Leilania could not see; she was at the mercy of touch and sound and the thin memory of the room. Her hands moved frantically, fingers searching for him as panic sharpened every breath. Sarah, the maid, darted to the windows and threw the shutters closed, dragging heavy drapes across the glass until the room dimmed and the burning light retreated. The darkness made the space more sustainable for Alex—but it did nothing to steady Leilania's fear.
She felt for him, heart pounding. "Alex! WE need to clean it! We have to hurry or your only going to suffer! Please! Let me help you!" she cried, voice trembling.
"I WON'T DRINK YOU!!" the Prince shouted in fear and hopelessness, dread raw in his words. He was terrified of what losing control might mean—terrified of the thought of siring her by accident. He had never drunk from a living person before. He could never.
Alex hissed sharply then, his hand clamping around Leilania's as if to anchor himself. He pulled her into his embrace; his fingers dug into her shoulder, clinging to the only thing that could keep him tethered to reason. His voice came out ragged and urgent, whispering her a name like a prayer and a wound. "Dalia. Someone by the name of Dalia. They know more- or someone who is involved with them..."
And then, as if the world had finally run out of resistance, Alexandru fell. His body went limp in her arms; the shivers that ran through him slowed to stillness. He was ice-cold.
They moved him quickly. Voices dimmed and became distant as they carried him to the infirmary at the Princess's command. Druids worked without pause: salves, chants, warm compresses, and an IV laced with animal blood to try to pull him back from the edge. He lay under their hands while Leilania paced in a fever of worry and fury.
She would not wait. She summoned every guard, every available hand, and demanded Dalia be brought before her. Within the hour, the woman in shackles was thrust forward into the great throne room, where the Tree Father's presence hummed in the living wood and courtiers clustered around like watchful birds.
Leilania sat on the throne, nails tapping the carved arm. Her blindfold did not make her less a queen; she used her ears like eyes and every sound painted a precise map in her head. When the guards dragged Dalia to the steps, the woman trembled, a thin purple veil falling from her head. Shakles bit into her wrists; pure terror swallowed her features.
"Dalia. You will tell me what you know of the Alchemist, Amelia and her death. If you fail to do so, we will find you in contempt of the throne and be held accountable for the attempted murder of your queen. You will be executed, here and now." Leilania's voice was cold, iron-laced. Her fists were tight; her ears were her eyes.
Dalia sank to her knees, eyes pressed to her chest. "My lady?... Amelia? Do you speak of Amelia Thelvon? The Alchemist?" she stammered, bewildered. Her words tumbled and cracked as she tried to explain. "S-she was a colleague; a member of my team wh-who studied on blood, trying to create bio-weapons for the Century War. She was our lead designer for weapons and poisons. She knew chemistry better than anyone else in our team. She- uh.. She had her own personal projects. Some were for fun... Others were kept hidden. Even I don't know of what she did!" She clutched at her cloak, panic sharpening her chin.
Leilania's nails tapped the wood again. The sweetness that sometimes softened her voice vanished. "I believe yours words," she said firmly. "By the Tree Father's will... If you are lying, you will answer to him. Who else was involved with these projects. Who else knew of Amelia... And who took the poisons that your team were working on? Where would the antidote be?"
Dalia's eyes darted like frightened birds. Relief flickered when she realized the blade would not fall on her this instant. Her voice steadied enough to answer. "Our team. Everyone knew her personally. Me, Blitz Forn, Claudia Maelstrom, Cirene Mydzt, and her sister, Serenity Thelvon." Her gaze lowered at the name of Serenity. "When the war started, we manufactured the poison for the royal guards' arrows. We had them given to everyone, but when the war ceased, we burnt the arrows. Destroyed them and made sure the files and antidotes were archived in the king's vault. Just like our king requested, before the war started. Blitz is now the holder of that side of the vault. I-.. I thought you would know this. Blitz resides at the vault. If there's an antidote you need, he should have it there, ready for use."
Leilania's voice cut through the hall. "You will be taken—my guards will… get me everyone whose name you listed, and you will all be held in separate dungeon cells until this matter is resolved." Then to another guard, sharper still: "Shackle them all! Get me Blitz Forn and the antidote. Be sure to test it first. If it's a fake, he will suffer. The life of a royal is on the line."
A voice came from the side of the hall, hoarse and exhausted. "aaghhh..." Alexandru's words slurred as he hunched against the wooden wall. The guards helped steady him. He forced himself upright enough to speak. "…We best go to this blitz, instead of bringing him here..." He steadied his legs against a guard and continued, voice low but urgent, "If he's a conspirator, he will have time to warn the others—if there are indeed others. But if the Princess came to him, unprompted and out of nowhere... We'll get the antidote immediately, and more answers, on the spot."
He limped to the throne and, before Leilania could respond, burst out with a growl, "What in the hell are you doing?"
Her answer was stubborn and swift. "Trying to help you! You should be back in the infirmary! If I cannot lead blind, I-I cannot lead at all." She seized the arm of a guard. "I will deal with Blitz. You are going back to get tended to. It's too bright for you out here. I will not tolerate to hear you in anymore pain. Now go back, Alex."
Alex's patience snapped like bone. He shoved the guard off and barked, "MY mission was supposed to be A SECRET!!" His voice echoed through the hall as he pointed an accusing finger at himself. "Now your whole kingdom knows! I was supposed to find them!" He staggered, then fainted—weakness stealing his knees as the strain caught up with him.
The guards braced him and helped him regain his composure. Gasping, he managed, voice quiet but furious, "You can't do this without me... Lead however you wish, but my mission has been compromised due to your gull to prove yourself and everyone that you can lead a kingdom! You want to help? DROP the superiority!" He grunted, fighting to stand on his own. He pulled her close and hissed into her ear, the words barely more than breath between them: "It has to be someone in her family. if it's too much a coincidence her sister was involved when she left your kingdom. If the family knew, one of them had to have been the killer. Heed cautiously though, Princess. They're now my family too... I can't risk losing them too... They are now all I have left in blood."
He let go, slouching back against the guard as if the effort had robbed him of more than strength. Then, softer, but no less firm: "But first.. This Blitz. go to him first. I'm sorry Leilania. You can't do my mission for me."