Chapter 242 - Schemes of the Schemers

Olvido had decided to write a letter to Odette. Damien finally stopped drinking every day when he received a report that the Left Minister would arrive anytime soon. He had been waiting for his grandfather's return ever since he learned that the King was gravely ill. 

When someone talked about information gathering, Redivo and Olvido were the two names that would often pop up. No one was better than the two of them, although Redivo was slightly better than Olvido. He also had better working conditions and master than Olvido.

Princess Odette received the letter and started reading.

[Your Highness Princess Odette,

The medical staff and Concubine Hera agreed to work together to obtain mutual benefits. King Tarendino was poisoned, and the Royal Doctors thought that he would not be able to recover. However, something miraculous happened while the Royal Doctors were racking their brains out. 

The poison in the King's body was completely flushed out after he took a miracle cure, which was formulated by the Royal Doctors. They were expecting King Tarendino to wake up after taking proper rest, but he never did. Apparently, the medical staff that you want me to investigate did something to the King's medication. 

Concubine Hera gave him the medicine to keep the King sleeping for a long time. She was waiting for the right time to give the antidote that could wake up King Tarendino and be recognized for her efforts. In my humble opinion, she wants the King to promise her that he would make her Queen. She wants the King to be indebted to her. But, the Queen is more cunning than her and discovered it right away.

The Royal Medical team is doing their best to wake up the King. The Queen does not allow them to visit the King unless they have found the way to wake him up. The Queen personally attends to the King.

There is no guarantee that the King will ever wake up. Concubine Hera refused to admit her mistakes and claims that she doesn't have the antidote. The medical staff is the same. They cannot extract the answer from them and sent them to a remote place. There's no more lead about their whereabouts and whether they are still alive.

Olvido]

Odette crumpled the letter and threw it in the fireplace. She was very furious after learning Concubine Hera's betrayal.

'That stupid b*tch! She acted without thinking things through. Did she really believe that she could fool the Queen? Even I find it difficult to scheme against her.'

Odette stood up and decided to take a walk to her garden to ease her mind. Their plan had been delayed time and again. She couldn't wait anymore. She had decided to force her grandfather to make Zenia Anisen give up her position as the Crown Princess of Tissuria. She believed in her grandfather's words that there was nothing in the world that he could not do. He even promised her that she could marry Vaughn. Nothing mattered to her more than marrying Vaughn.

She already made a deal with the Left Minister's people in their pharmacy business to concoct something that would make Vaughn fall for her. She had set her mind to marrying Vaughn a long time ago. She couldn't give up now.

"Princess Odette, we received a report that the Left Minister will arrive soon. The Ninth Prince also received the same report. He must be preparing to welcome the Left Minister."

"Humph! My brother can try his luck with grandfather."

"Should we also do some preparations to welcome the Left Minister?"

Odette sneered, "We will do no such thing. Damien is so naïve to keep fooling himself when he already knew the answer. Grandfather has already made up his mind, and he already chose me to command over his secret army. We only need to wait patiently and avoid provoking grandfather."

Odette knew the Left Minister's ways better than Damien. She knew that he would often stay in his estate for a couple of days or more after his arrival. The Left Minister had always been uncomfortable when traveling by sea. He couldn't get a good rest aboard the ship. He would often sleep in his quarters for a long time after returning to his estate. 

Princess Odette already knew that the Left Minister had to stay for a few days in an inhabited island to pass the storm. She also knew that it made him more uncomfortable. She smirked when she thought of the stupid things that Damien might do in welcoming their grandfather back.   

The Left Minister was resting in his room when his attendant informed him about their arrival in Tissuria.

"Your Excellency, the Captain just informed me that we will reach the port of Tissuria in two days or less."

"Two days more? Can't he make it faster? Never mind, you may go."

The Left Minister already knew that the King of Tissuria had fallen ill and had yet to wake up. He never expected that King Tarendino's body would suddenly succ.u.mb to the side effects of the hypnotic powder. He also heard that the Royal Medical team had already flushed the toxins out of the King'sbody but something went wrong.

He couldn't wait to take a few days to rest in his own room and prepare to bring down King Tarendino from his throne. He did some last-minute changes in his plans. He felt euphoric just thinking about it.

* * * * *

Queen Mina had decided to tell King Tarendino about the mission that Vaughn and Zenia had taken. He already recalled that the Left Minister gave him a hypnotic powder and even spiked his drinks with something. At the time, he could do nothing to stop him and just willingly obeyed. He tried his best not to give in to the Left Minister's request to change the Crown Prince. 

"Do you remember everything that happened that day, my King?"

"Yes, I remembered it clearly as if it happened only yesterday. I was having an afternoon tea with the Left Minister when he mentioned his daughter, Concubine Jayda, to me. I saw her once, and he asked me about my opinion for having her as my Imperial Concubine. I refused him and told him that my harem had enough already. Besides, I just learned that day that you were pregnant with Vaughn. I did not want to upset you. I thought he would stop, but I think that was the first time that he used the hypnotic powder on me."

"What made you think that, my King?"

"He was making me sign a doc.u.ment stating that Concubine Jayda's son would be the Crown Prince. It was very difficult for me to fight the effects of the powder, but I did not sign anything. My memory became hazy after that. I would remember some things but forget most of them. But, I seemed to always come back to my senses when Vaughn's position was threatened."

King Tarendino looked at Queen Mina in the eyes and held her hands as he tried to explain everything.

"Believe me, my dearest Mina, I have no recollection of most of the things that I've done. It felt like something was gnawing at my memories and driving me to forget the most important things, I hope that you and our son would forgive me."

Queen Mina gently touched King Tarendino's cheek.

"Taren, I know that you did not want those things to happen. Vaughn was still very young at that time and may not remember how you were back then. He may not remember how you doted on him. I will be blunt to tell you that your son detests you because of the things that happened while he was growing up. I did not tell him anything about how you spent time with him."

"Mina, how can I make it up to Vaughn? I don't want my son to hate me all his life. I promise to protect you both with all my might from now on."

Queen Mina smiled at the King and hoped she could comfort him with her words about their son. But, she knew better than anyone that King Tarendino had a long way to go to convince Vaughn that he would do everything to gain his beloved son's forgiveness.

When the Left Minister saw that there was no way to convince the King, who was already under the effect of the hypnotic powder, he had decided to change his plan. At first, the Left Minister wanted to make Damien the Crown Prince and let King Tarendino suffer from a slow, painful death. Everything changed when he met the Dark Magic lord whom King Odhran introduced to him. 

The dark Magic Lord convinced him that he should not just settle for Tissuria. He should aim bigger – become the ruler of the continent of Maecaea. It was a good thing that King Odhran was not interested in ruling over other kingdoms.

Before that, he should pick a puppet ruler for every kingdom in Maecaea so no one would oppose and rebel against him when he took over Maecaea completely. The Dark Magic Lord promised him that he would support him and only asked for his loyalty. The Dark Magic Lord did not conceal anything from him when he said that the Left Minister could rule the whole Maecaea while he, the Dark Magic Lord, would rule the entire world.

The Left Minister thought that the Dark Magic Lord was insane. He had always believed the entire world was Maecaea until the Dark Magic Lord led him to a special room. There, the Dark Magic Lord showed him flashes of images of the other continents. It was vast and seemed no end. The Left Minister realized that he was nothing but a mere pawn for the Dark Magic Lord. But, he did not really mind for his time would surely come. He should settle for ruling the entire Maecaea for now.

Soon, he would know the secret in conquering the other continents until he conquered the whole world. He should gather strong allies and soldiers. Even the secret of immortality that the Dark Magic Lord's master had been trying to obtain would soon be his.