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GARDEN OF POISON
Insight of the demon (Chapter 116)
Upon reaching the palace, Anastasia disembarked from the palanquin, and Theresa quickly joined her at the entrance as if waiting for her return. They moved away from the others by taking a corridor they knew no one ever walked in.
"How did the funeral go?" Theresa asked in a whisper.
"The same as the last one," Anastasia replied, adding, "Queen Maya wasn't allowed to attend."
"So I've heard," Theresa replied while casting a glance behind her to see the empty palanquins departing from the front of the palace. Meeting the young woman's gaze, she explained, "Queen Maya's voice hasn't only been echoing around the dungeon, but it also spilt outside of it, reaching the ears of the servants."
"I see," Anastasia murmured, realising the demon prince was resolute in his decisions and wasn't ready to let anything pass.
"There's nothing one can do to change the mind of one who is already determined," Theresa continued to whisper.
"Do you really believe it is that straightforward?" Anastasia asked with slight hesitation in her voice.
"Mm," Theresa nodded in affirmation before adding, "Prince Dante has always been known to follow through with his words. You did what you could, Anna," she said reassuringly, placing a comforting hand on the young woman's back.
When they came to a particular corridor, the older woman stated, "You seem to have taken a liking towards this side of the palace." It was because Anastasia had brought them here on multiple occasions. "Is it because of the garden in front of the palace?"
"It just holds a fragment of a memory," Anastasia replied, her steps carrying her forward while her gaze remained fixed on one of the many windows lining the corridor.
She came to stand right where she had once seen Marianne's ghost, with the wind blowing inside and tousling her hair just like hers did now. She said,
"I keep forgetting to ask Dante about Mary's ashes."
"Maybe you can ask him about it in a couple of days?" Theresa suggested, and Anastasia nodded in agreement. She didn't want to broach the topic while everyone was mourning King Maxwell. She turned to look to her right as she recalled the memory of King Maxwell standing at the end of the corridor. She had never got to ask him if he had seen the same apparition that day and how many times he had encountered her sister's ghost.
The next time she saw Marianne, she would have to ensure she didn't let her sister drag her around and disappear like last time. However, she hadn't seen Marianne since the night she was struck on the head. Two nights ago, it felt as if her sister had visited her at night when she was asleep. Her eyelids had been too heavy to open fully, and she had only managed to utter her sister's name before drifting back into slumber.
Anastasia and Theresa didn't move from where they stood, talking and watching the palace gates. Eventually, they saw Dante return to the palace, and his eyes didn't fail to notice her standing at the window as he made his way inside.
"The people who once belittled the first prince must be regretting their past actions," Theresa murmured after the prince disappeared from their view. The news about him effortlessly killing a minister with the snap of his fingers had spread like wildfire throughout the palace. The servants, including herself, were now scared to go anywhere near him.
"You never know when someone you believed would never succeed ends up rising above everyone," Anastasia remarked, because such was the unpredictable nature of life.
Hours passed before the royal family assembled in one of the large rooms. The servants of each member stood near the walls, almost as if they aimed to blend in with the background and never be noticed by Dante. Also present were Mr. Gilbert and Madame Minerva, who didn't know why they had been summoned there. But Dante's eyes were fixed on Anastasia, whose eyes continued to wander around the room.
"Why have we been called here?" Lady Sophia was the first to ask.
The Mother Queen took the opportunity to respond, addressing the gathering by announcing,
"Dante and I have something to share with you all and we believe everyone should be present and informed, to, in turn, relay the same information to others." All eyes were fixed on the older woman, waiting for her next words. With deliberation, she continued, "Even though it is an apparent choice with how things have turned out, I would like to release an official statement. As sad as our loss is, the throne of the king should pass to the next rightful successor. Henceforth, Dante will be the King of Versailles, and hereby, he is no longer a prince but shall be addressed as King Dante."
Although some individuals in the room wanted to voice their thoughts, they remained silent, not daring to utter a word but only silently agreeing with the Mother Queen's pronouncement. After what happened yesterday, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Dante had already assumed the throne even before the formal announcement was made.
"The news has already been sealed and dispatched through the court ministers, so that the people of Versailles and other kingdoms will be informed of it," the Mother Queen stated.
Niyasa's lips tightened in bitterness, but like the rest, she stayed quiet. The last thing she wanted was to burst into a heap of blood.
"What about the coronation?" Lady Noor inquired, as it was unheard of for a king to ascend the throne without it. "We need to welcome the new king with celebration, don't we?"
The Mother Queen turned to look at Dante, who was quietly watching everyone in the room. Feeling her eyes on him, Dante addressed the gathering.
"I have decided to forgo a coronation ceremony because of my disinterest in repeating something that has been done before. And I don't think we need one, considering the message has been effectively conveyed to everyone already," Dante stated, his voice remaining calm and unwavering. He then continued, "However, if it concerns a celebration, I am sure we can organise one just like the Mother Queen has been insisting on."
Lady Noor offered a bow in agreement with his words.
Lady Sophia inquired, "Was there anything else apart from that?" Being the first wife of King William had brought her nothing but worry, and now her worry extended to her children.
"Yes," Dante replied, only increasing the woman's apprehension. He turned to look at his grandmother's minister and said, "Aziel."
"Yes, King Dante," Aziel offered a bow before leaving the room.
A minute passed before he returned, but he wasn't alone. With him was Queen Maya, whose hands were still bound, her face flushed red in anger and humiliation. Niyasa looked happy for a moment before dread crept into her mind, and she turned to ask with concern,
"You aren't planning to execute my mother, are you?"
"That isn't how you speak to the king, Niyasa," the Mother Queen reprimanded her granddaughter.
The younger princess's eyes widened, and she offered a bow, saying, "Forgive me for my rudeness, King Dante."
Meanwhile, Emily was unsure whether her grandmother was truly scolding her sister or was simply enjoying the fact that the people who once felt secure now had to watch their backs.
"You don't have to ask for my pardon, Niyasa. I welcome death willingly," Queen Maya stated, her eyes ablaze with fury.
"Mother, please don't!" Niyasa pleaded in a hushed voice, moving closer to her mother. Unlike her mother, she had seen what Dante was capable of.
"She will not face execution," Dante declared, prompting some in the room to release their breaths. He ordered the guard, "Unchain her."
"W—What is the meaning of this?" Queen Maya demanded, her voice tinged with confusion, as the guard inserted the key into the lock and turned it to unlock her restraints.
"You haven't been found guilty of throwing my concubine into the sea or being involved with Zion. However, your movements and interactions will be closely monitored from now on, after the lie that you and Maxwell concocted about the soulmate," Dante said, his red eyes narrowing at the woman.
Queen Maya's lips trembled, and her hands shook as she asked, "You… You couldn't have freed me this morning?"
Anastasia observed how the woman struggled to control her emotions, which visibly spilled out of her. Queen Maya looked genuinely upset, and she heard her say,
"I could have seen Maxwell before he was buried..."
"Now you know," Dante's words were cold, his eyes reflecting profound emptiness. "How it feels to have a fundamental right taken from you," he stated.
Queen Maya tried hard to hold back her tears, but a single droplet escaped her eye. Even though she had been freed from the dungeon now, she couldn't gaze upon the child she had birthed, the one who had defied the fate of the other babies she had conceived, only to die.
"Speaking about the change of titles, you will now be addressed as Lady Maya," Dante informed her, stepping closer until he was standing before her. He asked her, "Was it worth it? The short tenure of being a queen that you had coveted?"
Stripped of her high status after all the attempts that had cost her son's life, Queen Maya stared into Dante's eyes with contempt. She said, "May you enjoy your kingship, King Dante, unchallenged by anyone."
But Dante didn't take offence to her words; he found them amusing since their positions were now reversed. He walked past her without bothering to offer another word, and the Mother Queen and Aziel followed him out of the room.
Once the guards left her side, Lady Noor walked towards Lady Maya and remarked, "It is good to have you back, Qu—Lady Maya."
Lady Maya glared at the woman's audacity, fully aware of the intent behind her deliberate slip, as the woman relished the sight of her downfall that returned her to her former status. She pivoted on her heel and stormed out of the room, with Niyasa swiftly following after her.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Anastasia decided to leave the room. She began walking down the corridors with Theresa when she caught sight of Prince Raylen, who was enjoying the evening view of the sea.
Having already sensed her presence, the Storm Prince turned to look in her direction and greeted her with a polite smile.
"Good evening, Lady Anastasia."
Anastasia still found the title foreign and offered the man a bow, greeting him back, "Good evening, Prince."
"Care to join me? The water reflecting the changing colours of the sky looks lovely," Prince Raylen said, complimenting the view outside. Anastasia gave him a short nod, taking a few more steps before stopping to gaze outside another window, keeping a comfortable distance from him.
Emily had already informed her about him being another demon like Dante, and she wondered what he was doing here and what abilities he possessed.
When Anastasia turned her gaze towards the sea, she concluded that it indeed looked beautiful, with shades of pink, purple and orange painted across the horizon. She remarked, "You didn't attend the funeral."
"Did you miss seeing me there?" the prince playfully inquired, his eyes trained on the sky, but his attention still on her, even without direct eye contact.
"No," Anastasia quickly replied before she lapsed into silence, deciding not to make small talk.
"You seem to enjoy taking strolls, finding more enjoyment in them than most people here do. Usually, such walks indicate that a person has a lot of things running through their mind. Do you agree?" Prince Raylen asked her.
Anastasia shifted her gaze towards the prince, who appeared to be enjoying the scenery, and replied, "I think I am simply used to keeping myself busy."
"I see. You did work as a maid before becoming a lady, a path not everyone walks," Prince Raylen responded before turning to meet her eyes. He continued, "I am not particularly fond of involving myself where I am not needed, unless I'm in the mood. Not feeling chatty?"
"No, it isn't that," Anastasia replied, sensing him probing for answers, making her slightly uncomfortable.
Without needing her to speak, she heard the Storm Prince say, "I must admit, I am surprised Dante did what he did."
He didn't go to speak further, and Anastasia asked, "You mean letting Lady Maya go free? I mean Lady Maya."
"Hmm, no," Prince Raylen smiled before clarifying, "I was talking about killing her. Although, I suppose prolonged torture is much more enjoyable than instant death when you have revenge on the to-do-list." He noticed a subtle frown on the young woman's face as she pursed her lips.
"Was he like this before too? With the killing," Anastasia asked out of curiosity. She wondered if the dormant demon inside him had kept him alive through all the wars he fought.
"You mean before he was cursed?" Prince Raylen asked before nodding and smiling, "Worse. I will spare you the details, but he seems to be doing better as the awakened demon has been softened by the presence of family, love and warmth, along with other experiences he has lived through the last twenty-seven years. However, as time passes, the human side of him will either stay or disappear."
Anastasia asked, "Why are demons like that?"
"You ask an interesting question," he pondered, a thoughtful expression gracing his handsome face, and he continued, "I guess, for some of us, it is the lives we led in this realm before being chosen to turn into full-fledged demons." He lowered his voice and said, "Back when we were still humans."
Before becoming demons, they were once human? Anastasia asked herself, staring at the prince before her. She inquired, "Do you know what happened in Dante's human life?" And she saw a faint smile tug at the corner of his lips.
Prince Raylen said, "It's a familiar narrative among demons. A difficult life surrounded by a troubled family and hostile people, which was an even harsher life than the recent time he spent here in Versailles. Here is the intriguing part. He was once married to a woman who betrayed him by stabbing him to his death."
"S—Stabbed?" Anastasia blinked.
"Mhm," Prince Raylen hummed in response. "Which is why you should be careful because he won't take kindly to any form of betrayal."
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