His Highness's Second Wife
His Highness’s Second Wife Chapter 43

“Welcome back, Your Highness.” The soldiers at the gate saluted him as he and the rest of his group approached with their horses. The sun had set a few hours ago, but the city had come awake with the lighting of the lanterns on the streets, so their journey through it took longer than expected.

He couldn’t wait to take a bath and get a good night’s sleep. They had to hurry back because of the banquet and even when they did stop for a few hours of rest, his mind kept going to what that soldier had said.

They were just making their way toward the stables when he noticed a lone figure rushing to intercept them. As the man drew closer, Kassian recognized Blaine and the look on his face made him tense in the saddle. He lowered himself down as his aide reached them, raising an eyebrow with a question.

“Missed me that much?” He tried to joke, to disperse the tension that tightened around his chest, but the look on the other man’s face wasn’t one of amusement.

“Don’t jest, Your Highness,” he sighed tiredly, glancing behind the prince. “I’m glad you’re back safe and sound, but there has been an incident.”.

Kassian continued to stare at him in expectation, but Blaine said nothing, just glanced at the group behind him.

“Go on ahead,” Kassian said to Gerrin, who nodded, shouting for the men to move faster so they could eat and sleep sooner. Once they were out of earshot, he turned back to Blaine, giving him an impatient nod.

“There has been another poisoning,” he said carefully, and Kassian closed his eyes.

“For f**k’s sake, I’ve barely been gone a week!” he sighed, opening his eyes again. “Who?”

“Her Highness Raena is.” Blaine started, and Kassian felt his heart drop. Before he knew it, he was climbing back on his horse and pulling its reins. “Wait, Your..” Kassian dug his heels into the horse’s side and the animal leapt forward.

“Damn it! Damn it!” he cursed as he squeezed the reins to the point his hands started trembling.

How could she get herself killed in such a short time? And in such a stupid way!

Her face emerged in front of him again, smiling from ear to ear while tiny dimples formed in her soft cheeks, her eyes gleaming with joy, while her long eyelashes fluttered excitedly. She couldn’t be dead, damn it!

Kassian pulled the reins of the horse in front of the North Palace’s gate, just then noticing the four guards standing on duty outside. One of them rushed to secure the animal while the others saluted him promptly. He moved past them without slowing down, pushing the heavy gate and heading toward the mansion with an urgent stride.

Somebody was going to pay for this. Whoever did this was going to…

The front door opened even before he reached it. It took his eyes a second to get used to the bright light and to recognize the face of the maid – Raena’s personal maid.

“Your Highness, welcome. What…” the dark-haired girl started, but he just moved past her. He was going to deal with her incompetence later.

Kassian stopped in the middle of the foyer, looking around. The place seemed much different from the last time he came here – the flooring was changed and the walls were properly painted and decorated; the staircase was renovated and polished to a gleam, dark red carpet covering the stairs with thin gilded metal strings holding it in place.

It was quiet. The whole manor was quiet. Kassian headed for the stairs, ignoring the maid that called him again. He heard her following gingerly, but he didn’t stop until he was on the second floor.

“Your Highness, please stop for a moment!” she said breathlessly as she climbed the stairs. “What is His Highness doing h…?”

“Shut up!” Kassian snapped, and she flinched. Where is she?”

The maid hesitated, and he was just going to shout at her when she moved.

“This way, please.” She led him down the corridor, stopping in front of one of the double doors and carefully opening one of its wings, The room was dark and smelled of flowers and one of those calming incense Sarea often used. Kassian pushed past the maid, striding inside. It took him a second to spot the body in the bed, lying on its left side with the covers reaching to her waist. She was wearing a thin nightgown that had slipped over one of her shoulders. Her hair was spread on the pillow around her head and her face was relaxed and calm, almost as if she was sleeping.

She must have died painlessly, at least. But why was she in bed and not changed into proper attire? Even if it all happened today, the proper protocol was to prepare the body and move it to a colder room before the time for the funeral was decided.

Why didn’t they..

The body in the bed shifted and Raena turned around, snuggling with one of the many pillows surrounding her. Kassian’s eyes widened, and he took a surprised step back. He turned around and stared at the maid with a stunned expression.

“She is not dead?” he asked, his voice coming out quieter than he expected. The maid gave him a confused look.

“Of course not!” she frowned. “Didn’t your aide tell you the details? l gave him a full report myself, Your Highness.”

Kassian pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a heavy sigh. After he composed himself, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure Raena was still sleeping, then motioned for the maid to go out, following her swiftly into the corridor. The maid opened her mouth to speak, but he raised his hand and motioned for her to follow. After they had climbed down the stairs, he finally turned to look at her. She stared at her feet, clenching her hands nervously.

“Tell me what happened,” he ordered and the maid glanced at him before setting her eyes on his shoulder.

“While Her Highness was taking a nap in her room, one of the maids that were attending to her brought in the tea that another maid had delivered.

Since Her Highness was sleeping, the girl must have thought it was fine to have a cup herself and drank from it. The tea appeared to have been poisoned because she died almost instantly.” The, maid said quickly. “This woke up Her Highness, and she screamed when she saw her. I immediately went there to find out what had happened. After confirming it was poison, we moved and buried the body since it had all kinds of liquids coming out of it and I was afraid of an illness spreading. The other maids were terrified as well, so I thought it would be best to take care of it quickly.”

“An illness can’t spread so quickly if she died from poison,” Kassian said, harsher than intended. “Where were you if not by her side?”

“I was managing the estate, Your Highness. She had fallen asleep, so I used the opportunity to take care of all the urgent matters,” she replied politely, but he could sense a note of annoyance in her voice. She remained with her head bowed and her eyes lowered in submission, but he got the feeling that she wasn’t used to doing that often.

Just what was going on in this place? “We apprehended the maid that brought the tea and she is currently locked in the dungeon, awaiting His Highness’s judgment. I have also given your aide the location of the grave in case His Highness wanted to inspect it.”

“What about my wife?” he asked and regretted it a moment later. The maid glanced up before resuming her previous posture.

“What about her, Your Highness?” she asked carefully.

“ls she alright?” Kassian asked. It was already too late to pretend to be uninterested, so he could at least find out what he wanted to know. It wasn’t like showing interest in his wife’s well-being was strange. She was his responsibility, although so far he had been doing a terrifically poor job of taking care of her. She wasn’t Sarea, she couldn’t take care of herself or navigate these dangerous waters.

If he didn’t need her father’s support, he would have never married someone so weak and vulnerable.

“She is unharmed,” the maid finally replied, “but scared and exhausted. She has been sleeping all day after drinking a calming tea, but I am sure with a bit of time she will be fine.”

“The banquet is in two days,” Kassian murmured, then looked up when he realized he had said it out loud. He was just thinking that under the circumstances she couldn’t attend when the maid said.

“She will attend as ordered, Your Highness. We have received the gown and the instructions from Her Highness Sarea.” Kassian opened his mouth to say that wouldn’t be necessary when the front door of the manor flew open and a panting Blaine rushed in, holding his chest with a pained expression. Both Kassian and the maid stared at him with surprise as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“It wasn’t your wife that was poisoned!” he croaked, coughing a few times before straightening up. “I tried to tell you, Your Highness, but you left so quickly!”

“I found out already.” Kassian scowled, then turned to the maid. “l am sending you a tester first thing in the morning. Make sure they taste even the water she drinks, am I clear?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Blaine, we’re leaving!” he announced, moving past his aide. Blaine caught up, his eyes drilling a hole in the back of Kassian’s head. When he finally got to his horse, he turned to face the other man. Go back to my study. I have one more stop to make and I’ll meet you there for a full report.”

He nudged the horse forward before his aide could answer, guiding the animal toward the East Palace. Everybody must have heard of his return because as he rode through the place, he saw more guards and servants rushing around as if turning extremely busy all of a sudden.

When he reached the East Palace, he surrendered the horse to a servant that seemed to be waiting for him outside. He made his way in, ignoring everyone’s curious looks, which only reminded him he was still wearing his armor. At least he had managed to get most of the grime and b***d out of it, but he doubted he was a pretty sight.

Sarea’s Head Maid greeted him at the door and for a moment he wondered if all Head Maids had some kind of sixth sense. He didn’t even have to ask when she politely asked him to follow her so she could lead her to her mistress.

He found Sarea sitting alone on the long rectangular table of her dining room, nursing a glass of wine while rubbing her temple. The look she gave him as he walked in suggested she knew very well he wasn’t there for pleasantries.

“Leave,” Sarea said at the same time he did.

The Head Maid raised her hand and the three attending maids followed her out of the room with hurried steps. As the door behind them closed, he turned back toward Sarea. “I’m already looking into it.”

“Oh, you are?” he scoffed, his anger returning. Two times! She almost got killed two times in one month! We haven’t even been married for that long! Is this how you’re managing the harem?”

“What do you expect me to do?” she snapped, her voice raising an octave. “Every servant gets vetted before they are allowed to work here! Their background, their recommendations, their characters. But people can lie and sometimes you can’t tell before it’s too late! We are all under constant threat, not just her! How is it my fault she doesn’t have a tester? If anything, it’s her fault!”

“Sarea…” Kassian warned, trying to calm down before he poured his anger on her. “She is defenseless and she is under your care! Do you know what will happen if she dies? Do you know what the Prime Minister would do”

“ls this really the reason?” she asked suddenly, a bitter smile appearing on her lips. “What the Prime Minister would do?” Kassian narrowed his eyes at her, refusing to give in to the provocation.

The Prime Minister would do nothing! He knows what it means to be part of the Imperial family! He knew that by marrying her to you, her life would be in danger because that’s just how it is with your family! | would know, I have survived more assassination attempts than her! But have you come here in the middle of the night to check on me and my condition? No! You’ve sent Blaine! Or a messenger! So don’t come marching in here and waving false excuses in my face! I am not stupid, I know exactly why you’re so angry!”

“Watch your mouth!” Kassian frowned at her.

“No! I’m sick and tired of being treated like your servant!” Sarea shouted. “I’ve been supporting you, through my family and my own efforts, for almost ten years! I’ve done everything you asked, and I have given you everything I can! I am even…” Her tirade stopped abruptly, and she bent over, her body trembling from the vicious cough that shook her from head to toe.

She kept coughing and choking for a few long seconds, then suddenly she fell to one knee. Kassian rushed to her side, reaching to catch her. She slapped his hand before he could touch her. Her gaze burned with rage, but what really got him was the stream of b***d smeared at the edge of her mouth. Kassian looked at her hands, his breath catching in his throat as he stared at the red splatter on them.

“What is this?” he asked as he met her eyes again. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What do you think, Kassian?” she replied weakly, wiping the b***d from her chin with the back of her hand. “I’m paying the price of being your wife.”