Chapter 8

Leilania could not see and was at the mercy of knowing very little in this situation. feeling for him, in worry. Sarah, the maid, ran and covered the windows to hide more of the sunlight making the room darker, making it more sustainable for Alex. The princess felt around for him. She looked like easy prey in his eyes, blind and weak, "Alex! WE need to clean it! We have to hurry or your only going to suffer! Please! Let me help you!"

"I WON'T DRINK YOU!!" the Prince shouted in fear and hopelessness as he dreaded the thought of accidentally siring her in the process. He was still too young to control it. He had never drank from a living person before, ever. He could never.

Alex hissed sharply as his hand grabbed Leilania's and pulled her into his embrace. His fingers clawed into her shoulder as he struggled to hold the urge to bite down and drink as whispered, "Dalia. Someone by the name of Dalia. They know more- or someone who is involved with them..."

With that, Alexandru had suddenly fallen unconscious. His body went limp as he went under. Alex had shivered in his sleep. He was ice cold.

The world was cold, voices could be heard from his deep sleep. He was swiftly placed in the infirmary under he demand of the Princess. Druids working around the clock to clean the corruption and wake him up. An IV of animal blood provided him nutrients.

Leilannia was furious. She summoned every available guard to bring her the elf named Dalia all able-bodied guard rushed out into the kingdom to do their task.

She sat on her throne, her nails tapping against the throne as her ears perked, her guards squaring up around her as two of them brought in the elf woman in shakles.

Leilania sit up and spoke firmly facing the perpetrator, "Dalia. You will tell me what you know of the Alchemist, Amelia and her death. If you fail to do so, we will find you in contempt of the throne and be held accountable for the attempted murder of your queen. You will be executed, here and now." She stated coldly. Her fists were tight, her ears were her eyes now. She could see everything based off of the sounds she heard.

This woman who adorned a thin purple veil cloth over herself. Wrapped properly to be robes. The shackles tightly gripped upon her wrists, as a look of pure confusion and terror in her eyes. This woman, assumed to be Dalia, was brought to the front of the throne. In front of the Tree Father. All the glory and might of the Crystal tree and the high elf princess.

Dalia knew in this position, following the princess' demands was the only smart option to make. She rested upon her knees as her gaze remained lowered to her chest, as she spoke softly, "My lady?... Amelia? Do you speak of Amelia Thelvon? The Alchemist?" Dalia's look of bewilderment had been shown as this was not what she had expected. Dalia stuttered her way through to explaining everything, "S-she was a colleague; a member of my team wh-who studied on blood, trying to create bio-weapons for the Century War. She was our lead designer for weapons and poisons. She knew chemistry better than anyone else in our team. She- uh.. She had her own personal projects. Some were for fun... Others were kept hidden. Even I don't know of what she did!" She staggered for a moment as she tried to think further into the past.

Dalia's scared golden eyes darted around as she thought hard, "Sh-she had admitted to the team she had fallen for someone, but never admitted to whom! One day, she went to our king! Made some private plea with him and was never seen from again! We simply had assumed her death was given! I PROMISE you that's ALL I know!!" Dalia was visibly panicking, realizing she may not have had the information the princess was seeking and was going to be executed on the spot. she started to cry hushly, as she didn't know what to do but beg for her life. If she spoke out of turn, though, she knew that would be the end too.

The Princess tapped her nails to the wood of the throne. The once sweet looking Princess, looked like a serious queen. One that could see through anything, despite not being able to see at all, "I believe yours words," Leilania spoke firmly, "By the Tree Father's will... If you are lying, you will answer to him. Who else was involved with these projects. Who else knew of Amelia... And who took the poisons that your team were working on? Where would the antidote be?"

Dalia panted softly as releif was given to her expression, as she felt like she had nearly lost her life just then. Now that she was certain she would live after this, she spoke in a more calm tone but still had fear in her eyes, "Our team. Everyone knew her personally. Me, Blitz Forn, Claudia Maelstrom, Cirene Mydzt, and her sister, Serenity Thelvon," Dalia's eyes would lower when mentioning Serenity, Amelia's sister. Dalia continued, "When the war started, We manufactured the poison to the royal guards arrows. We had them given to everyone, but when the war ceased, we burnt the arrows. Destroyed them and made sure the files and antidotes were archived in the kings vault. Just like how our king had requested, before the war started. Blitz is now the holder of that side of the vault. I-.. I thought you would know this. Blitz resides at the vault. If there's an antidote you need, he should have it there, ready for use," Dalia felt worried that she may have just got Blitz in serious trouble or if he was even deserving of the trouble. Whomever had gotten the Princess this upset must rightfully be punished it seemed.

Leilania scoffed at Dalia's remark before she spoke, "I was left, leading my people after my fathers death, after being in a coma for a century. There is little I can read and I only know so much from word of mouth. You will be take my guards and get me everyone whose name you listed and you will all be held in separate dungeon cells until this matter is resolved," She turned to another guard, "Shackle them all! Get me Blitz Forn and the antidote. Be sure to test it first. If it's a fake, he will suffer. The life of a royal is on the line."

"aaghhh..." The voice echoed in the halls, "Be that, as it may..." Alexandru spoke hunched against the wooden wall of the end of the halls, "...We best go to this blitz, instead of bringing him here..." he staggered as a guard rushed over to keep him steady. Alex braced against the guard as the others carried Dalia away, "If he's a conspirator, he will have time to warn the others- if there are indeed others. But if the Princess came to him, unprompted and out of nowhere... We'll get the antidote immediately, and more answers, on the spot," Alex walked over to Leilania at the throne. Before she had time to speak, Alex spoke with a growl, "What in the hell are you doing?"

She gave a stubborn look of shock to Alex, "Trying to help you! You should be back in the infirmary! If I cannot lead blind, I-I cannot lead at all," She took a guards arm and spoke as she stood up, "I will deal with Blitz. You are going back to get tended to. It's too bright for you out here. I will not tolerate to hear you in anymore pain. Now go back, Alex," She spoke firmly. She seemed very dead-set on taking care of this herself. Trying to be a proper queen.

The attitude and pride of this woman!

Alex smacked the guard's hands off of him as he barked out, "MY mission was supposed to be A SECRET!!" his voice echoed in the main hall as he glared at the prideful Princess, "Now your whole kingdom knows! I was supposed to find them!" He stuck his thumb to his chest and pointed at himself, "ME!!" the color left his expression as he shouted and immediately went faint. His body lost strength and he flopped against the wall and slid to the floor.

The guard helped Alex back up and he regain his senses. Alex continued with a faint expression and a quiet tone, "You can't do this without me... Lead however you wish, but my mission has been compromised due to your gull to prove yourself and everyone that you can lead a kingdom! You want to help? DROP the superiority!" he said firmly as he grunted to struggle to stand on his own. "If you want to help, fine. You can, but you need to do this intimately. Secretly. They can flee and escape our grasp if you keep this banter going," he panted softly as he grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her closer to whisper in her ear, "It has to be someone in her family. if it's too much a coincidence her sister was involved when she left your kingdom. If the family knew, one of them had to have been the killer. Heed cautiously though, Princess. They're now my family too... I can't risk losing them too... They are now all I have left in blood." He then leaned away from her and slouched against the guard behind him. Alex finished, "But first.. This Blitz. go to him first. I'm sorry Leilania. You can't do my mission for me.