Chapter 102 - I am Poisonous!

"Why do you ask, Your Highness?"

"I plan to use it for the new weapon that I have."

"Poisoned weapon? Aren't you afraid that it might harm you instead?"

"What kind of poison do you have in mind?"

"A strong one. I am going to dip the needles in it."

"Hmm, we have plants here that can produce poison. But, they may not meet the potency that you look for. We don't have the plant that can create a potent poison."

Zenia was disheartened when she heard Lewis' explanation. Vaughn was surprised that the Royal Apothecary really had poisonous plants.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, if only we have Mortelium."

"Mortelium?" Zenia's eyes brightened immediately.

"Yes, Mortellium. It's hard to find and I don't think there's still Mortellium out there." Lewis shook his head.

"I have Mortellium!"

Lewis and Vaughn looked at Zenia at the same time.

"W-where did you find it, Crown Princess?" Lewis could not contain his excitement.

"It's a secret, I won't tell you unless you give me a hefty amount of money."

Lewis pouted. 'What a stingy woman!'

"I can hear you."

Lewis turned pale and bowed repeatedly at Zenia. "I'm so, so sorry, Your Highness. I won't do it again."

Vaughn looked at Zenia. He did not hear anything from Lewis and yet Zenia said she did. From the way that Lewis bowed his head, he must've said something outrageous. He too should be very careful when dealing with his wife.

Zenia whispered in Vaughn's ear. "My husband, you really need to be careful when dealing with me. So I suggest you fess up while I'm good."

Beads of sweat began to form on Vaughn's forehead when he looked at Zenia.

"Head Pharmacist, can you take us to where the plants are? I will send the Mortellium plant to you tomorrow so you can cultivate it."

"Really? Your Highness, you are giving me the Mortellium plant to cultivate?"

"Of course! How can I get the poison that I need when you lack the important ingredient? I may have to trouble you to provide me with a steady supply of poison. Can I do that, Your Highness?" Zenia turned to Vaughn and waited for his reply.

" Eherm , Head Pharmacist you are hereby required to supply the poison that the Crown Princess needs for her weapon. You need to make sure to supply them on time."

"Oh, can you please create the antidote for the poison. In case I accidentally shoot an ally."

Vaughn wanted to take back what he said, but it was too late.

The Head Pharmacist took them to an enclosed garden that contained different types of plants. The garden had a dome-shaped ceiling that could be opened during the daytime. It had different layers of thin-film which allowed the Head Pharmacist to control the amount of sunlight that a particular variety of plant may need. Not all plants liked to get the same amount of sunlight that the others required.

Zenia saw some tubes that were neatly aligned along the grooves. Each tube had tiny punctures. Zenia guessed that it was a water sprinkler. She saw almost the same design in one of the kingdoms that she visited.

Tissuria was proud of its modern technology, and Zenia was fascinated by the things she saw in the garden. She could not fathom the usage of some of them, but she knew that they were something remarkable. However, she still preferred the more traditional practices that the Ishelon people had been following for centuries.

"Head Pharmacist, do you know how to use poison to cure people?" Vaughn suddenly asked out of the blue.

Lewis looked at Vaughn as if he asked something that he should not have.

"Your Highness, when did you learn that poison can also cure people?"

"It's just a random question, I'm just curious. Someone told me that there are ailments that poison can help cure, is that true?"

Lewis gave Vaughn a grin, which the Crown Prince found quite revolting.

"I have been studying the effects of the poison I developed to kill the faulty cells in the body. I was able to eliminate the faulty cells, but the regeneration takes time. I am testing the different potency. I'd like to know which strength of poison can kill the faulty cells and provide fast regeneration of cells."

"You're saying that it's possible?"

"Yes, Your Highness. However, I still need further study."

Vaughn looked at Zenia, "Does Ishelon follow the same method?"

"Oh, it's quite different. We use a certain type of poison to counter the effect of the illness so it won't bring too much trouble until the real cure for that illness eliminates it. We use poison and cure at the same time. But, I am not certain about the proper administration and dosage. I have yet to learn from my teacher."

"Crown Princess, you are already using poison to cure in Ishelon?"

"Yes."

"Is it effective?"

"I guess so, no one died when being treated using poison. There was an isolated case of administering the wrong dosage, but it was still under investigation."

"But, the important thing is that poison can also cure certain illness." Vaughn could still not believe that poison could also be a cure.

"Crown Prince, I wish to conduct a further study about this. I would like to ask you to help me find some of the plants that I may use for the study. We may also need to expand the enclosed garden."

"I will think about this. These studies, you must not let others know."

"You have always been my one and only benefactor for my medical studies, of course, I will only pledge my loyalty to you. Anyway, the princesses and princes don't talk to me at all. They all thought that I'm someone crazy."

"It's good to let it continue that way to make them keep their distance from you. They must've thought that you don't know anything at all. They all thought that the royal doctors are the only ones concocting the medicines for the Royal Family."

Zenia listened to them and had a hunch that Tissuria's inner conflict may be more severe than she thought. Being a member of the Royal Family of Tissuria may not be a good idea at all.

* * * * *

Zenia was satisfied with their trip and was smiling from ear to ear. She no longer had to worry about the poison she would use for her needles. It was a good thing that the Crown Prince insisted to take the trip to the Royal Apothecary.

She was looking out the window with a silly smile on her lips. She never thought that the problem about the poison to use for her needles would be resolved just like that.

Vaughn remained quiet as he looked at Zenia who was enjoying the scenery outside. None of them spoke a word. Zenia did not notice when Vaughn had held her hand. She was thinking of the design of the needle launcher that she entrusted to the Master Weaponsmith.

They would depart the day after tomorrow. Although he had everything planned, he was still uncertain that everything would be smooth. Damien could be impulsive sometimes. He just hoped that Damien would not do something that could leave a devastating impact on their plan.

When they reached the Palace of the Crown Prince, Zenia did not wait for Vaughn to help her get down. She literally jumped off the carriage, and her actions surprised Vaughn. She walked a few steps and then suddenly turned around.

She smiled at Vaughn and teasingly declared, "I just realized, I'm poisonous."

Vaughn looked at her and thought to himself, 'Yes, you are a poison that already invaded my entire existence, and I want you to stay forever.'