Don't question my authority again,"

The old woman surely didn't disappoint. Through acts of trickery and pretending to be an Oracle, she finally came face to face with King Kian. The old woman's ways led her straight to his door and soon they were in a passionate relationship despite the current Queen having not yet passed.

Soon she was with child and in order to legitimise her child's status she convinced the King to marry her. Queen Nova was practically a corpse anyway and her name had been smeared throughout the kingdom so he agreed.

Words like 'what heinous sin did she commit for both her and her son to fall ill' were a part of Odassal's dinner time conversation. Some even speculated that to get her beautiful appearance she had drunk and bathed in the blood of several virgins thus the gods punished her and her offspring.

It was easy to guess who spread such rumours. This made Queen Rhea wonder why this mysterious old lady held such a grievous grudge against Queen Nova. That question was never answered. One might ask for such a prize how much did it cost Queen Rhea? The old woman's requirements were simple.

She wanted her to take an inky dark potion each year and when her son finally sits on the throne, she would be the one in control in the background. She wanted Kian to be a puppet King as she ruled Odassal.

Queen Rhea didn't object to such a beneficial arrangement. She would have the finest things and live the lavish life of a queen for the rest of her life. But despite their partnership, she still feared this woman who carried with her a deadly aura.

The old woman chuckled lightly but that laugh send shivers all over her body like something sinister was crawling all over her skin. "Here... drink," said the old woman holding out the familiar bottle but this time the contents weren't black but a deep shade of red.

Queen Rhea glanced at the vile with a doubtful expression. She parted her lips to ask but the woman spoke first, "You drink when and what I tell you to drink," with a hint of impatience.

She took the vile from the old lady's hand only for her fingers to accidentally touch that icy cold skin. With a soft click the lid popped open and she tilted her head downing all the contents.

The taste was different from the ones before and it stained her lips red like blood. She could feel an uncomfortable burn as it slid down her throat.

Pleased, the old lady took the vile away and said, "You should go find your King now and perform your marital duties."

Queen Rhea: "..."

She was appalled by that demanding tone like it was a matter of fact. "You can't dictate when I should sleep with my husband," she said but the old lady smiled mockingly her sharp gaze turning cold.

She took something from her sleeve and crushed it with her fingers before it turned into white dust. She flung it in her face and soon Queen Rhea's already pale complexion turned ashen.

Her eyes wide open she began to make choking sounds while clawing at her neck and struggling to breathe. Her throbbing purple veins underneath her skin became even more prominent with the fear of death in her eyes.

The old lady watched on coldly as she suffered like a sadistic person. Just as she looked like she was about to breathe her last, the old lady freed her from her pain. Her cheeks were pinched hard to the point that Rhea feared her jaw would be broken.

An elixir was poured down her throat and she was instantly hit with a sense of relief. Breathing heavily with her hand on her chest she spoke intermittently. "Yo... you almost... killed... killed me," she said and the old lady took out a handkerchief and wiped her fingers carefully like she had touched something dirty.

"Don't question my authority again," she said her eyes glinting a tyrannical light. "Do you understand?"

Queen Rhea nodded her head before struggling to get out of her bed. She put on her silk gown while the old woman spoke, "You don't have to worry about Nova and Roan. Roan must think that he is well but the poison is slowly withering him from the inside. The same goes for Nova. He has no way of saving himself or his mother. Just don't be impatient and touch Queen Nova because the biggest suspect will be you," she said before turning to leave but Queen Rhea suddenly stopped her.

"Wait... I did what you said about Roan. I picked the girls to your specifications but he has developed an interest in a servant girl," she explained in a hurry and the old woman's steps paused.

She turned back slowly and asked with a contemptuous tone, "You can't even deal with a maidservant? Didn't you learn anything from the time I helped you get rid of that troublesome couple?"

Queen Rhea knew that it was different. She used her position as a fake oracle and the intoxicating enchantment from the potion coursing through her body to convince King Kian to execute the couple who could ultimately ruin their plan.

Under her spell, it was easy to coax him into executing them publicly. As expected, the old lady was right. After the couple's deaths, Roan woke up.

This time it was a different scenario. No matter how she tried to get rid of Freya, her plans had been foiled. She couldn't just go to Roan and ask him to get rid of her. If anything it would get him more interested in her instead.

"There are so many ways you can handle her without any retaliation. This is important because whoever he marries will affect my plan so deal with it," said the woman before she vanished into thin air.

Queen Rhea sat there in a daze for a while before recalling what the old woman instructed her. She dressed in a sensual thin nightgown that reached her ankles but outlined her graceful figure perfectly arousing the interest of plenty.

With her maidservants leading her path down the hall she arrived at the King's chambers and without announcing herself she entered. The door closed with a soft click and soon ambiguous sounds filled the room making the most serious of guards very uncomfortable.