Chapter 175 - A New Start

Odessa and Lewis patched things up and decided to make up for the lost time. Odessa agreed to come to visit him often in the Royal Apothecary and checked on Doctor Hugo's progress. Zenia and Vaughn waited patiently for Lewis in his office. They knew that it would take time before he could return, but there were things that Zenia must say to him. 

When Lewis finally returned to his office, he was wearing a warm smile. Zenia and Vaughn knew that everything went well between him and Odessa. It was all good.

"Head Pharmacist, I come here today to check the status of the poison for my needles that I asked you to concoct last time. Also, how are the antidotes?"

" *Cough*  Crown Princess, forgive me but I am also lost about the most effective poison for your needles. I was supposed to take the Mortelium plant to be checked if we really have the real one. That brat, I mean, Meredith suddenly stole it from me. But, she confirmed that it truly is the Mortelium plant."

"Is it enough?"

"Huh? The Mortelium plant? I know how difficult it is to gather it, and I will do my best not to waste it." Lewis began to sweat because he already wasted some of it when he began his experiments.

"I am asking you if we have enough. I know that it is inevitable for some of it to go to waste. I can give you more if you need more."

Lewis couldn't believe that Zenia had a supply of a Mortelium plant.

"You mean, you still have more Mortelium plant with you?"

"I don't have it with me, but I know where I can get it."

"If it's not too much to ask of you, Crown Princess, could I trouble you to give me more? We also need it for Doctor Hugo's medication."

"It will take some time to gather the plant. I may be able to give it to you in two or three weeks. Would that be good?"

"It is already good. I will be looking forward to it."

"Uhmm."

When they boarded their carriage, Vaughn's curiosity got the best of him and asked, "Where are you going to get the Mortelium?"

"In Lunaria, of course! But, we need to make it appear like it came from Ishelon." Zenia looked at with mirth in her eyes, and he knew that she was smiling mischievously.

He knew that something must be cooking up in his wife's mind again, and his intuition was telling him not so ask any further. Zenia looked happy as she looked out the window.

Vaughn and Zenia made it home before it turned dark. Verone learned that they had been out for almost five hours, and she started to smash things again. Her maids knew that their seemingly peaceful days had finally come to an end.

"Is there any news from the King's side?" Verone was very furious when she asked Stella.

"Answering Your Highness, there's still nothing. The King is apparently reviewing something and did not wish to be disturbed."

"He should have summoned me to the Main Palace by now. What's taking him so long? Even the Left Minister is not allowed to visit me."

"Why don't we ask for an audience with the Crown Prince and remind him of his role as your husband?"

"Have you forgotten about the Lotharia that I put in his drink? I cannot risk anything now. I have to wait for the proper time or my effort will be wasted."

Verone was waiting for her fertile days to come so she could have a higher chance of getting pregnant when she became intimate with Vaughn. She had decided to meet Vaughn during those days.

"My apologies, Your Highness, I did not think well."

"Humph, we can only wait for now."

* * * * *

"I need to go to Prazia to check my pharmacy business. I received a report that it's not doing well, and I might as well close it. Everything is falling apart since Franco and Hugo had died. The doc.u.ments they left are incomplete and none of the new  experts  that I hired are capable enough to continue their work. It still puzzles me how the other kingdoms got hold of my pharmacy's secret formula, especially Lotharia. But until now no one has developed the antidote for it. I could gain more profit if these new experts can develop the antidote. Lotharia had spread all over Maecaea."

Damien thought for a while and asked, "Is it possible that one of them faked his death?"

"Franco's death was reported to me by one of my most trusted men, and I saw Hugo's corpse with my own eyes. What I'm not certain is Hugo's eldest son. Although I hired him to be the manager of my pharmacy in Prazia, I just wanted to keep him in check."

"What do you mean, grandfather?"

"Even though it is a known fact that none of Hugo's children inherited his talent and none of them ever learned how to concoct an elixir, it does not mean that they won't develop the skill later. It is possible that one of his children may have the complete formula and just waiting for the right time to use it."

"What if they have it, grandfather?"

"They can only have the same fate as their main patriarch before if they still refused to hand it over."

The Left Minister did not doubt that the dead body he saw in one of the poor villages in Prazia was Doctor Hugo Mion. He had him burnt together with the other corpses that they slaughtered.

"When do you plan to go to Prazia?"

"I plan to go there in two days. But if something comes up, I might go there tomorrow."

Damien decided to postpone his plan of convincing the Left Minister to let his assassins group join the training of the private army. He only hoped that it was not too late.

* * * * *

Vaughn went to his study after having dinner with Zenia. He told her to wait for him and not go to sleep yet because they still must discuss their next course of action. 

Redivo gave Vaughn the full report about the news that Zenia wanted to spread and the things that happened in Verone's courtyard. The King had not given his decision about the inclusion of Verone's name on the list.

"What should we do about Ms. Verone? She might complain to the King later when he summons for her."

"Let her complain. The King has really no jurisdiction over the matters that I should do regarding my harem. He had already given her to me to be my second wife. It is I who will decide her fate."

"What will we tell Ms.Verone when she demands to see you? We received a report that her maids were convincing her to ask for an audience and to ask for permission to visit the main residence."

"Does Zenia know this already?"

"No. We keep this a secret even from her maids."

"Keep it sealed. There's no reason for her to know for now. She has lots of things to handle, and the issue with Verone might only bring unnecessary trouble to her."

"I understand, Your Highness."

"Is there any message from Ishelon or news from Lunaria?"

"There's none, Your Highness."

"You may go now. I will just finish these doc.u.ments."

The appearance of Doctor Hugo helped them a lot. They finally learned the possible whereabouts of the Left Minister's private army. Vaughn wanted to investigate it himself, but he was not sure whether Zenia would come with him. He got used to having her around and missing her terribly when they get separated for a few hours.

When it was getting so late already, he had decided to head to their bedchamber. When he got there, the maids were no longer there and Zenia was reading a book.

"You're here! Did you finish everything that you need to do?"

"Yes," Vaughn headed to the changing room and change into his sleepwear.

"You have no more backlogs?"

"Yes, I can finally take it easy and go on a vacation again."

Zenia put down her book and tapped Vaughn's side of the bed telling him to hurry up. Vaughn did as he was told and lied down quickly.

"I've been thinking of going to Ishelon and ask Big Brother about Prazia. He used to go there before when he was young. Father always brought him along. He also went there in his teen years together with the other young generals. They joined a team of medical students, who came from all over Maecaea."

"Why do you need to go to Ishelon personally when we can send a message?"

'This little devil is truly heartless. I can't bear to part with her, and she's thinking of leaving me here alone.'

Vaughn's mood was getting gloomy and Zenia noticed it. She also had a hunch that he was thinking something outrageous, like separating from him for a long time.

"It is best to talk to him in person, and we also need to fetch Zekiah."

"Why? Did you say we?" Vaughn was getting more confused, but his mood became better.

Zenia smiled, "It is easy to find a reason to go to Ishelon, and I don't need someone to pose as me to do that. But we can't possibly go to Prazia without leaving someone posing as me. I also need to talk to Brother Gustof so he could accompany Big Brother's men in gathering the Mortelium plant."

"Gustof? Was he the one who helped you before?"

"Yes! He knows many types of plants because he was originally a landscape artist in Venetia when he was recruited to do another line of job." 

"What if someone in Luna Inn discovers him?"

"He won't be discovered and no one will recognize him after Zekiah design the right prosthetics for him."

"Prosthetics?"

"I used one for my swollen lips back then. How is the security in the Royal Apothecary?"

"On par with the security of our palace, why?"

"I will send one of my Big Brother's men to deliver the Mortelium plant in the Royal Apothecary. We will just say that it's one of the primary ingredients of the beauty formula that I handed to the Head Pharmacist. Someone might learn that there's Mortelium plant in the Royal Apothecary and try to steal it."

Vaughn understood what Zenia was implying.

"I will make sure to strengthen the security further. I thought Lewis planted some Mortelium in the garden of the Royal Apothecary?"

"It will take time before the newly planted Mortelium plant would be ready for harvesting. It should be able to adapt to its new environment first."

"When do you plan to go to Ishelon?"

"The day after tomorrow?"

"That fast?"

"Yes, we should not waste time. Please tell Redivo to tell his brother to go with us to Ishelon. Zekiah will be the one who will return as me."

"Don't we need to go to Prazia?"

"It's easier to reach Prazia from Ishelon." Zenia winked at Vaughn and lied down.

"Why don't we set out tomorrow if you are in a hurry?"

"I still need to discuss something with the Head Pharmacist tomorrow."

"Okay, I guess we will have another busy day tomorrow."

He hugged Zenia, and they both fell asleep almost immediately. They had a lead to the Left Minister's private army, and they just hoped that they would be able to find it in Prazia.

* * * * *

In the middle of the night, Redivo received an urgent report. One of his men who followed Duke Gordon had informed him that they were about to leave Venetia.

Duke Gordon just met someone who looked like a messenger and not someone of high status. The Duke received a letter from that man. He read it right away before he crumpled and threw it.

Redivo's informant picked up the crumpled paper and read the message.

[Let us meet in our usual meeting place in Tudore Inn. Use the name Gregory Merceille.]

The informant told Redivo that if he was not mistaken, Tudore Inn must be in Prazia.