20
Agatha watched as the palace maids settled down the teapots Beatrice talked about earlier.
"Let's get this over with." She muttered under her breath. Her gaze met with Anthonette, lady Anthonette's face grew with concern. "Oh right." Agatha just recalled that her cheeks were redder than blush.
She slightly touched the print. "Oh me and Beatrice had an argument, forget about me my lady, the fact that you actually honored my invite, I don't consider the pain at all." Agatha wished she could have bit her tongue and die, she also wished that she at least gave Beatrice a good beating before they were separated.
She took her seat as the maids brings two cups to the table.
"I see you have seven teapots." Anthonette mutters.
"I picked out the best of the best tea in Cordenia, my lady may pick from any of the teapots." Anthonette nodded at Agatha's request.
Anthonette was wearing a sleeveless emerald gown imprinted with golden thread that resembled spirals. She had her hair in a bun, embroided with diamond beads.
Agatha didn't want to admit that the lady was really beautiful. She watched Anthonette pick a teapot with the help of the maids, pouring whatever luck Anthonette might have.
They both found their selves seated with nothing but them in the room. The maids left and Anthonette had her guards wait outside, this was the perfect opportunity to poison Anthonette.
"How old are you lady Agatha ?" Agatha wasn't expecting that question, she didn't really know what to expect, having a conversation with Anthonette.
"19."
Anthonette smiled while the tip of her index finger light tapped the edge of the cup. "My Maid is a year younger than you. But either way don't you think you're too young to die." Anthonette watched Agatha's face grow in visible confusion.
"What are you talking about ?" Agatha asked. She couldn't know about the teacups, could she ?
"You haven't drank from your cup, do you think I picked the poisonous teapot ?" Agatha has many things running through her mind but her main question was how did she know about it ?
"You might be wondering how I found out, other than you not touching your cup at all you've actually poisoned me before." Anthonette muttered as Agatha wondered if the lady had lost her marbles. "This is my first time." Agatha assured.
"In this life of course." Anthonette pitched in.
"In my second life you actually tried to poison someone else using this method but now that I think of it, you might have actually wanted me dead like you do now."
Agatha tapped her finger on the table trying to piece whatever the lady spilled. "Why did you come when you knew you were going to be poisoned ?" Agatha stared down at the lady for answers.
"Same reason to why you came here to carry the Emperor's assassination plot, I had no choice, rather I came in hopes to offer you a proposal..." Anthonette said lifting up her cup and taking little sips. Agatha wondered if she was actually insane for drinking for all she knew Anthonette might have picked the poisonous tea.
"What proposal ?" Before Agatha could drink from her cup Anthonette warned her not to take any further sips. "First of all I don't know if the tea I'm drinking is poisonous. If it is the one that's supposed to be poisoned is me." Agatha drops her cup almost immediately.
"Aren't you going to die ?" Agatha asked, it wasn't her place to worry but she couldn't help but be concerned. "Don't worry about me.." funny enough a stream of blood line down from Anthonette's nostril. "Shit." Anthonette cussed.
"Well now we know it's poisonous." Agatha mocked. "I've already taken potions for this in a few minutes I'm likely going to end up sopored, that's if I'm lucky. I don't know how long but like I said I have a proposal."
"And that is ?"
"I want your dedication to me and only me, in other words your loyalty." Agatha didn't know what to expect from this mad woman.
"Is my loyalty that worth it ? You even walked into a trap for it."
Anthonette chuckled. "You're still young but I see your potential, everyone sees you as this pathetic brat who kisses up to the prince, it appears that way but I see you as something much more Agatha, I see you as an ally and I know what you truly want and I will give it to you if you swear your loyalty to me alone." Agatha was almost moved, no, if Anthonette kept talking she would be bought.
To test if she really knew what she was after, she cornered Anthonette. "Then what do I truly want ?" A coy smile greeted her lips and Anthonette admist the blood flashes a smile as well.
"Power, in other words you want to be the next Empress of Cordenia." Agatha was bemused but that was in fact true. "What makes you think I would even want that ?" Agatha pushed Anthonette a little bit to the edge.
"Because that was what the Emperor promised you three years ago when he took you as a concubine but all you were known for was the Emperor's Jade." Agatha could hear the mummurs all over again.
'is she not too young to be a concubine ?'
'The Emperor probably told her his usual White lies like he did with the rest of us'
'i give her two weeks if she doesn't satisfy his highness she'll end up for display, just like Beatrice'
But how could she have known she was taken advantage of. Instead of being helped everyone watched her dance into the Emperor's claw.
She swore she would prove them wrong and become Empress, whatever it took but with everything she's done she's going to end up dying.
"If the Emperor couldn't make me Empress, what makes you think you have enough influence to try ?"
Anthonette could see she was getting to Agatha so she didn't waste time to have her fully on board. "Well the influence could start from you, besides what do you have to lose ? The Emperor promised you the title of Empress and soon enough if I don't intervene you will die. If you get to live another day don't you think I could have that influence eventually ?" Agatha remained mute, this woman was going to help her out and just asked for nothing but her loyalty.
"Don't you think you should be the Empress ? You're the one with Imperial blood."
"I have no interest to sit on the throne besides I told you I was going to make you Empress, I didn't tell you if it would be Cordenia.." The smile that was glued to Anthonette's face shook Agatha to her core. She could make her Empress of any kingdom.
Was this why The Emperor feared Anthonette ? But she wants nothing to do with the throne.
Anthonette starts coughing up blood. "I see you're convinced, you will carry me to my guards while I'm still conscious, I'll ensure your safety in their hands. Until I wake up I want you to gather information about the Empress, is that simple enough ?" Agatha nods getting up to assist Anthonette from her chair and to the door.
••••••
Violette watched as Damon finally died from the extreme torture the prince subjected him to. He didn't utter a single word and died.
She shivered in her cell, she didn't know how it happened, how they got discovered all of a sudden even though they were careful.
She realized she just walked into a trap but she was glad Lady Anthonette was safe in the castle.
"Release her." The prince ordered as the cell was unlocked. She was dragged by two escorts out of the cell and to the stage where Damon was tortured.
Everyone roared in uproar, mostly people affected by the Inn incident.
The prince squat to her position, he held on to her necklace that helped her disguise as the Empress.
"Impostor." He hissed yanking the necklace from her as it reveal her actual identity.
The prince smile he earlier fell on seeing Violette. "Well, well, well. Look everyone the Empress's impostor. Seeing as your face isn't scarred isn't it unfair to the people you gave burn scars." He hold her full face in his grasp pulling out his sword gently pressing it inches away from her eye.
Violette tried to shake from his grasp but he held her face firmly.
"Behead her..." Everyone in the audience agreed, the prince wanted the same torture process but it's not like he had the time.
Eden slowly leaned towards her but slowly traces his lips towards her earlobe, what ever he said to her before she went manic stroke the people to their core.
Violette was held down by a few knights and in an instant she was beheaded by Eden.