Chapter 368: The foxglove poison

Marianne pov.

"Mother" I murmured as I saw her getting taken by a knight towards the physician. I would not have been that scared if she just had been turned unconscious since she sometimes works too hard and tires herself, but the blood in the cover of her lips had terrified me.

I ran behind the knights to the infirmary. The physician was surprised to see so many people at once but then his eyes fell on my unconscious mother in her knight's arms.

"Oh, what happened to my lady?" he asked, confused as the girl gently laid mother on the bed and I walked and sat beside her.

"I don't know, she was looking fine to me at the start. Then she suddenly turned unconscious and soon blood started coming from her mouth." My eyes were turning misty and my voice was turning feeble. The more I spoke, the more it felt like something was stuck in my throat and soon I started having trouble breathing.

The physician checked his eyes and pulse. His face was turning grave every passing second. 

After what felt like an eternity, he finally replied, "She had been given poison. i need to check which poison was she given before giving her antidote. What had she eaten?" he asked, looking at the maids who had followed her when I noticed everyone was looking at me.

Subtly or brazenly, everyone's eye was set on me.

"Her grace had only ordered tea for her. We only served the water and tea leaves since she likes to make her own tea according to her mood preference." said the maid finally when i narrowed my eyes on her.

"Go and bring the cup and tea leaves here and do not wash or touch it." said the man and before the maid could bow and leave I stood up.

"I am coming with you too.'' I can not take the risk of knowing which poison was given to my mother to be lost.

That Alcantra must have mixed something in the tea when she must not be looking or could it be that maids had done it!? Thousands of questions started resolving in my mind  when I saw Lina following me.

"Lina, go and call Killian even if he is taking a class, ask him to cancel it. I need to meet him urgently." she nodded and left when we reached the office back. 

I personally held the tray which had the cup and tea in it and walked out without waiting for the maid to take it.

My hurried footsteps soon reached the physician. He was trying to press the nerves of my mother's hands. Her face was turning whiter every passing second.

I forwarded the cup to him.

"Arie, sit and press these nerves continually, do not make a single mistake." he said to the young girl working under her.

"No, tell me, I will do that." I interrupted, if there is no place for a single mistake, I do not want to take any chances.

"My lady, she knows the work better. You need to relax and trust us" told the physician looking at my face and then looked at his assistant again who was looking hesitant after listening to my words.

"What happened to you, mother?" asked Killian when he entered the room, he was looking worried.

When he saw me standing there he took a breath of relief but then he looked at my ashen face and wet eyes.

"What happened mother, oh. What happened to my grandmother?" Before I could reply to him he noticed mother and sat beside him.

"Killian your grandmother has bee given poison. Jamie and father are not here and I did not have much knowledge about poisons. i want you to go and personally visit your father and ask him to bring the expert in poison here this instant" he nodded and stood up.

"I will not disappoint your mother. Everything would be fine." he hugged me and when i nodded he turned and left.

On the other side, the physician was mixing something in the glass which changes the color of the tea. He frowned and then mixed another thing.

With each passing second my heartbeat was getting lower. In my past life, my family had lived happily. Neither my father was lost in any journey or my mother was given poison. Although I did not meet them personally, I often heard about them from my sources.

But now, it felt like they all were dragged in it because of me. If i would not have forwarded my hand towards them, they would not have been facing all this.

I heard footsteps and soon Roselia and her mother entered with hurried footsteps.

"I have sent a letter to Damien too. He would be here any moment." said Roselia as she came and hugged me. I just nodded and stood there strongly. It was not the time for me to act weak.

"She had been given the poison by mixing leaves of foxgloves in high amounts in place of lavender leaves. Since the smell and colour is similar it is difficult to find the difference. 

Though the plant is poisonous, the good news is, it did not kill easily. It takes a lot of time to spread in the body. So we still have time to find antidote and give it to my lady" though the man was sounding pleased with the result, it was still poisonous.

"I will write letters to all the herbalists who are studying poison. Deliver them as soon as possible" he moved and sat on the desk and started writing letters.

"Those who know how to write go and help him in copying the letter. Roselia." I instructed them.

Roselia nodded and we both started writing the letter together. It took almost 15 minutes when enough copies of the letters were formed and all the knights of the palace were assigned to go in pairs and meet all the herbalists of the empire and ask for the treatment.

Though they all were going with confidence and the physician assured me again and again that everything would be fine and my mother would be saved, I was still feeling restless. Not to count the time taken for traveling. Our place was covered by woods and it took hours to come and go here. Woods! I held Roselia's hands and walked out of the room.

"Roselia, do you remember the place from where you have saved me.'' I asked as I took her to the corner.

"You mean in the woods?" she asked bewildered and I nodded.

"Did you remember the way there?"  though she looked confused as to why i was asking her all these things she replied with a nod.

"I do, it's just two hour away. But hidden very efficiently we have crossed that place at least 20 times before finding the clues. But why are you asking that now?" 

"Because I want you to go and ask there. There is also a herbalist who had treated my hand when I was there. I am sure she had the way to save mother, but go alone and did not share it with anyone. Not even with your mother"