Chapter 106
The first sign that something was wrong came in the form of a cough-a soft, barely audible sound, so unremarkable that Aeliana almost ignored it.
She had been seated beside Seraphina's crib, running her fingers through her daughter's silky dark hair, watching the slow, peaceful rhythm of her tiny breaths. It was one of the rare moments of peace Aeliana had been afforded in recent weeks, and she had clung to it desperately.
Then came the cough again-louder this time, more strained.
Aeliana's head snapped up.
The nursemaid, Lirena, was standing by the small wooden table near the hearth, her hands trembling slightly as she reached for the teacup she had just set down.
Aeliana frowned. "Are you all right?"
Lirena opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came. Instead, she lurched forward, knocking over the chair behind her as she doubled over in pain.
Aeliana was on her feet instantly, heart hammering against her ribs. "Guards!" she called sharply.
Lirena gasped for breath, clutching at her stomach. The teacup tumbled from her grip, shattering against the floor. Dark liquid pooled across the stone.
The moment Aeliana saw the half-drunk tea, saw the way Lirena's body convulsed violently, realization struck her like a blow to the chest.
This wasn't illness.
This was poison.
Her first instinct was Seraphina.
Aeliana whirled, rushing to the crib, scooping her daughter into her arms before anyone else could move. The baby stirred, but she was unharmed.
She had not taken the tea.
Aeliana's stomach twisted. The tea had not been meant for Lirena.
It had been meant for Seraphina.
The door slammed open.
Tharx entered the room like a storm. His golden eyes flickered across the scene in a single sharp glance-the trembling nursemaid, the spilled tea, the guards already moving to contain the chaos.
His gaze landed on Aeliana, on the way she clutched their daughter to her chest.
"She's fine," Aeliana said quickly, her breath ragged. "She didn't drink it."
Tharx's entire body went still.
The kind of stillness that preceded something terrible.
Aeliana had seen him angry before-had seen him furious, lethal, violent.
But this?
This was something else.
This was pure, unfiltered wrath.
The guards dragged Lirena to her feet, but she could barely stand. Her face was pale, sweat beading across her forehead.
"Who gave you the tea?" Aeliana demanded.
Lirena tried to speak, but she choked. Blood dribbled down her chin.
Aeliana's stomach dropped.
She was dying.
The poison had been fast-acting, designed to kill quickly.
Whoever had done this had known there wouldn't be time for questions.
Lirena gasped, her entire body shuddering. She looked at Aeliana, her lips forming silent words.
Then her legs gave out.
She collapsed before Aeliana could reach her.
And then she was gone.
A thick silence settled over the room.
Aeliana exhaled sharply, pressing a kiss to Seraphina's hair before slowly lowering her back into the crib.
When she turned, Tharx was staring at her.
Not at Lirena.
Not at the spilled tea.
At her.
"You want to tear the court apart, don't you?" he said, voice low, unreadable.
Aeliana's jaw tightened. "I want them to pay."
Tharx nodded once.
Then, in a voice dark as midnight, he said,
"I will burn them when I know who to burn."
The court was in chaos.
Whispers spread through the palace like wildfire.
"The heir is not safe."
"The Empress is furious."
"The Emperor is waiting to strike."
For the first time in years, Aeliana saw nobles who looked afraid.
And they should be.
Because someone among them had tried to kill her child.
And when Aeliana found out who?
There would be no mercy.
The investigation was immediate.
Every servant, cook, and attendant was questioned.
The tea leaves were tested. The kitchen staff was interrogated.
Nothing.
Whoever had done this had covered their tracks far too well.
And that meant they weren't finished.
Aeliana paced the war chamber, arms crossed, her mind racing.
"This wasn't a mistake," she said. "They planned this carefully."
Tharx leaned against the edge of the map table, watching her.
"They wanted her dead," he murmured. "They wanted to send a message."
Aeliana met his gaze. "Then let's send one back."
Tharx arched a brow. "Go on."
She turned to him fully. "We let them think they still have a chance."
He tilted his head slightly. "You want to draw them out."
Aeliana nodded. "I want them to think they're winning. That we're getting desperate. That we're losing control."
Tharx exhaled through his nose, his lips curling into something dark.
"You are learning," he murmured.
Aeliana smirked. "I've had a good teacher."
He pushed off the table, closing the space between them. "And when they strike again?"
Aeliana's eyes darkened.
"We end this."
The trap was set.
Seraphina's routine remained unchanged-at least on the surface.
Her nursemaids still cared for her. She was still taken on her daily walks through the gardens.
But the truth was very different.
She was never out of Aeliana's sight.
Tharx was never far.
And neither were the hidden guards stationed around her chambers, disguised as ordinary attendants.
The enemy thought they had control.
But they didn't.
They were playing into Aeliana's hands.
Now, it was just a matter of waiting.
And Aeliana was very, very good at waiting.
It didn't take long.
The whispers grew quieter.
The fear grew stronger.
And then, finally, someone made a mistake.
It was a single moment of hesitation.
Aeliana caught it in the kitchens, in the way one of the maids hesitated before passing a new tray of food.
She had seen this before.
She recognized it.
Aeliana didn't hesitate.
"You," she said sharply.
The maid froze.
Aeliana stepped forward. "Drink from it."
The girl went pale.
"I-I"
The room went silent.
"If you have nothing to hide," Aeliana murmured, dangerous and unyielding, "then drink."
The girl's hands trembled.
She didn't move.
Aeliana didn't need her to.
"Guards," she ordered.
The soldiers seized her instantly.
She began to scream.
And across the hall, Tharx appeared.
He took in the scene in a single glance.
Then his golden gaze landed on the maid.
And the room felt colder.
Aeliana turned to him, voice unwavering.
"They are getting bolder," she said.
Tharx exhaled slowly, deliberately.
"And that means," he murmured, his voice like death, "they are getting desperate."
Aeliana nodded.
Because desperation made people reckless.
And soon, they would have all the names they needed.
And when they did?
The palace would burn.