Chapter 175: Fire in the library
The Queen’s shriek echoed, filling the library; Abrielle, who was initially dazzled by the sudden hit due to the force from the explosion that struck her against a nearby shelf, knocking down the books, had her head up in the clouds.
She was snapped out of her dazed state, her face pale as a ghost with her eyes wide like saucers, filled with fear and terror creeping into her shaken heart that was still recovering from the shock after what she just discovered.
Despite being in a state of shock, she knew she had to leave immediately before she was seen. From afar she could already hear the panicking voices of the queen and priestess.
Gritting her teeth while ignoring the pain that tormented her back, she struggled to get up, leaning against the wall to leave the aisle just in time before the priestess arrived at the scene to assess the situation.
Eleanor’s plan was perfect; they could claim Abrielle knew about the poisoning, that was how she could detect the poison in the tea and using her husband’s influence, she assassinated the maid before her confession could be made.
When in reality, Eleanor was the one who killed the maid; although it was technically Astrid, she let it happen. The queen suspected her daughter before meeting Abrielle. Hearing it from Abrielle did break her because she never imagined her beloved daughter could do such a thing but the milk was already spilled.
Her suspicions were on the ground, only a few had access to her food, meaning whoever poisoned the exclusive tea was close to her.
Back in the Library, the sudden heat wave and thick smoke ahead caught their attention, and immediately, they realized the library was on fire, the same area the priestess heard sounds from. "Evacuate the queen immediately; I will assess the fire, and please call for help. " The priestess instructed with a sense of urgency.
Eleanor was a bit disorganized and puzzled, but her safety was a priority compared to figuring out how a fire suddenly started. Maybe a candle fell from a lamp that was her thoughts about the cause.