Lady Kestra's grin dwindled, slightly, not observable to one that wasn't intently watching.
When Belladonna took a couple of steps towards the dinning hall and noticed that Lady Kestra was still not coming along with her, she asked, "Are you not coming for dinner, Kestra?"
"I just have to excuse myself briefly. I will be there with you shortly."
"Alright, I will be expecting you at the table. Do not let me miss you too much, please."
Kestra let out a short laugh.
The spell must be messing with her brain. Using forgetting spells always had an effect on her, it was strange. It always left her slightly different than she was. She would have to be careful though, the King would not be pleased at all if he were to find out, she had done something to her yet again.
"I will try."
They giggled.
Belladonna had expected the King to have gone into the dinning hall, so it was a bit of a surprise to find him by the door, waiting for her.
But best not to assume.
"What are you doing there?"
"I was waiting for you."
Belladonna took in an exaggerated breath.
"Can't live a second without me. How clingy. I like it." She ended in a chuckle and he suppressed a laugh, pretending not to have heard that.
"You and Kestra have become best of friends."
Belladonna looked back at the hallway that was now empty behind them.
"Well," she shrugged. "It seems like it."
____
The first thing Belladonna had noticed when her goblet was being placed in front of her was the green bracelet, that was made out of what seemed like small intertwined wood, and designed with little blue gems around it, on the wrist on the woman that had served her wine.
Something had felt really off about it and soon enough she understood why.
The woman had settled down next to someone she knew to be Head Kuftan during the introductions tonight. She must be his wife.
Why had she been serving the wine then?
Since they were sitting right opposite her though, she could easily hear their conversation and what they said next had answered her question.
"I was walking down the hallway and I saw the servants struggling to get here with the many things they had to carry. I decided to help." The woman's flowery voice said, as she looked around, a smile plastered on her face, widening when her gaze landed on Belladonna, bowing a little too, out of respect.
Belladonna smiled in return, turning her gaze away to other people at the table, but not before observing that the woman must be twice her age, there were speaks of grey in her eyebrows, and her messy bun. Her olive skin was also caked with make up.
Why would someone use that much make up?
It seemed like a completely different thick layer on its own. It reminded her of something. She had once been dolled up like that too but she couldn't remember what it was that she had been hiding back then.
It was a distant memory.
"You should have left it to the servant, Mayti. This is the Dragon King's Castle. You should keep your helping nature to yourself."
"It is just helping to serve the wine, Kuftan. I wasn't trying to cause trouble, I promise." There was a tremble in her voice.
When the King stood up to make a toast, the table fell into silence, two chairs were still empty.
While he made the toast, Lady Kestra rushed in, settling beside Belladonna, muttering under her breath about how what she had wanted to attend to had taken more time than she had expected.
Shortly after, Lytio staggered in, stumbling midway in his steps, making Aniya rush to his side to help him. A help that he shrugged off immediately, like the alcohol had suddenly drained right out of his system the minute he saw that the person who had offered to help him was no one but his darling wife. With more focused steps, he made his way to his seat and settled in it.
Finally the toast came to an end and they all rose their goblet in the air, then to their lips to take a gulp or a sip in celebration of the good moment.
Belladonna had done the same but she hadn't expected for the goblet to be yanked right away from her before she even had a chance to taste the wine that had already filled her nostril with its stinging fruity flavour.
Lytio stared back at her with wide eyes, her goblet in his hand.
Belladonna bit back a venomous hiss.
"Head Lytio, do you have a sudden craving to see my dungeon?"
Lytio's gaze snapped up to the King, his hand a little shaky when the voice made it to his ears.
"Y-yiur Majesty, I---it----"
"Speak now. My patience with you is running really thin."
Lytio fell to his knees, raising the goblet above his head that was bowed slightly, his gaze planted against the ground.
"It is poisoned, your Majesty. Head Kuftan poisoned it."
Belladonna's head raing bells but the sound of someone banging his fists against the table as he flew to his feet in rage, didn't let her stay in her shocked phase for too long.
"Lies!"
"You are trying to frame me. Your Majesty, he is trying to frame me!"
"My servant said she saw your wife poisoning the goblet. Why had she gone out of her way to serve the wine if she had no ulterior motives? It isn't her place to."
"I didn't go out of my way," came a shaky response. "I saw them trying to get things here and I helped. I only helped, that's all."
The tension at the table grew thick, some faces filled with confusion, some shock while others just hoped that they would come out of this dinner alive.
Aniya was among those others.
"And do other things as your husband asked you to do. We all know your husband controls you." Lytio threw right back.
"Enough." The King said and they fell into silence. "This argument lacks foundation. It has not been proven yet that the wine is poisoned."
Lytio froze, looking around for support that he didn't find.
"I trust my servant, your Majesty. I can wager my life on his word."
"Then do just that. Wager your life on his words to prove to me that his claims hold water."
It took a while but Lytio finally nodded, drowning the content of the cup in one gulp. The whole room watched him with alert and time ticked away, yet nothing had happened.
The King sat back in his seat, ready to pass a judgement that would certainly make Lytio meet his dragon, but the boy had suddenly fallen back, convulsing, blood rushing from his nose, mouth and ears.
Poisoned.