Valerian, The Legendary

233 Chs

ADD

224 Resolved.

It has been seven days since the whole debacle Ayat staged in the imperial court with her death. The people of the nation somehow found out about the news. The news was being discussed and the last words of the late princess were passed on to the masses in great detail. The people began to recall how ominous their emperor was.

However, another thing that the people found out was something even more shocking. The personage that looked like the only good soul in the royal family was treated so inferiorly. The people saw Morgana as an Angel, and the girl earned this image of hers, but when the people heard about this, they became even angrier.

Yet, Jamal had sent soldiers to suppress any spark that can set up his backyard to fire. The old man did not want this to happen. His ambition was too great and that made his heart wary of risks or variations in his plan. Even his own children were not allowed to present an opinion about his decisions. Let alone others.

Ameer and his siblings attended the funeral of the late princess, and when the man was let go of a handful of sand, he gazed at the casket lying in the pit in front of him as he said, “I will remove him, I promise you, Ayat.”

His two siblings were shocked. They quickly looked around and found that no one was near them and Zeenat asked, “Have you lost it? Do wish to leave me and Akhlakh like her too?”

Ameer shook his head, “I have been planning and setting my pieces for a long time now, I was looking for a ripe moment to execute the plan perfectly, but... my wait caused me to lose my youngest sister. Do you think I will let that old bastard continue taking things from me?”

The two could not believe that their eldest brother was saying such things. He has been the most obedient person in the court, he was the favorite of their father, even if Jamal did not say anything, he has never really treated Ameer harshly because their brother was good at all the things that Jamal wanted.

Akhlakh asked, “I get it that you are hurt from Ayat’s death, but so are we. If you made any move, what will the outcome be?”

Ameer smiled and said, “I have made a move thirteen years ago, now you just need to watch it play.”

.....

The two people knew that things could not be salvaged anymore. The funeral came to an end and the officials departed after expressing their condolences to the family.

...

Jamal sat in his room, leaning against the rocking chair with his eyes closed. He looked like he was at peace. Suddenly, the good was knocked and the guard outside said, “Lady Morgana is here to see you, Your Excellency.”

With a sigh, Jamal said, “Let her in.”

The door was opened and Morgana walked in wearing a black dress skirt and veil. She came closer to the old man and said, “Greetings, Your Excellency.”

Jamal nodded and asked, “What brings you here?”

Morgana looked around and said, “I was at the funeral and I heard something that might save your life.”

Jamal opened his eyes and sat up in the chair, his face did not show much of a change, and asked, “What are you up to? Do you think they can kill me? None of the people can deal with me if they are not fast. My name is not for show only. Yes, I am old, but I am not weak to fall to assassinations.”

Morgana walked closer and said, “Your Excellency, sometimes if the opponent is too slow, we can suffer too.”

Jamal curled his lips and asked, “How slow?”

Morgana replied, “Thirteen years slow.”

The old man frowned and began to think what could have happened thirteen years ago that could kill him. He cast a gaze at the girl in front of him and asked, “Are you trying to say that the ghost of your dead mother is here to haunt me?”

Morgana did not show anything more than a momentary furrow on her brows before she said, “You have a rich imagination. However, you are wrong. Thirteen years ago, all of a sudden, you started drinking flame rose tea. Did you not?”

Jamal nodded and was surprised, he said, “Indeed, it has been thirteen years since I started drinking that tea, why do you ask?”

Morgana went on to say, “Your flame rose tea is said to be cultured in a specific garden, and the conditions there are what that makes the tea have a special mellow aftertaste.”

Jamal was surprised by her in-depth knowledge and nodded, he asked, “What are you getting at, I do not have the whole day.”

Morgana replied, “The land where the tea is cultured has a rich amount of Lava dust. This material is known for retaining some qualities of fire element attributes and also for how poisonous it can be if directly fed to anyone in combination with Lunar Daisy. The tea you have been drinking for so long is the slow poison, and your room is filled with the fragrance of Lunar Daisy.”

Jamal sniffed subconsciously and was shocked, he never thought of this subtle smell in the wind to be the hidden knife, as it was very calming to his mind. He began to look around for something.

Morgana continued after watching his anxiety, “Your veins are filled with lava dust poison, and the strange peace you feel in this room is coming from the slowly dying body that does not have the energy or capability to break free from the binds of this poison. Please do not tell that you have not noticed, when you are outside this place, you are more vigorous and more energetic?”

Jamal shivered when he realized all this. He said, “Snare.”

He did not care if Morgana was present in front of him and called for his guard. Snare was quick and he appeared in a blink. Jamal said, “Search every corner in this room and find out where is the smell coming from.”

That said, Jamal looked at Morgana and said, “Follow me.”

The old man then led the girl through the palace at a calm pace. Morgana remarked in her heart, ‘You sure can put up an act old man.’

The two people came to the study and the old man asked, “Who is responsible for this and what proof do you have?”

Morgana shrugged her shoulders and said, “I heard this by accident when the Eldest prince was talking about avenging the youngest princess. The two others tried to stop him and then he said something about a move he made thirteen years ago. As I looked into it, I found that he was not talking baselessly.”

Jamal’s eyes flickered and he asked, “What is the proof?”

Morgana replied, “Do you not think it is too coincidental that you received that tea as a gift from the eldest prince thirteen years earlier as a gift to make amends after I was born? The smell of the Lunar Daisy, have you not been effected by it recently only?”

Jamal nodded and said, “Very well, you have made your point now, get lost.”

Morgana nodded and after a bow, she left the room. The girl has finished doing her task. The information was gathered from the servant network she had established and a few of them happened to be stationed beside Ameer. They knew the things he dealt with, and one of them heard the head butler inform the prince that the Lunar Daisy was cultivated properly and it has grown to a level where the fragrance alone will be able to trigger the poison from the Lava dust.

Ameer was really careful but he forgot about the existence of the servants with thin ears. They heard everything and they pretended to be loyal to him. The prince was not too bad, but the calm in his house, made him think that the place was his safe haven and that the good deeds of his daughter have made him a saint in the eyes of these servants.

However, he could not be any more wrong. His servants were not loyal but they were quiet. They did not think of him as a saint but as a devil who abandoned his daughter for royalty. He was a beast they wished to slay and the princess had come forward to recruit them. After all that she has done for them, this was the least they would do for her. If Morgana was to call them to arms, the entire capital would rush to raze the imperial palace.

They did not even care if the head butler was a grandmaster, they just did what they had to do.

...

Jamal stood in his room and looked at Snare, who just informed him that nothing was discovered. The old emperor worked his brain but nothing came of it. He could not figure out where this plant was hidden. He snorted and said, “Call the chief Medicus, and tell everyone that I have a slight fever.”

Snare nodded and left the place. Jamal had a sly face and said, “You are too green Ameer, your sinful seed finally consumed you as I said. Since you want to play, then let’s play.”