The hallway leading to King Fabian's study was eerily silent. Matilda, noticing the unusual quietness, approached a maid who seemed to be in a hurry.
"What's wrong? The palace is too silent," she inquired, her voice tinged with concern.
The maid paused, her expression grave. "Oh ! Your Highness it seems the news has not reached your ears yet. Her Majesty was poisoned, and the culprit has been swiftly dealt with. Duke Matthias and a maid accomplice were found responsible. They've been banished from Arcadia as punishment."
Matilda's heart skipped a beat at the news. Without another word, she sprinted towards her mother's room, fear and urgency propelling her forward. Bursting into the room, she found her father by her mother's side, feeding her soup.
"What's wrong?" King Fabian asked, his concern evident as he noticed Matilda's distressed state. Her uneven breaths and staggered movements made it evident that she came here out of pure urgency.
Matilda's breath came in short gasps as she struggled to compose herself. "Mother, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" she blurted out, her worry for her mother overriding all else. She managed to summon a bit of strength to check her mother thoroughly before she could feel at ease.
"I'm fine, my dear. Please, act like the noble lady you are," her mother reassured her. King Fabian did not stop his duties tho. He continued to spoon feed her and offer her water when she needed it.
After Matilda had taken her huge rest at the edge of the bed, she resorted to sending all the attendants out of the room. Matilda turned to her parents, with a very stern look but her mind racing with questions and revelations.
"I need to discuss something with you," she began, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her.
The king dropped the bowl of spup at the bedside table as both of them seemed rather interested in what their little Matilda was going to say.
Her parents nodded, giving her their full attention.
"I want to believe it was just a figment of my imagination or perhaps I drank wine instead of juice at the party yesterday, but no matter what kind of conclusion I want to draw away from this answer they all still come pointing back. I want to ask, perhaps is there something you would like to inform me or you are hiding from me?" Matilda's words hung heavy in the air, casting a pall over the room.
Her father hesitated, his gaze shifting uneasily. "What could we possibly be hiding?" he stammered, his voice betraying his discomfort. Her mother not fully grasping the situation, picked up her bowl of soup.
Matilda took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "I've given much thought to it, and on my way to your study, I couldn't shake the feeling. Do I happen to possess any affinity for magic," she confessed, watching her parents' reactions closely.
The queen's hands trembled, causing her to drop the bowl she was holding, the sound of shattering porcelain echoing in the room. "From whose mouth did those words come?" she demanded, her voice tinged with desperation.
Shock filled both their faces that it can almost be like they would faint. " You... Do... Not... ", King Fabian stammered.
Matilda met her mother's gaze, her resolve unwavering. "Seeing your reactions only strengthens my suspicion, and thus leads to my second revelation of the day. Since we are still on the topic do you happen to know my exact affinity," she continued. Tho she refused to show the fact that she was twice as worried as them, she needed to act her age. The queen stared daggers at her for her recent question.
"I propose that the three of us take a vacation to Diando. We'll inform them of our intention to make an unofficial appearanceto their kingdom but their king will be fully aware of our visit making it official as well. I'm saying this to prevent future problems while we are there" Matilda declared, her tone resolute.
" And may I ask, why you suggested such a preposterous idea for a kingdom's king queen and princess? ", her mother asked.
" Because it's official and not official and also... "
As she began to tell them about the vision she had last night and how the events it unfolded. After hearing the number of people that died the plauge that happen after, the queen felt sad. A heavy silence descended upon the room, broken only by the sound of her words of the future pain of their kingdom.
Finally, her father spoke, his voice filled with urgency.
" How do you intend to deal with this? "
"To set this plan in motion, we'll need Isadora," She stated, her eyes meeting her father's with a sense of determination.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard of the palace, a crowd had gathered, murmurs of discontent rippling through the assembled commoners. News of the poisoning and subsequent banishment had spread like wildfire, igniting a wave of unrest among the people.
"They think banishing the duke will solve everything? It's just a distraction from the real problems facing our kingdom," one woman exclaimed, her voice filled with bitterness.
"We're the ones who suffer while they sit in their ivory towers," another added, her words laced with resentment.
As the crowd grew larger, their anger simmered, threatening to boil over at any moment. Guards stood watchful, ready to quell any sign of rebellion, but the discontent lingered like a dark cloud over the palace grounds.
Back inside the palace, Matilda's mind raced with the weight of her revelations. She knew that the journey ahead would be fraught with challenges, but she was determined to uncover the truth and protect her kingdom at all costs.
And so, with a plan in place and the wheels set in motion, the royal family of Arcadia prepared to embark on a journey that would shape the destiny of their kingdom.
******
" My lady, a letter arrived from Count Ashford's estate", a maid said dropping the letter on the table where the woman dozed off.