4 3 : A PLOT TO KILL

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Princess Clarissa opened her eyes, looking lost. She heard her name distantly being called by a familiar voice but she was yet to get herself. And the headache which she'd happened to wake up with was making it harder for her to come to herself.

Her eyes finally cleared up and she recognized her maids who stood falling asleep at the duty post she'd given to them to watch over her through the night.

The voice finally became clear and she turned to her bedside to meet worried looking green eyes.

" ouch " She said forcing herself to sit up.

" your highness, are you okay? " Leonard asked her helping her up.

" no I feel a terrible headache. Probably from that dream. " she said hissing in pain.

" what dream? " Leonard asked worried if the witches had gained access to her dream.

" I…I can't remember. " the princess said confused as to why it seemed that a dream that had been so clear to her few seconds back now eluded her.

" could it be that it's the same dream from before your highness? "

" I wouldn't know because then I couldn't remember that dream either. " she said with a frown.

Clarissa sometimes had dreams which she ended up forgetting. It might have been normal if she didn't always wake up late whenever this occurred and with a splitting headache at that.

" why did you wake me? I thought I made it clear that I should for no reason be disturbed? " she asked raising an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

" your father ordered that we wake you up.He was worried. " Leonard explained.

She rolled her eyes. " Father is being silly. The only way the dark witches could have access to my dream would be if they had access to place charms in my room and that will be extremely difficult because if any maid of mine so much as dares to betray me, they'll face consequences like never before. " she said eyeing the maids who still stood sleeping on and off.

And they were to watch over her? How pathetic.

" should I help you up your highness? "

She raised a finger up in reply signaling him to wait.

She cleared her throat loudly but the maids continued to sleep. She smiled to herself.

" get me something hard. " she said with eyes wandering around the room. Then her eyes came in contact with a vase.

Her smile widened. " better yet get me that. " she said pointing to it.

Leonard already knew what was going to happen and he would have loved to avert it but in a way he understood the princess and also knew she hated it when he stopped her from doing what she wanted.

So he handed the vase to her which she held it, positioning it properly until she threw it at the maid closest to her. The sound of the vase breaking and the short scream of the maid was enough to wake the others.

The maid lay still on the ground while the other maids stared in shock.

" I told you to watch over me but you slacked off and slept, forgetting the simple task I had given to you. The next time you fall asleep on duty, it won't be a vase thrown but a knife. " she said looking them in the eye, making sure they understood clearly. " Now get to work. Valery get me something for my headache. "

The maid bowed and hurried out of the room.

One of the maids quickly ran to place her shoes at her feet as Leonard helped her down from the bed. Another helped her into her robe.

Leonard quickly excused himself and some guards came in to move the maid who was still breathing but was badly injured and bleeding.

Clarissa's bath was prepared and in no time she was ready, dressed in a body fit ice blue gown which flowed down her back and a diamond crown both of which glimmered every which way she went.

She smiled with her pink lips which complimented her so beautifully and asked. " are the councilmen gone? "

" yes my princess. " one of the maids replied.

" and I was hoping to have some fun. " she said pouting. " fine take me to my father. "

When she stepped out of the room her beauty was entrancing. She was the epitome of grace. She stopped walking as soon the doors closed behind her. " Leonard do you know where Valery is? "

" she must have gone to get the medicine for your headache. " he replied.

She smiled and said " please have Mari brought to me. "

He bowed and left and she went in search of her father. She found him in the dining room which housed a table long enough to sit not less than 50 people.

She bowed to him and the worry which had been on his face slightly disappeared. But still he had to ask.

" how are you feeling? "

" I'm fine. I had a slight headache earlier but it's gone now father. " she said trying to calm him down.

" good. I was worried it was the dark witches at work. "

" no. You don't need to be worried father. " she said assuring him again.

He smiled and signaled for the butler to have the food brought in.

As they were being served the princess looked at her father and immediately knew that something else was on his mind.

" father what is bothering you? " she asked concerned.

" I'll let you know but first you need to eat. You haven't had anything today. I don't..."

As the king was still speaking, Valery the princess's maid rushed in and bowed to the king and princess.

" your highness, this will help relieve the headache. " She said shaking slightly as she presented a jar of fluid.

The king sat back enjoying his food and to see what his daughter would do.

The princess dropped her cutleries, arranging them carefully and then turned to the maid who arrived very late.

" Valery dear how hard was it to get what I'd asked for? " the princess asked casually.

" not hard at all your highness. I just… " Valery said trying to explain.

" if I wanted an explanation I would have asked for one. Now how about you take a cup and pour yourself a little out of that wonderful medicine you just brought. "

" Your highness? " Valery asked looking panicked. " I…I don't have a headache. "

" I never asked you if you had one. I just don't understand why bringing this took so long. Could it be poisoned? " the princess asked with a coy smile.

" your highness, no… "

" then it shouldn't be hard to drink a cup. "

" Your highness only half a cup is needed to cure the head ache. I can take a little if you want. " the maid said thinking of how to get out of this situation.

" no drink a full cup. " the princess said wiping the smile off her face.

The maid's eyes widened. If she drank a full cup, she wouldn't have enough time to get to the antidote. The jar shook in her hand. " your highness that would be too much… "

" the last time I checked. It doesn't have any side effect so that shouldn't be a problem. " the princess replied calmly.

Valery was close to tears as she didn't want to lose her life. She burst into tears and looked at the princess pleadingly. " Your highness. I can explain. I… "

" I really hate when people are dumb. I didn't ask for an explanation. I said you should drink a cup and if you think you have a choice, think again. " the princess said turning to face the guards who stood at the door.

They immediately came to the maid's side and held her down, bending her head backward as the princess poured the medicine down her throat.

When the princess was done she pushed the maid away from her and sat back to watch the maid who looked even more panicked than before, crying as she tried to run out of the dinning room.

But before she could make it to the door, she coiled into herself and spat out blood. She tried taking another step but she fell to her knees and supported herself with her hands as she vomited more blood. She raised her head one more time only to drop down dead on her own blood.

She picked up her cutleries to continue her lunch.

" you know she might have had an accomplice. " the king said

" I know " the princess replied.

At that moment some guards came in dragging another maid with them.

Leonard was right behind them with the princess's pet cheetah Mari who moved like the cat that she was.

The maid shook badly seeing the body of her friend and accomplice Valery surrounded with blood. She knew that their secret had been found out.

" your highness I'm sorry. " she pleaded on getting close to the princess.

" there's no need to beg. I just need to know why. Was I too harsh? " she asked smiling deviously as placed some food in her mouth.

" it was the rumours. " the maid replied.

" what rumours? " the princess asked curiously.

" there's a rumour that you are a dark witch who will one day destroy the world. They say that is why the dark witches keep asking for you... " the maid said with fear.

" hmm…" the princess hummed sounding calm.

" …but I now know that that can't possibly be true. Forgive me for my stupidity your highness. Valery deceived me. She told me that if we succeeded in killing you we would be saving the whole world. " tears poured down the maid's face as she continued to beg.

" ah but you see you need to be punished for your mistake so others don't make the same mistake. " she said to the maid. " Mari? " she called out to the cheetah who sat beside her her.

The cheetah stood up slowly stalking the maid who was moving back crying and shouting. As she turned to run, the cheetah jumped and brought her down by her hand in his jaws. She screamed unable to take the pain. But the cheetah tore her into pieces and ended her screams by ripping her head from her body. But still her screams echoed through the castle.

" now my food tastes better " the princess said savouring her food.

Author's note

Thank you so much for reading and thanks for your patience and support. Your comments, votes, shares, rates/reviews will go a long way to help me win the competition. Without them I can't win. So please help me out.

I promise this will get even more interesting. And Kieran is still a couple chapters away.

In about two weeks time I will be getting a new phone so I might be able to update on a more regular basis.

Until then, thank you.

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