Chapter five: Queen Zepurah.

She was once again staring at herself through the mirror, it's been three days since she entered the palace and she hadn't achieved one out of the many goals she had set. Slacking off meant losing her life, one of them has to live, and she wasn't going to leave the palace without dragging him to the darkest hades, along with herself.

The large door to her chambers opened wide apart as maidens walked in on a straight line, Ciellé was the first on the line, and as she bowed before Denville the others copied.

" Greetings your highness.....I present to you your maidens to serve in your court" she said and Denville smiled warmly at the maidens" well done Ciellé, well done " she replied still grinning widely. She approached the first maiden and placed her hand on her shoulder" what is your name again?"

" A-aquila,your high-highness" she stuttered.

" Do not fidget Aquila, you are under the care of Queen Denville, I will treat you right" Denville assured and Aquila smiled half bemusingly. Denville turned to Ciellé" she shall work with you in dressing me, prepping me and following me around" Ciellé smiled and nodded.

Aquila immediately fell on her face " oh how generous are you your highness " " immersively" Denville replied and turned to the other maidens

" Split yourselves into two halves, one half to the inner chamber the other to the outer". They all bowed "yes,your highness "

Denville turned to Ciellé and signaled to her, Ciellé nodded and faced the maidens." You are all dismissed as of now,be back from your quarters when the noon bell rings" " yes ma'am " they chorused and filed out quietly. Denville sighed after taking her seat on a wooden gold chair. "Your high-"

" Come here Ciellé" Denville said slowly after cutting off Ciellé's attempt in conversing first. She moved closer to Denville and saw her making a gesture for her to sit " sit" Denville ordered. Ciellé bowed slightly before taking her seat.

" Did you serve the late Queen?"

Ciellé moved a bit on her seat ,she was starting to feel hot " yo-your high-highness..." Denville shot a quick glance and smiled coyly." Hummm, it's okay if you do not want to talk about it-" she paused and held her hands ". But telling me means a lot to me" Ciellé,with a pale face sluggishly pulled her hands out of Denville's grip. Denville's eyes followed the slow movement, she saw how uncomfortable Ciellé was,there was indeed something behind it. She got up and moved away from her " you can leave Ciellé"

" Queen Zepurah!" Ciellé butted in and looked over at Denville' s still pose. " Yes your highness,I served in her court, I was one of her outer maidens". Denville whirled around slowly with a nonchalant look" I said you could leave Ciellé"

" Your highness" Ciellé got up speedily and tugged unto her linen apparel. " What do I do to be your person?" She added on the verge of sobbing. Denville knelt beside her and held her shoulders" you are already my person, since the day I saw you,I had mind picked you" Ciellé looked at her confusingly" your high-ness?"

Denville raised her up slowly and set her on the edge of her bed " tell me everything about the late Queen" she said and Ciellé hung her head low.

Ciellé got up and walked to the door, she turned around and saw how intensely Denville watched her, she sighed slowly and turned to the door, then locked it. She turned around again and moved towards the large curtains, pulled them down and then walked up to Denville. " Your highness....The late Queen Zepurah didn't die of panic attack" Denville got up to her feet speedily and tugged unto Ciellé's dress " wha-what did you say?"

Ciellé settled her down on the bed and held her hands firmly " Queen Zepurah was poisoned"

" Sapphires!" Denville screamed,but Ciellé was fast to cover up her mouth" your highness,keep your voice down.... we'll be beheaded if we are overheard" .

Denville who was now shivering on a spot, looked around aimlessly, breathing heavily" she-she was murdered?....in the palace?", Ciellé nodded. " But... shouldn't the king know about it, how come the kingdom thinks she died of panic attack...." She paused and stared at Ciellé suspiciously" how did you know she was poisoned " .

" I was by her side, on her dying bed.....the master of maidens had just served her her afternoon tea, and took a leave of absence immediately. Surprisingly,the queen sent her away....and by midnight,she started coughing up blood....I got scared and wanted to call for help, but her highness stopped me, she pleaded with me not to tell anyone about it, she kept coughing up blood,and when I couldn't hold it in any longer,I ran out to get help....by the time I got back with the royal physician,...she...the queen had passed on,and the physician said she died of panic attack....." She paused and took a deep breath" on the second day, I was cleaning up the Queen's chambers,then I saw the cup she used the night before under her bed, surprisingly, the cup had turned black, I was scared, I had the hunch that it was poison, and then I took it out of the palace secretly to a poison expert, and it was indeed poison .....it was tetrodotoxin....a very poisonous liquid that kills in six hours."

Denville winced a bit" then why did the royal physician call it panic attack " " that is where the suspicions starts from....the royal physician was found dead three days after the incident along side his family....I had to keep shut, to remain alive" Ciellé said and wiped her face " and the head of maidens?... where is she?" Denville inquired further

" No one has laid an eye on her ever since, she didn't come for the Queen's funeral, neither did she appear for the maidens mourning period". Denville then got up again and paced forth and back" which means, she didn't mourn her master" " yes your highness" Ciellé replied standing up as well. " Hum" Denville sighed and kept pacing, then she stopped abruptly,and turned around "the head of maidens, what is her name?"

" Leonora-leonora Barley "

Hearing this, a smile crept unto Denville's face " Leonora?..... Ciellé here is your first task"" your highness " Ciellé nodded standing bravely.

" Find out where Leonora lives, we should at least pay a visit to the scared little mouse "

" But your highness, you cannot step out of the palace yet"Ciellé cut in. " Why?"

Ciellé moved closer to her and moved her mouth closer to her ear" you have not fulfilled your marital rites" she moved back to watch the disgusted reaction of Denville.

" So....I have to sleep with the king, before I can leave the palace.....hehehehe, how glorious" she said and fell on the bed frustratedly. " We should meet with the Grand princess to pick the date your highness" Ciellé said and Denville stared lifelessly.

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Grand princess Agnes sipped her garlic tea slowly and noisily totally ignoring the presence of a soul. Denville on the other hand threw daggers at her with her eyes. " Grand princess Ag..." Grand princess Agnes raised her hand in the air and shushed her up. Denville almost got up to punch her, but Ciellé was fast to hold her down, she shook her head and Denville sighed angrily.

Finally, when princess Agnes had finished her tea she adjusted her dress proudly and stared at Denville intimidatingly, who in return spared her her full gaze. " Do not stare at your elders in such manner"

" Oh, pardon my manners grand princess,but you also suck at showing respect to your queen" Denville replied and Agnes began staring at her viscously, it was soon a staring competition, until Agnes blinked subconsciously. " Ha...I must be getting old".

" What is it you want from me" she asked this time chewing on a clove of garlic.' Damn this garlic witch' Denville thought. " Well, I want to step out of the palace....I want to commence my duties as the queen" . Agnes burst into an uncontrollable laughter on hearing this, she infact, started hiccuping " o heavens..... Ciellé, didn't you tell your queen that she cannot leave the palace without fulfilling her marital rites"

" I know, and so I have come to pick a date for it....if sleeping with the king, grants me the permission to be the queen in full, I am ready "

Agnes paused for a while and then faked a smile" already?"

"Already!"

" Okay"

Okay!"

" Fine"

" Fine!"

There was a prolonged silence again after the short battle, they were back to the staring competition.

" Ciellé out!"they both yelled in chorus suddenly breaking off the silence.

Ciellé bowed slightly," yes your highness, yes,grand princess" she was about leaving when Agnes stopped her" wait!". Ciellé turned around frighteningly.

" Why would you pay your first respect to Queen Denville?" " Gran...."

" Because one, I am the Queen, and two, I am her master, the one she truly serves.....leave Ciellé"Denville instructed after butting in " yes your highness " Ciellé said and walked out of the room .

" I see we do not get along" grand princess Agnes chirped in " we would never" Denville replied curtly. " Well as much as I would like to know why, I am barely concerned" grand princess Agnes said again raising her brow at Denville.

" Thanks for not sparing the grace" Denville replied scowling at her. Grand princess Agnes sighed and looked away. " As you know I hold the king dearly like a mother does...."

" He is your brother not your son" Denville butted in again." And who are you to say that?"

" His wife...and yourrrr Queen!"

The silence fell again and they both kept staring at each other, until Agnes blinked again" I keep losing to you" " you must be incredibly old" Denville replied without batting an eye.

" Tonight is perfect then" Agnes said finally getting up. " Great, tonight, alright, perfect, tonight's fine.....what!.. tonight!"Denville shrieked jolting up to her feet speedily. Agnes chuckled heartily " you seem to pick words slowly, is your young self getting the best of you. If you want to be a Queen-Queen,then you must perform the rites tonight " she said and walked into her inner chamber..

Denville thought for a while and then sighed" fine..but it happens in my chambers".

" Whatever" grand princess Agnes replied tiredly from within. " You should leave" she added and Denville walked out thinking of her dilemma