Chapter 18 : Blood and Venom ('lood a sae)

Christmas Day found Diana tying a ribbon across a box containing a handsome beige wallet. She opened her bedside cabinet and placed it next to the other beribboned box enclosing a flowered scarf. "Merry Christmas," she murmured to no one in particular.

"Happy Saturnalia!!" Before Aletheia could prance into the room, Diana shut the cabinet door quickly and smoothened her expression. "I love the bracelet, Diana. Thank you! Did you open your presents yet? Oh I see you didn't! Let's open them together!"

"Breathe, girl." Diana chuckled. "And what makes you think I got presents? My family is about 2.97 million light years away." She tried to chuckle to keep the disappointment out of her voice. "Bah!" said Aletheia and wrenched open the balcony door. At once a number of birds rushed into the room carrying little boxes, some in brown paper wrapping, some wrapped in colourful paper with bits of ribbon flying everywhere. "What-" Diana dived out of the way as the birds deposited the boxes on her bed and stood at attention in a line. It was only after they'd stopped flapping around that Diana noticed they weren't real birds; they were pigeons made out of paper that had writing on it.

"You didn't really have to sneak my present into my room like a cat burglar. You could've just used a Messenger Pigeon." Theia shrugged casually and plopped herself on the bed. Diana began unwrapping the presents; after each one was unwrapped, its pigeon cooed and flew to her palm where it would keel over, flatten itself and then unfold into an envelope. Aletheia's present was a book Famous Fairy Magix, Broge had thoughtfully got her a game of miniature Equineox but the last pigeon who did not have a box merely leapt onto Diana's palm. It was bigger than the others and when it unfolded itself into an envelope, Diana felt something rattle inside it. A slip of paper fell out along with a gold chain. There was only one line on the paper in a neat cursive writing.

You'll always find light inside you.

Diana examined the simple gold chain with grooves all along the sides, right near the lock, she found a loopy C engraved on it. Celestia.

"I think......... I think this was my mother's." Diana's voice was low and faint.

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Of course, Diana had tried to find out about her parents, spending every free moment in the library trying to find the name of Celestia and her husband in the dusty tomes. And though, there were records of Celestia coming to teach Spellmanship at Realta Ban a few times and joining the fairy contingent of the Davizean Health Organization, there was nothing about her husband or about them having a child. All mentions of Celestia ceased twelve years ago when she last visited the palace. Diana hatred for the davizae had flared overpoweringly as she sat poring over thick books trying to find a mention of her parents' names, or at least, a picture. She didn't even know what they looked like.

"But who could've sent it?"

"There's no name or address."

"Are you sure it's not from Silvanus?"

Diana sighed, irritated now. They were walking down the marble escalators for breakfast. Diana had worn the chain hoping to catch who had sent it by seeing their reaction to it. "We've been over this. I'm sure," she repeated for the twentieth time. "I'd have known if he knew." She tapped her forehead discreetly. "Besides, I don't think he thought we're close enough to get a present. It's fine. It's completely fine. It's his choice." She said all of this at a stretch under her breath hoping to disguise the disappointment in her voice.

The palace had been decorated with garlands of holly and mistletoe; unique snowflakes fell from the ceiling of the dining hall disappearing as it reached people's heads. Candles that did not melt, burnt steadily inside crystal balls that bobbed above their heads casting slightly flickering light everywhere. Gold streamers undulated above like glittering eels. The banisters of the stairs were draped with bright red streamers. Saturnalia breakfast was sumptuous. The palace chefs had gone all out preparing a wide variety of dishes; porridge, kipper, rice crepes, pancakes, waffles, including the syrupy cake Broge had once ordered in the restaurant at Criss-crossroads.

Silvanus was baffled by the slightly cool way Diana wished him "Happy Saturnalia." The girls filled him in on the gold chain that had arrived by post. They sank into the cozy armchairs in the common room talking as Theia tried teaching Diana Pachis, an elvish game of dice that resembled ludo but with a complicated set of rules and pieces that tried to eat each other. Dinner was another grand affair with tureens of gravy, braised chicken, curries of peas, four different flavoured soups and dishes of lamb. Dessert had a round of new sweets, puddings, cakes and jellies that changed colour and flavour with each mouthful. It was a pity hardly anyone was staying at the palace to enjoy the food. Even the usually bustling Government side of the palace wore a vacant look as most of the officials had gone home for the holiday.

Getting bored of discussing the same thing over and over, Theia suggested a snow-fight where Diana forgot her disappointment at Silvanus as they bewitched snowballs to smack each other. Tired and hot under their many scarves and sweaters, the three of them traipsed back to the palace for a quick wash before dinner. Theia was lounging on Diana's bed when there was a knock on the door. Face still wet, Diana opened the door to find Butler standing stiff and upright with his hands on his sides.

"Good day to you Princess and Miss Diana."

Nobody knew Butler's name because 'his personal philosophy disallowed him from letting personal details disrupt his professionalism', whatever that meant. He was the caretaker of the palace and he ruled over the palace staff with the kind of firm hand that the Queen could learn from. Nobody crossed Butler. He was a legend among the staff, many who quaked to think of even stealing a spoon while under his regime. Most students didn't attempt rule-breaking while Butler's all-knowing eyes routinely searched the corridors; even whispers of planning were heard by his sensitive ears - the only exception being Gemina who could be tamed by none. His bald head and overlarge nose would've given the impression of a jolly man if he ever smiled. But perhaps smiling disrupted his professionalism. He bowed to Theia still in his black and white uniform on the holiday.

"The Queen has requested your presence for Saturnalia dinner tonight. All the elves remaining in the palace would be dining together in the Royal Dining Hall." He didn't even glance at Diana.

"Ughh...... Do I have to sit with those uptight-?"

"Princess! You are duty-bound to dine with your subjects." Butler's face was impassive but his voice was sharp enough to convey his disapproval of Aletheia's taking earth-shattering matters such as dining with the ministers so lightly. He continued to speak only to the Princess, ignoring Diana completely.

"Wait. All the others in the palace are invited. So Diana would be coming too."

"As she is a guest in the palace, she is also invited." He spared her a contemptuous glance before saying, "I will inform the Queen of your acceptance." He bowed out of the room closing the door behind him.

"I think he considers it beneath him to look at anyone who doesn't have a royal title." Diana made a disgruntled noise.

"Don't bother yourself with him. He's just a pain in the ass. Stomping around like he owns the place. I bet he would never bow to me if I wasn't the Princess." She drawled the last word.

The Royal Dining Hall in the East tower was about half the size of the students' Dining Hall with one long table in the centre. The ministers and the courtiers who lived in the castle milled about conversing with each other. The handful of students who had chosen to remain at the palace for the holidays looked very out of place in the room filled with adults. Butler announced the Queen into the hall then retreated to command his army of servers who marched forward with the first course. It was all very formal and intimidating. Even the teachers looked uncomfortable; Hiril Salvia kept wiping her hands on a napkin without any discernible difference on her dirt-stained palms. Hiril Cirilla seemed more bad-tempered than usual as the courtiers threw her revolted looks before moving to sit as far away from her as the table permitted. Only Herdir Mercury seemed to be at ease as he commented that the new list of Form C Dangerous Magical Objects was 'obfuscate' and told Herdir Broge his hair was 'ulotrichous'.

"Gemino would love this." Diana commented under her breath as the ministers nodded importantly at the waiters who literally helped them tie bibs around their necks. "I don't know how Silvanus bears it every day." Silvanus was sitting obediently beside his mother listening to an old minister drone about water sprites disrupting the legislature with complaints. "They complain of tiny ponds! Tiny ponds, it seems! They should be very happy they're even alive considering the state of our rivers in Runen." Diana shot Silvanus a sympathetic look over the minister's shoulder. It seemed very naive to be angry at him about a present when his present state was being wedged between his mother and the killingly boring minister.

The dinner was nothing short of an ostentatious extravaganza. The only person who could've beaten it was Duke Darius, whose secretary was nodding vigorously at something the Prime Minister was speaking. Her mouth kept missing her fork as she concentrated on the Minister Jafral's words.

"Wonder why Duke Darius didn't turn up for the occasion?" Aletheia wondered.

"Yeah so much snootiness in one room and yet he didn't get magnetized into zooming here."

Dessert arrived, a large five layer chocolate cake topped with strawberries that was levitated by a server to the head of the table. The Queen cut the cake to applause and the server waved his hand splitting the cake into several pieces that flew to their plates. The Chef had really outdone himself with the cake. It was rich, decadent, gooey on the outside and yet light on the inside. The others plates were almost cleared when Silvanus, immersed in conversation with his mother absent-mindedly ate a forkful of the cake. Butler, the Queen and someone at the end of the table cried out 'No!' Immediately, Silvanus' lips turned puffy and pink, swelling as they watched. Butler escorted him out of the room while the Queen assuaged their concerns with, "Terribly allergic to strawberries, my son... not to worry.... Butler will have him sorted in no time."

"Shall we go look in on him?" Diana was almost out of her seat when there was a gasp from the Queen. For a moment, it looked like she was having an allergy attack too. She had covered her mouth with her hands and her eyes were bulging outwards. As they watched, her hands fell to her sides and her eyes rolled right over; she slumped backwards on her chair. There was a great scraping of chairs, yells and shouts as the dinner party realized what was happening to the Queen.

Butler came sprinting back closely followed by Silvanus whose face was deep red. "Mother!" Hiril Cirilla hurried forward snapping her fingers towards the window, elbowing through the crowd gathered around the Queen. She was now turning blue, white froth bubbling at the corners of her mouth, convulsing slightly. Crash! Cirilla's alchemical kit zoomed in through the window shattering the glass, but even as she started measuring different coloured liquids, Diana realized that the Queen did not have much time.

Time!

A light-bulb went off in Diana's head; she seized a knife from the table and slit her palm. Blood, deep crimson blood rushed forth and she fought through the crowd towards the Queen. Diana pulled her chin - her skin was icy cold - opening her mouth and held her palm over it. Instantly, Cirilla had seized her hand and Butler yelled "WHAT ARE YOU DOING GIRL?!" For a split second, Diana looked into the dark eyes of Cirilla and saw realization dawn in it. She squeezed Diana's palm so that blood trickled into the Queen's mouth. The effect was instantaneous. Her colour became less pale, the froth decreased and her eyes fluttered.

"She's not out of danger yet! Keep the blood flow steady!"

Cirilla spent the next five minutes mixing a solution of about fifteen ingredients and then tipped the solution into the Queen's mouth. They waited for something to happen. But nothing did. Diana could feel Silvanus's horror expanding like a balloon in her lungs. But after a few seconds, the blue colour left the Queen's skin, the frothing stopped, the convulsions ended. The whole room let out a long breath.

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Silvanus's face had begun to resemble a baboon till he let Matron Teresa take a look at it. It did not make Diana laugh. Everyone had been sent to their rooms and asked not to leave them while the palace was being searched, the cooks questioned and the food tested. Cironir, Jafral and the children sat in the seats of the royal infirmary. Nobody had spoken. They were all waiting.

Butler burst through the doors, his eyes betraying his wild thoughts though outwardly, he tried to maintain calm. "Here you are sire." He thrust the folded paper into Jafral's hand.

"Venom of Latrodect." He pored over the paper and turned it around to look at the back. "It doesn't say which item was poisoned."

A bead of sweat fell from Butler's forehead. "All-all of them sire......."

There was a very pregnant pause.

"All except the chocolate gateau........ It-it contained th-the antidote."

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"How did you know your blood would revert the poison?" After hours sitting silently at his mother's side, Silvanus spoke in a choked, tight voice.

"It didn't revert the poison. Fairy dust has healing properties that can slow down venoms."

"You've researched well, child." Cironir was looked kindly over his spectacles at Diana. "And fairy blood has the second-highest density of dust."

"Second best?" wondered Aletheia, who, for all her talk of staying away from her step-mother, was still white as a sheet with worry. "What has highest density then?"

"Wings." Diana whispered.