Daughter of Death -Chapter 22 (Patreon)

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CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

The farmer’s wife returned less than a week later to Brickwall Cottage and this time Reina was pleased to see her.

Life had grown somewhat tiresome and dull out here in the middle of the forest and having not heard from her beloved Ferdinand in some time, she was anxious for a change in routine.

“Do join us,” she encouraged when Errol invited the woman in again.

“May I offer some meat and onion pastry?” Errol spoke timidly to the two women who were now assembled in the living area together.

“I do not wish for any,” Reina responded as she kept her eyes on this guest before her.

“Oh um...no,” the farmer’s wife shook her head.

Errol withdrew himself to the kitchen once more with the plate of pastries.

“Is your brother always so kind and attentive?”

“My—? Oh, um yes... He and our housemates help to care for me,” Reina spoke. “I often grow ill,” she added for effect.

“Oh my. I am most sorry to hear that,” her companion returned genially.

“Wine?” Errol now offered. Edeline shook her head and Reina’s wrist flicked in dismissal.

Edeline tried not to show concern at this. There was time still to drug Reina. She and Errol still had time. It was earlier in the day than their first attempt. Edeline had learned much.

“Your accent,” Reina began and Edeline did start to panic a little, “Did you not grow up in Bayern?”

“J-just outside of it,” Edeline replied, doing her best to keep her own accent free of the speech patterns she was now trying to adapt. “I have lived here my adult life.”

“Ah. My beloved—he picks up on such things easily. I miss him,” Reina declared to the air.

“You have a beloved?” Edeline prodded with interest.

“Ah yes. We are not yet man and wife but one day I will take him to my bed,” Reina announced recklessly, “That must be a wonderful thing to be wed.”

“Oh...aye,” her companion announced uncomfortably.

“Does your husband bring you much pleasure? Or was your union prearranged?”

“O-our families knew one another,” Edeline answered in a lie. She was concerned and uncomfortable with the conversation young Reina was making. Had she tasted the pleasure of a man, then?

“That’s dull. When my love and I are together it will be completely blissful. I imagine your unions are out of necessity. Dreadful shame—” Reina commented. “You do not have any children?”

Edeline shook her head as The Princess went on, “You know even the most loving unions do not produce a child. My parents I am told tried and tried years and years to conceive me. Oh they sought everything and I am told they were deeply in love as my Fer- as my love and I are. And then my mother died giving me to the world. Tis a shame. I only hope my father enjoyed her while he could...”

“Begging your pardon!” Edeline exclaimed in shock.

“Oh but don’t worry. My father died still in love with my mother. It was evident. He remarried for what purpose I shall never understand but perhaps he needed to keep his bed warm... I do not pretend to understand it nor do I need to.”

The woman across from her did not know what to say to these comments –most especially because Reina was talking about her and the late King Arnaud. /‘Ignorant child’/ Edeline thought silently –shocked by not just Reina’s comments but the freedom in which she seemed to have in saying them. There was no inhibition whatsoever. Where had this come from? No doubt, Lucifer himself; the demon inside of Reina was not afraid or shy of carnal pleasures. This steeled Edeline further to her plan to destroy Reina now, more than ever.

“May I do anything to make you more comfortable?” Errol asked softly during this small lull in conversation.

“Errol depart to the kitchen. I wish to speak to this woman alone,” Reina told him as she got his eyes to greet hers so that her commands could be obeyed, “Do not return until I call you back.”

With the dwarf gone, Reina turned to the woman. “Tell me more about married life with your husband. Does your husband find you as tempting after all your years together? I do not think it shall ever fade between my dearest and I. We shall desire one another always.”

“We did not start off with that desire in our marriage,” Edeline responded, “Our match was made of necessity and mutual understanding.”

Reina groaned. “Then do not tell me of being bedded by your husband that is not what I wish to know. I had rather hoped you share a bed in passion.” She sighed. “Come then. Come closer,” Reina bid the woman.

Edeline had tried keeping her eyes away from looking at Reina’s but had been unsuccessful twice now and so she did as Reina had asked.

“Ugh, you smell terrible,” the young woman announced, “but never mind that. Hold still and do not panic if you feel any pain.”

Somewhere in Queen Edeline’s head she felt anxious about these instructions but before she knew it Reina had dipped her face and a sudden sharp pain shot through Edeline’s neck. The strict instructions the young woman had given, however, calmed Edeline not to fully recognize this as being concerning.

“What is it that you are doing?” Edeline did ask as Reina did not tell her not to be curious.

Reina didn’t answer as she tasted this woman’s blood. It wasn’t exactly pleasing, she found. But she gave it a few more seconds hoping to change her mind. She had been stuck with the same tastes for so long that a change was welcomed.

But her mind was not changed. She sloppily attempted to close Edeline’s wounds and pushed herself away from the woman.

“What is wrong?” ‘the farmer’s wife’ prodded with concern when she saw Reina’s face.

Reina shook her head in dismissal.

Edeline felt something on her neck and reached her fingertips to graze it. Her hand came away with red. Her eyes widened as she realized what had happened.

Meanwhile Reina had called for Errol to bring wine.

While her step-daughter wasn’t looking, Edeline rubbed the blood off her fingers and tried to pretend she hadn’t noticed that she was bleeding from her neck still.

Errol brought the wine, though not quick enough for Reina who chastised him gruffly before taking a large sip from her goblet.

Edeline watched her step-daughter with some anxiousness. The girl was soon clutching at her throat and stomach.

“I do not feel well,” she muttered. “Wh-wh—”

Edeline knew it was not from the wine but the dowager’s own blood. She had, in preparation, been eating hawthorn since Errol had first come to her with his confession about Reina. The step-mother had eaten the berries in many of her dishes and had asked for various herbal teas to be made of the bark, leaves and berries of the hawthorn plant. It appeared her hunch had worked; the presence of it in her blood was making Reina now sick.

Reina’s breathing laboured. Errol came closer. “Is everything alright? How might I help you?”

“Leave me be!” Reina hissed between breaths.

“What’s wrong? Perhaps some wine...more...more wine might help?” Edeline tried to offer helpfully. “It might settle your stomach? Better yet I believe I have a herb in my cart...”

“Yes... yes...”

Smirking Edeline went outside to her cart and brought some rope dipped in silver to drop at the front entrance and a small tincture for Reina which she had tucked into her clothes initially as means to put in the food they were to eat to guide the process of drugging Reina along. Errol had already been previously given another vial when Edeline had met with him last at the palace which he had put into the wine and the remaining drops onto two of the meat pastries.

After Reina took the drugs willingly from the peasant’s hand, all Edeline and Errol had to do was wait –with feigned concern of course.

Reina choked and sputtered as in Errol’s embrace she began to slip out of consciousness.

The last thing she saw were his bright blue eyes widened with worry and heard his gentle voice, “It’s alright Princess. It’s alright just rest. I’ll have her drive us into town to get you help—”

“N-no,” Reina muttered but she soon passed from consciousness.

The plan had worked.