Love Everlasting

Chapter 11.

TW: murder/execution, blackmail, forced prostitution. If you are sensitive to any of those topics do not read any further. if you choose to continue on: THIS WILL BE YOUR ONLY WARNING! READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED!

Fate.

Shanelle stood beside her husband as he hung up the phone. His Majesty had just issued his first arrest warrant for murder. For his ex, Princess Naya Laurent.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

"To be honest, no. But I have no choice. She poisoned Tariq." Marquise replied.

"How can you be sure?" Shanelle asked.

Marquise sighed deeply.

"Trace amounts of Cantarella were found in the tissue sample collected," he replied.

"Cantarella?" she asked.

"It's a type of poison that is identical to arsenic. Allegedly, it was used back during the time of Pope Alexander VI," he replied.

"It's scary that you know that."

Marquise shrugged.

"I have to know it. I studied poisons, remember?"

"I stand by my statement. Thank you very much."

"Besides, it's been banned in Cordonia since the 1600s."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because it's part of why Queen Kendra was killed," he replied.

"There's a story there."

Marquise settled into his chair.

"In its purest form, Cantarella is a powerfully potent tranquilizer. If it's burned and then inhaled it can leave you comatose. If it's ingested it slowly poisons your bloodstream and causes organ failure. When King Fabian found out that it was burned the night his aunt was killed, he banned it from the realm except for a small sample. He wanted it to be studied so a cure could be made. But as I said, that was centuries ago."

"Okay well, that explains how she got her hands on it. Her dad was a King right?" she asked.

Marquise shook his head no.

"King Elgin never knew about it," he replies.

Marquise sighed.

"This is about to be a PR nightmare."

"Why? You have evidence that she killed her husband."

"I have an autopsy report that shows the poison was in his system when he died, yes. But now I have to prove where she got it and how she used it to kill him. Not to mention I also have to figure out why she killed him."

Shanelle wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.

"It's a tall order but we will get it done."

Marquise shook his head no.

"I will get it done. You're not getting involved in this."

"It's cute that you think you have a choice in the matter. Per the law, Your Majesty, any time a noble is accused of a high crime like murder, their trial requires BOTH the King and Queen to sit at the head of parliament as the case is being heard. But only the first reigning Monarch can hand down the fate of said noble. So whether you like it or not, I'm in."

Marquise groaned.

"You have a grudge against Naya. Your being there could make you look biased."

Shanelle rolled her eyes.