Sophie POV

I left the Alpha chamber. I walked down the hallway. I headed for my quarters. I held the linen sack tight.

I met Martha on my way. She stopped. She sniffed the air. Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"What is that foul smell around you?" Martha asked.

I looked at her. I opened my hand.

"I am carrying the medication Young Prince Daemon took." I said.

"I am investigating it."

Martha followed me to my room. She wanted to help.

We entered the small space. I placed the sack on the wooden table. Martha took the medication. She smelled every piece of ingredient used.

Martha has the nose of a dog. She identifies spices from across the kitchen. She found a tiny black object. It looked like rat poop. She made a sound.

"Why does this smell like rat poop?" Martha asked.

"Alaric said the same thing." I said.

"I think it is an ingredient we do not know."

"I do not think so." Martha said.

"Nature does not make medicine that smells of rot."

Martha left for her room.

I sat all night. I looked at the black ingredient. I tried to remember every herb I ever studied. I did not get a good answer. My eyes grew heavy.

I slept for a few minutes. A loud voice woke me.

"Sophie!" Cassian called.

I sat up. My neck felt stiff.

I opened the door. Cassian looked frantic.

"The Alpha is sick." Cassian said.

I rose to my feet in a hurry. My heart hammered against my ribs.

"What! He was okay when I left him last night." I said.

"He cannot get on his feet this morning." Cassian replied.

"He is burning with heat."

I adjusted my dress. I ran to the Alpha chamber. I pushed past the guards. The royal doctor stood by the bed. He held a cold cloth.

"What is wrong?" I asked.

"The Alpha has a high fever." The doctor said.

"How?" I asked.

"Probably from lack of rest and stress." The doctor said.

"That is not enough to cause this." I said.

I stepped to the bedside. I touched Alaric on the arm. His skin felt like fire.

I remembered Martha's words. I looked at Alaric. His face was pale. His eyes were glazed. He looked at me but he did not speak.

"Did you eat anything apart from my meal?" I asked.

"I only eat food from you." Alaric said. His voice was a rasp.

"But you tasted the prince's medication." I said.

Alaric looked at me. He understood my point. I turned to the royal doctor.

"The prince ate my food." I said.

"He took his medication. Now he has a high fever. Alaric only tasted the medication. Now he has a fever too. The Young Prince took a whole portion. That is why he is dying."

"How would you know the problem is the medication?" The doctor asked.

"There is an ingredient like rat poop in it." I said.

"It has a foul smell. It sits in the linen sack on my table."

The royal doctor laughed. He shook his head.

"That is not rat poop. It is squirrel droppings. It is a rare ingredient. It is good for medication. It only causes trouble if it meets the wrong ingredient like ginger."

I shouted. "There it is! I put ginger in all my food. The prince ate my food containing ginger and took the medication. Alaric ate my food containing ginger and tasted it."

"That is right." the doctor said.

"The two chemicals fight in the blood. They create a heat that burns the brain. How did you find the problem so quickly?"

"Is there a cure?" Alaric asked.

He tried to sit up. He winced.

"I will make an antidote for you immediately." The doctor said.

"I am not talking about me." Alaric growled.

"I am talking about Prince Daemon."

"The Prince is critical." The doctor replied.

"He took the mixture for a long time. We need a stronger antidote to flush his system. It must be potent."

"Go." Alaric said.

"Bring both antidotes here. Do not stop for anyone."

The doctor hurried out. Alaric looked at me. The fever made his golden eyes look dark.

"Thank you for finding a solution." He said. "At least I will not lose you again."

I smiled. I felt a wave of relief.

"Rest your head before the antidote comes." I said.

I pushed him to lie down. He did not fight me. He grabbed my hands. He dragged me toward him. I fell on his chest. My face was an inch away from his. I tried to get up. He pulled me closer.

"Please stay for a moment." He said.

"Someone might come in." I whispered. My heart beat fast.

"Shhhh." He took his hands to his mouth gesturing I should be quiet.

I laid there. I watched him breathe. I felt the heat of his body.

The guards announced the doctor after a while.

I stood up quickly. I adjusted my dress. I smoothed my hair.

The doctor came in with two bowls. Alaric drank his. I thought about the situation. This was not a mistake. Someone added that ingredient. That person knows I use ginger in my kitchen.

"Where is the antidote for the prince?" Alaric asked.

"It is here." The doctor said.

"I wanted to give you yours first."

"I want to be there when you give it to him." Alaric said.

"You are not strong." the doctor said.

"I am fine." Alaric replied.

He stood up. He walked to the door. We followed him to the quarters of Queen Mother Isolde.

The Grand Queen Mother was there. She stood by the window. She stared at me. Her look said my time ended today.

"I brought the antidote." The doctor said.

"How?" Isolde shouted. She stood by her son.

"You do not know what is wrong."

"The Chef solved the mystery." The doctor said.

"An ingredient in the medication reacts with ginger. It causes high fever. The food had ginger. The medicine had squirrel droppings."

Isolde looked at me with hate. She did not want to thank me. She wanted her son back.

"Help him sit up." The doctor said.

"He cannot swallow." Isolde said.

"Do it." The Grand Queen Mother commanded.

"Unless you want him dead."

Isolde sat him up. She forced his mouth open. His teeth were locked tight.

The doctor poured the liquid in. They forced him to drink.

The prince started to jerk. His body shook hard. He looked like he would snap in half.

"They have come to finish him!" Isolde screamed.

"They have come to kill my son! If my son dies, Alaric and this girl will go to the grave with him!"

Sophie POV

I looked at Queen Mother Isolde. I looked at the young prince. My heart raced against my ribs. Daemon began to jerk. His limbs struck the silk sheets. His body stiffened. I felt a cold sweat on my neck.

What could be wrong? I asked myself. Alaric took the same antidote. He stood properly. He looked strong.

What is wrong with the Young Prince? Was I wrong all along? I felt the weight of the silver dagger in my mind.

I rushed to the royal doctor. I grabbed his sleeve.

"Wh... what is wrong with him?" I asked. My voice shook.

"The boy is jerking because the antidote is too strong for his system." The doctor said. He wiped his forehead.

"Is it because he has not been eating anything?" I asked.

"His stomach is empty. His blood is thin."

"It could be." The doctor replied.

"His body cannot hold the power of the antidote. It is fighting itself."

"I need to make something for him to regain his strength." I said.

"He needs fuel to survive the cure."

I turned to leave the room. I needed the heat of the kitchen. I needed to be in the right frame of mind.

"Where is she going?" Isolde asked. Her voice was a sharp blade.

"Is she trying to run away after she has killed my son?"

Alaric stepped forward. He looked at Isolde with anger.

"What is wrong with you, woman?" Alaric responded.

"Did you not hear her say she would make something for him to regain his strength?"

"The same food that put him in this situation?" Isolde challenged. She pointed a finger at me.

"Quiet, Isolde." The Grand Queen Mother said. Her voice was like stone. It stopped the room.

"She found what the problem was in two days. We could not do that. If she wanted to run, she would not come here in the first place. I know your son is ill. Do not let that cloud your sense of reasoning."

The Grand Queen Mother looked at me. She nodded once.

"Please go and make the meal for him." Alaric said. He looked at me with trust.

I walked out of her quarters. I headed for the royal kitchen. I moved with speed. I did not think about the insults from Isolde. I did not think about anything else. I just wanted the Young Prince to be fine.

I reached the kitchen. The heat greeted me.

"Prep the ingredients!" I shouted to the other chefs.

"I need oats. I need dried fruits. I need clean water."

I wanted to make an oat blend. I would grind the oats with fruits. This helps a patient regain energy fast.

We need something not too strong. It must digest easily. It must circulate in his body immediately.

We worked with precision. We ground the oats into a fine flour. We smashed the dried dates. We added a hint of honey. We stirred the mixture over a low flame.

In 30 minutes, I was done. I dished the warm meal into a wooden bowl.

I headed back to the quarters of Queen Mother Isolde. I held the bowl steady. I entered the room. Alaric looked up.

"Oh, she is here." Alaric said. He looked relieved.

"Bring the food this way."

I walked toward the bed. The royal taster stepped forward. He reached for a spoon. Isolde stepped in his way.

"No." Isolde yelled.

"I will not give my son that thing. I do not even know what it is."

"Isolde, let her explain the dish if that is what you want." Grand Queen Mother interrupted her.

"I ground oats and fruits." I told her.

"He cannot eat hard food. He cannot chew fresh fruits yet. I ground dry fruits and oats to restore his strength. It is liquid enough to swallow."

The royal doctor nodded.

"Indeed, that is what he needs right now." He said.

"What if she poisoned it?" Isolde asked.

Alaric stepped toward her. He looked like he would explode.

"We are trying to help you and you just keep saying rubbish." Alaric roared.

"Why would she find the solution only to poison him again? Besides, the royal taster tests the food before it is given to Prince Daemon."

"Then let her taste it herself." Isolde said. She looked at me with suspicion.

Alaric took the spoon from my hand.

"I will taste it since you now believe we are plotting to kill your son." Alaric said.

"I will die instead."

"Alaric, drop the spoon!" Grand Queen Mother shouted. Her eyes were wide.

"It is a taboo for the Alpha King to taste the food first. Allow the royal tasters do their job."

Alaric refused. He was stubborn. He scooped the oat mixture. He took it into his mouth. He swallowed. He closed his eyes.

"Hmmmmmm." Alaric let out the sound in amusement.

"Why have you not made this for me, Sophie?"

Isolde looked at him for a minute. She saw he did not drop dead. She saw he enjoyed the taste. The room was silent.

"Feed the boy immediately." Grand Queen Mother commanded.

Isolde took the bowl. Her hands were trembling.

She scooped the oat blend. She took it to the mouth of Prince Daemon. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She was a mother in pain. She gave him one spoon. Then two. By the fifth spoon, Daemon stirred. His eyes fluttered.

"Mother." Daemon said. His voice was a whisper.

Isolde grabbed him. She pulled him to her chest. Her face lit up. The dark clouds in the room vanished. The boy was back.

I looked at everyone in their excitement. Alaric was watching his brother. The doctor was checking the pulse. The Grand Queen Mother was watching me.

I felt the weight of the week on my shoulders. I was tired for the day. My bones ached. I needed to return to my quarters and rest.

I survived another day at the Blackwood kingdom. I knew there were more trials to come.

I knew the person who added the squirrel droppings was still out there. But for now, the prince was breathing.

Alaric POV

I watched Sophie leave the room. I saw the relief in her eyes. Her shoulders dropped. She looked like she had carried the weight of the whole kingdom for three days.

I knew I had to do something. Her life is at stake in this kingdom. She proved her innocence. Now I must prove my power.

I left the quarters of Queen Mother Isolde. I walked with purpose. My boots echoed against the floor. I reached my chamber. I sent for Cassian. He arrived within minutes.

"Cassian, go to the palace archives." I commanded.

"Check the records for Prince Daemon's medication. I want to know if squirrel droppings have been used in his medication before. Look at every entry for the last year."

"I will go now, Sire." Cassian said.

He bowed and turned on his heel.

I sent for the palace doctor next. He entered the room with a nervous look. He kept his eyes on the floor.

"Did you have any contact with the medication before it reached my step mother's quarters?" I asked.

"No, Alpha." The doctor replied.

"Grand Prince Magnus always supplies the medication himself. He brings the sack. He ensures the seal is intact. We do not touch them until the administration time."

I dismissed him with a wave of my hand.

I sat at my desk. I waited.

Cassian returned after some time. He held a leather bound ledger.

"The squirrel droppings were never found in the records, Alpha." Cassian said.

He pointed to a specific line in the text. "The ingredients listed in the archives state that it was added only for this new week. It is a fresh change. Grand Prince Magnus supplied the shipment personally."

I looked at the ledger. I felt a cold knot in my stomach.

I am not saying Grand Prince Magnus is trying to kill the Prince Daemon. But what are the odds that this ingredient is added now? It was added the same week Prince Daemon prepared to dine with me. It was added when someone knew she used ginger in all her dish.

I stood up. I headed for the secretariat of Grand Prince Magnus.

I walked past the guards. I did not wait for an announcement. I pushed the doors open.

I saw Uncle Magnus sitting beside his fireplace. The room smelled of old wood and smoke. Magnus sat in a large chair. He looked disheveled. He was drunk with wine. He reeked of alcohol.

He looked at me with glazed eyes.

"Sit, Alaric." Magnus said. He gestured to a chair.

I sat with him. I watched the fire.

"Young Prince Daemon is fine and well." I told him.

"All thanks to the Moon Goddess." Magnus said. He took a long sip from his cup.

"It came to my notice that an ingredient in the medication was added recently." I said.

"This ingredient caused the illness. You are the one in charge. You usually examine the medication before sending it out."

Magnus laughed. The sound was dry. He shook his head.

"I did not add any new ingredient to the medication." He said.

"It is the same thing I usually supply. I have no reason to change the formula."

"The palace archive says otherwise." I interrupted.

"The records show a change in the shipment this week."

Magnus leaned forward. He squinted at me.

"What reason do I have to lie? Why would I want to kill Daemon? He is my own blood. I have served this family for decades."

"I am not accusing you, Uncle." I said. My voice was calm but firm.

"I am inquiring to know what is going on in my kingdom. Someone changed the medicine."

Magnus smiled. It was a slow, tired smile. He leaned back in his chair.

"I do not know anything about any new ingredient. I do not handle the small details of the mixture."

"Did anyone else come in contact with the medication?" I asked.

"Did anyone touch the sack before they reached Isolde?"

"I examine the ingredients." Magnus said.

"Then I gave the sack to the royal physician. She drops them off. She handles the final delivery."

"The royal physician?" I asked. I felt a sharp spark of suspicion.

"Yes." Magnus said.

"If any changes were made, she should be able to answer for it. She is the last person to hold the sack."

"Thank you." I said. I stood up to leave.

"Alaric." Magnus called my name.

I stopped.

"You are a good brother to Daemon. You care for your own."

I did not answer. I moved fast.

I returned to my chambers. I felt the wolf inside me pacing. The trail was getting warm.

I called for Cassian and Thomas. They both arrived almost immediately. They saw the look on my face.

"Cassian, go check when the royal physician was last seen in the palace." I said.

"Check the gate logs. Check her station."

"Thomas, go to her house." I commanded.

"Check the perimeter. Look for signs of flight. I want her here right now. She must tell me who paid her. She must tell me who provided the squirrel droppings."

Thomas nodded. He vanished into the shadows.

Cassian left through the main door.

I walked to the window. I looked out over Blackwood. The sun was gone. The darkness was total.

Today, the person behind this must face the full wrath of the Alpha. I will find the truth. I will protect Sophie.

I will tear down anyone who stands in my way.