Chapter 16: Accusations (3)

In a desperate attempt to stop Cecilia from choking her, Ophelia reached for her plant, her hands searching around for a knife.

Ophelia soon grabbed a hold of something. Whether it be a spoon, fork, or knife, it would have to make do in getting Cecilia off of her, and if she was lucky, rid her of Cecilia forever.

Cecilia spotted the butter knife in Ophelia's hand just before she could lunge it at her.

Cecilia released Ophelia and backed away. "Help!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Guards entered the dining hall and, upon seeing Cecilia unsettled, they looked to Ophelia as the culprit.

Rick entered the dining hall as the calls for a doctor alerted him, but he was not expected to find Cecilia alone with Ophelia. "Lady Cecilia!" He called, rushing to her side to help her.

Cecilia pointed to where Ophelia stood with a knife in her hand. "She tried to kill me," she accused Ophelia.

Ophelia first looked at the knife in her hand, then at the servants who were still present in the dining hall. She was protecting herself, but there was no one on her side to speak on her behalf.

"She poisoned Victoria. Get rid of all the food," Cecilia ordered the guards. "Imprison her."

Seeing the knife in Ophelia's hand was all the evidence Rick needed for a moment to send her to the dungeon.

Rick left Cecilia in the care of the guards and stormed to Ophelia to take the knife from her hand.

Ophelia didn't put up a fight and allowed the knife to be taken.

"You're one foolish girl," Rick said, restraining himself from killing Ophelia.

"I was protecting myself. I didn't harm anyone," Ophelia said, though she knew her words would fall on deaf ears. "But that doesn't matter to anyone here."

Rick grabbed Ophelia by her neck out of frustration.

Ophelia whinced. The bruises from the heavy chain she wore around her neck on the long walk to the castle had not yet healed. Now, Cecilia and the stranger ignited that pain again.

Angry, Ophelia raised her hand and slapped the stranger.

"No more," Ophelia said through gritted teeth. "I've had enough."

Rick stared at Ophelia in shock. He could kill her now, but knew it was only right to leave it to Dante.

"Lord Hastings will decide your fate. Trying to harm his mother is a great offence which can result in you being killed. For your sake, you should hope you are found innocent," Rick whispered to Ophelia.

Rick secretly wished that Ophelia's plot to harm the Hastings or Victoria was exposed, which would give Dante no reason to keep her around. Ophelia's actions would break the truce, which meant they had every right to attack the Valthorns.

Rick grabbed Ophelia's arm.

"I will take her to the dungeon and wait for Lord Hastings' command," said Rick.

"Wait? Why wait when she tried to kill Victoria? If Victoria doesn't survive, I'll kill you with my bare hands," Cecilia threatened Ophelia.

Cecilia regretted that she had not been the one to reach for the knife first and stabbed Ophelia with it. She wouldn't fear what consequences would follow if the king were to become upset.

"I cannot act outside of Lord Hastings' orders. He will be the one to decide her fate. If there is poison present, you shouldn't stand here for much longer. Let a guard escort you back to your chamber or to be with Miss Victoria," Rick suggested.

Cecilia was hesitant to leave before she could witness Ophelia be punished for her crime, but she needed to see Victoria.

"When she is to be punished, I want to be present. If she dies without me getting the chance to see, it will be your head rolling next," Cecilia warned Rick.

Cecilia finally left with two guards trailing behind her.

With one matter settled, Rick turned his attention back to Ophelia.

Ophelia looked calm. Too calm.

'Has she accepted her death?' Rick wondered.

Rick pulled Ophelia as he started to walk.

"I am not going to fight. You don't need to drag me," Ophelia said, annoyed that everyone's first reaction was to pull her.

"This is not dragging you. If I were dragging you, you would be on the floor."

"You are, in fact, dragging me," Ophelia said, looking down at where Rick's hand held her with an iron grip.

Rick lost his patience for a moment and turned around to face Ophelia. "I always thought of your people as fools, and now you have confirmed it. The more you speak, the more I want to kill you. I would be delighted to have your corpse as a banner held up whilst we storm Lord Valthorn's land."

"Go ahead. Then you will be the ones to break the truce because I didn't try to kill anyone," said Ophelia.

"Explain the knife in your hand," Rick said, believing the story Cecilia told.

"Was I to stand there as she choked me?" Ophelia asked, bored with the man before her.

Seeing that the man pulling her was a fool as well, Ophelia decided to stay silent.

Elsewhere, Dante sat beside a bed whilst a doctor tended to Victoria.

Victoria still clung to his hand, squeezing it whenever she felt pain.

"Lord Hastings, this appears to be the work of poison," said Eliza Whiteson, the castle doctor. "It will take some time for me to tell what land it originated from, but I will do my best to find the answer soon."

"Will she be well with only the medicine you gave her?" Dante inquired, taking another look at Victoria.

"She stopped coughing up blood, but we can never be too safe. Once I find out what poison was used, I can brew an antidote for her. I will stay close to keep an eye on her, but I would like to take a look at what she ate. Don't throw away any of the dinner," said Eliza.

Cecilia entered the chamber, disturbing the conversation. She rushed to the bed with tears in her eyes. "Will she survive?"

"She will. Since she is doing well now, it appears she didn't consume much of what affected her. I will go down to look at the food before anyone throws it away, and if you would allow me, I would like to search the kitchen," Eliza requested.

"What for? We already know who the culprit is. It is no coincidence that when you invited that woman for dinner, Victoria was poisoned. I told you that she shouldn't sit with us, yet you didn't listen. You should feel sorry for Victoria," Cecilia said, hopeful that Dante realised his mistake.

"I had to step in to have her sent to the dungeon. You should have her hanged in the morning and send someone to tell the king what she did. Dante? Dante!" Cecilia called, getting up from the bed as Dante walked out of the chamber.

"What is he doing?" Cecilia muttered, lost as to why Dante suddenly left.

Cecilia sat back down and held Victoria's hand. "Fear not, she will be killed."

Victoria squeezed Cecilia's hand. She wanted to speak up in the moment to drive suspicion to her uncle, but feared someone becoming suspicious.

This wasn't how the plan was meant to go.

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