Chapter 76 THE OVERTURNED PLAN
"You are being poisoned"
Athalia froze. “What? The broth?”
“Yes.”
“Lira….?”
“Lira does not know,” Selene said. “It comes from higher.”
Athalia’s mind raced, images stacked and the Queen consort’s lavender. The chalk taste and the way weakness came after meals.
“What do we do?” Athalia asked.
Selene’s eyes flicked to the door. “Tonight, you eat nothing. Tomorrow, you might walk.”
“I can barely…”
“You will,” Selene said. “I will help.”
A knock sounded, sharp as Selene was on her feet, blade in hand, and before Athalia could blink. The door creaked open as Lira’s face appeared pale.
“Your Majesty?” Lira said. She saw Selene and her mouth opened.
“Close the door,” Selene said.
Lira did. Her hands shook. “You’re alive?”
“I am,” Selene said.
Lira swallowed. “They said…”
“They say many things,” Selene said, echoing Athalia.
Athalia watched Lira’s face. She saw shock, relief, fear and no guilt. Selene had been right.
“Lira,” Athalia said. “Help me do something.”
Lira knelt, eyes shining. “Always.”
They moved carefully. Selene brewed a tea from herbs she carried sewn into her sleeve. The smell was bitter, yet Athalia drank it and gagged.
“Again,” Selene said.
Athalia drank and warmth spread, slow and tentative.
In the morning, Athalia rose with help. Her legs trembled but held. She dressed in blue, the color of river ice. She pinned her hair with Selene’s old pin, the one shaped like a leaf.
Athalia walked, though unperfect to her carriage.
At the Council meeting, King Adrian sat at the head, hands folded. The Queen consort sat beside him, lips pursed. Councillors lined the table, their eyes bright as coins.
Celine stood before the assembled court.
She did not stand at the center. She stood slightly to the side, allowing others to speak first. That was her strength and she let them believe the idea was theirs.
“The Queen’s health is failing,” one noble said.
“We must prepare for continuity,” said another.
“This is not rebellion,” a woman added. “It is compassion.”
Celine spoke last.
“Her Majesty has given everything to this kingdom,” she said. “We owe her peace. Let us ease her burden.”
King Adrain listened, jaw tight.
“You are asking me to remove her and it's hard,” he said.
“No,” Celine replied. “We are asking you to protect her.”
Silence stretched.
Adrain looked down at his hands.
“I will speak with her,” he said.
Celine bowed her head.
Athalia entered and silence fell.
“Your Majesty, my queen,” the King said. He stood, too late.
Athalia did not bow. She walked to the table and placed her hands upon it.
“You are here to take something from me,” she said, without looking up.
Adrain said. “We are here to talk.”
“About my sickness,” Athalia said. “About how it frightens them.”
“It frightens me too,” he admitted.
She turned then. “Do you believe I am unfit?”
He hesitated.
That was enough to answer.
Athalia stood slowly, steadying herself against the chair.
“Tell me,” she said. “Whose idea was this?”
Adrain did not answer.
She smiled, tired and sharp. “Celine.”
He said nothing.
Athalia nodded. “She wears concern well.”
“Celine, I hear you plan to speak of my fitness,” Athalia said. Her voice did not shake. “Speak.”
The Queen Consort smiled thinly. “It’s nothing serious. We just worry for you.”
“Then worry quietly,” Athalia said. She looked at the councillors. “I am not done being queen.”
There was a murmur.
“They poison me,” Athalia said. “And they thin my guards, they whisper and still they fear me.”
The King’s face drained. “Athalia…”
“Enough,” Athalia said. She turned. “Bring him.”
The door opened and two guards dragged a man in. He was pale, eyes darting. It was the kitchen master.
“He mixed the broth,” Lira said from the shadows, stepping forward. Gasps rippled.
The kitchen master fell to his knees. “I was told…”
“By whom?” Athalia asked.
He looked at Queen Celine. Silence roared.
The Queen consort rose. “This is outrageous.”
“Sit,” Athalia said.
The Queen consort did not.
A guard's blade flashed as it rested against the Queen consort’s throat.
“Sit,” He repeated.
Celine sat. The room breathed again.
The King sagged. “Celine…”
“I can’t believe it,” Athalia said again. She looked at him. “that you would sign my cage.”
He closed his eyes.
Athalia straightened as strength hummed, fragile but real. “I will not be caged.”
The Queen consort laughed, sharp. “You are too late.”
Athalia frowned. “For what?”
The doors burst open as boots thundered. The remaining guards flooded in, faces grim.
“For this,” Celine said as her eyes glittered. “You think you are queen because you wear a crown. You are queen because we allow it.”
The guard moved, Lira screamed and steel rang.
Athalia’s world narrowed to motion and sound. The dark guard cut a path as guards fell and blood spattered the table like spilled ink.
“Run!” The dark guard shouted.
Athalia moved, or tried. Weakness surged back like a wave reclaiming shore. Hands grabbed her arms.
“No,” the guard said, and plunged.
Celine watched, smiling.
The ceiling cracked and stone rained. Smoke filled the chamber as Athalia coughed, choking. She felt herself lifted, carried as the guards face loomed, fierce.
“Hold on,” he said.
They burst through a side door into a passage Athalia had forgotten. It sloped downward, damp and dark.
Behind them, the palace screamed.
They ran, carrying Athalia, boots slapping stone. The passage opened onto the river. Cold air slapped Athalia’s face as a boat waited, tethered, and rocking.
He set Athalia down and cut the rope. They pushed off and the current caught them, swift and black.
Athalia lay back, gasping while he knelt, hands red.
“We did it,” Athalia whispered.
He did not answer. Her eyes were on the palace as flames licked windows and shouts echoed.
Selene smiled, small. “There is one more thing, your highness.”
“What?” Athalia asked.
He pressed a hand to Athalia’s chest. Pain bloomed, sharp and sudden. Athalia’s breath left her in a rush.
“I am sorry,” Selene said, tears cutting clean lines through grime. “You were supposed to trust no one.”
Athalia’s vision tunneled when she tasted iron.
“Why?” Athalia whispered weakly.
He said nothing.
Athalia fell back as the sky wheeled before her and Darkness surged.
Then she found herself back at the tower. When she tried to leave, she couldn’t. A wall had been created to block her path.
She called out to her maid and everyone else but no one answered. She looked below the tower but saw no one.
Then she turned around as if realizing something.
Her Child was gone.