"What happened?"
"He called me by your name." She whispered. "He said, Diana, you taste so good."
Diana's brows came up surprisingly. Had Calhoun thought that this girl looked like her? Did he think he was with her when he kissed her? She chuckled.
"Go on."
"I felt bad about it, but I told myself that if I could satisfy his urge when he woke up and saw me, he would know that it was me and not you. And even if he gets pissed, one day he would still come to me for the same thing."
Diana was amazed at her thinking. Not in a good way. She saw her as a stupid and naive girl. She probably did not know the man she claimed to love so well. If she knew Calhoun as little as she thought, she would know that Calhoun would never call her again.
"Continue." She urged on.
Patricia sighed. They were already walking down the stairs again. Perhaps she could just stylishly lead her to the chamber she wanted to go to. That way, if she was too busy with whatever, she could make her escape instantly.
"He stopped abruptly and asked me to leave. I tried to beg him but he was adamant and sent me away so aggressively and I got afraid. George had warned me to stay away from him. He mentioned how well you served him, how you loved him and yet he used you mercilessly."
"He said that you were too hurt and you couldn't take it anymore so you left. That was why I attacked you the way I did when I saw you earlier."
Diana hummed. "Go on..."
"Sorry but can I know your reason for leaving in the first place?" She asked.
Diana hummed again. "I left because I knew I was pregnant. If I am carrying Calhoun's child, anyone who hears of it will make me the center of their attack. I had to escape to save myself and my child, and the possible future of the throne of Wisteria."
Patricia nodded. "I understand now. But I told George that I was there to stay for Calhoun and I was never going to leave him. I would stay by his side until he accepted me."
"Then he went on to say that Calhoun was in love with you." She added. "He told me about how much Calhoun searched for you when you left. And I somehow wondered if I could ever have a chance."
"Then what else happened?" Diana asked, impatient.
"Calhoun suddenly came to find me. He seemed to have been back in the mood. But he asked me to make food for him first. He sent all the servants out and I was alone in the kitchen."
"I did the work myself and then... George came in. He chatted with me for a few seconds. Then he began questioning me about every ingredient there. He held one small bottle that contained something like oil, I had never seen it there before."
"At least, I don't remember seeing it there. He asked what it was and I said I didn't know but it could be something used to make food for the king. After speaking a little more, he left me to do my cooking alone."
"I had finished making the food when I saw the oil. Since I didn't know if it was a special flavor he required in his meal, it was my first time cooking a meal for him without the aid of the other maids."
"So I slipped it in. Unconsciously, I slipped the entire content into the food. I had to replace it with vinegar oil since I couldn't report myself."
"That's how I served him in his room. He was almost too excited to have me there and somehow I felt happy about it. He ate a few spoons and started coughing. He asked me why I didn't -"
"Did you serve him with his wine?" Diana interrupted.
"N... No." Tricia stuttered.
"Hm." Diana hummed. "Why did you not serve him with his wine?"
"That's exactly what he asked..."
"Calhoun could be a god, and I mean it literally... If he had his wine all day." Diana explained.
"Why is it so necessary?"
"Hm." Diana shrugged. "Continue."
"Well, I ran to get his wine and before I could return, he was on the floor, practically gasping for breath. I was gripped with fear and I ran down to inform George."
"That was logical, but why hadn't you thought of informing Felix? Or Evander?" Diana asked. "I'm certain Thomas was there too."
"George was his servant, telling him was for him to know what exactly to do-"
"Felix is his beta and next in command. Telling him should be to know what to do." Diana countered. "You fucked up."
"Allow me!" Patricia exclaimed. "You said you would not judge-"
"And I haven't." Diana snapped. "Have I accused you of poisoning him yet?"
Tricia stared at her. "No," she answered softly.
"Go ahead," Diana replied.
"George was too excited to see me, he started touching me. Telling me soft words of pleasure. I tried to tell him about King Calhoun but he never allowed me to finish my sentence until he had gotten what he wanted. George and I mated until I couldn't withstand his strength anymore-"
"And you wanted Calhoun? Do you think Calhoun is as weak as George?" Diana teased.
"Well, I didn't think it would be that bad," Patricia responded.
"Hm. Continue."
"Well, by morning, George reminded me that I had something to say about Calhoun and that's when I remembered what I had to say." Patricia sighed.
"He told me what to do to salvage the situation. That's all. That's all about the poisoning case."
Diana smirked. "Now, I will put it to you. Patricia, you poisoned King Calhoun."
"I did n-"
"Shh, I'm not done." Diana interrupted. "You poisoned him. That bottle of il was the poison. George instigated you to do it."
"How can you tell?
"Patricia, I think even you know that you did do it and that it was George too. But somehow you're in denial and that's understandable." Diana said, sighing.
"It is?"
"As stupid as it sounds, yes," Diana replied. "If Calhoun did something so wrong, I would also defend him before others."
"Oh."
"Reason is that when you mate with a wolf, you become bound to him. You both will feel each other's feelings. You will become so obsessive and protective of him."
"Really?" Patricia asked. "Does this mean there is no cure for it?"
"If he dies, you become free," Diana answered. "I take it this is the chamber of the late king and queen?"
Patricia nodded. "I have-"
"Save it." Diana interrupted, again. "I will come to personally see you when I am done with my work."
"Just so you know, strange things have been happening here since the war began," Tricia said. "Don't be surprised if you don't find what you're looking for."
Diana nodded. She faced the door of the chamber and Patricia took it as her cue to leave.
Diana held the doorknob and her heart moved to her throat. It was beating fast in anticipation of what she was about to see. She twisted it and the door went open, silently. She entered and shut the door behind her, noiselessly.
She walked from the outer chamber to the bedroom, slowly. The walls weren't repainted like the rest of the castle. It was a deep ivy color and she wondered who in their right mind would paint a bedroom wall with such a color?
She entered the bedroom, there was a tent covering the bed. It was made of rich net fabric so it was see-through. She put her head inside and she saw the bodies. She brought her head back out and took off the tent from where it hung. She removed it totally and their bodies came into view.
The queen looked so beautiful, almost as if she was still alive. She could see where Calhoun got his beauty from. No wonder he was so good-looking, he resembled his mother too much.
She had natural red lips, her face was slim and her hair was almost blonde. Just exactly like Calhoun's. Diana smiled. Joyce was having a half smile on her face. Salvador however looked angry. His face held the kind of anger one would have when someone beneath them offended them. Joyce's smile was one of a betrayed mother.
"Who could have done this evil?" Diana whispered. She reached out to touch Joyce's face. Her skin was soft and smooth. Almost as if she was still alive.
"You feel so real," Diana whispered. "I wish you were here, you would have taught me how to love Calhoun best."
"Who did this?" Diana asked softly. Her eyes were filled with tears. If she had the chance to see her mother in this way, she would still be grateful for it. Joyce's throat wasn't slit. There was no injury anywhere and there was no blood.
After staying a while, she finally decided to go. She set the tent back up in the way she had met it, and then she walked out of the bedroom. She caught someone sneaking into the room with her back and her eyes widened. She quickly hid to avoid being caught. She watched the lady enter the bedroom and begin to speak.
"My lady, my lord, how have you both been? Good, I guess." She said. "Well, I bring very sad news and very good news."
"The man who killed you both, he's dead!"
"I know right?" She asked excitedly, laughing as she spoke.
She shook her head. "It wasn't King Calhoun that killed him. That leads me to the sad news, the man had killed King Calhoun."
"Yes yes, do not weep for him."
"He killed King Calhoun and the woman after King Calhoun's heart, killed him in return."
"I have seen her once or twice. She used to work for him before."
"Neh, she's not too tall. She has brown hair, yes. Yes... Correct! Hm, how can you tell? Was she sent from the dead by you?"
"Oh, you have seen her? Where? She's here?"
Diana was wondering what sort of sorcery it was. How could this maid be discussing Calhoun's dead parents? She could not hear anything at all!
"Where?"
"My lady?!" The maid called. "Lady Diana... Please come out so I can introduce you to King Calhoun's parents."
Diana remained where she was. Why would she trust something so delusional?
"My lady..." The woman called again. "Lady Joyce, can you tell me where she is?"
Diana rolled her eyes. This must be a gimmick! Joyce was dead. If she wasn't, how could she play possum so well? Also, why wasn't she heard the woman's voice? And what about Salvador?!
Did Calhoun know any of these? Was that why he assigned just one person to stay with his parents? Diana felt like she was being suffocated. She could not hide there again, there was a foul stench and she could not endure it, she crawled out, gasping for air.
"There you are!" The maid announced. "I have been waiting for you, what made you change your mind?"
"What sort of sorcery is this?" Diana demanded. "The air was so polluted, I could not withstand it."
"Polluted?" The maid asked. "Oh dear, what did it smell like?"
Diana thought about the smell. She could not describe it since she hadn't perceived something as foul as that before.
"Does it smell like garlic? Mixed with the smell of a corpse? Something that brings darkness to your mind?" The maid asked.
"Yes," Diana answered. "Exactly like that."
"Oh, dear!" The maid exclaimed.
"What?"
"You have just smelled death." She whispered.
"Death?"
She nodded. "Death is coming, for someone here. And it could just be"
Diana saw blood splatter everywhere and she screamed. She had caught sight of something she never wanted to see again. She raced out of the room, ignoring the sinking feeling that she was being followed.