Bitter Lavender

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…

Adelaide stormed through the hallways, her heels making a clicking sound each time they met the marbled floor. Her hair swung side to side, up and down, as she let her legs walk themselves. Her mind was a muddled mess. Why does that woman keep interfering? Does she have the guts to actually aim for Countess? What will she do next?

Thoughts raced back and forth inside her mind, never being peaceful. Her usual calm demeanor was ripped apart by confusion and anger.

She should have gotten rid of the woman when she first appeared. Like a weed, she has sown her roots deep in the ground.

Adelaide came to the conclusion that her influence in this household is waning. Maids stopped bowing at her, Clyde takes away her household budget, and the stares of other nobles every time she attends a tea party.

Everyone knows Adelaide's time is short, a wife without the love of her husband is weak. A lamb wandering alone through a lion's den.

With a deep sigh, Adelaide looked up and stared at the large wooden doors in front of her. Their dark luster had always captivated her, and yet she always loathed every time she stepped foot into the room on the other side. Only bad things happened behind this door.

With a deep breath in, she knocked on the doors.

Suddenly, her knees went weak and her hands started to shiver and shake. Why was she so nervous? It was only her study, a place of work.

When Mariam opened the door to see Adelaide shaking, she started to worry and sweat a little herself.

"Countess? Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh yes… thanks for asking Mariam…"

She stepped into the large office and headed for the leather bound chair in the center of the room. Her desk was minimalistic, only the essentials were seen on it. The room surrounding her was elegant and simple, unlike the dining room she was just in.

The simplicity was calming to Adelaide, her heart beat started to slow and her hands no longer shook. With a slight smile, she turned to Mariam and parted her lips.

"How was Coles day today?"

"Yes ma'am. It was normal with nothing out of the ordinary. He ate breakfast at 7am and took his morning walk shortly after. Followed by his tutoring and fencing lessons at 9am. He ate lunch at 12pm and went back to his lessons. He ended his schooling at 6pm and spent his free time in the library. That is all."

"Good, at least that child is safe…"

She couldn't protect herself or her reputation, but she could still guarantee his ascension to Count. If she had to die along the way, then so be it.

"Please prepare some lavender tea, I would like to drink some as I finish this paper work."

"As you wish."

Mariam bowed and turned to leave, all with the grace of a swan.

Adelaide put her hand to her forehead, feeling the headache coming as she looked at the stacks and stacks of paper on her desk. Clyde would definitely take away her household privileges but let her keep doing the family's taxes, management, and all the general dirty work the Count should be doing.

No way would he give the grunt work to his bitch.

Feeling her headache worsen, she picked up the first paper and put her quil to the paper. Work always helped get these intrusive thoughts out of her head.

~~~

It didn't take Mariam long to prepare the tea, after many years of working with the Countess she could practically do such small tasks with her eyes closed.

Mariam had spent 30 years working at the Carlisle mansion, her once youthful face has been marked with age as wrinkles hang around her eyes and cheeks. Her hands used to be smooth and beautiful, now they are wrinkled by years of work.

Adelaide felt immense gratitude to the maid, she had always been by her side. Even when she was pregnant with Cole.

Although, recently she has been quiet and refused to meet Adelaide's gaze. But she just shrugged it off as a phase of some kind. Not much to worry about when a maid has been serving you for 25 or so years.

The tea was brought in on a silver and bronze platter. Surrounding the tea was a variety of small pastries and cookies, none of which Adelaide usually ate. Lavender tea was a bitter fruity tea, so having sugar cookies didn't fit the palette of Lavender tea.

Mariam gently placed the platter in front of Adelaide.

Her hands began to shake, so she respectfully placed them behind her back and bowed to Adelaide.

"Are you alright Mariam?"

"Yes Countess, thanks for your concern. Please, drink the tea and enjoy."

"Yes, I will. You may leave now."

Mariam simply bowed her head but didn't leave her place in front of Adelaide. Tension began to build in front of Mariam, her forehead was speckled with small beads of sweat and her eyes had a feeling of expectation in them.

Adelaide squinted her eyes at the tea, everything was perfect. The gentle leaves flowed at the bottom of the tea and the light purple color was exactly as it should be. The gentle placement of cookies next to the tea was a clear sign of how much effort Mariam had put into making the tea and desserts.

So, Adelaide picked up the delicate cup and brought it up to her mouth. The bitter tea flowed into her mouth and down her throat, the tea wasn't hot nor was it cold. A lukewarm kind of feeling. This was new, Mariam usually made her tea warm. Never was it lukewarm.

As she went to place the tea cup down on the platter, Adelaide suddenly had to force vomit back down her throat.

She gasped for air as the vomit stuck in her throat began to suffocate her. Soft gurgling and crackles of spit echoed in the silent room.

Mariam stared at Adelaide, her hands shaking and her eyes tearing up.

"Mari… he… help me…"

"I'm sorry Countess…"

As Adelaide begged for help, Mariam kept quiet and stood in place. Her feet rooted to the marble floor, eyes fixated on Adelaide's face.

The Countesses face started to turn a slight blue, then purple. Her body had seizures and horrible retching sounds came from her mouth. Vomit was mixed with blood each time she swallowed, sometimes she couldn't force everything down. Eventually she gave up struggling, she let her hands fall and stopped trying to move from her seat.

She knew it was useless, poison and poison resistance was underdeveloped in Bleanavion. She could feel her body starting to lose strength, her normally cold body was beginning to freeze to a point where she couldn't handle it anymore. Each pitiful breath spiked pain in her lungs and every thought was muddled.

The last thing she could remember as she stared up at the pristine white ceiling was his eyes. The pale blue eyes and blue-black hair of the little boy who changed her life.

His small hands and little feet, how every motion of his was clumsy and full of childlike innocence.

It then dawned on her that she would no longer get to see his wide view of emotions. Never walk alongside him during life, never be there when he gave her a grandchild, or when he would go through the ups and downs of life.

She would leave her little boy alone in this pitiful mansion, a baby bird left struggling in a lion's den.

As her vision became tunneled, she let a single tear streak down her cheek and onto the marbled floor.

"C… Co… Cole…"

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