ONYX

Chapter Eleven

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                 E L E V E N
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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

—Aristotle
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Priscilla was escorted to the dungeons while Queen Elizabeth was ordered to confinement in her chambers. In there she was far from Alessandra so there would be no way for her to send word that she was all right. It was dangerous for her to communicate now out of fear of conspiracy and she didn’t want to involve Alessandra at all. With guards outside of her room, she would have to remain for now until the Duke deemed it okay for her to leave.

Deep down she was worried about Mort who was persuaded to confirm their transactions. She had indeed received the poison from him, but his reason to come forth with that information was a mystery. He had no reason to out her to the council other than he must have been loyal to the King. 

Right now all the suspects were being questioned individually. It was Morton’s turn. He crossed his arms behind his back and he waited for the first question. He knew the time was coming and he would need to choose a side.

Alessandra would be happier in the underworld, he knew that Hades wanted to love this woman and not pain her. She would be free of her curse and she could still be treated like a Queen. He knew the story of Persephone but the circumstances were altered. Morton could see Hades yearning for her in those icy blue eyes. He had made his decision long ago and waited.

"Hello Morton, we are here on account of Queen Elizabeth being accused of poisoning King James." Duke Trescot said.

"How may I be of service?" 

"Your statement concluded that he was indeed poisoned." Duke Trescot began. He’d been accompanied by Swansburh and Dowry in the small prison cell they resided in. They’d intended to make themselves look intimidating by conducting the interrogation in the cells, but Morton was already dead. There was nothing that they could do that would scare him. 

"Indeed I did, My Lord." 

"Was it true that the Queen requested a special concoction or some sort of herb used for the poison of the king?" Duke Trescot pursued. 

"She did, My Lord. However, it is not my place to decline the will of the Queen.” Morton said.

"Were the items she received the same cause of King James' poison symptoms?" Remington Trescot was determined to get solid confirmation. Morton couldn't think about Alessandra because right now he could see her sorrowful, betrayed gaze in his mind. 

"Yes." The Duke knew that the Queen killed the King but he wanted to hear it. "Did Queen Elizabeth kill the late King James?" 

Morton sighed. "More than likely as she was the only person who’d asked for the specific poison used to kill him. I was not there physically so I can not confirm with confidence." 

"Can you or can you not confirm this before the other councilmen?" Dowry asked impatiently. He wanted to be finished with this whole trial and investigation. In all honesty, he was a little disappointed that he couldn’t use torture methods to get him to talk because Morton spoke freely.

"Confirm the poison or that she killed the King?" 

“Do not play games where the Queen is concerned—nor the King for that matter." Duke Trescot suggested angrily. 

"No games, I have word that Her Majesty, the Queen asked for many ingredients found mixable to create a lethal dose of something. She asked for them the night of his death at a late hour. Confirm it with guards." Morton said.

Alessandra held nothing else here in the mortal world and seeing as he was welcome back to take his old position in the Underworld, Morton took the opportunity to save her from the death she would not only cause but also receive.

She was cursed.

By the hand of a blood born God.

There was no escape outside of what he decreed as your fate in death. 

Dowry nodded. That’s all he needed to hear. "We must see to preparations to perform a trial on the queen." 

“There is no need for a trial.” Duke Trescot said. He’d known the Queen as long as the King James reigned for over twenty years. He wasn’t as close to the Queen as he was the King, but it pained him to do this to her. “We already have our verdict.”

The men moved without haste.

The boy’s name was Arthur. He was sixteen years old and he was going to die. Taking younger souls was never easy. Hades hated that part of his job. He’d taken the souls of infants, but he found them excellent new homes in Sanctuary. He knew Arthur wasn’t guilty of any major crimes, but under human laws he had to die. He couldn’t intervene with the human fates.

Arthur would’ve lived a sad life with no arms to do any activity. He’d be crippled for the rest of his life and that would drive him into a depression that would ultimately take his life. Hades decided that he was doing the boy a favor.

Arthur shivered in the corner of his cell. He’d never been so cold. After his confession, they’d brought him food and water, but he couldn’t reach for neither. His arms hurt so much. He wanted to relieved of the constant pain he was in, but they wouldn’t send him a physician.

Arthur sobbed because he knew he wasn’t going to get out anytime soon. “Just let me die.” He said, but no one could hear him. “Please, let me die.”

His only crime had been that he was loyal to selfish royals. The Queen didn’t even try to save him.

“Please, let me die!” He shrieked. He wanted someone—anyone—to hear his plea, but he was answered with darkness.

“If you wish,” Hades said.

Arthur gasped in surprise at his sudden appearance. Hades wore his disguise because he’d vowed to never let any soul see his true identity. Death was supposed to come swiftly for them before he collected their soul, there was no time for them to see his face and admire his Godly complexion.

“Who are you?”

“I am Death, I’ve come to take you away.” Hades said, reciting the same lines he’d given to all of the souls he was about to take. “I can end all of your pain away.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Very well, you can stay in here by yourself or you can come with me. I’ve taken pity on you so I’m doing you a favor. I can end your life now with dignity or you can die by beheading. Take you pick.”

“I . . .”

Footsteps sounded and Arthur knew they were coming to take him away. He didn’t want to move, he couldn’t, and he had nothing else to say to them.

“You’re running out of time, Arthur.”

Arthur didn’t have the strength to ask him how he knew his name. He was still fearful of the cloaked figure before him. It could’ve been some trick, but he didn’t have time to consider with the footsteps drawing near. “Please, help me.”

“As you wish,” Hades extended his skeletal hand towards the servant boy, “Welcome to Sanctuary.”

Arthur saw a bright light and then his body fell to the ground the same time Lord Bowden had come to collect him.

"What did you just say?" Elizabeth wasn’t going to be questioned because the council had already made up their mind. She didn’t know the official verdict yet, but she knew that there would be no trial. It didn’t entire mean that she was guilty. There was a chance that they’d dropped the charges.

Alas, none of that happened.

Her worst fear came true.

“It is true, Your Majesty. The Duke has all the evidence he needs to have made his final decision.” Thomas said sadly. He’d been instructed to break the news to the Queen. “You have been found guilty of murdering His Majesty, the late King James.”