Chapter 41

Princess Aisley got to the princess door and saw no one around, so she left the food on a small table near the door and knocked before running off.
One of the servants walked over to the door and opened it,F “your meal has arrived.”
The servant took the food tray and placed it on a table inside the room before walking back to the door and closing it.
Queen Cerena finished her bath and after the servants dressed her in her favorite blush pink color dress, she sends them off because she didn’t want them to see how hungry she was and feared she might not be able to control herself once she took the first bite.
‘Stupid servant starving this body and now I have to suffer for it,’ Queen Cerena thought and stood over the tray of food and took forks full of food to her mouth without breathing in between.
Queen Cerena felt her throat tighten and thought it was because she was eating too fast. She grabbed the goblet of wine and tried to wash the food down, but it only made things worst.
She slammed her own chest as she stumbled to the door, but before she could open the door, she fainted and dropped dead to the floor.

Queen Reina grew impatient waiting for Iris to wake up, so she took her leave. “I am going to go rest. Let me know when she wakes up.”
“Yes, your majesty,” the guard said and watched her leave.
Iris opened her eyelids just a little and saw that the gate to her cell has been left open. She shut her eyes again when she heard footsteps return and hoped that the guard won’t feel the need to lock the gate.

Prince Remington was going over some paperwork with his father while princess Aisley patiently waited in her room for the screams and shouts that will announce the death of Queen Cerena.

“That is the lot then,” King Remington said after dripping blue wax on a scroll and pressing his ring into it.
“Good night then, father,” Prince Remington said and took his leave, eager to pay Queen Cerena a visit.
“Good night, son,” King Remington said with a yawn and finished the contents of his goblet before making his way over to Queen Reina’s room.

Halfway there he heard Prince Remington’s shouts, “bring the healer! Queen Cerena needs the healer!”
King Remington stormed to Queen Cerna’s room. Queen Reina woke from her slumber and took a bit longer to get there. Princess Aisley sat up and thought, ‘she can’t still be alive.’

“My robes,” Princess Aisley demanded her bed-chamber servant.
She hurriedly put on her robe and walked over to Queen Cerena’s room.
The few guards on duty also made their way over and the commotion could be heard all the way down to the dungeons.
“What on earth is going on?” The guard asked himself out loud before leaving the dungeons to inspect.

Iris got to her feet and was happy to find the cell still open. She was wearing a blush pink dress, fit for a queen. Iris hurried out of the dungeons and stopped, only to make sure no one was around.
When she heard running footsteps coming from the main entrance of the castle, she hid and let them pass.
Iris didn’t care what was going on and ran out of the castle unnoticed. She grabbed the first horse and got onto it. She was not entirely sure how to ride a horse, but didn’t care. She held on for dear life as she ran into the night, in the direction of King Evander’s nearest kingdom, and hoped to find safety there.

Iris felt like she could not get there fast enough and wondered if maybe she went in the wrong direction. Iris brought the horse to a halt and looked around her for anything familiar.
‘Everything looks different at night,’ she thought and felt a tear escape her eye.
‘No time for crying,’ she willed herself and decided to stay on her route.

Iris felt relieved when she saw the flickering of fire torches and heard the sounds of celebrations.
‘Is this kingdom? Why would the people be celebrating?’ Iris wondered and got the horse to gallop slower. The closer she got, the more she could make out and realized she was looking at tents, “soldiers?”
Iris galloped through the rows of tents towards the kingdom's gates.
Iris recognized King Evander’s flags on their tents. The soldiers didn’t pay much attention to her where they were drinking and being playful with women at their sides and on their laps.
Iris proceeded to the gates of the kingdom that were wide open. She made her way all the way to the castle gates. Iris didn’t realize that the horse she was riding had the Spencer’s colors around his neck.
The guards at the bottom of the steps that led into the castle took the reins from Iris.
Iris thought the guard was helping her off, but before she knew what was going on, she was thrown over his shoulders and carried up the stairs.
Iris recognized all the guards and protested against the back of the guard that was carrying her, “let go of me! Put me down! This is no way to treat a lady!”
“You are no lady. Just because the Spencers dressed you up like one does not make you one. I won’t easily forget a pretty face like yours, servant girl,” the guard chuckled as he carried her into the castle.
“I have a message for King Evander. I stopped here for a rest and safe harbor,” Iris pleaded.
“King Evander is here,” the guard informed her.
“Please put me down,” Iris asked as kindly as she could muster.
The guard dropped her to her feet but took hold of her arm, “so how did a servant girl become a lady?”
“Must be Prince Remington’s doing. I remember him taking a liking to her when we brought her and the princess from King Gerald’s kingdom,” the other guard responded.

“What are you doing here?” Marchelle questioned, thinking she was talking to Cerena.
“Princess, a private word please,” Iris pleaded.
“Let go of her,” Marchelle ordered.
“Go back to your stations,” Marchelle ordered again, and the guards left for their stations.
“If you came for the mirrors, then I am sorry to inform you they are gone. I have searched everywhere for them but didn’t have enough,-‘’ Marchelle explained, thinking she was speaking to Cerena.
“I am Iris,” Iris interrupted her.
“What? How?” Marchelle asked.
“I need to King Evander. Where is my son? Is he here?” Iris inquired.
“My brother came to declare war against the Spencers if they don’t give you back, well, Queen Cerena,” Marchelle said.
“Queen Reina had the mirrors all along,” Iris informed Marchelle as they walked.
“Prince Evander is back home. My brother didn’t want to put him in danger,” Marchelle explained.
‘Queen Reina tricked me. She made me believe we were on the same side. That she will protect me during a war. I should have stayed behind,’ Marchelle thought as she started to form a new plan.

“Brother, look who the cat dragged in,” Marchelle said, walking King Evander’s office.
“The former lady-in-waiting to my queen. What brings you here? Did she send you?” King Evander questioned.
“I fear she won’t return to you,” Iris said, bending her knee and head, wondering how she is going to convince him she was the real person he fell in love with.
“What are you talking about?” King Evander questioned.
Before Iris could open her mouth to speak, a guard with King Evander’s spy ran into his office.
“Queen Cerena is dead!” They shouted at the same time.
“What?” King Evander jumped up from his chair.
‘Dead?’ Iris wondered if they were speaking the truth and waited in silence.
“I saw her dead body with my own eyes,” the spy explained.
King Evander fell down back into his chair and grabbed his chest.
“Evander?” Iris ran over to him, his painful expression putting fear into her that he might just die from the news.
“King Evander to you,” Marchelle shoved her out of the way and got to King Evander. “Are you ok?”
“My chest,” King Evander said as he felt it tightening.
“The healer said she ate too fast. She starved herself after they locked her up for many days and then, out of the blue, they let her out,” the spy continued to explain.
“Shut up,” Marchelle ordered, and focused her attention on King Evander. “Slow breaths, in and out.”
King Evander burst out crying, and Marchelle embraced him.
Iris wished she could comfort him, but didn’t know how to explain herself.
“Take the servant away” Marchelle ordered.
“Queen Cerena, send me to take care of her son and offer myself as a gift to the king,” Iris said quickly.
“Take her away. She is not to set foot near any of our kingdoms,” Marchelle said.
“She also wanted me to tell you not to trust,-‘’ Iris started, but could not get the words out fast enough.
“I said take her away!” Marchelle shouted with her arms around King Evander.
“No,” King Evander stopped them. “My queen send her to me for a reason.”
“What? You can’t seriously consider keeping her around? She could be a spy for the Spencers,” Marchelle said in disbelieve.
“Then lock her up in the tower but treat her as a lady and not a servant,” King Evander said and pushed Marchelle off him, “we war at daybreak.