Kellan warned Mildred not to set foot in the garden until it was safe, because as expected, Bas stationed a few guards around the rose garden to arrest whoever was secretly working on the roses.
Bas could not tolerate seeing the prince's spirits being lifted by the sight of the pretty flowers, so he wanted to capture the gardener and put an end to the matter.
Instead of Mildred entering the palace grounds, Kellan would announce he was going for a walk and take a stroll in the garden alone. During that time he would make his way to the back wall where he would slip his letter through a hole in the bricks which Mildred would collect on the other side.
It was an easy exchange that was only possible because Bas was under the impression that Kellan was too feeble and weak minded to orchestrate such a scheme.
Nevertheless, a few days after he put the letter in the wall, he found a small note tucked into the bricks. It was from Mildred saying that she had successfully sent out the letter to his uncle.
Everything was falling into place.
During the remaining time until the next month, Kellan ate all his meals, he consumed every morsel.
He knew that since he usually ate so little food, Bas put the poison into every dish, ensuring that even if Kellan only ate a bit of his food he would still consume a little poison everyday.
By consuming every plate of food that was set in front of him during meal times, Kellan was taking in many more times the poison than he did.
It was a reckless practice but it was all for a good reason. On the 1st Day of the 4th Month, he intended to put on a grande and heartbreaking show. On that special day, a huge banquet would be held to open up the spring season. The entire Royal Harem would be in attendance as well as all the ministers and their immediate families. It was the day that Uncle Bayard would enter the palace and expose the truth in front of the entire court. He would reveal the framing of Kellan's mother and convince everyone that her maid gave a false testimony.
It was going to be a glorious day, in the meantime Kellan had some a special task to take care of: each night he got out of his bed and sat on the floor to meditate.
He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing until he was in sync with his body. By doing this technique he could hone in on his magical energy and visualise the state of his magical core.
In his previous timeline he had not realised he was being poisoned until he was twenty years old, however, at the moment he was only thirteen which meant his core was much less damaged and would take a much shorter time to repair.
His center of magic was like a bright sunshine filled egg at the center of his head. It was like a hidden third eye.
At the moment his magic core was glowing a very dull yellow colour with a few hairline cracks running through it. It was damaged but still very treatable if he got help in time. In the meantime Kellan focused on applying immediate relief to the problem.
He concentrated on his third eye and let the warm sun shine like energy swirl around inside the egg. It was a technique that he learned in his previous timeline to help deteriorating magic cores.
Kellan did this every night for six hours, thereby ensuring that his magic core did not take anymore damage. However, this meant that the potion targeting his magic core displaced the damage and dealt it to different parts of his body.
As the month came to a close, Kellan found it harder and harder to stay focused, his breath became more shallow, it was even tiring to walk across his palace, but he was content knowing that it would all be over soon.
"Bas," Kellan called out to the butler as he flipped through the pages of an old book.
"Yes, your highness." Bas took a step towards him. Kellan glanced up to see that Bas was wearing a very handsome suit. The front was sewn with silver buttons and the waistcoat was made of a rich emerald velvet. They were not clothes meant for a servant.
Bas was growing more and more daring, but Kellan did not say anything as it all served a purpose.
"I have decided to attend the banquet tomorrow."
"Your Highness?" Bas's face went pale, as if he had received a great shock.
Kellan looked up from his book and stared pitifully out the window. He would put his acting skills to use.
"It's been so long since I have seen the Emperor... and I wonder how much my siblings have grown. Yes, I'd like to see them again." Kellan sighed deeply as he turned a page.
Bas clutched his hands together and smiled sweetly as if he truly cared for the prince's well being.
"But, Your highness is not well. It would be too much of a strain on your body to go to such a rowdy place like a banquet."
Kellan nodded and sighed as if he was thinking deeply about the topic. "You are right. I'm not in the best condition. Then, I won't attend the beginning of the banquet, I'll arrive for the second half and only stay so long as I feel up to it."
"But, Prince Kellan, I must insist—"
"Then that's settled. I will go to the banquet and greet my family. Please send word of my plans to the Emperor." Kellan cut him off before he could object again.
"As you wish."
Bas didn't bother to hide the sour look on his face as he curtly bowed to the prince and stormed out of the room.
In Kellan's previous timeline, he had been so depressed that he rarely got out of bed, so his interactions with Bas were kept to a minimum and he did not experience Bas's arrogance. This time around, Kellan was experiencing the full force of how out of control his manor had gotten.
He truly was a prince in name only because his butler was running things behind the show. Even if Bas was still somewhat polite to him, it was only lip service.
********************
Bas left the other servants to keep watch of Prince Kellan and left the prince's palace by himself.
He kept his head down as he hurried behind the walls of the other palaces, trying to be as inconspicuous as he could be. He finally arrived at the small and private metal gate of his mistress's palace. He checked his surroundings before hastily taking a key out of his blazer pocket and unlocking the gate.
Once inside, he closed the gate behind himself and entered the main palace through the back door that was left open for him.
Once inside he could relax a little. He rolled his shoulders and walked down the corridors comfortably. He was headed towards her drawing room where she often preferred to have her midday tea.
Before Bas opened the door he could hear muffled whimpers.
He knocked twice and waited for Consort Celeste's personal maid to agree to his entry.
"Come in."
Bas quickly entered the room and got down on one knee before the Consort. "Greetings, My Lady."
Bas glanced to his side where he saw a beautiful young maid kneeling on the floor beside him. Her simple maid's uniform could not hide her sweet beauty that was comparable to some of the best looking women in the harem. Glossy blonde hair and bright blue eyes that were currently swelling up with tears because of the scalding hot tea pot she was holding in her bare hands.
It was clear that she was being punished, rather cruelly, by the Consort. Bas had to hold back a snicker at the pathetic sight of the young maid crying.
Celeste took a small bite of the gold encrusted biscuits that were sent to her by the emperor.
"Hmm, delicious." Her bright red lips curved up into a smile. "The confections his Majesty gave me are wonderful, as expected."
"Would you like to try one, Nia?" Celeste stared down at the girl holding the hot teapot, waiting for a reply.
"I wouldn't dare!" Nia pushed her words out quickly so she would not whimper from the scalding pain burning her fingers. "I could never dare to hope for something that belongs to you, my Lady." She bit down on her lip to hold back her tears.
"Very well." The dame took another bite of her biscuit with a satisfied smirk. "Since you've learned your lesson, you can put that down now."
The girl hurriedly set the tea pot down on the table and clutched her red fingers in her lap.
"Remember your lesson for the next time you are around his Majesty. Now get out." Celeste's eyes were even more scorching than the teapot, so the Nia raced out of the room immediately after curtseying.
Bas was still kneeling on the floor when the door shut behind the girl. He glanced up at the Consort's face and was once again taken aback by her beauty. The fact that this woman could be so gorgeous but shockingly cruel at the same time mystified and made him sure that she would be the next Queen to rule over the royal harem one day. That was why he decided to lie his loyalties with her.
Consort Celeste picked up her cup of tea and glanced down at Bas.
"That's a rather refined suit for a servant, your master must be quite generous..." She mused and drew the cup to her red lips.
"The young master is too weak to oversee to his quarters, and perhaps too unfocused to notice when his allowance is running a little thinner than usual..."
Bas dragged his fingers over the silver thread and silver buttons of his new suit that he had purchased with the prince's funds.
Celeste giggled at the plight of that young prince. News of his decline always served to lighten her spirits.
"Then what exactly has brought you to my palace today?" She curiously looked down at the butler.
Bas could not help but gulp nervously as she focused all her attention on him. "Well, you see, the prince suddenly announced that he would attend tomorrow's banquet."
The Dame's expression dropped and consequently so did the temperature of the room. Her fingernails tapped the porcelain cup as she stared off into the distance for a while.
"And you have yet to dissuade him from going?"
"Unfortunately yes, my lady."
"Did the prince say why he wants to go?"
"He talked about seeing his siblings again and wanting to meet with the Emperor..."
Celeste's face hardened at the mention of the Emperor. She knew if that boy said the wrong thing in front of the Emperor her life could get quite complicated. The only person who could implicate her involvement in his current situation was Bas, but still she felt very uneasy about the prince meeting the emperor.
"You cannot stop your Master if he wishes to go, but I worry deeply about how he will fair in such a bustling environment. Send word to the coordinator of the banquet that the Prince's body is frail and cannot take the full force of the banquet. He is to be seated at the back do the hall, on the top floor, as far away from the emperor as possible."
"Yes, my lady."
"Otherwise, how are you master's meals?" She picked up her cup again.
"Excellent, my Lady. He is eating more than usual and thus the special ingredient is working with better results now."
She nodded feeling a bit better knowing that the prince was speeding up his own departure from this world. Finally, the last stain of that wretched Queen would be out of her sight and she could relax completely.
"When he finally succumbs to the poison, send word for me. I would like to see his dead body for myself."
Bas flinched at her morbid wish, but nodded. "Yes, my lady."