Ulva was seething.
Her blood was boiling both from anger and irritation at the unexpected turn of events. Kieran has died. And no. She wasn’t angry because he was dead. Kieran was just another loose end. He would die sooner or later. She was angry because Ava killed the wrong prince. It was supposed to be Drigo!
Earlier, she sincerely thought that Ava actually made a mistake. But seeing Ava’s smirk, Ulva realized that the woman knew exactly what she was doing. And this? This confused Ulva. What was she doing?
Ava was here to stop the event! Why not just kill Drigo? Why did she have to kill someone that isn’t actually related to the event? And why does she look pleased? Was she doing this just to infuriate Ulva? Was she doing this just to tell Ulva that the spell didn’t work? That they weren’t able to control her?
Or... was this a challenge?
She eyed the King who should be feeling the same anger right now.
"Go ahead and do it," King Josiah said. Ulva knew that the King looked angry not because of Kieran’s death but because of the event tomorrow. With Drigo alive and well, the King would have to complete the event with all the witnesses that he invited!
Ulva clenched his jaw. "All witches... please form a line in front of me. I will start my spell." Ulva said calmly. That potion was made by her and she knew just how to find it.
In fact, this was the reason why she instructed Ava to keep the poison. That vial would leave a secret residue that would glow once hit by a certain light magick. Everyone who held the poison would have its residue! Unless of course, they would do a cleansing spell which would be impossible in Ava’s case.
Seeing all the witches, including Ava forming a horizontal line in front of her, she closed her eyes and started chanting.
She already expected Ava’s hand and maybe dress to lit up along with the witch that bumped into Ava earlier.
Just as she finished the spell, a cold breeze filled the hall. Most people would shiver but right now, everyone was so curious, that they put all their attention on the witches. Everyone wanted to see what is going to happen.
Ulva opened her eyes and immediately looked in Ava’s way.
"Hm?"
Ulva frowned. Earlier, she saw Ava’s face change when she mentioned this spell. The smile on Ava’s face vanished. It was as if she was scared of something. Because of this, Ulva became even more confident to do the tracking spell. But this....
"The one who touched the poison should have a residue on their hand and body perhaps their dress." Ulva calmly stated as she roamed her eyes among the witches.
"Priestess, the head witch’s hands!" someone from the back gasped.
Everyone turned their head toward Nessa, the head witch who brought Ava to that secret door for the meeting with Ulva. Nessa was the one in charge of the kitchens and is actually a very good cook.
Whispers and gasps covered the entire atmosphere.
"Nessa..."
"I didn’t do it, Priestess!"
**THUD**
Nessa didn’t waste time. She kneeled in front of Ulva.
"I was framed! Your majesty! I didn’t kill Prince Kieran! Someone is framing me!"
"Frame you?" the King squinted. "And why would someone frame you... Head Witch Nessa?"
"Someone— " Nessa turned towards Ava. "Someone wanted to stop the event! They used me to create some problems for us to change the dates! That must be it! Someone must have tampered with the food in advance and— "
"Are you saying that you let someone use magick inside the kitchens?"
"Priestess Ulva I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that— " Nessa glared at Ava. "She’s the only one who— who wanted to stop the event. She is framing me! In fact, I don’t have any motive to hurt Prince Kieran. I have promised to protect this family! I would never hurt anyone!"
"Is that so?" Ava asked.
"I didn’t give you any permission to speak!" Ulva’s voice boomed inside the hall.
"So, I should just keep my mouth shut while someone wanted to tell everyone that I murdered a prince? Is this how it works?"
"Miss Woods... please continue speaking." The King said, completely stopping Ava from embarrassing Ulva for being so obvious and biased.
"In fact, head witch Nessa has a motive," Ava said. "On the first night that I stayed here. It was Head Witch Nessa who gave me food that was just slightly better than beggar’s food. I could feel the head witch’s Nessa’s hate towards me. So, I started inquiring and I discovered that many witches hated me because... I became Matthew’s witch. Head witch Nessa was one of the witches who volunteered to become Matthew’s witch but the latter— "
"How dare you call the future King of Lycans by his name?" someone from the back shouted.
"Oh, that— " Ava smirked at the witch. "We were so close, we are calling each other’s name and even have nicknames that we use to call each other."
Obviously, Ava’s statement infuriated a lot of witches. But she didn’t care. She continued smiling as her eyes met the King’s silver eyes.
"Matthew chose me to become his witch and that earned the jealousy of a lot of witches."
"I don’t see any reason why their hate for you would make them kill Kieran?" the King said.
"I was trying to establish the fact that they like Matthew. And that they only like Matthew to become the next King."
"You— I would never do something that crazy!" Nessa said. "I am not a lunatic. I would never hurt the Royal Family!"
"You said that but... the poison that they used to kill Kieran was all over your body. Let’s let the evidence speak, shall we?"
"Eloquent and precise," the King uttered.
Ava smiled in response. She didn’t know why the King would tell her something like that but she knew that she had angered the King.
"Your Majesty I would never— "
**THWACK**
"Ugh..."
Ava’s eyes widened when she saw the dagger that impaled Head Witch Nessa’s neck. It came from the King!
She saw the King throw something but didn’t even realize that it was a dagger until it hit the Head Witch.
Ava turned her eyes towards the cruel King.
"I don’t tolerate snakes," the King said. His eyes were still focused on Ava. "I hate them. I think— they deserve to die a horrible death."
Or he was just trying to silence Nessa, Ava thought inwardly. But in response, Ava just nodded at the King’s words. She pursed her lips as she now understands the level of cruelty inside this household.
A king that doesn’t hesitate in killing a witch!
That only shows the real status of witches inside this Kingdom!
"Now that the person who killed my son was already dead..." the King looked at Nessa’s still twitching body. The smell of blood was already thick in the air. "We shall end this banquet for now."
"Your Majesty... what about tomorrow’s event?"
Ava looked at the older man who asked. She... didn’t recall seeing this old man earlier.
"I will send you my decision in a few hours. I just lost a son. I am going to rest."
The King turned his back but before he started walking, he said. "Ulva... take Miss Woods to my study."
"Yes, your majesty."
With that, the King left the hall.
"You— Follow me!" Ulva uttered.
This time, Ava followed the woman without asking any more questions. She would love to see what the King would do to her after all this.
Of course, she already prepared an alibi for everything. Ava could only smile inwardly as she followed the Ulva and the King towards the latter’s study.
Ava walked into the King’s study and almost immediately, she felt like something is trying to crush her lungs. She stilled as she stared at the King.
She could— she could barely breathe!
Ava felt sweat trickling down her back and slowly beads of sweat made their way into her forehead. She paled, and she felt her face losing its color. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"I underestimated you," the King said in a low almost a whisper voice. It sounded like he was just talking to himself as he continued. "You made us believe that you came here because you wanted to — "
"You invited me," Ava said.
"Do not— " The King turned around, his eyes blazing with fury. "Interrupt me when I am talking!"
Ava said nothing as she observed the old man’s expression. The pressure was still there. For some reason, Ava felt like... she was in front of a monster. Goosebumps skittered through her skin as she met his reddish, brownish eyes.
"Good," the King smiled, the anger in his eyes vanished as if it was never there in the first place. "Very good. Now sit down before I decide rip you to shred and feed you to my dogs!"
"I would really love to see you try."
Ava’s heart almost jumped out of her chest when she heard Matthew’s voice behind her.
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