The Crown's Obsession

Music Recommendation: Die Reisenden 2- Ben Frost

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In Hawthrone's castle, the castle guards had locked the gates while closing every other entry to exit to ensure the culprit who had poisoned the King would not escape from the castle.

One of the guards arrived at the servant's quarters and announced, "Every single person has to assemble in the main hall and not be allowed to go anywhere. Leave what you have been doing and head towards the hall right now!"

"What's going on? What happened?" asked one of the maids on hearing the guards words.

"Is there an attack?" asked another one, a frown appearing on each person's face.

"But there was no sound of weapons and we would have known," a collective sound of murmurs went around the place as all the servants started to walk towards the main hall.

With the servant's ordered to stay on one side of the castle, the royal Hawthrone family members appeared with a perplexed expression on their face. The first one was Lady Samara, who didn't know what was going on. But when she found out from the guards, she was quick to go to find her husband.

The next one was Morganna, who had been disturbed because of the commotion in the castle. She stepped outside her room.

"What is going on in the castle?" questioned Morganna with a deep frown on her face. She was trying to think of a way to maneuver around the problem that had appeared, but the people in the castle weren't giving her a moment of peace even to think. "Guards!" she yelled for them.

"My Queen! Everyone has been asked to assemble in the main hall of the castle," informed the guard who came running to her.

"For what joy? The celebration for my health has ended long ago," said Morganna. Having one dinner in her name weighed heavily on her shoulders, and right now, she didn't want to deal with another one.

The guard bowed his head, "Milady, the King has been poisoned!"

"What?!" Morganna was taken aback by this information. "Where is he?"

"He's heading to the main hall from his chambers, my Queen."

Morganna didn't wait for the guard, and she quickly headed to where her son was. When she entered the main hall, the servants had gathered to one side, and on the other, on the platform, she saw Laurence sitting on the chair, leaning his back against it.

"Laurence!" Morganna was quick to walk to where her son was. "Who poisoned you?!"

Every family had its own fights and differences, but that didn't mean Morganna loved her son less. He was still her blood, the one thing that her husband left for her. She went to take a closer look at Laurence.

Lady Samara, who was already standing next to her husband, seemed distressed, and she said, "My Queen, the King was almost going to die, he would have been dead if it weren't for Calhoun's quick thinking."

Morganna turned to look at Calhoun, her eyes suspicious. Previously, he had poisoned himself, and now he was poisoning others! Calhoun held a blank expression on his face when he met her eyes.

"Do you think someone is trying to target us?" asked Lady Samara. "First it was Calhoun and now it is the King. I am worried for our lives."

When Calhoun turned to look at the King and his wife, a sullen look appeared on his face. "It was fine when I was poisoned, but to poison my father," he shook his head, "I don't think the castle is safe anymore."

It would be if you left the castle! Thought Morganna to herself.

"You shouldn't be here, but be resting in your room, Laurence. You look pale and you need all the-" Morganna showed her concern to her son to only be interrupted by him.

"I won't rest until I know the culprit is caught and is punished with the severe most punishments handed to the person," said King Laurence. "How dare this person try to poison me and my son. I will not rest until the person is executed!"

Calhoun nodded his head in agreement, "You are right, father. Whoever did this to you, they should be punished."

The guards had started to check into each room of the servants in the servants quarters and the other rooms. It was the time of night, but every person in the castle was wide awake, waiting for the guards to find the culprit so that they could get back to their sleep. Most were curious to see who would dare to commit such an act of treason.

When Calhoun went to speak with one of the guards, Morganna followed him and demanded, "What do you think you are doing?"

"Standing in the main hall?" asked Calhoun with an oblivious tone. "I can stand on the other side."

"Don't behave innocent, when I know you are far from it!" Morganna gritted through her teeth in a low voice.

"Don't look so ruffled, grandma, people will think you have something to do with the poisoning," whispered Calhoun to her.

"I thought we had a deal that I would handle Laurence and turn you to Devon's King," stated Morganna, her eyes looking at Calhoun furiously.

One side of Calhoun's lips pulled up, and he said, "What made you think I believed what you said, that you were going to follow what was mentioned in the deal? I know you love your son, very dearly. You would never harm him. Somewhere, we both are related to each other by blood and it seems like you bestowed your cunningness to me."

"You bastard," Morganna cursed him.

After a while, the guards' head returned to report to the King, "My King! The guest rooms, the kitchen, the drawing room, the servant's quarters, they all have been thoroughly checked and there is no trace of the poison."

"What other rooms in the castle are left and have not been searched through?" questioned King Laurence. Even though he had thrown up the poison that he had consumed, he still felt weak, as if some traces of the poison was still lingering in his body.