Time of Judgement: Friend of Foe
Along with Citrina, Esmeralda, and Rafina, Mia was called to the King of Sunkland’s private rooms.
Rina was the one who gave the medicine. Esmeralda is the main guest at the party. What about Miss Rafina’s? Since she is the Holy Lady, it’s hard not to include her if she’s around.
Ludwig’s and Anne’s appearance was not asked for. Abel also wasn’t called. It was easy to understand. Even though he was getting better, the king’s health was not good enough for him to meet a lot of people.
Tiona had followed Abram out into the hall, maybe by accident because she was taking care of the king while he was being treated.
She might be getting a new outfit because her dress got dirty… What in the moons! Echard is the most important thing right now. In the worst case, he would be found to be the criminal, which would almost likely mean his death. I have to stop that at all costs.
She grabbed a nearby cookie and popped it in her mouth as she walked down the hall. Sugar level, check. Brain activity, check. As soon as she could think clearly again, she made a plan: The main idea is to put the blame on the Chaos Serpents for everything. Actually, it’s not wrong to say that the Serpents are to blame since they were the ones who gave him the poison in the first place. So, I think Miss Rafina should be able to find out.
She had now come up with a good reason in case Rafina later found out the truth. Mia knew it was always a good idea to have an extra reason on hand because she was used to giving them.
Then there’s the question of “friend or foe.” I need to be very sure of who is on my side…
The next problem wouldn’t be as clear-cut as the one in the party hall. Her friends might not always be on her side.
The “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” way of dealing with problems was very important to Mia. She would like it if everyone just made up, shook hands, and decided not to talk about it again. Since the Serpents made the poison, why not put the blame on one of their dangerous killers? That way, Echard could be a victim and was tricked and used against his will. For everyone, that seemed like a much better way to understand it. It was too bad that it depended on the help of people who didn’t want to settle in that way.
If this was something we could just wave away, I guess none of us would be here.
Sion, for one, wasn’t likely to agree with her approach to responsibility that was based on what was easiest for her. Abram did the same. Heck, she wasn’t sure if Rafina would even agree with her. Tiona was also a bit of a surprise.
Esmeralda and Citrina are the only ones who will definitely side with me…
Mia took a quick look at the two Etoilines. It was fine with Citrina. She could trust her to keep secrets and speak deftly because she used to be a Serpent. Esmeralda, on the other hand, had Mia’s full trust. Her trust in Esmeralda’s love for cute boys was stronger. With Echard’s charm, Esmeralda would never say anything bad about him or to him.
Or me. At least not likely. We are friends after all…
In fact, Mia was very moved when Esmeralda yelled in anger. The fact that she was willing to defend Citrina so directly in front of a hall full of guests was a good sign that she would be loyal. In fact, she was still mad.
Esmeralda cried, “I can’t believe how rude they were! That’s so rude!” Who do they think they are to say that Miss Mia and Miss Citrina did something wrong? That’s not right! Not at all acceptable!”
“Maybe the fact that they reacted so strongly can be seen as a sign of their loyalty. It shows how important His Majesty King Abram is to them,” Rafina said in a calm voice. “They are used to letting their king decide everything, thinking that since he can’t make a mistake, all they have to do is do what he says… Because of this, they freaked out when they had to use their own sense to tell the difference between good and evil and right and wrong. They lost control and direction, so they stuck to their original plan to attack Mia because that was all they had… That pretty much sums up what happened in the hall, in my opinion.”
Hmmm… That’s why they turned on us, even though it was probably going to make things worse. It makes sense. But I should make sure father never hears about this. That means I need to talk to Esmeralda about this later.
While Mia thought about what this meant back at home, Rafina said something very scary. “That doesn’t mean their actions are okay in any way…”
As Mia looked over at Rafina, she saw that she was smiling. Mia broke out in a cold sweat because the smile was so diplomatic.
Eeek! Rafina-sama is still angry! She’s furious! I should also talk to her!
“B-but you know,” Mia said, realizing she needed to do something before things got out of hand, “King Abram will probably punish them properly. We shouldn’t be too upset about it, in my opinion. If things get worse within Sunkland, it will open the door for the Serpents. It looks like they were the ones who made the poison that was used…”
Mia steered the talk as hard as she could toward the person they both loathed.
With a sudden understanding, Rafina’s eyes grew very big. “The Chaos Serpents?”
“Yes, there are strong signs that they are involved. Right, Rina?”
Citrina replied with a nod and explained her reasoning.
“An Equestri… Or rather, a man who looked like one… I see,” Rafina said after some thought.
Mia let out a happy sigh when she saw that Rafina’s face had become serious. That’s fine. She is more careful now. That should keep her from going too far down the rabbit hole. On the other hand, I really wish Ludwig was here. Not being able to use his knowledge is really crippling. Anne as well…
Being without her reliable targets made her feel a little helpless. She didn’t have both her right hands, woman nor man.
As she walked up to the door to the king’s room, she thought, I have no idea what the other people think about this problem, nor do I know what Echard will do. I’ll just have to deal with whatever comes.
She took a deep breath and stepped in.
She went inside and found King Abram in bed. Only an old physician standing nearby was the only healer that could be seen. It was clear that Citrina’s cure worked. His wife and Tiona, who had changed into a new dress, were standing next to the king. After seeing Mia, Tiona took a deep breath and felt better. It was clear that the heavy environment had worn her down. She quickly bowed and joined Mia and her friends, going by Sion, who turned around to stand with his father. Soon after, Echard, who was then with Count Lampron, and an old man who said he was the chancellor joined him. When they got there, the cast was complete, and the king decided to speak.
Abram said, “Thank you all for coming here.” His voice was still weak and tired. But his look was anything but; it had become as sharp as usual. “First, let me say I’m sorry for all the rude things I did to you. Miss Citrina Yellowmoon, please know how much I appreciate you saving my life.”
“Your Majesty, there is no reason to be thankful. Your good health is a gift to all of us,” Citrina said. After looking at the king for a moment, she turned to the physician. “What is the state of His Majesty?”
“The shadowbane’s effects have been mostly taken away thanks to your quick treatment.”
The doctor bowed very low. “Please accept my deepest thanks for saving our king as well.”
The queen consort did the same thing. The chancellor, Sion, Echard, and Count Lampron all bowed their heads. Citrina had a rare moment of shocked uncertainty because of how solemn and formal it was, and not being used to being thanked by other people was new to her.
When the king straightened up again, his face was serious. “So Echard, what do you have to say?”
It was clear that the young prince’s shoulders were twitching. He tried to stop shaking by making his hands tighter, but it didn’t work.
“I’m sorry, father… I don’t have anything to defend myself. This happened because I was stupid.”
His small voice echoed in the room.
