*YOURS?? "lord Nigel's voice was weak but unmistakable
His gaze swept across the room and an unsettling silence fell. He fixed his eyes on davina.
" yours?"he repeated "the next time you say that again, I will have your head"
Davina gulped fearfully
With a weak sigh,Lord nigel turn towards the throne room,he turned back sharply to lady charlotte
"I will have my usual tea!"
Lady Charlotte nodded and turned to head to the kitchen,but lord nigel turned back again,his eyes locking onto aria's
"Let her bring it to me"
The room fell silent as lord Nigel's words hung to the air,aria nearly choked on her saliva,lady charlotte was suprised.her mind racing with questions. No maid had ever been tasked with the Lord's tea,what was he doing?
Lord Nigel gaze narrowed at aria "if my tea gets cold before you bring it to me,I will have you thrown into the dungeon!"
He turned to lady charlotte "prepare my tea and give it to her,if not delivered promptly,you both will regret it!"
The air grew thick suddenly
As soon as lord nigel finished speaking,aria and lady charlotte scampered to the royal kitchen
Lord Nigel's eyes looked at davina who was still standing there
"One more thing!" His voice dripping with disdain "I don't want to see you here again!!"
Davina's face paled but lord nigel expression remained unyielding
"You should consider yourself lucky that am In a good mood,as you know,that's rare, so take advantage of my benevolence and leave while I am still asking nicely.
With that he turned to leave
Davina desperate to reedem herself,fell to her knees and begged " my lord what can I do to prove my devotion to you?..what do you desire of me my lord,I will do anything..just please don't ignore me"
Lord nigel remain unmoved,without so much glance in her direction,he walked away leaving her in a humiliating heap on the floor.
***********************************************
As lady charlotte and aria entered the kitchen,they were met with the sound of hushed conversations and gossip. The other servants were discussing the earlier scene with lord nigel,their voices were filled with excitement and curiosity.
As soon as they spotted lady charlotte, they quickly fell silent, attempting to appear busy. Lady Charlotte stern gaze swept the room,her eyes narrowing in a warning
"You are not paid to gossip" she reminded. "You are here to serve lord nigel, not to indulge in an idle chatter. I'd better not catch talking again"!
They nodded feeling sorry, with that lady charlotte began gathering ingredients for lord Nigel's tea,she instructed aria to observe closely.
Aria watched as lady charlotte expertly prepared the tea. Once it was ready,lady Charlotte handed the delicate cup to her
" take it to lord Nigel" she instructed. "Be careful don't spill a drop."
Aria carefully took the cup and headed out of the kitchen,her heart pounding slightly with the weight of responsibility.
*****************************************************
Lord Nigel sat in the throne room engaged in conversations with his guard
" are there any reports or issues that requires my attention?" He asked
The guard shook his head "All is quiet my lord.however,we received a word that king maric is meeting with the councils and advisors
Enraged,lord Nigel stood barking orders at his guard
" prepare my horse" he thundered storming out of the throne room
As he hastened through the corridor,he collided with maria making her stumble,he ignored her and walked away
Just as he was about to exit the castle,lady Charlotte approached him
"My Lord what troubles you? You are not well for a fight" lady charlotte said sincerely bothered
"The physi...." Lord Nigel snapped at her and she immediately swallowed her words as lord Nigel exited the palace after mounting his horse.
*************************************************
King maric sat with the council and advisors of ashwood he had bribe with golds. Discussing a matter of great importance. His words were laced with malice as he spoke of lord Nigel. His tone sparking discontent among the gathering.
Several of the council members voiced their disdain for lord nigel,echoing king maric sentiments. The King's eyes gleamed with determination..as he stood his voice taking a conspirational tone .
" Let's join forces and bring about his downfall"he urges, his words met with murmus of agreement.
As the discussion progressed,one of the council members posed a question
"What course of action do we take?"
"Perhaps we should see a power sorcerer, for our ordinary strength can not defeat lord nigel" another advisor suggested.
*************************************************
Meanwhile Lord nigel arrived at the meeting place,his presence commanding attenttion.the guards stationed at the gate attempted to block his path,but he didn't flinch. As he approached,the guards suddenly clutched their throats,choking and dropping dead.
The gates as if been manipulated by an unseen force,swung open,granting lord nigel acess
King maric and the advisors were so engrossed in their conversations, that they didnt hear the commotion happening outside,but they were interrupted by a guard who bursted in.
"The lord of ashwood is here!" He announced trembling. "He is scattering and destroying things
Panic set in..as the advisors stood to flee to safety
Before the advisors could scramble to their feet,the door burst open and lord nigel strode in,the room fell silent as the advisors hastily bowed their heads in fear
Lord Nigel's gaze lock onto king maric,his eyes blazing in fury
" you! He spat,his voice venomous. "You dare to gather my advisors and council to conspire against me?"
His attention shifted to the cowering advisors "and you!" He thundered causing the room to shake. "You betray me.you gather with my enemy to discuss my downfall?"
The air was heavy with tension as lord Nigel's rage reached a boiling point. Tables and chairs crashed to the floor,the sounding echoing through the hall,as the foundation seem to tremble with his fury.
With the wave of his hand,guards flooded from no where capturing all of them
"Take them away!he commanded. And make sure they are thrown in the dungeon for their betrayal.
The advisors fell to his feet
" mercy oh lord! Have mercy!"
The guards moved swiftly,seizing the advisors,as they dragged them away alongside with king maric.
****************************************************
In the maid-chambers, a group of girls lounged, engrossed in a lively conversation about Lord Nigel. Several of them expressed their willingness to attend to his personal needs, even suggesting they wouldn't mind sharing his bed.
Aria, who had been sitting quietly, listening to the discussion, wondered aloud, "Don't you ever get tired of talking about Lord Nigel?"
The girls giggled, and their conversation continued.
Unbeknownst to them, Lord Nigel had returned, issuing instructions to his guard. "Lock King Maric, the guards, and the advisers in the holding cells for now. Don't throw them in the dungeon yet."
Lady Charlotte hastened to his side, curtsying deeply. "My lord,
"Prepare my tea," Lord Nigel commanded, heading toward the throne room.
Lady Charlotte asked, "Shall I have someone bring it to you, my lord?"
"Yes, let that maid bring it to me," Lord Nigel replied, his eyes gleaming with a hint of intrigue.
Lady Charlotte bowed and departed, leaving Lord Nigel to his thoughts.
Lord Nigel sat in the throne room, his eyes fixed on the entrance. Suddenly, aria appeared, carrying a delicate tray with his tea. She approached him, her hands trembling visibly.
As she reached his side, the tea splashed over the rim of the cup, pouring onto Lord Nigel's robes. Maria's eyes widened in horror as she realized her mistake.
Lord Nigel's expression darkened, his jaw clenched in anger. Maria knew in that moment that she was doomed. Her trembling hands dropped the tray, and she fell to her knees, begging for mercy.
"My lord, I'm sorry! It was an accident, I swear!" she pleaded, her voice shaking with fear.