Chapter 53: Saving the Prince
The once lively air of celebration had turned into a fortress of dread.
Moments after Prince Darius collapsed, gasping and choking on the poison that ravaged his body.
With a single command, the palace guards were set into motion like a storm unleashed.
"Seal the palace," the King had said coldly, his voice like steel in ice. "No one enters. No one leaves."
Only Lira would be allowed to return in to the castle.
Immediately, heavy bronze doors groaned as they shut across every hallway. Steel bolts clicked into place. Guards flooded the vast royal halls, sweeping into rooms, checking behind every curtain, every corner.
Conversations had died. Servants clutched their trays tighter, nobles clung to their seats, and children were led away by concerned nurses.
The castle that had once glittered with warmth and laughter for the prince’s birthday now pulsed with suspicion and fear.
Torches flickered as patrols moved through the corridors. Elite knights of the Royal Guard stood shoulder to shoulder, posted at every door and exit. Even the sky above the palace grounds seemed darker.
The Queen sat beside her unconscious son, her hands trembling as she brushed strands of his damp hair away from his face. Tears streamed down her cheeks, smudging the powder on her face. "Not today... not my son, not on his birthday..."
"Find the one responsible," the King commanded the captain of the guard, his tone deadly calm. "We will interrogate everyone in this palace. No one is to leave until we find the coward that dared poison my bloodline."