Ether took a step closer to the krocus plant, smelling the flowers, her heart growing colder with each passing beat.
"Is everything alright, Ether?" Asterion asked from behind, sensing the change in her aura.
"Yes, your highness. I just felt a little guilty to pluck them." Ether said before plucking two flowers.
"This species seems a little different from the ones at my home. So I would experiment with them first." Ether said, trying to get back into her previous mood.
"I wanted to ask you something." Asterion said.
Ether faced him and nodded, the two krokus flowers held firmly in her hand.
"Can you recognize this ring?" He said before producing the ring he had taken from Vesta.
"This belongs to my father! He had gifted this to me on my fifteenth birthday. He didn't wanted me to feel bad about not having powers when people my age were already turning level three cultivators." It didn't even take her a second glance to recognize it.
"Are you sure?" Asterion asked again.
"Of course. I can never mistake this!" Ether said, running her fingers through the golden dragon, before turning to face Asterion.
"Where did you get this?" Ether asked, confusion clouding her face.
"You should have a better answer for that. Didn't his majesty gifted this to you?" Asterion asked, waiting for Ether to respond.
"Yes he did, but this went missing a few days ago. I even cried the whole night for losing it and fell ill. So father brought this for me." Ether said before showing him a diamond ring sitting on her fingers, with a huge diamond in centre, several small diamonds hugged it.
"When did that happen?" Asterion asked, his mind somewhere else.
"Maybe a week before marriage." Ether answered, feeling weird about the entire situation.
"Hmmm. Okay." Asterion said without questioning any further.
"Now tell me, where did you find this?" It was Ether's time.
"The person who came here in the morning belonged to the search team. He found this in that valley." Asterion lied.
'Things seem trickier than I imagined. I need more time to figure this out. Till then, I will have to keep her in the dark.' Asterion thought.
"How is that possible?" Ether's mind was fully confused by now.
"Keep it with you and don't lose it again. Also, will you make a perfume for me as well?" Asterion tried to divert her attention.
"First let me experiment with these two, then I will." Ether said, putting the ruby dragon ring on before looking at the krocus flowers.
"Can we visit the library?" Ether asked suddenly.
"Yes, any special reasons?" Aaterion asked.
"I love reading about plants. I already finished reading the ones there at my home. Maybe I can find something new here." Ether said, a smile spreading across her face.
"Sure." Asterion said before holding her hand and guiding her.
The couple spent the rest of their afternoon in the library, reading their own books, only returning to their chamber for lunch.
Asterion was midway explaining the royal politics when Medusa knocked the door.
"Your highness." She knelt outside the door as Asterion walked out of the chamber.
"Doris informed that her highness Princess Vesta isn't feeling well." Medusa said.
"Bring the royal physician to my study." Asterion said before walking inside his chamber.
"The royal physician is here to meet me. You finish the lunch. I will try to finish the matter fast." Asterion informed Ether before leaving.
Ether did as told. She finished her lunch real quick before moving to the table where the krocus flowers were kept.
'Who would dare to poison these krocus? Not to mention these are used by the kitchen to cook meals for his highness.
Guess I am not the only one people want dead.' Ether thought, her heart feeling a similar chill she had felt moments ago.
'Whoever it is, you might have succeeded until now, but not anymore.' Ether made up her mind.
'How much poison would have affected his body?' Ether thought while examining the part which was widely used in meals, including today's lunch.
She separated each part of the flower before examining each one separately.
'The flower itself is not poisonous, but someone must be watering it with poisoned water. It would be difficult to find the culprit.' Ether threw the flowers away before washing her hands.
By the time Asterion returned to the chamber, he found Ether standing near the window.
"Can we visit the garden again after some time? Or maybe you don't have to accompany me. I will go there on my own, but only after you have informed others to clear the palace." Ether said while turning.
"You are a fast learner." Asterion praised, happy that Ether could now recognize his presence even when it was difficult to do so.
"I learnt from the best." Ether said with a smile.
"You can visit that whenever you want. Just inform me beforehand so that I can make preparations." Asterion said.
On the other hand, Chiron reached the place where Vesta was staying i.e Scylla's palace.
Vesta had been impatient the whole day, and could only come up with this trick to make the prince come.
But who would have expected the prince to send the royal physician to check her, throwing her plan in waste.
Asterion had asked Doris to accompany her, who only stayed out of her room and would only enter when necessary.
'This is getting more difficult than I imagined. I will have to do something or else father will take me back with him tomorrow.' Vesta was already burning with anger.
"Your highness. Do you feel any discomfort?" Chiron asked after entering.
"My head is aching and I feel like collapsing any moment." Vesta answered weakly.
Chiron came ahead before feeling her pulse, his face not giving anything.
"Your body is weak from attacks it has suffered earlier. You will have to rest to recover properly." Chiron said before turning towards Doris.
"Ask the kitchen to prepare some soup and add two drops of this potion in it." He said before passing a potion.
Doris took it before leaving the room.
"Is my body really that weak?" Vesta asked Chiron in a weak voice.
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- Kizy