CHAPTER 185: "I NEED THE ANTIDOTE"

At Kingdom Zephyra...

Crown Prince Leonard visited Alaric in his quarters. He was not allowed to leave. So many royal guards were keeping their eyes on him.

"General Alaric, are you bored?" Prince Leonard asked him as he sat down next to Alaric.

"Yes. I want to see my wife. But she is not here," Alaric responded, a trace of longing could be seen in his eyes.

Prince Leonard grabbed his shoulder, his palm gently tapping his back. "Don’t worry. She will return soon. Let’s celebrate her victory."

He brought a bottle of wine with him.

"How do you know?" Alaric asked him curiously.

Prince Leonard smiled meaningfully before picking up the letter sent by Princess Eve.

"Here. Tomorrow is her coronation. King Solomon abdicated the throne and passed it to Eve."

Alaric immediately accepted the letter. "Is this mine?"

"Yes. She sent it along with her letter for me."

Alaric fell silent for a moment, taking his time to read Eve’s letter for him.

{ Eve’s Message: }

[ My dearest husband, how are you? I hope you’re feeling better now. I’m writing this letter to tell you that I have become the Queen of Kingdom Averion. You don’t have to worry—no blood was spilled, and we did not engage in battle. I miss you terribly. Please bear with me a little longer—I’ll come for you as soon as possible. I love you so much.]

Alaric was happy to hear this piece of good news. But he didn’t feel at ease knowing that she had become a queen. He wondered if he could still be there to support her. What could he do to help her?

"General Alaric, why are you sad? Aren’t you happy for her?" Prince Leonard asked him as he noticed his solemn expression.

"I’m happy for her, but I’ve realized how useless I’ve become. I was supposed to be by her side, but I’m not there. I’m jealous of Gideon. He’s always there whenever she needs him," Alaric confided his true feelings to Prince Leonard.

Prince Leonard didn’t know what to say to cheer him up.

"Hey, don’t say that. Princess Eve loves you. She is doing this because of you. She is worried about your health."

Alaric’s expression turned grim. "Prince Leonard, does she know about me being poisoned by your father? Does she know that I’m dying?"

Prince Leonard was taken aback for a moment. He wasn’t certain if Alaric and Eve had discussed the poison. By observing Alaric’s reaction, he could somehow tell that Eve didn’t tell Alaric that she knew about the lethal poison.

"Don’t worry, General Alaric. You’re not going to die. Your wife is doing her best to find the cure, and I’m also helping her identify the poison my father used. In the worst-case scenario, I’ll steal the antidote from my father’s chamber," the prince said, reassuring Alaric.

"Princess Eve also mentioned another option," he added. "She said that the Crown Prince of Eldara would search for the Miracle Fruit, a legendary fruit said to cure all illnesses."

Alaric clenched his fists upon hearing that. "I don’t want her to feel indebted to Prince Cassian. That man is trying to covet my wife. I’d rather die than let him take advantage of her vulnerability. I don’t want to be the reason she ends up in danger."

Prince Leonard could only smile sheepishly while scratching his face. "You don’t understand, Alaric. Eve will do everything to cure you because you are important to her. Just trust her. Believe in her. She is not weak. She will never allow anyone to take advantage of her. She is smart enough to know if someone is sincere or not."

"Besides, if you die, I don’t think Eve will be happy. She loves you deeply. So please, set aside your pride and allow Prince Cassian to help find a cure. Don’t refuse his offer and respect Eve’s decision."

Alaric was not able to refute his words. Of course, he didn’t want Eve to be unhappy. "You are right. I’m going to trust my wife."

"Prince Leonard, why are you helping us? Aren’t you afraid that Eve and I would harm your father?"

Alaric couldn’t understand why Prince Leonard was very kind and friendly towards them. They were supposed to be enemies.

"I’m not your enemy. My father’s past crimes have nothing to do with me. Besides, I want them to reconcile. If I have to convince my father to apologize to Eve, I will. We’re still family." Prince Leonard expressed his thoughts.

Alaric didn’t comment further. He just wished that everything would be fine in the end. All he wanted for Eve was to be happy and live peacefully with him.

"I understand now, Prince Leonard. Could you please take me to your father’s quarters? I want to speak with him myself. Perhaps I can try to strike a deal for the antidote. I can’t just sit here and do nothing." Alaric requested a favor from him.

"Are you sure? My father is so clever. I don’t think he will agree or listen to your proposition. He only thinks about his benefits. I don’t think this is a better idea. Besides, Eve has already made a deal with him. Don’t complicate things anymore, Alaric." Prince Leonard tried to stop him with his plan. He knew his father better.

"Please, Crown Prince. Help me out. I won’t bother you after this. I just want to try my luck." Alaric insisted.

Prince Leonard could only heave a sigh of defeat. "Alright. I will escort you to his chambers. But remember, don’t mention anything about Eve’s coronation. My father is still clueless about Eve’s victory."

"I understand."

Meanwhile, in King Zaraki’s quarters, he was having a serious conversation with Chancellor Gustav.

"What the hell is going on here? The spies stopped sending messages. Did they get killed? I don’t know what is happening in Kingdom Averion right now. What if Princess Eve tried to betray me? Did she deceive us?" King Zaraki was lashing out at Chancellor Gustav.

Neither of them had heard any news from the troops they sent to Kingdom Averion. They had been trying to contact the knights who were keeping an eye on Eve and Gideon. But several days had passed, and no one was sending messages to them.

King Zaraki was now panicking because Eve brought the legendary dragon with her. He was afraid that Eve would suddenly launch an attack.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Maybe the two kingdoms are fighting a serious battle right now. They couldn’t send us a message in the middle of a fight." Chancellor Gustav said, consoling the anxious king,

"Remember, Princess Eve’s husband is still here. She won’t dare harm us. You’re the only one who has the antidote. If she tries to betray you, Alaric will die, and she won’t let that happen."

King Zaraki rubbed his temples. "I have a bad feeling about this. What if she and Gideon are up to something? I should have sent you to watch them. Now, we are in the dark about what’s happening on the battlefield."

He regretted not sending Chancellor Gustav with them. He was the only person he could truly trust.

Chancellor Gustav took a deep sigh. "Your Majesty, I have a method to find out what is going on in Kingdom Averion."

King Zaraki raised his head as he looked at him with sparkling eyes. "Really? How will you do that?"

"We just need to deceive Princess Eve. If she hears bad news about Alaric, she will definitely respond to us. Alaric is her weakness right now. Let’s exploit that," Chancellor Gustav suggested.

King Zaraki burst into a peal of laughter. "Hahaha! You are right. I’ve forgotten about that. You are so clever, Gustav. I like your idea." He was satisfied with Chancellor Gustav’s proposition.

Without further ado, King Zaraki grabbed a parchment paper and wrote a message to Eve. He even used his royal seal to make the letter authentic.

"Haha! I’m glad we can threaten her like this." King Zaraki said after he was done composing his message.

They were still talking when a royal servant announced the arrival of Crown Prince Leonard.

"Your Majesty, Crown Prince Leonard is here to see you."

"Let him in!" King Zaraki replied.

"However, he is not alone, Your Majesty. He brought General Alaric with him," the royal servant informed him.

King Zaraki frowned deeply upon hearing that. He gazed at Chancellor Gustav, his eyes seemingly asking for his opinion. "I don’t know why Alaric is here. Should we see him?"

Chancellor Gustav nodded in response. "Yes, Your Majesty. Let’s hear what he has to say. I’m curious."

"Hahaha! Alright. Tell them to enter!" King Zaraki commanded the servant.

It did not take long before Alaric and Crown Prince Leonard entered the room. King Zaraki and Chancellor Gustav stared at them with intrigue.

"Why have you come to see me, General Alaric?" King Zaraki asked plainly after the two men bowed before him.

Alaric raised his head to meet King Zaraki’s eyes. Without hesitation, he told him, "I need the antidote. I’m here to negotiate with you, King Zaraki."