"Hey what's going on here?" asked Annie as she walked into her room, the door was wide open and Matt's siblings were in their room.
"Ahh Annie, your back, welcome, so how was your lesson?" asked Evie as she stood up to go meet Annie.
"It was good, but what's going on here?" asked Annie suspiciously
"Ahh well don't be angry but..." said Evie
"But what?" asked Annie as she took a step forward and saw Maddie's figure laying almost lifeless on her bed.
"What happened?? Maddie? are you okay? wake up" said Annie as she rushed to Maddie's side.
"She's not waking up, what happened?" asked Annie with worry in her eyes.
"Evie, what did you do?!" asked Annie as she sharply turned to face Evie with anger written all over her face.
Evie had never seen Annie like that before, it made her scared, and she shivered.
"Annie I didn't do anything" said Evie as she was scared.
"Oh really?" asked Annie
"Yes, why don't you believe me?" asked Evie
"Hmm well let me see, was it not you and Maddie, that were having this stupid prank war of yours, and now it went out of hand" said Annie
"But... But" said Evie
"But nothing, I told you two to stop and yet you didn't listen to me now look what has happened" said Annie, she sounded like a mother scolding her child.
Meanwhile all of Evie's siblings (except for Levi), were just watching the show without interfering, they didn't want to be caught in Annie's anger, and also Evie never got scolded by her favourite person before, so it was a little bit fun to watch.
"Annie, believe me I didn't do this, what happened was that-" said Evie as she was cut off by Annie.
"I don't want to hear it" said Annie
Evie looked like she was about to cry, but Annie didn't care, she had warned her and now, Maddie was unconscious and pale.
"Okay that's enough" said Matt as he finally stepped in.
"But Matt, can't you see how Maddie looks right now?" asked Annie
"Yes I can, but Evie did not do this" said Matt
"She was poisoned and not by Evie" said Matt
"Then by who?" asked Annie
"We don't know" said Matt
"Maddie just suddenly collapsed in pain, and if not for Evie being there, we would not have got to her in time, and we also would not have gotten my mom her quickly to save her" explained Matt
"So instead of accusing Evie, you should be thanking her" said Matt, he was rarely on Evie's side, but when he was, he was sure to support her all the way, she was his sister after all, his very very annoying sister, but she always just meant good in the end.
"Really??" asked Annie as she looked at Evie, and Evie nodded.
"Awww, Evie, I'm sorry for shouting at you and accusing you, I wasn't thinking, would you please forgive me?" asked Annie, she was very fast to apologize when she was wrong.
"It's fine Annie, I know you didn't mean it" said Evie as she forced a smile
"Awww, I'm so so so sorry" said Annie as she went to hug Evie.
"I won't doubt you again" said Annie
"Really?" asked Evie
"Yes" said Annie
"Yayyyy" said Evie as her countenance changed quickly.
"Haha" laughed Annie as she broke their hug.
"Anyway, we need to find out who did this and if it was intentional or not" said Annie
"That is true" said Matt
"We need to tell Aunt Stella" said Annie
"I agree, but I am sure that my mom already told her" said Matt
"Okay, then when will Maddie wake up?" asked Annie
"I'm not sure, but my mom said that she should wake up soon" said Matt
"But in the meantime, we should relax" said Matt
"Yes, you are right" said Annie as she sighed
"Well then, who wants to play hide and seek while we relax?" asked Evie
"I do" came the voices of her siblings
"Sure why not" said Annie as she laughed
"Haha Yayyy, I will be the seeker" said Evie
"Haha okay, but wait where is Levi??" asked Annie after she did a headcount, there were just too many Sundew siblings for her to keep track off.
"Ahh well he got punished and he has to write "I will not disobey my mother" 100 times" said Matt
"Ahhh, that's tough, I bid him goodluck" said Annie as she laughed.
"Haha" laughed Matt
Meanwhile back in Stella's Office.
"My Chancellor, I have gathered all the Palace Staff, should they meet you in your office?" came the voice of Adrian as Stella was busy in her office.
"Good, but now that I think about, let the rest of the staff go, only the kitchen staff should stay back, and they should meet me in the cells" said Stella
"Okay my Chancellor" said Adrian
Stella didn't see the point of keeping all the Palace staff for questioning, as far as she knew, Maddie never went out of the side of the Palace that she was, and all the other Palace staff were oblivious to her existence.
Only the Kitchen staff in this part of the Palace, knew that she was here, and judging from the way she was poisoned it was very likely that the culprit was poisoning her food little by little, and only the kitchen staff had access to her food, which was why she suspected them.
"My chancellor" bowed Adrian as he saw Stella approaching.
"Are they in there?" asked Stella
"Yes" replied Adrian
"Good, I want to talk to them one by one" said Stella
"It will be arranged, My Chancellor" said Adrian
"Thank you" said Stella
Stella could be seen sitting down on a chair, in a lit white room, when someone walked into the room.
"My Chancellor you called for me" said a man as he walked into the room.
"Yes, take a seat" said Stella as she gestured to the seat in front of her.
"Thank you, Chancellor" said the man
"I don't know if you have heard, but there have been rumors of poisoning in the Palace, and the main suspects are the kitchen staff, and considering that you are the chef of the palace, I am sure that you must know something" said Stella
"No, my Chancellor, I would not dare poison you, or any other professor or guest in the palace" said the man as he did not look scared and he was sincere.
"Really? then tell me why my guest was poisoned?" asked Stella
"My chancellor, I do not have the guts to do such, I have been cooking in the Palace kitchen since my young days and this is the first time that anyone has been poisoned" said the man
"So you are saying that it's not you who poisoned my guest?" asked Stella
"Yes, my Chancellor, believe my words I would never" said the man
"Okay then, do you have an idea of who would?" asked Stella
"No my Chancellor, I trust my team, we have been working together for years, and they will not dare poison your guest, knowing full well of the implications they would be caught in" said the man
"Alright then, you may go" said Stella as she dismissed him
"Thank you My Chancellor" he said as he bowed and left the room.
"Adrian send the next person in" said Stella
"Yes my Chancellor" said Adrian
After twelve people, Stella was getting fed up, witch after witch, they kept on saying the same thing, that their loyalty forever lies with her and that they would never even dare think of poisoning her guest, once thing was clear for sure, the culprit was closer than she thought.
"Adrian send the next person in" said Stella
"I am sorry my Chancellor, but that last Witch was the last of the kitchen staff" said Adrian as he walked into the room.
"Really?? that went quicker than I expected" said Stella
"My chancellor you look tired let me pour you a glass of water" said Adrian as he walked over to the desk and poured a glass of water and handed it to Stella.
"If I may ask my Chancellor why are you interrogating the kitchen staff?" asked Adrian as he stood at a distance in front of Stella.
"Well Adrian, someone was poisoned" said Stella as she drank the water,
"Oh? who?" asked Adrian
"It was Maddie" replied Stella as she put her cup down.
"Is she alright?" asked Adrian
"Yes she is, luckily Lucinda was quick to detoxify her" said Stella
"That is good" said Adrian, Stella was quick to notice a glint of something weird in Adrian's eyes as he talked.'
"Hmm" said Stella
"Adrian tell me, how long have you been serving me?" asked Stella
"For 8 years my Chancellor" replied Adrian
"Such a long time, and you have never given me any reason to doubt you" said Stella
"Yes my Chancellor" said Adrian
"So tell me... do you know who poisoned Maddie?" asked Stella
"Or did you do it yourself?" asked Adrian
"Why my Chancellor, don't you trust me?" asked Adrian as he looked up
"Quite frankly at this point I do not" said Stella bluntly and before she knew it Adrian threw a dagger at her face, but luckily she dodged it by moving her head to the right.
Adrian tried to run, but he could not, he looked down at his legs and saw a chain come out of camouflage and it was hooked to his ankle, he could not move.
"Don't bother trying, don't waste your magic. That chain is invincible, now tell me why you poisoned Maddie" said Stella as she walked to where Adrian was.
Stella started suspecting Adrian, from the moment he walked into the room, the way he moved was stiff and the mention of Maddie's name made him loose his composure, Stella then casted a chain spell, and it was dormant, until he tried to move.
"You really do deserve to be Chancellor of the whole Witch Realm" he said with a smile, that was not that of an innocent person.
"No need for small talk, tell me why my most trusted ally would poison Maddie" said Stella
"Let's get this straight, I am not your most trusted ally" he said
"In fact, I am not Adrian at all"