Romanowski and Rosemary

26. A letter apart

Althea

We were sitting by a large window as Mistress Armonia stirred a sort of vegetable soup, occasionally feeding me a spoonful. I couldn't say anything, merely eating in silence as she told me about Julian's childhood.

"I had a major argument with his father after that..." she recalled. Her gaze fixed on nothing in particular outside. "He couldn't say anything in defence, accepting his fault." She sighed.

"So, you started living in... Cyprus with J- His Honour?" I asked carefully.

"Hmm. Cyprus is my hometown," she smiled. "His father was reluctant, but I persisted for Julian's safety, even if it meant not having him tutored with the best teachers like Aristotle," she murmured.
"Because over the years, I discovered that most of the royalty... wanted him dead... Even though he was just a little boy of five," she whispered, and it pained to see her so forlorn at that moment.

I remembered how bitter Julian was when he told me about the scar on his arm. The one he'd gotten when he was small. And in that moment, I realised if one was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, a silver dagger too hung over his head.

"But he's the King of Cyprus now," I beamed, trying to lift her mood. "It's all because of your willpower... mother..." I hesitated. I was still so scared to call her mother, but the way her eyes melted in adoration when she heard it soothed me.

"His cousin helped him a lot over the years." She remembered fondly. "My sister's husband was into trade, still he allowed his son into warfare. And together, the brothers would practise with the warriors of Cyprus to hone their skills."

"We're glad that they're still so close." She told like an excited child, "We even named them together. Julian and Jakov!" she chuckled.

"Jakov?" I sputtered. "Julian and Jakov are brothers?" I always wondered if they were great friends. Even though I attended his wedding, I never really knew about him. Wow.

I took the opportunity to praise her for the delicious fruit drink she'd sent to Romanos. While she exclaimed she was going to teach me how that's made, my mind drifted to the time when Julian had made me taste it. Alone, on the rooftop. A heavenly drink that doesn't let us get drunk still imparted such a wondrous feeling that my cheeks warmed up in a flush.

Because that was supposed to be Jakov and Helaine's wedding night, not mine.

I wanted to slap my conscience as that night began to replay in my mind. Armonia scrunched her brows when she pressed a palm to my ever-reddening cheeks, asking if something was wrong.

Everything between me and your son is wrong, mother...

"... and the vial of poison?" I asked to distract myself from the black hole my mind had pulled me into, "Did Mistress Olympias give it to you for... revenge?"

She shook her head. "After Olympias treated him, she gave me the poison, instructing me about its dosage that I had to give to Julian," she gulped, as if going back into those events. I'd never seen this fearless lady so fearful.

"There were still trace amounts of poison in his body which could only be neutralised by feeding him... another poison..." she sighed deeply, rubbing at her arms.

I grew numb. The saying was true that only poison could nullify another poison.

But the fact probably made Julian way more powerful and resistant than he already was...

"This mean His Honour is immune to poisons?"

"Yes, every kind of snake poison," Armonia admitted, but the fact barely made her proud.