"So explain to me again why you invited a Lermont to the Manor and why you listened to my stupid brother?" Amara asks loftily, faintly amused as she moves her chess piece to take out Silas' bishop, smiling as he starts to scowl.

Carina simply rolls her eyes. Amara has not stopped talking about the imminent visit of the Lermonts ever since Carina and Niklaus announced that they sent out an invitation to Sunpool for them. And now Amara's brought Silas as backup, the quietest Arron brother with a soft spot for his younger sisters. He is the only Arron famil member who doesn't pick favourites between Amara and Eirene. And seems to be the only one that doesn't care that Eirene's practically giftless.

"Explain to me why you and Silas felt the need to invade my chambers to interrogate me under the guise of wanting to play chess?" Carina retorts, letting her maid, Selene, brush a stray strand of her onyx hair back into place, letting it fall gracefully down her back.

She smiles briefly at Selene in thanks and then studies her reflection with the same scrutiny she always does. She wears queens blacks as always, a pretty short sleeved dress, not too extravagant but the purple and silver spider necklace sitting directly over her breasts steals the attention anyway. It is a beautiful piece. And a traditional poisoner symbol with the traditional colour of purple. Something from the Arron vaults, Andrea gifted it to her on her fourteenth birthday.

Carina briefly wonders if Andrea will take it back if the queen doesn't survive the year. Rip the necklace off the cold stiff neck of her decaying corpse. She wouldn't put it past Andrea, frowning at such a morbid thought but then briefly wonders what death will feel like.

Even if she wins the Ascension death will claim her one day. After she lives out the rest of her days with her king consort. That makes Carina frown further. Why can she not have a queen consort instead? Or no consort at all. Carina can rule alone just as she has always lived.

Besides she doesn't fancy marrying a man with their large muscles and absent wit. Well that may be a little mean, there are many shrewd men on the island but Carina does not find herself drawn to them and if she marries a mainlander noble it would simply be a political formality. Necessary to sustain her reign by providing new queens.

New triplets to be raised and slaughtered like lambs. The bloodshed will never end on this island, its engrained everywhere, in the low magic pulsating in every breath of air, every grain of soil, even in one of the island's own gifts, the gift of war. Blood is the island's way, it connects everyone and everything to the Goddess and without it who knows what would happen.

Blinking slowly Carina becomes aware of her surroundings yet again, turning around to see Amara feign innocence at Carian's questioning,

"We're doing no such thing are we brother," Amara says and Silas gives a brief nod, a small smile forming on his face as he inclines his head towards Carina who smiles back.

"I just want to know why some oracle nobodies are coming to our home," Amara says cheerily enough but Carina still hears the underlying venomous bite in her tone, she's almost as venomous as the mambas she loves to adorn herself with at parties, "Sunpool is the closest city to Umbra you know," Amara notes, "and the sight and shadow gift are alike in ways can perhaps they are allies of Arwen."

What she says has some truth Carina can admit. The oracle gift and the shadow gift have some similarities. In the height of the sight gift's power some oracles could even read people's thoughts and the shadow gift was rumoured to be able to look into and control people's very minds. A frightening prospect. But luckily both gift's powers have since lessened.

"First of all stop with the arrogance, the Lermonts are the most reputable oracle family in Sunpool," Carina reminds her, taking a sip of the belladonna wine she always keeps handy on her desk. "Secondly, I have my own uses for the Lermonts and they are none of your business or concern."

Silas raises his eyebrow as Amara's expression darkens and as she starts to speak Silas puts up a hand,

"Stop sister," he says, "if our queen wants the Lermonts here then that is what will happen, you cannot stop it Amara."

She actually looks shocked at that. Silas rarely speaks up against his siblings, especially Amara.

She just glances between Carina and Silas with those pale blue eyes of hers, always calculating yet in some ways more feral than any wild beast Carina has ever come across while hunting. It's only for a second but she swears she sees one of the chess pieces move from side to side but she blinks and it is still again.

"Fine," Amara says coldly, "whatever Queen Carina wishes."

At that she gets up, storming out of the room, her green hem trailing behind her and Silas just cracks a smile, getting up as well, giving Carina a little bow,

"I'll leave you alone with your thoughts Rina and make sure Amara doesn't poison the meals the kitchen are preparing for the Lermonts," he says giving her and Selene a wave before leaving.

Carina chuckles at that muttering to Selene, "I wouldn't put it past her."

"Mistress Amara loves her poisons," Selene remarks drily with a small smile.

Carina takes another sip of her belladonna wine, wincing slightly as she feels her previous sips take affect but she hasn't been eating lately, nothing but a few scraps of bread and water. The poison ought not to effect her too badly. Carina refuses to let it. She doesn't care if her gift is weakening she is still a poisoner queen. And poison will not get the better of her.

"Rina are you sure that's wise?" Selene asks, concern blooming in those kind brown eyes of hers, "your gift has not fully recovered."

That makes Carina smile. Recovered. Everyone who knows of her secret acts as if she has been ill. No. Her gift is not ill but it seems it is fading already.

"It's just a bit of poison training Selene don't fret," she says, setting down her goblet, "my gift will be strong again,  it just needs some coaxing."

Selene only nods picking up the empty goblet and setting it on a tray where the remnants of Carina's breakfast lie. It is lucky that Selene makes her breakfasts and that the maid can be trusted because her breakfast today had no poison in it, apart from the slight traces of oleander in the butter on her toast. Small bits of poison. To build up her tolerance. It makes Carina feel embarrassed. She used to be able to consume as much as Andrea does daily. But now she's got the poison tolerance of a five year old.

"Selene please may you fetch me a basket and a knife," Carina asks and the maid nods immediately rushing off downstairs quickly.

Carina knows Niklaus wants her to focus more on the healing side of the gift. And she wants the same. But for today at least Carina feels like she needs to go back to her roots. Do something she hasn't done in months. Craft a poison of her own.

She waits a few minutes, grabbing a pair of gloves from her drawer to take with her and Selene comes rushing back in, passing her both the basket and the knife which makes Carina smile in thanks.

"Thank you Selene that will be all," Carina says and the maid bows, leaving her chambers.

Smiling, she looks down to see Sheshu at her feet, where the giant serpent has slithered out of the shadows. While her poison gift has grown weaker it seems her bond with Sheshu has grown even stronger. Carina swears she can sometimes sense Sheshu's presence without even seeing or hearing her.

"Come on Sheshu," she says softly, "let's go to the gardens."

Sheshu simply hisses, following behind Carina as she walks downstairs and outside, taking care to avoid all the Arron inhabitants in Prynn Manor. She needs some time alone.

There are plenty of poisons and toxins of every kind in the Arron poison chamber, collected and added to by generations of Arrons on their various travels, below the Manor but Carina feels in a creative mood to experiment and so she goes to the poisonous section of the extensive gardens of Prynn Manor. It's so green and full of life anyone would think it was bloomed by a naturalist.

But the poisoner gardeners, employed by the Arrons, take excellent care of it at Andrea's request, she prefers growing her own poisons and makes a profit out of it as many poisoners in Prynn buy her various toxins. Adding to their family fortune.

At first Carina passes the various manchineel trees, some of the most toxic trees in these gardens, ever part of it is poisonous. The silver tinted bark and its green leaves cause skin inflammation; the leaves can also poison water. But it's the green fruits that grow on the trees that are the truly dangerous things. The fruit will kill anyone who eats them.

The manchineel fruit actually look a little like apples, grown and eaten regularly by everyone on the island, but are far more deadly. The trees even produce a milky white sap that is so toxic that if someone stands under the tree during rain it causes painful blisters. And for every poisoner event that is outside manchineel wood is used for the bonfire, as even the smoke is poisonous, ranging from irritating the eyes to causing even worse damage. So naturally it is an Arron favourite.

Carina hadn't planned to use the manchineel fruit but it is far too tempting giving its venomous potency, cautiously she goes up to the nearest tree, carefully putting on the gloves she brought with her. With her gift this week she will take no chances with handling such a poisonous plant and with her hands now protected she reaches out, pulling a small dozen of the fruits into her hands and then dropping them into her basket.

She only wants the fruits not the bark or the leaves. Not today. Smiling to herself she walks a bit farther into the gardens, grabbing some handfuls of jimson weed and cerbera odollam as she goes she suddenly spots some vibrant purple aconite plants. Beautiful. And it even matches her dark amethyst spider necklace.

Some of the aconite's flowers have yet to bloom so Carina reaches further to grab the fully grown ones but her hand stops and freezes as she notices something strange.

Instantly she retracts her hand back to her side and she just blinks, trying to process the sight before her.

The aconite plants are now all in full bloom, having grown quickly before her eyes. All of them. A minute ago half of them hadn't bloomed properly. But now. They are all fresh, beautiful and ready to be plucked.

Carina frowns, suddenly wishing for the sight before her to reverse and disappear. She doesn't want to a acknowledge any of this she doesn't want to understand it. Slowly she shuts her eyes taking a deep breath in and out, when she opens her eyes every aconite plant before her has decayed, stripped of their vivid purple colours and withered into a dull green/brown.

Turning around quickly Carina leaves the garden, glancing around before she does just to make sure no one saw her. And no one saw she did to the aconitine. For now she cannot afford to question and ponder what happened. For now she heads to the poison chamber to  make no one doubt who she is.

A poisoner queen.

—

Oddly, Carina finds a certain level of comfort in crafting a poison. Fabricating an elixir of toxins and glory that can ensnare the senses, permeate into a creature's very bloodstream until it infiltrates every part of their being, shutting them down entirely.

It takes concentration, creativity and diligence. Not all poisoners have an aptitude for crafting their own poisons, preferring to follow a recipe of sorts instead of simply letting the Goddess guide their hand into bottling death itself.

Her own poison is bubbling away now under the small fire below it. Well it is mainly water now, only slightly poisonous with a single drop of batrachotoxin in it, which isn't an easy ingredient to come by as it needs to be extracted from a certain species of frog only found in Bevellet. It causes paralysis and eventually shuts down a person's very body. But Carina only used the tiniest bit for a little bit of fun.

Tucking her hair behind her ears she goes to the middle shelf, scanning the labels until she finds the correct ingredient she is looking for. Cuckoo-pint berries, bright orange/red. A beautiful colour but when eaten causes swelling that makes it near impossible to breathe.

Carefully she pulls the amount she needs, getting her freshly sharpened knife as she starts cutting them up into minuscule pieces. She finds it peaceful, like cooking in a way but her peace is short lived as she hears the sounds of footsteps behind her.

Scowling she grabs the hilt of her knife, reading to bury it in someone's abdomen. Depending on the person. But she relaxes slightly as Sheshu hisses at her and somehow Carina knows she isn't in danger. But still, if it's Amara or Eirene who has come to disturb her she may still be tempted to throw the damned knife.

"Carina, I hope you don't mind the intrusion Selene said you'd be down here," the voice says and she instantly recognises it as Niklaus and relaxes. He is the closest thing she has to a friend these days. She doesn't trust him at all but she also trusts him completely at the same time.

"Even if I did mind it wouldn't be any use because you're already down here," Carina remarks, continuing to cut her berries carefully, not bothering to face him.

Niklaus just rolls his eyes smiling at the woman next to him.

"Apologies your grace," he replies, "and may I present Eliza Lermont, the famed healer I've been telling you so much about."

That makes Carina still as she stops cutting the poisonous fruits; however, she still clasps the knife firmly as she turns around to face this surprise visitor.

Eliza Lermont is devastatingly beautiful with dark umber skin that seemed to radiate with a subtle gold undertone, as if the dawn itself had caressed every inch of her skin. And those eyes. Such a dark rich brown that they are nearly onyx in appearance, almost as black as Carina's own. But not quite. Full dark lips with a sharp oval face and a button nose.

Eliza is dressed in a pretty yet simple dark blue dress with no extravagant jewellery adorning her throat or wrists, it is evident that the oracles no longer have the wealth and influence that they used to. But what strikes Carina most is her exquisite hair, countless long black braids that have silver jewellery hooked throughout her hair, a few of her braids are even grey themselves instead of black. However, Carina suspects that is because grey is one of the traditional oracle colours along with yellow. Contrast to the traditional poisoner colour of purple.

Eliza inclines her head but doesn't bow,

"Queen Carina, it is a pleasure to meet you," Eliza says politely in acknowledgment but doesn't elaborate as Carina studies the oracle. Her face is so impassive that the poisoner cannot get a read on her but she suspects that Eliza doesn't like her and doesn't truly want to be here.

Carina doesn't reply, simply turning around and continuing to cut her poisons.

Niklaus raises an eyebrow and glances at Eliza,

"I'll leave you two to get acquainted," he says finally, walking back up the steps.

Neither of them speak for a while but Carina can hear Eliza walking about, picking up some of the jars of the various poisons.

That makes her roll her eyes. The daft oracle will surely poison herself accidentally before she has a chance to show Carina her alleged healing skills.

"Careful," Carina taunts delicately, spinning around to face Eliza with her small berry soaked knife in her hand, "we wouldn't want to accidentally kill you before you have chance to be of use to me."

Eliza's face is emotionless again at that which Carina finds a little off putting. The oracle is hard to read, perhaps she is just as apt at shielding her true emotions as Carina is.

"If I die it won't be from poison I assure you," she responds smoothly, walking around the poison chamber with her cool dark eyes taking note of everything.

"And how can you be sure of that?" Carina says, turning away from Eliza as she continues to slice her scarlet cuckoo-pint berries.

"I just know," Eliza says with a small smile carefully tracing her brown fingers across the poison jars in the lower cabinet which makes Carina's eyes narrow as she turns her head to watch Eliza like a spider.

"I wouldn't," she warns, setting down her knife and locking eyes with Eliza, "you may have a drop of the sight gift but that won't save you from the toxicity of the poisons in those jars you're so casually fondling."

Eliza's smile deepens at that as a knowing look dances in her eyes and she chuckles lightly to herself,

"My father is a poisoner Cari," Eliza says and Carina raises an eyebrow at the choice of nickname, "I'm well aware of the properties of every poison in this room," she pauses picking up a jar of rosary peas, "as long a I don't digest them I will be fine."

Carina only raises an eyebrow, forcing a smile, "you're quite confident aren't you?" She says softly, turning away from her again and placing her thinly cut slices of various toxins into her small black cauldron.

Today she is experimenting. Crafting a new poison. Perhaps she will use it on Arwen or Nalani? Who knows. It depends how well it turns out. Carina still loathes her sisters, Nalani in particular so she will craft something special for them. A queen deserves no less.

Carina suspects that Arwen will be the most difficult to poison. It will be hard to get through the defences of Umbra and the Radurons. They have been living in secret and isolation for centuries before Arwen's birth. They will not be so willing to play the games of the Ascension in the traditional way. And she doubts they will let Arwen be lured out. No. Perhaps they will draw it out for the entire Ascension Year so the queens will have to be locked in a tower. There Arwen will have the advantage. There she could simply drown Carina and Nalani in her shadows before Carina has the chance to defend herself or Nalani has the chance to summon even a lick of flame.

But Carina will not allow that to happen. No. She will poison them as soon as possible and all this experimenting will surely result in something she can use. She used to experiment more with poisons as a child. Eager to mix her potions of bottled death not even fully aware at how deadly her concoctions truly were. To her they were a bit of fun. Pretty colours and pretty berries/fruits to be crushed, sliced and pommelled. A little bit of fun until Andrea made her test one on a thief who tried to venture into the Arron's vaults where all their ancestral wealth lies. By the time the poison was done with him his very blood had turned to poison.

Eliza shrugs, "I have nothing to fear, you need me more than I need you, in fact I don't need you at all I'm just doing Niklaus a favour, he's about the only Arron I can stand, well I suppose Silas is bearable as well."

"How do you even know Niklaus?" Carina asks, putting the remnants of her poisonous berries into her potion, adding a little dash of hemlock into there as well along with the thin slices from the manchineel fruit. She hopes Eliza doesn't pay too much attention to the black gloves that coat her arms.

"Through my father, he's friends with Andromeda Vend," Eliza explains then walking closer to where Carina is crafting her poison and she puts a hand out to stop Eliza from coming too close.

"Careful," Carina whispers into her ear, making Eliza's expression change for the first time, the oracle almost looks flustered, "trust me Liza, you don't want this poison going anywhere near you."

Eliza looks surprised at the use of nickname but Carina only raises an eyebrow and smiles. If Eliza wants to be presumptuous and call a queen a nickname then Carina is entitled to do the same.

A few seconds later Eliza regains her composure, crossing her arms and willing her face to revert back to its usual expression but it's too late. Curious at how she reacted at Carina being so close. Curious indeed. And her surprise at the nickname.

"What are you making?" Eliza asks, curiosity blooming in ehe voice ever so slightly, "I don't recognise it."

"Why would you recognise it?" Carina asks, stirring it three times clockwise, "have you been poisoning anybody lately?"

"Of course not," Eliza says, scowling slightly which makes Carina chuckle.

"Truth be told I don't know yet, I'm experimenting today," Carina tells her, putting out the flames beneath the cauldron and going to the cupboard to fetch a vial and coming back taking care to carefully pour some of the poison into the small delicate foil before putting a stopper in it and within a flash the vial of poison has disappeared up here sleeve. A classic poisoner trick designed for sleight of hand. The poison is surprisingly transparent after all the ingredients had time to settle. Which is handy. For if she uses it she can put it in anything without detection.

"So you're good at making poisons and little poisoner tricks like sleight of hand," Eliza says and Carina flashes her a smile in reply, "but what do you know of healing."

"Nothing," Carina admits.

"Well allow me to teach you."