CHAPTER TWENTY TWO: PRYNN

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"The suitor is here," Octavia shouts, her shrilly voice echoing of the walls from downstairs

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"The suitor is here," Octavia shouts, her shrilly voice echoing of the walls from downstairs.

Carina remembers seeing her earlier, she was rushing frantically around the Manor, her usual elegant ice blonde curls looking out of place all of a sudden.She looked almost maniac in that moment and Carina had resisted the urge to laugh.

The shouting has been going on all morning, as Octavia has abandoned all logic and the usual Arron calm and cool exterior. Although she has never really had it. Octavia is impulsive and spoilt.

However she cannot particularly blame the Arron for her behaviour today, for both her and Octavia know that Andrea will have Octavia's head if anything goes wrong on such an important day.

The Black Council have sent Klaude Vale, nephew to Valostra's King to visit. They did not say it outright but they are doing it to keep an eye on Carina and the Arrons so soon after Queen Nalani's assassination attempt - they are not happy.

As a result, all the poisoners are on edge now that they're being spied on essentially. And public favour of them has not been kind, Nalani is a popular queen of the people. Carina is not. Nobody seems to want to believe that Carina is innocent as are the poisoners around her. For once.

Curse that stupid assassin, Carina thinks angrily. The idiot has both tarnished Carina's reputation so close to the Ascension and failed to even eliminate Nalani - it was all so useless.

But she currently cannot fully care about the severity of the situation for if Octavia does not stop her incessant shouting, Carina will set Sheshu on her and she can forget Andrea's anger, for her own wrath will be worse than any Arron's.

The poisoner queen smiles at the thought, one of these days she will have Octavia executed. Perhaps she will make it look like an accident. Or perhaps she will put her three knives to good use. One for Octavia. One for Nalani. One for Arwen. When the time comes she will relish the sound of the three knives finding a home in each of their backs. Well she likely won't kill Octavia, she is more an annoyance than anything and Andrea would never forgive her. But Carina doubts the family would particularly miss her. Octavia hasn't had any girls and she doesn't help control Prynn or Carina. It's lucky Andrea has had girls and is both calm and clever enough to do everything.

Catina is fond of her throwing knives. It became practically compulsory for her to learn about weapons. A new tactic for the Arrons. Seeing how their last poisoner queen failed to seize the throne. The dead forgotten poisoner lost to a war gifted. So the Arrons decided their next queen should learn a little war herself.

And not to brag but Carina considers herself herself quite competent.

She likes knives in particular, not too heavy, not too big, easily concealed and easily used. Inconspicuous, just like poison. Although she does enjoy archery as well. She could never use a big heavy sword like the war gifted do or even the long daggers. No. Those are much too brutal.

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