1711, Aethiel Palace, Kestramore City

"Miss, are you alright ?" Marguerite's maid Aspen asked in concern after watching her mistress storm into the bedroom, partially shattering the glass doorknob in the process.

"Go away, you stupid hag! Leave me alone !" Marguerite shouted in rage, and the poor maid soundlessly left the bedroom, not wanting to ire her mistress any further.

Marguerite stripped off her outer layer of clothing and dumped them on the bed. Then, she squatted down and pulled out a briefcase from under the bed.

Although Princess Demitria had specifically instructed the ladies to bring nothing with them, Marguerite had broken that rule and snuck it inside anyways.

It was fairly small, and when she picked it up, there was the sound of clinking glass. Marguerite wiped off the dust that covered the top of the briefcase, and with bated breath, she slowly opened the clasp.

Strapped to the side of the briefcase were numerous vials filled with all sorts of colourful liquids, some sparkly, some viscous and some completely clear. On the other side, there were small glass jars that contained powders and dried leaves and flowers.

Nobody, not even Catarina had expected that Marguerite carried enough poison with her to annihilate the entire city of Kestramore.

The briefcase was a gift from her mother, a family heirloom of sorts. Her mother, Countess Alberta le Prince told her that she once used poison from the same briefcase to remove her archenemy, and Marguerite must do the same one day.

Eufemia Dubois was by no means Marguerite's enemy. In fact, the newlywed princess consort would never do anything that would harm her former friend. But she was a traitor in Marguerite's eyes, and that had sealed her fate.

Marguerite dragged her long nails across the rows of vials, enjoying the clinking sound of her nails against the glass.

The third from the left was a vial of vie pelkia, a deadly poison that originated from the neighbouring kingdom of Amaris. The poison was white and transparent, and in the dim candlelight, it seemed to cast off an eerie pearly glow.

Vie pelkia was a ruthless and infamous poison. The victim's internal organs would be completely destroyed, causing them to bleed from every pore and orifice of their body.

The second from the right was a vial of the Deretgana, which was created in the Isles of Vitale by an unnamed alchemist. All sales and production of the Deretgana were banned by the government, but it could still be found at the black market.

The Deretgana, thick and bright green, was known to cause the victim's blood to rapidly clot, which would lead to imminent death within minutes.

In the middle of the row was a vial of liquid atropa belladonna. The liquid was a deep reddish-purple, reminiscent of cranberry juice, and the poison was so concentrated that only a single drop could kill a fully grown adult, whereas it would take about ten to twenty berries to finish the job.

Marguerite pursed her lips and frowned as she looked down into the briefcase, raking her fingernails against the vial as a musician would strum a lute.

Which poison would be most suitable for her dearest friend? In the end, Marguerite decided to play a little game.

With one hand, she covered her eyes, and with the other, she randomly picked out one of the vials. Her fingers were curled around a glass vial, and she gently pulled it out from the briefcase.

Marguerite lifted her hand that covered her eyes, and she could see the vial of clear liquid nestled in between her fingers.

Pufferfish poison, specially harvested in the Isles of Kylls. Within minutes of ingestion, it would cause paralysis, and death would follow soon after. It was the perfect ending for Eufemia Dubois.

There were no arrangements scheduled for the ladies the following day, so instead of wallowing around in their rooms, they were invited to the queen's sitting room for evening tea.

"I feel exceptionally prestigious," Catarina giggled as she stuck a peacock feather into her elaborate hairdo. "Mina, d'you think that he would be there ?"

Cosmina gave her a knowing chuckle in reply. "He better be. If he isn't there, it beats the entire purpose of us being here in the first place. He is supposed to fall in love with one of us, after all."

Catarina's face turned into a brilliant shade of red, and she pretended to look away, peering into the drawer in search of the container of rouge.

"You won't need this," Cosmina declared, snatching the tin container out of Catarina's hands. "If your cheeks get any redder, people will think that you have a bad rash. That would hardly encourage anyone to kiss you."

"Mina!" Catarina yelled half-heartedly. "Nevermind, where is Eleanora? We should be going by now."

Jessamine looked away from her compact mirror for a split second as said, "I last saw her going into the washroom. Try looking over there."

Catarina nodded briskly and hurried towards the washroom. God knows how terribly the Queen would scold them if they arrived late.

"Nora !" she shouted out as she ventured inside. The entire room was dead silent, but then, she could the sound of someone throwing up in the corner.

Her eyes darted towards that corner, and she could see Eleanora bent over the porcelain sink, coughing and vomiting.

"Oh God, what's happened to you, Nora ?" Catarina exclaimed as she rushed towards Eleanora, patting her back gently in an attempt to comfort her. "Do you feel pain, Nora? Maybe you've eaten something that's gone bad, like that awful fermented fish at dinner last night-"

However, that was not the case. Eleanora had not eaten for days now, and she barely even looked at that plate of green and slimy fermented herring served last night. But Catarina did not know that.

"I think so," Eleanora affirmed with a weak smile. "It tasted quite pungent, but I thought that it was supposed to taste like that. I did not know that it was spoiled."

She was lying through her teeth, but Catarina, naïve and gullible, believed her words as if they were gospel.

"I warned you not to eat it," she sighed regretfully. "Do you feel well enough to go to evening tea? You can lay down in your bed if you wish to, and I will inform the Queen that you are unwell."

Eleanora shook her head and glanced towards the bronze mirror, wiping away the bile and saliva that had dribbled down her chin. "I am perfectly fine, Catarina. I will come with you."

The vial of pufferfish poison was nestled safely inside the pocket of Marguerite's dress, where it remained hidden and undetected.

She knew that Eufemia would be there at the Queen's sitting room, but sneaking the poison into her drink without being caught by the hawk-eyed servants and ladies-in-waiting would prove to be a difficult feat.

"Aspen," she suddenly called out. "Go back to the chambers, and do not leave until I come back."

Aspen frowned in confusion, but all she could do was nod in understanding and briskly leave. Marguerite, after all, was not one to be questioned.

Once she was certain that Aspen had gone away, Marguerite continued her journey to the Queen's sitting room. She had purposely left her chambers early to avoid meeting the foolish Lavinia Olivier, lest her presence might foil her plans.

As the instructors at the Breckenridge Academy had said, the early bird gets the worm. And for once, they were right.

Only a few steps away from her, Marguerite could see her former friend, Eufemia. There was no one around her except for a young servant, but Marguerite was not about to let this lowly girl disrupt her quest for revenge.

Hatred and rage burned inside Marguerite's chest, but on her face was a warm and amiable smile.

"Marguerite," Eufemia suddenly exclaimed, having finally noticed her friend's presence in that corridor. "Oh Marguerite, how I missed you !"

Marguerite's pale blue eyes curved up with surprise and joy, and she pranced over to Eufemia's side, smiling as widely and genuinely as she could.

"I missed you too, Mimi," she responded. "It's been so long since I last saw you."

Eufemia smiled in return, though it did not reach her eyes. She coughed lightly. "You should address me as Your Highness. I am now Prince John's consort, you see. Maybe after you marry the Crown Prince, you can call me Mimi again, just like you used to."

Marguerite's smile faded in both disdain and disgust, but she forced herself to maintain a convivial front.

"Of course, Your Highness," she said with a nod. "Your Highness, it would be nice if we go sit somewhere and talk. I would love to hear about all that's happened in those two years that we spent apart. There is still some time before evening tea."

Eufemia's dark green eyes flickered towards the direction that led to the Queen's sitting room, then back at Marguerite.

"Fine," she eventually said. "But only for a short while. I wouldn't want the Queen to become angry at me."

Marguerite cursed in her heart. Look at this daughter of a lowly merchant! She actually thinks that she is someone important! Princess Consort my foot!

"She would never get angry at you," Marguerite chuckled. "Shall we get going now, Your Highness ?"