Chapter 10: The Poisoned Chalice

It's been months since the crowning and everyone had gotten used to having Sharma as the queen. The kingdom was standing as it used to and nothing changed much. But good days didn't come without bad ones following behind.

And so, the warning of the dawn by Windermer was yet to begin. This was just a hint on the icing...

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•

"My Lady." Romayo popped her head through Sharma's chamber's room door and said, "Your horse is ready. Jaunt's Memorial Rig."

Sharma was seated in her chair, reading through papers in her hands. She arranged and tied them together with a thin string. When she was done, she dropped it in a basket that sat on the floor close to her table— in it were other sealed papers.

She was dressed in leather armour from head to toe. Her sword laid in its belt by her side.

She stood up and picked the basket. "Here." She dropped it on the table and she signaled Romayo to come get it.

Romayo sighed heavily. Sharma had been shifting little and tiny duties that could be done herself to her.

"You can't get this too, my QUEEN?" Romayo asked as she walked in to where the basket stood.

Sharma collected her cloak from her wardrobe. "You heard what you just called me. Queen."

"Still, can I get a maid to take this to where you want it to be?"

Sharma didn't answer. She came out of her dressing quarters and looked at Romayo, "No. I need these to get to Hadu and I want to make sure they GET to him. Understand? Because I want to make sure they are received by him, I have to be cautious enough that they get through someone TRUSTWORTHY. Get it?" She patted Romayo's chest, hitting against her breast. "Oh, I forgot you had those." She was being sarcastic and laughed.

Romayo was not amused.

"Come along then. " She said to her as she walked to the chamber doors and opened it.

Romayo picked up the basket, the papers weren't heavy. She grumbled under her breath and followed Sharma.

~~~

~~~

As they passed through the west wing, Verlock caught up with them.

"I've received words from Ahangadan. They will be here by evening."

"Plenty of time to hunt then." Sharma replied him. "Romayo here said Jaunt's Memorial Rig has been crowded with wild pigs and bears." She chuckled.

"I saw them myself." Romayo said to Verlock. Verlock smiled.

"When will you be back?" Verlock asked Sharma.

They turned towards the Ground Royale where she could see her horse, three knights and four guards waiting. "Magnificent!" She said, looking at the white horse.

She rushed down to where it stood, the knights and guards acknowledging her. "Drop the formalities." She told them.

She turned to Romayo, "Where did you get this horse?"

"I didn't get it." She replied.

"You didn't? Whose is it then?"

Verlock touched the horse, it was braying lightly. "It's a gift from Lord Bohan. He sent it yesterday from Demitun. He saw it running wild a month ago and tamed it for you. He figured you would like it."

Sharma smiled. "Bohan sure has good taste for good things. Even when he is a bit of an imp himself."

"I shall go drop this with Hadu then." Romayo said, directing their gazes to the basket in her hands.

"Uh-huh. Go on then." Sharma climbed onto the horse, it was swaying back and forth.

Romayo turned to go.

"Make it back on time or you might miss the fun altogether." Sharma said to her. "Don't want to leave you crying."

"I don't cry!" Romayo shouted as she walked away.

"Sure you do." Sharma said as the other knights laughed. Romayo didn't respond.

Verlock came towards the horse and asked, "How long will you take?"

Sharma rolled her eyes, exasperation in her breath. "You keep asking me that Verlock and I still do not know the answer to give you. I will be back when I am done hunting."

"I'm just saying so you will be on time to receive them."

"Verlock, if I don't make it on time, the rest of you can receive them. They are just passing through aren't they? It's not like they are heading to Aridal."

"Yes, my lady. But still, it will be simple courtesy to receive the new King of Ratarod with grace on his first visit to Aridal. What more respect could be given than him being received by the queen herself?"

Sharma looked at him, accepting inner defeat. "Sometimes I wonder Verlock, who is queen of whom."

He grinned. "It's for the betterment of the kingdom, and for my majesty's grace. The least I could do as Lord Weyback is away."

"I see. He must have drawn your ear to have me listen."

"Drawing my ear is an understatement." He laughed and patted the horse. " I shall go attend to other matters then."

Sharma watched him walk away. Verlock had been taking a lot of the burden on his shoulders. She was grateful for the help of the most important three people around her, Romayo, Verlock and Weyback.

Weyback had traveled down to Mahagnon for state matters. Sharma sent him down there because he was in a better position to handle the issue. He had been away for two weeks and will be back once he was done.

Ever since her crowning, she had been delegating duties to people based on Weyback's advice, and it had helped a lot as skilled people took over roles that she could have sworn was hard. It was all a learning process for her.

And though she had been really quiet on state matters while the others did the talking, she countered suggestions and ideas and inputted her own advice into talks—She always made the last decision.

.....

Romayo walked down the passageway that led to the court physician's chamber. His door was opened.

Some potions were bubbling in tubes and containers, and he was at the right side of the room, reading through a book he opened.

Romayo knocked on the opened door.

He turned his head slowly towards her and adjusted his glasses down. "Ahh. Come in." He said and turned back to the book he was reading.

Romayo walked in. She looked around, "Where should I drop this?"

His eyes didn't turn away from the book as he said, "On the floor by the conical flask. Just leave it there."

She didn't move.

When he didn't hear any sound, he dropped the book and turned to look at her. "Go on then."

"I don't know what you just said. Where should I drop it?"

Hadu pointed to the table by her left where the bottles where bubbling. On the floor was a basket of flasks. "The conical flasks." He said.

"You could have just said bottles." She mumbled under her breath as she walked towards it.

"I can hear you." Hadu said. "Your voice was as loud as the town's bells.". He stood up. "Who are those from?"

She dropped the basket by the flask. "Lady Sharma asked me to bring it to your quarters. I thought you were expecting them?"

"I just wanted to be sure."

"You are expecting papers from someone else?"

"Yes. I always expect papers and reports. It is part of my job." He removed his glasses; it was a glass with magnifying lens used to enlarge words. "Tell lady Sharma that I will go through it dutifully."

Romayo nodded. "Alright then. I will take my leave."

She turned towards the door. "Should I close the door on my way out?"

Hadu looked at her. "No, thank you."

As she walked out of the quarters, she saw Hadu's assistant, Rod walking towards her, helping a haggard looking man to walk. He was breathing heavily.

She gave them space by pinning her body to the wall.

"Thanks." Rod said under his heavy breath.

"You're welcome." She replied and continued walking.

...

...

"Who is this?!" Hadu asked, surprised by their presence.

Rod sat him down on a single bed in the room and rested his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. "He is...he is Amon." He stood up and tried stretching his back. "God! He is heavy!"

Hadu walked to the man and observed him; he was a middle aged man with blond hair and stubbles on his chin. He looked unkept. He touched his forehead, he was hot. "Lay him down and get a towel."

"Oh...okay." Rod said with a husky voice and laid the man flat on the bed.

"Remove his shirt. It's wet."

Rod did as instructed and went to the upper room to get a towel and a bowl of water.

"Where did you say you found him?"

"In the upper town. On the floor."

"How did you know his name?"

"He told me before he went to sleep. So I brought him here. Is anything the problem?"

Hadu shook his head and collected the bowl of water from him. "We don't have coriander here. I need you to fetch some coriander, bishopwort and wormwood. Get Gregory to give you garlic also."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"No. That will be all."

"Alright."

Rod handed the towel to him and walked hastily out of the chamber.

Hadu looked at the man before him, squeezed the water from the towel and placed it on his head.