Chapter 17

Siona

T he next four days flew by in a blur with Kaelin cramming so much stuff in my brain it felt on the verge of exploding. Between teaching me every official protocol, sorting out the details for my upcoming wedding to Zerien and his coronation, there was always something that needed my attention and required me to make swift decisions.

As overwhelming as it tended to be, and as much as I wanted to strangle the wretched female, the gratitude swelling in my heart for her just kept growing. With Kaelin, you always knew where you stood. While she could have been a little gentler in her approach, she wasn't mean or abusive—merely no nonsense and straight to the point. More importantly, she was extremely organized and well structured, making it easier for me to navigate the countless things she kept throwing at me.

I'd also come to realize that behind her stern and efficient demeanor, an attentive and empathetic female lurked. It took me far too long to notice that she would move on to something else in an apparently abrupt fashion which conveniently coincided with the moment when I'd been ready to snap or was just oversaturated with that specific task. Each time, although I moaned and groaned about the new chore, that change of pace and subject systematically gave me the break and boost of energy I needed to keep going.

Whatever lingering doubts I might have had about her wanting to see me succeed faded with each hour spent by her side—which was almost all day, every day. She would only disappear for an hour or two to oversee Council business then come right back for another round of torture.

Occasionally, Eldrin would drop by for a visit. Saying I was falling in love with that little boy would be quite an understatement. I just wanted to squish him and smoosh his face. There was so much joy and love in that child it radiated far and wide around him and warmed you to the bone like the hot rays of the sun at its zenith. The way he adopted me as his second mother without hesitation made the bond easier.

That Kaelin encouraged that relationship made it even better. I didn't know if it was out of a genuine desire to have a healthy and loving extended family for all of us, or if it was to reduce the chances I might challenge the ascension of her son to the throne after my mate abdicated. In truth, I didn't care. I'd only known Eldrin for a few days now, but he had already carved himself a place deep in my heart, and I truly embraced him as my son.

Later this evening, he and I would play in the garden. He was adamant about teaching me one of their local sports. I hoped Zerien would be able to join us. Unfortunately, on top of his regular duties eating up a lot of his time, he'd become even less available since we concluded Rydel's interrogation.

Thanks to my insight and the algorithm I shared with their engineers, they effectively identified the location where the messages had been sent. Since then, Zerien had been mounting a raid against the location they believed served as a base for the traitor. It truly sucked that I couldn't participate in it. Officially, I wasn't a part of their army, and I couldn't be integrated overnight into their ranks.

Anyway, not only did I already have way too many protocols and rituals to learn for our impending wedding, but this was their internal rebellion to root out. Beyond becoming Zerien's Queen, what other specific role I would serve in the future where the Sarenian Empire was concerned remained to be defined. Now was not the time to impose myself just because I wanted in on the action.

It still sucked.

At least, the attitudes of Drade, Naax, and even Alred towards me had noticeably shifted. I wasn't so foolish as to interpret it as a sudden full acceptance of me, but I had undeniably earned a certain level of approval from them. Without being warm and friendly, they were no longer cold or distant. Their politeness didn't feel contrived or forced anymore. More than once, I'd caught them studying me and my interactions with Zerien or others as if attempting to get a better sense of who I was.

This genuine interest told me they had stopped considering me as one of those unavoidable chores that always came along with any job and started seeing me instead as someone actually worth befriending.

The other disappointing part of this whole deal was that no one knew of my contribution in providing them with a fresh trail to capture the traitors after all their previous ones had gone cold. In order to avoid tipping off our enemies, the upcoming raid had to be kept secret.

But for now I needed to focus on my training to avoid getting berated by Kaelin if I hadn't made enough progress by the time she checked in, which should be in the next thirty minutes to an hour.

Standing on the large terrace outside the formal living area, I used the artificial tutor Kaelin had given me. It projected a 3D hologram of the officiant who would preside over Zerien's coronation. A generic character played the role of my mate. As with these types of ceremonies, a number of moving parts were involved, with particular sentences to recite, gestures to perform, and a whole ritual with various people doing their bit at specific moments. As I wouldn't be allowed a cheat card, I needed to memorize my part and hope that my mind wouldn't go blank on the official day because of nerves.

The challenge mostly resided in the ceremonial phrases. In the past six years since meeting Zerien, I'd become fluent in Sarenian. However, those rituals continued to use the ancient version of their language, which kept tripping me up. But it would take a lot more than that to defeat me.

I was just going through the middle section of the ceremony, holding the imperial staff—or rather a random cushion to mimic the one it would be resting on during the real event—to bring to the fake Prince when the door chime went off. Startled, I glanced at my armband and muttered something about Kaelin being early. I didn't master the whole thing as much as I had hoped I would by the time she arrived. A silly part of me wanted to impress her with my progress.

I went to open the door. Kaelin waltzed in, followed by a tray of food and drinks, looking unusually cheerful. Whenever she left the Council meetings, she would often be annoyed, especially with Zerien's sister Jastira, who had a habit of challenging her on many of the policies she wanted to promote.

"You're early," I said, stepping aside to let her in. "Judging by your happy demeanor, am I to assume things went smoothly with the others?"

"They absolutely did," she replied while making a beeline for the living area. "Which means you get to benefit from even more of my delightful presence."

I snorted while watching her set the tray on the table. She immediately filled a glass and extended it to me. I accepted it with a thank you and watched her pour herself one as well. I took a sip of the cool drink, slightly sweet and fruity. It wasn't an actual fruit juice but merely water flavored with some of their wild berries' essence. I welcomed its soothing effect after all the tongue twisting the ancient Sarenian language had subjected me to.

"Drink up and grab any snack right away. We have a packed schedule, and I would rather not have you stopping us halfway through because your stomach is suddenly rumbling," Kaelin said sternly before taking a sip of her own glass.

I made a face at her and took a few more gulps before grabbing one of the canapés on the tray. Although not really hungry, I'd grown quite fond of those little delicacies and would easily gorge on them if given leave to do so.

"How was your training pro—"

A beep going off on her com interrupted Kaelin. She glanced at its interface before rolling her eyes and grunting in aggravation. The petty side of me smiled at her dismay. It was only fair she would get her own dose of annoyance considering how much she was roughing me up.

"Bad news?" I asked with the least sincere commiseration.

She glared at me. "Some people are so ridiculously needy. Sometimes I wonder if they even know how to wipe their own asses. I have to go handle this. I'll be right back. Be ready to get to work as soon as I return."

"Yes, Mistress," I replied with an overly subservient tone that only had her making an even more annoyed face at me before she hurried out.

I chuckled and picked up my tablet before sitting on the couch to indulge in a few more treats. Not wanting to grow too full, I forced myself to stop eating but refilled my empty glass to sip on the sweet water while repeating out loud the ancient Sarenian sentences that gave me the most headaches.

About twenty minutes later, I rose to my feet to head back to the balcony and rerun the simulation. Just as I was about to set foot outside, the door chime went off again. I rolled my eyes and went for the door. Why was it always at the specific moment we stepped away, were about to go somewhere or do something that people decided to call or come knocking?

That said, it surprised me that she would be back so soon. The walk to the Council Chamber alone would take close to ten minutes from our private wing of the palace. Granted, she hadn't specified where she was headed. But still, whatever business had called her must have been nearby and easy to resolve.

I opened the door on a grumpy Kaelin. My amusement at finding her looking the way I expected the first time she showed up quickly faded, giving way to confusion.

"Aren't you going to let me in?" she asked with annoyance when I just stood there staring.

"Why did you bring food again?" I asked, staring at the tray hovering next to her.

She blinked, glanced at the tray, then returned her attention to me.

"What do you mean by bringing you food again ?" Kaelin asked, tension suddenly filling her voice.

I pointed behind me in the direction of the living area. "You brought us food twenty minutes ago before you were called away. Are you okay?"

My stomach dropped when Kaelin paled, and a look of fear descended over her features. She all but shoved me aside and ran to the formal living area.

"No! No! No!" she whispered in a voice filled with dread. "Where did you get this?" she barked, pointing at the half-empty tray and jar on the low table.

" You brought this to me !" I exclaimed, panic starting to take root in the pit of my stomach.

"I was never here until now!" Kaelin exclaimed while frantically fiddling with her armband. "Whoever you saw was not me. How much of this did you drink or eat?"

I froze, horror descending over me as I watched her pull something out of a secret compartment of her armband. It looked like a needle connected to it by a thin wire. She tapped a few instructions on the interface of the armband then stuck the tip of the needle inside the still mostly full glass the previous ‘Kaelin' had poured for herself then abandoned when she excused herself.

"SIONA!! How much of this did you drink or eat?!" Kaelin shouted when I failed to answer.

I snapped out of my frightened daze and stuttered a response. "I drank a full glass and about half of a second one. And maybe a dozen canapés."

"How long ago?"

"The imposter showed up about twenty minutes ago. I stopped eating maybe five minutes before you rang," I replied, feeling faint. "What—?"

"Blessed Fates!" Kaelin whispered with a horrified expression.

The look of pure dread on her face turned my blood to ice. Whatever her test had revealed, I was fucked. Without a word, she shot to her feet, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me after her while making a call on her com. She ignored my panicked questions as we all but ran to what I realized was the hygiene room.

"Jastira! Come here at once. Siona has been poisoned with Urixid. Bring an antidote, and trust no one! If you run into me in the hallway, alert the guards. There's an impostor in the palace!"

"On my way!" Jastira replied through the com.

"What is U—?"

"Put your fingers down your throat and try to vomit," Kaelin ordered, interrupting me. "We have little time before it's too late."

I wanted to argue and ask questions but forced myself to comply. Leaning over the sink, I pressed two fingers to the back of my throat. My instant gag reflex failed to produce the desired result. I repeated the gesture multiple times, only managing to cover my hand in drool and make my stomach hurt from dry heaves.

In the meantime, Kaelin was frantically busying herself flipping through the cupboards until she found some kind of vial. She poured its contents into the glass I usually used when brushing my teeth, filled it with water, and extended it to me just as I was finally managing to regurgitate some of the stuff I had eaten.

Another wave of dread washed over me when what came out of my mouth had an unnatural black color. It was as if I had swallowed a gallon of tar and spit it back in a slightly more liquid version. Except it burned my throat, tongue, and lips the way really strong pepper or spicy foods would, but with more intensity, as if tiny needles were stabbing me in the process. It didn't even have the acrid scent of vomit. To the contrary, it had an almost pleasant fresh aroma with a hint of mint.

Kaelin cursed under her breath before grabbing my hair, holding it up behind my nape.

"Rinse your mouth, and drink this. All of it!" she commanded.

Properly terrified, I did as she told me without a word. The cloudy liquid in the glass tasted like chalk mixed with vinegar. I doubted it was its true taste as I suspected that the substance I'd vomited was wrecking my taste buds.

As soon as I swallowed the first few gulps, the prickling sensation in my mouth and lips dampened. However, I was forced to wipe off and spit out some kind of foam forming wherever the liquid came into contact with me, like peroxide on a cut.

"Leave it! It's neutralizing the poison. Just drink," Kaelin ordered in a hard tone, before looking over my shoulder at the door. "Where in Gharah's name is she?!"

I didn't know how much time exactly elapsed since she called Jastira, but I doubted it was enough for her to go from wherever she was to the Infirmary to get the antidote—assuming that's where it would be located—and then get all the way here to our private wing.

As I swallowed the last few drops, Zerien's face flashed before my mind's eye. He wasn't at the palace right now, having left a few hours ago on a reconnaissance mission to confirm they had indeed discovered the traitor's hideout.

We need to let him know what's happening.

As soon as I finished, I opened my mouth to tell her as much, but she took the glass away from me and cupped my cheeks with both hands and lifted my eyelids with her thumbs to examine my eyes.

"Do you feel any pain?" Kaelin asked.

"No. My stomach just feels queasy, and I'm a bit nauseous. But I think it's because of that thing I vomited and the drink you gave me. What is Urixid? How bad is this?"

My answer seemed to distress her more than reassure her.

"Absence of pain from the poison is good," she said in a tense voice. "It works in the shadows, silently spreading until it's too late. And then death comes swiftly in pure agony. But the purge should be making you vomit. It shouldn't take this long to start acting. Maybe I need to give you more…"

Just as she spoke those words, the contractions of a few weak cramps manifested themselves. I placed my palm on top of my stomach. Kaelin perked up.

"Cramps?" she asked in a hopeful voice.

"Yes. It's—"

The rest of that sentence died in a pained groan as I doubled over, leaning with my spare hand on the counter in front of the sink. I dry heaved some more as vicious cramps twisted my insides.

"Don't hold back. Spit out everything you can," Kaelin ordered—as if I was deliberately torturing myself by withholding anything.

My eyes watered, and my nose filled with snot while the worst pain lacerated my innards. It felt as if I was being torn to shreds from within. And then finally, I started to vomit. The protective coating of the chalky liquid she'd made me drink quickly lost its efficacy. And as more of that tar-like substance poured out of me, the stabbing sensation inside my mouth and around my lips came back with a vengeance.

Although the cramps themselves gradually abated as my stomach emptied, a different type of pain started spreading throughout my body. My skin felt raw as if it had been abraded with sandpaper. Breathing became painful as if dust particles filled the air and clogged the alveoli lining my lungs. My head swam, and the room started feeling unbearably hot, as if I'd stepped inside a giant oven. A part of me realized I was likely becoming feverish, but forming rational thoughts was becoming difficult.

In the distance, I heard water gushing out of a faucet. I couldn't tell if Kaelin was drawing me a bath or filling a container with water. It didn't matter. The door burst open behind us seconds before my knees buckled.

The panicked voices of Kaelin and Jastira filled my ears.

"Why in Gharah's name is she still up?" Jastira shouted. "And where the fuck is Alred?"

"I had to give her a purge," Kaelin replied defensively. "And what do you mean? Alred was outside when I arrived."

"There's no one outside guarding the door," Jastira replied in a tense voice. "Help me carry her to the bed."

I couldn't make out Kaelin's response. They both sounded muffled as if my head was submerged. Two pairs of hands grabbed me and helped me out of the room. I wasn't certain if I'd actually fallen to the floor, or if I'd managed to hang on to the side of the sink.

But that, too, didn't matter.

It took me too long to realize it was my voice moaning in pain and slurring Zerien's name. I wanted them to stop touching me. Even the contact of my clothes on my skin felt like a burning iron searing me. I cried out at the sensation of something soft beneath me. Was it a mattress? Nothing this soft should hurt this much.

"Relax!" Jastira's voice shouted angrily.

I couldn't tell if she was talking to me, but I didn't care. I just needed to break contact with all those things inflicting so much pain.

"Pin her down!" Jastira yelled.

Another scream tore out of me when what felt like a thousand needles put pressure on each of my shoulders.

"Hurry! Inject her!" Kaelin shouted. "I need to check on Eldrin."

"He's fine. I called Shandra on my way here," Jastira replied in a strained voice.

I tried to say something, although I couldn't fathom what it was. But a choked sound escaped me instead, and my back arched, my heart seizing as if I'd been struck by lightning."

"No!" Kaelin shouted. "It's too soon! Don't you die! Don't you dare fucking die! Inject her, you blasted female!"

I barely felt the prickling sensation. Too many other pains were wrecking me as what felt like the most virulent acid ate me from within. I clung to the beautiful face of my mate as a veil of darkness descended before my eyes.

Too soon. It was much too soon for me to die.