Chapter 161: Have Them All Executed
{Third Person}
The Alpha Prince’s residence had been completely locked down within minutes.
Royal guards surrounded the entire compound, both inside and out. Every entrance was heavily guarded, and no one was permitted to enter or leave without direct authorization from the King himself.
The atmosphere was tense enough that even the servants moved quietly, speaking only when necessary.
On Alexander’s side of the residence, the situation was even more grim.
His bedroom had been transformed into a temporary treatment chamber. Elder Mage Seraphina stood near the bed alongside several other mages as they worked to identify the poison and stabilize his condition.
Various magical instruments and alchemical tools had already been brought in, filling the room with unfamiliar scents and faint magical energy.
Alexander remained conscious, but only barely.
His face had lost much of its colour, and traces of blood still stained his lips despite the servants’ efforts to clean him.
Every now and then, another wave of pain would pass through him, causing the muscles in his jaw to tighten.
Jasper stood nearby, watching everything with a dark expression.
Unlike the mages, he did not understand the intricacies of poison or magical afflictions. But he understood one thing very clearly.
Someone had tried to kill Alexander.
And when Jasper discovered who was responsible, he had every intention of making sure they regretted it because this was not part of their plan.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the residence, another problem was unfolding.
Amara had been brought back to her bedroom and placed upon the bed while Mrs. Woods anxiously hovered nearby.
Although Amara had not regained consciousness, her body felt noticeably warmer than before.
Barron stood beside the bed with a frown as he had arrived at a conclusion he knew, but did not particularly like.
"She was drugged."
Mrs. Woods immediately looked alarmed. "Drugged?"
Barron nodded. "The symptoms fit." Then his gaze shifted toward the unconscious Amara. "She needs to cool down."
Mrs. Woods immediately understood what he was suggesting. A troubled look crossed her face.
"My Lord..."
Barron looked at her. "A cold bath would help."
Mrs. Woods became even more uncomfortable. "You know that’s dangerous for her."
Barron sighed. Unfortunately, he did know.
Mrs. Woods glanced toward Amara and said, "The weather is already cold enough as it is. If we put her in cold water, her body may react again."
Neither of them needed to elaborate.
Both knew the strange markings that appeared whenever Amara was exposed to low temperatures.
Barron rubbed his forehead. For the first time that evening, he genuinely felt stuck.
One solution carried risks.
Doing nothing carried risks as well.
Several moments passed before an idea occurred to him. "Wait."
Mrs. Woods immediately turned to him as he straightened. "I will send one of the mages over."
Immediately, Mrs. Woods relaxed slightly. "That’s a good idea."
At the very least, a mage would be better equipped to understand what was happening.
Barron nodded. "Until then, keep monitoring her."
Mrs. Woods agreed immediately.
Before leaving, Barron glanced toward the bed one final time, and for some reason, the sight bothered him more than he expected.
Without another word, he turned and left the room.
---
Elsewhere in the palace, another conversation was taking place.
Unlike most of the guests who had retired to their assigned accommodations after the banquet was abruptly ended, Zarek had not returned to his own residence.
Instead, he had gone directly to Queen Lysandra’s palace.
The moment he arrived, he began pacing back and forth across the sitting room. For nearly ten minutes, he continued without stopping.
Eventually, Lysandra had had enough and had to order him to sit down, but he ignored her.
Lysandra’s expression darkened. "Zarek."
He finally stopped moving. "What?"
"Watching you pace is making me dizzy." Her tone was flat.
Zarek stared at her in disbelief. "Mother, how can you be so calm?"
Lysandra did not answer immediately. Instead, she calmly set down her teacup. "The situation does not improve simply because I panic."
That answer only annoyed him further.
"The mages said Alexander was poisoned." Then his voice rose slightly. "Poisoned!"
Seeing his mother remain silent, he had no choice but to continue speaking. "That was not the plan."
His frustration was obvious.
"The drug was supposed to agitate him. It was supposed to destabilize his emotions and trigger an episode. It was never supposed to poison him."
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became.
"How does a drug suddenly become poison?"
Lysandra finally sighed. "Believe it or not, I am concerned as well."
That at least caused him to pause, so she gestured toward a nearby chair. "Sit."
After a brief hesitation, Zarek finally obeyed. Unfortunately, sitting did very little to calm him. His leg immediately began bouncing.
"Someone interfered."
Lysandra raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"
"I know so." Zarek leaned forward. "Somebody tampered with the plan." Then his expression hardened.
"But who?"
That question lingered in the room. Neither of them had an answer.
For a few moments, Lysandra sat quietly, considering the situation before speaking, "Perhaps this is not entirely a bad thing."
Zarek stared at her.
She continued, "If Alexander’s health has deteriorated to this extent, then eventually people will find out regardless."
A thoughtful look crossed her face. "Perhaps it is better that they do."
Understanding slowly dawned on Zarek’s face as he watched his mother lean back and add, "You should speak with certain court officials."
Immediately, Zarek knew what she meant. "The ministers?"
She nodded. "If enough people begin questioning whether Alexander is fit to continue fulfilling his duties, pressure will naturally build."
Then she said the part she had truly been thinking. "They could suggest that he relinquish some of his responsibilities to another prince."
A long silence followed. Then Zarek looked at her as though she had gone mad.
"That’s a terrible idea."
Lysandra frowned. "Why?"
"Because Alexander was just poisoned." His voice was full of disbelief. "Father is already furious."
He shook his head. "If a group of ministers chooses this exact moment to start discussing Alexander’s fitness for duty, Father may very well have them all executed."
The room fell silent again.
Even Lysandra had no immediate response because, despite everything else, they both knew one thing.
King Sebastian loved Alexander more than anyone else in the kingdom. And right now, he was a father whose son had nearly died.
That made him far more dangerous than he already was.
