleep well?"
Curtis nods with a bright smile.
"There were guards all over the place so we got to sleep properly for once!"
Is that a good thing? No, I suppose it is, but there's some other points of concern here...
"And Lily-chan?"
I consider Curtis' question for a moment and then cup my cheek while smiling at him.
"It was better once people stopped interrupting my sleep," I responded with a smile.
Both of the boys stared at me quietly for some reason.
"...Stop smiling like a demon."
Lionel's voice ruins the mood, so I click my tongue in response. Talking of the sun.
"Don't click your tongue at me," Lionel grumbles at me while sitting down on the opposite side of the table.
"How can I not. Your brothers make much better company than you," I add with a shrug. He may have gotten me out of trouble yesterday, but he started this.
Lionel just sighs at my words and shakes his head.
So, more importantly, why in the world am I surrounded by the Tepet brothers? No, the small ones made sense, but as for the big one... his seat was supposed to be at the other end of the table near Alstair. He always was.
I cast a glance down the table to Alstair who was watching Lionel surprised. Then moved my eyes back to Lionel.
"Why are you down here?" I gave Lionel a frosty glance.
"I'm providing extra protection to my future charge since she was nearly assassinated last night," he added back calmly and returned my frosty look with an unaffected one of his own.
"...I thought this last night as well, but don't you bounce back a bit too quickly?" After being shown killing intent not once but now twice he got close again awfully fast. He'd even gone pallid yesterday just from seeing my attack on the maid.
"You think so? Well... I guess even the great beasts look harmless when they're tired."
Beast?... I give him a chilly glare and sip my tea. I'll swallow it... for now...
With our banter done though, it became quite clear that Lionel hadn't actually slept. Nightmare? Well it didn't matter did it? After this I wouldn't have to see him for a while... but I owe him enough for me to care at least a little. He did cover up everything yesterday. I could've gotten in a good deal of trouble from it...
"What is wrong?" I ask quietly.
No one else had appeared at the table yet anyway, so it should be fine.
Lionel glances up at me for a moment and then down to his tea again with a look of clear exhaustion. He doesn't even hide it. He seems he is reaching the end of his rope.
"...Mother keeps being sick..." he mutters softly. Another family secret. Well, it wasn't unexpected. His brothers look down as well and seem to shrink as a darkness forms in their expressions. Little Curtis even tears up.
"...we changed the food and cooks many times... we even had food tasters for a while... but it never stops...so..." His voice drifts off with a sigh, like he's hinting that his mother won't last much longer.
I take a sip of my own tea and think back to my previous life for a while. Our enemies were always quite fond of using different types of poison so you never knew what kind of antidote to bring along.
"Is there something your mother never takes off?" I toss out the question casually.
"...why...?" he perks up and furrows his brows at the question.
"Some poison just need to have continuous skin contact. Some people don't take off their jewelry a lot either."
Lionel's eyes round at my words. It appears he didn't know. Then his face goes pallid along with those rounded eyes, and he darts off like a whirlwind.
Well, the trick doesn't really work with young boys as they don't keep jewelry and get dirty often. I glance to the two younger brothers that gaze at me with the same rounded eyes Lionel just had. Now now, if you look like that you'll give the secret away. I gently put a finger to my lips and smile at them before going back to my tea. Both boys nod and look down at their plates quickly while trying to hide the fact that they want to run after Lionel.
...Was letting them know about my spells really a good plan?
I glance back to Alstair, but his attention seems fixed on Lionel.
---*---
The tables began to fill steadily, and as expected a face I didn't want to see sits down across from me.
Gilbert.
He smiles at me with an innocent smile, sweet as sugar... but I just can't trust it after everything that happened yesterday. There were too many creepy coincidences.
"I heard you had a long night Lily-chan," he hints at my assassination with a happy smile. What was it with people adding -chan to my name today? It's rude.
"To you I will never be Lily-chan, Gilbert. It was a very tiring experience, however, so I would like a bit of peace during the meal." I return his smile with a sparkly one of my own. Every bit less I have to be near this kid the better. However, he just keeps smiling and doesn't get the hint at all... or at least pretends not to.
"To cheer you up I brought you these," Gilbert declares cheerfully and takes out a little bag of cookies. He opens it casually and holds one out to me.
...See. This is why dreaded this....
This guy clearly isn't repenting for yesterday at all either, even though he nearly got caught.
Damn brat.
"I must dec-"
"Gil! She's not a dog for you to feed!" Lionel's voice sound across the garden.
Hey... Lionel... did you have to choose those exact words?
I raise an eyebrow at Lionel as he approaches us, but Gilbert blinks confused at the interruption.
"Lionel?" He stared up at Lionel with a dumbstruck look, but Lionel didn't care and grabs Gilbert by the back of his collar.
"We're supposed to sit near his Highness, now come on. Stop bothering Lady Lily."
Gilbert must've been so shocked he couldn't move, because Lionel could drag him off quite effortlessly.
Lionel glances to me over his shoulder and gives a small huff with a knowing look as he continues.
Is he protecting me?
No, he is definitely protecting me. But how did he figure out something was wrong?
---*---
When Magdalin finally arrived she was pallid with worry since she hadn't heard of the assassination attempt until she got out of her room and overheard it. She had been all flustered. I managed to calm her down quite easily, and eventually she took the spot next to me.
Bridgette and her family had gone home because of the little... incident yesterday, so if nothing else I didn't have to deal with her.
I managed to catch a glimpse of the prime minister and his son, William, too. He had been half hiding near his father when our eyes met and he gave me this angry little glare before sitting down out of sight for me.
Gilbert's cookies aside nothing else was poisoned, and we all managed to say our goodbyes without any incidents or assassination attempts. I wasn't sure whether or not I'd made progress in changing the future, but it ended relatively peacefully.
Still, my stomach tightens with caution on the way home, as though there's something important I've forgotten.