Just as Quentin and Arabelle were outside Edgar's room, Arabelle spoke softly to Quentin.
"I probably wouldn't be able to accompany you today. There's an event I have to attend at the cathedral," Arabelle explained.
"That's fine. I don't have much to do today either," said Quentin.
"You may go," Quentin pleaded.
Arabelle nodded. She turned her body around, stepping away in a different direction from Quentin towards her chamber.
The Lady of Helferich entered her chamber, leaving Quentin alone in the hallway of Calden Castle's fourth floor.
Just before Quentin stepped away, he glanced to the side momentarily, watching the door to Edgar's chamber closely.
'Looks like he's already addicted to the wine,' Quentin mused.
He smiled broadly and walked away from the area before Edgar's chamber to get to the lower floor. However, it wasn't the first floor he headed to, but the basement.
The basement of Calden Castle was where the servants worked, doing things such as cooking and resting. It was the place that Quentin was heading to.
The servants who had previously been in Edgar's chamber began to leave after seeing Lord Edgar began to fall into a deep sleep. They returned to the basement floor to relax and rest.
One of the servants walked into her room, surprised to find a piece of paper on her bed.
"A letter?" the woman asked, curious.
The letter's content was Quentin's order for the servant to meet him. Quentin requested a meet in the backyard of Calden Castle, a place rarely visited by anyone.
Not only did he ask her to come, but Quentin also asked her to bring him the 'pure' wine stocked in Calden Castle's wine cellar.
One small note Quentin slipped into the message. He asked the maid to come with the letter and give it to Quentin.
It was a strange request and not understandable to someone like her. However, she had to do it for the safety of her and her family in Longdale.
She hurried out of her room, walked over to the cellar and picked up a bottle of wine stored on wooden shelves with hundreds of bottles.
One of the servants saw her actions and immediately asked her what she was doing.
"Isn't it obvious that you can't drink the wine?" asked the middle-aged maid, who appeared to be working on peeling potatoes.
"It's not for me, but for Prince Quentin," replied the woman, who was younger than the maid.
"Really? I didn't see you and Prince Quentin talk before," revealed another servant who helped care for Lord Edgar.
"Prince Quentin said it through a soldier just before I came to Lord Edgar's chamber," replied the woman, trying to find a rational excuse.
"Don't worry. I will accompany you to meet Prince Quentin," offered another servant, just as young as the woman.
The woman did not mind. The two stepped up the stairs until they reached the upper level and walked backwards until they reached the back garden of Calden Castle.
There, the woman's eyes could see Prince Quentin sitting in a garden pavilion surrounded by blooming flowers.
The person escorting the lady was embarrassed that she had doubted her friend. The two servants walked closer until they reached the entrance of the garden pavilion, drawing Quentin's attention.
"One wine pourer is enough," Quentin replied, sighing.
"I apologize, Prince Quentin. I only came to escort her," revealed another servant.
She said goodbye and left the place. Now, only Quentin was left with the maid before him.
Lily —the waitress's name— began pouring wine into a glass for Quentin to enjoy. Quentin squinted, lifting the glass cautiously.
"You're not giving me Edgar's wine, are you?" asked Quentin, softly with a cold expression.
"No, My Prince," replied Lily confidently.
Quentin remained silent momentarily, then took a slow sip of the wine. There was no significant difference between pure and contaminated wine, but Quentin's tongue could taste the difference.
"You did a good job," Quentin stated.
"I will do what I can, Lord Quentin," Lily replied.
"Didn't you tell anyone about this?" asked Quentin, giving Lily a sharp look.
Lily shook her head quickly. She was good at keeping secrets even if they cost someone's life.
"I want you to raise the dose of mercury, as well as put more Ether inside," Quentin pleaded.
"But adding other things might change the flavour, My Lord," Lily replied.
"Do it slowly. Don't put it all at once," says Quentin.
"Once he gets used to the taste, you can add more," Quentin continued.
"Do as I say, and your family will be safe," Quentin threatened.
Lily nodded, hands shaking with her eyes closed. The woman knew what she was doing would be bad for Edgar's health, but Lily had no other choice.
Besides the bag of gold pieces Lily would receive, the safety of her mother and sister would be guaranteed. After she completed Quentin's plan, she would leave and stay away from Calden Castle.
Quentin stood up from his seat, placing the glass that still had some wine on the table. Without saying anything, the Prince walked away from the pavilion.
Lily picked up the glass again and walked out of the pavilion, back to the basement of Calden Castle.
But unlike Lily, Quentin stepped closer to the dungeon to revisit Alexander.
The prison door opened, and Quentin walked down the steps until he reached the prison.
Since the incident of Alexander's hand being chopped off by Quentin, there was now a soldier guarding the prison. The soldier would make sure Quentin was no longer abusive to Alexander.
"Glad to see you're alright, Prince Alexander," Quentin said.
Alexander's eyes opened slowly, his face and body looking thin, with his right hand wrapped in a bandage. His breathing sounded laboured with blurred vision.
"To hell with you, Quentin," Alexander replied.
"I came with good intentions, not to ask you something," Quentin retorted.
He pulled a wooden chair from the back and placed it before the second cell, where Alexander was locked up. Quentin's legs were crossed with his eyes forward.
"Prince Edmund is on his way to Northcrest," Quentin replied.
"Northcrest? Why is he going there?" asked Alexander, getting interested in the discussion Quentin had started.
"Because I told folks Prince Alexander was imprisoned in Archibald's cold cell. I didn't expect the rumour to spread to Castlebourne like the plague," stated Quentin.
"That's a fake rumour," Alexander insisted.
"Of course it is. I wouldn't say I kept you here, would I?" Quentin asked.
"I don't know why your brother was so reckless. He sent 30,000 troops to Archibald to save you," Quentin continued.
"The conflict would soon come to an end when Edmund realized the rumours were just lies," Alexander chimed in.
"And relations between Castlebourne and Archibald will return to normal," Alexander continued.
Quentin laughed out loud at Alexander's assumptions, assumptions full of idealistic thoughts without seeing the reality of the place.
Archibald was a stubborn and arrogant nobleman. They are not easily persuaded unless their wishes are fulfilled.
Edmund is the same. He is so stubborn and careless. He ignored the adverse effects of the conflict just so he could save his younger brother, Alexander.
It is difficult to reach an agreement when two stubborn men meet each other. Archibald would insist they didn't kidnap Alexander, but Edmund wouldn't believe him.
"Conflict will still happen whether Archibald starts the war or Edmund runs out of patience," Quentin replied.
"Ultimately, the one who takes advantage of the conflict will win. Edmund attacks at the drop of a hat," Quentin countered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"That will bring destruction with him."
Quentin stood up after sitting for a long time while talking with Alexander. That was all the information Quentin wanted to tell Alexander. The less he knew, the more curious he became.
"Tell me more," Alexander pleaded.
Quentin was silent as he stood before the second cell, looking at Alexander intently, "No. I will come here with new news about the conflict."
"For now, try to survive until your older brother manages to find you."