✴ ʟɪꜰᴇ'ꜱ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ʜᴏᴜʀꜱ️ ✴️

Luna found Eloisa in her father's library, sitting behind his desk. "Ah," Eloisa said, looking up from some papers. "I expect you heard the news."

She nodded, her lips a tight line.
"All the kingdom knows it already,"

"And they must!" Eloisa had shouted.

Her tone was so shocking, Luna stepped one foot backward. She doesn't know her anymore.

She remembered earlier, after the crown was placed in Eloisa's head, she starts to renovate the throne room.

Eloisa removed the portaits of King Cornelius, and Queen Helen. She replaced them with her own majestic pictures.

She even replaced their antique chandelier, Eloisa said it was very old-fashioned and she prefer the new ones that she think its much smarter looking.

Her aunt who were caring and gentle before and doesn't raise her voice at her, had now changed and she turned into a bossy queen.

Luna was startled when Eloisa laughed, "I was just kidding. Oh, I know that look, don't worry, if you think that I will steal your place as queen, your wrong. I will step down and will give this crown to you when your sixteen." she smiled.

Luna didn't smiled back. Of course she already knows it, and she also know Eloisa is just a regent.

According to the Royal Rules, The child of the king and queen will be their next successor. No one else!

If there's something Luna had remembered in her lessons, that's one of the veto she recalled.

Luna is a hundredth percent sure she will be queen, because she is the daughter of the king and the real heir of the throne.

"Now please dear, please go and do whatever you want. But don't ever think of escaping like you did a few days ago, we don't wanna see you wounded up again, now do you?" Eloisa said, she sounds as if she was in a hurry to get rid of her in the room.

The feeling of sadness had bored her. She suddenly remembers her father, and decided to visit him. A curve formed in her face.

* * *

Luna ran faster, and faster. She was determined to see her father.

Suddenly, in the potted plants near the king's room, she noticed a colored liquid poured in it. She can smell medicine.

Luna didn't mind it and grasped the door knob of her father's room.

"Princess Luna." Nisha suddenly emerged from the princess back and it made her jumped. "I'm sorry, dear. But the duchess, er,... Queen, ordered me to not let the king disturbed by anyone." Nisha said.

Luna's eyebrows narrowed.

She wanted to argue, but she knew the queen's orders was more powerful to be change by a princess. But she can't stop being mad at her aunt whom she trusted before, will now include Luna to her strict orders.

A kitchen maid, holding a tray of hot soup and a glass of water passed through Luna and Nisha and entered the king's room.

Luna peeked inside and saw his father wide awake, and he pushed himself up against the pillows and the kitchen maid assists the king to eat.

Luna turned slowly to Nisha, and glared at her. "I thought, you said the queen doesn't want anybody to disturb my sick father, huh?"

Nisha rubbed her neck sheepishly, "Did I forgot to mention, that only us maids that are assign to help the king can only enter, and no one else."

"No one else? What about his daughter?" Luna asked, but before Nisha can answer, she speaked again, "Wait a minute, are you all saying that I'm also a disturbance!" she growled.

"No-no, please understand, the king needs rest and mustn't be-"

"Disturbed. Yeah, I get it. Your all scared my father will be more stressed and will never heal if he sees me."

"No princess, it's just-"

"Save your explanation. I'm out of here!" Luna stormed out of the hallway.

She went in the courtyard, and sat by the fountain.

She had nothing fun to do inside the castle. Luna always repeats what she do everyday, sitting, eating, sleeping, walking around the tiring halls, and nothing new happening.

Boring!

Luna gazed at the direction of the drawbridge. The half of her wants to run away again, but the other half of her was saying, it'll only lead her to danger, AGAIN.

"Princess Luna," she heard a maid was calling her.

"What now," Luna growled.

"The king orders to see you, princess." the maid said.

Luna stared at her and laughed, "Earlier the queen doesn't want anybody to disturb or see him, including me. Now the king is ordering me to see him. What a joke."

"Please, princess Luna. For your father's sake." the maid begged.

Luna rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fine." she said.

She was escorted to his father's vast, dim room. Nisha was also inside, she poured the elixir to a spoon and gave it to the king, and then she reached the glass of water for the king.

Cornelius noticed her daughter and smiled at her, "Come closer, Luna." he said.

Luna stepped next to the bed and the king continue to speak, "Listen to me Luna, you may not understand this, but you will soon. She will return. And when she does, dark magic will try to separate you both again."

Huh, She was confused. Did her father has gone crazy because of his sickness?

The king held out her hand and smiled weakly. "She will return soon." he whispered.

"But, who will return? Who is she, father."

"Your-" Before Cornelius could speak, he was getting dizzy again, everything around him was spinning so fast, as his breathing suddenly becomes difficult.

"Father?" Luna gasped.

"He's choking," she whispered and immediately looked at Nisha, and the maid in her side, "HE'S CHOKING! DO SOMETHING!" she panicked.

Nisha and the other maid, rushed to give him a glass of water. But the king refuse their help, he knew his end was near.

Luna was already crying, he breathed out his last breath as his lips turned pale, and so is his skin. She clasped his cold hands and cried, she can't believe her father was gone. But how? He's body was so healthy, what kind of illness had attacked him.

"Were here for you, Princess Luna." Nisha sniffed. She hugged the princess to give the comfort she need.

"He was a good king. Everyone will surely remember his noble name." the other maid sobbed, and blew her nose on her apron.

* * *

It was the darkest day in the castle of Cardonia, no one felt to work. They all teared up because of the bad news.

Even Eloisa rushed to get to her brother's room. Tears fell on the queen's eyes, she kneeled near him, and cried.

The bottle of elixir caught Luna's attention, she remembered it was given to her father before the incident happened.

Luna took the elixir and opened it, she poured it all in the tray. It was colourless and it didn't smell medicine at all. Luna gasped, "Someone replaced it into a poison!"

Everyone in the room stared at her.

"Luna, what are you talking about?" Eloisa asked.

"Earlier I saw a colored liquid that smelled medicine in the potted plants outside father's room, and no wonder someone has poured the elixir away and replaced it to a poison. Father's dead isn't an accident, SOMEONE WANTS HIM DEAD!" Luna cried.

Murmurs filled the room.

Eloisa cleared her throat and asked, "Are you sure about this Luna?"

"I'm sure of it!"

"Then I believe you, my dear." said Eloisa. She turned around to all the people in the room, "I demand to know who is responsible for this!" she exclaimed.

All of them looked at each other, confused.

"Will no one speak?" Eloisa said.

She sighed and continue to speak, now in a calm voice, "Fine. Who has been in the king's room the whole time? And who's in charge of giving my brother's medicine?"

"I am, your majesty."

Eloisa looked at the maid, who answered confidently.

It was Nisha, she stepped forward to the queen, and Eloisa continue to ask her questions, "So, you haven't noticed you have given the king a poison instead of a medicine."

"No, your majesty." Nisha replied.

"Of course you didn't! Because you did it on purpose!" Eloisa exclaimed.

Nisha was shocked, Is the queen suspect her for the king's death?

She was already trembling for fear, but Nisha wasn't shaking because she's guilty, but because of Eloisa.

She looked at her, straight in the maid's eyes with something of the brazen and evil glance that made Nisha scared.

Yes, it's true that Nisha was in the room the whole time, but she swore, she didn't do anything wrong like the queen accused.

Everyone in the room looked at her, they can't believe that the
kind-hearted Nisha, would do such things.

"What's wrong Nisha? Can't speak!"
Said Eloisa.

The maid's eyes started to get watery again. "Y-your majesty, you don't understand-"

"What do I have to understand when you're already looked guilty,"

"WHAT! NO!"

"Don't you dare raise you voice at your queen." Eloisa's jaw clenched.

"I can imagine that you really did kill my brother. You know how? Because from the start you acted innocent, but now you already showed your true colors, you don't respect me anymore!" she added, "Nisha, I command you to pack your things, and because of what you done, I hereby banish you out of Cardonia. I don't want to see you here in my kingdom."

No words came out from Nisha's lips. She glanced at the princess, hoping Luna would not believe the queen and will defend her instead. But she didn't, Luna looked at her, disappointed.

She wanted to beg for forgiveness for a crime she didn't really do.

"Didn't you hear me! I said pack your things and leave immediately!" Eloisa boomed, and pointed at the door.

Nisha cried, and ran outside. She had no choice but to leave, and when she meant leave, she meant leave the Castle and Cardonia.

But where would she go now?