Noelle wandered through the halls of the castle, trying to calm the thrumming beating of her heart.

It meant nothing. He meant nothing. The arrival of Gwen had nearly driven her to tears. A tall, strong, beautiful woman - who could cook! She could never compete.

Not that I want to compete...

"Land-ho!" A hand bopped her on the forehead, bringing her out of her daze. Roman stood in front of her, his mouth stretched in a broad grin. "You know I've been trying to get your attention for a solid minute?"

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, shaking her head to clear it. "I was distracted."

"Lily for your thoughts?" Roman held up a flower, handing it to her.

"T-thank you."

"No need. I found it over there." Roman pointed down the hall. "Picked it up as I was walking toward you." He winked. "I'm not that gentlemanly - nor that fond of you."

"Ha, ha," Noelle said, finally cracking a genuine smile. "There's the Roman I know and don't love that much."

He chuckled and elbowed her in the arm. "You're deep in thought - what troubles my fair little sister?" He batted his lashes at her.

"Nothing important."

"Ah." Roman nodded, clasping his hands in front of him and glancing down at her with sage understanding. "Maverick."

"What?" Noelle stopped dead in her tracks, mouth popping open. "How did - was not!"

Roman tipped his head back, letting out a long, loud laugh. "Oh please. Everyone knows."

"Knows what?" Noelle asked, glaring up at him.

"You two don't look at each other, barely talk to each other, and when you're forced to do so, it's painful to watch." Roman rolled his eyes. "The tension is so thick I'd slam into it if I tried to walk between you."

"And I suppose you're a wonder with women," Noelle shot back, quirking one brow.

"Nope." Roman bounced on his heels. "I'm afraid I grow too fond, too fast. I ruined things with Phoenix early on, and while there are many pretty young women around here, I'm afraid I'm a bit shy."

With a snort, Noelle laughed. "You, shy?"

"Blame it on my lonely upbringing," Roman said with a shrug.

They walked in silence for a few moments, Noelle fighting an internal battle. Her heartbeat sped up again, and her stomach twisted. "Roman?"

"Mm?"

"Will you - will you tell me what happened to your mother?"

Roman turned to her with a shocked expression. "Really?"

"Yes. Please."

He nodded. "Um, well. It's been quite a few years now. But you know that saying of 'time heals everything' or whatever?" Noelle nodded. "It isn't true. You're never healed."

With a sigh, Roman leaned against the wall, staring up at the overarching ceiling. For a long moment, he didn't say anything.

"My mother only died because of me."

"What? How?"

"During one of the Army's inspections of our city, I got into a fight with an Army officer. Eric was there - still just one of the simple soldiers." Roman snorted. "He didn't intervene for me. My mother stood to my defense, claiming I only said the things I did because she had taught them to me."

"And that wasn't true?"

"No! She told me to lay low and keep quiet - to never draw attention to myself where the Army was concerned. It didn't matter, though. I was young enough to get away with it, but my mother wasn't. The head of the unit told Eric to execute her."

"And he did?"

"She's dead, isn't she?" Roman started walking again, directing them toward their rooms.

"I'm sorry, Roman." Noelle let out a soft sigh. "I wonder if any of us have a less-than-tragic family backstory."

"Let's see - Mav's and my parents were executed; Youlden and Phoenix were left by theirs; Trey doesn't know his - what about you and Abigail?"

"My parents loved me. But my sister made the whole town believe I was dead, and convinced my parents I was too sickly to ever leave the house. She used to torture me with her gift, making me feel pain that wasn't really there. I don't know about Abigail."

"Sheesh. We are quite a troop, aren't we?"

Noelle opened her mouth to reply, but heard a strange groan that stopped her in her tracks. Roman stopped too, both of them turning toward the king's chambers.

"What was that?" Noelle asked as it happened again.

"I don't know, but I think we should check." He moved to the door, but Noelle grabbed his arm.

"Wait - what if - what if he isn't alone?"

Roman looked at her like she was crazy. "Then someone is killing him. Come on!" He shoved the door open and they both barged in. Maverick wasn't in the main room, and Noelle followed Roman to his bedchambers.

He lay in bed, his brow covered in sweat as he rolled around as though having a terrible dream.

"Do we wake him?" Noelle came up to his side, something not right. She glanced at his bedside table and saw a glass, empty, set upon it. "Maverick?" She shook his shoulder.

With surprising speed, he lashed out. Noelle ducked, and Maverick grabbed Roman by the collar and threw him over into the bed - his grip a vice.

"Well this isn't what I expected," Roman said, trying to release himself. "My, my, Maverick - I'm not that kind of man."

Noelle snorted with laughter as she climbed up into the bed with them and helped tug Roman loose. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know, but - wait. What's that?" Roman noticed the glass, hopping off the bed and picking it up. "There's something in the bottom of this glass."

"What is it?"

"I don't know. Maybe I should get Youlden."

"Youlden? Why not a healer?"

"Youlden's gift is earth."

"So?"

"So plants are part of the earth. If someone's poisoned him, we don't know who to trust yet."

Noelle's heart jumped into her throat. "He was with Gwen - that's the last person I saw him with."

"You go get Youlden, I'll go find Gwen. If she poisoned him, she might already have tried to escape."

It took nearly ten minutes to track down Youlden and drag him back to Maverick's room, explaining everything they knew in a hushed voice along the way. When she passed him the glass, he took it in one hand and placed the other on Maverick's forehead.

The future king groaned, loud and agonizing, trying to pull away, but Youlden kept his eyes closed - concentrating. A sound beyond the door turned Noelle's head, but it wasn't Roman.

"Something's wrong - I sensed it." Finny entered the room with purpose. "I would have noticed it sooner, but I was talking to - what happened?"

"We don't know yet," Youlden said, glaring down at the grass. "I'm sensing something - but it's difficult to tell."

"Polemius," Finny said. "We need Polemius." She disappeared out the door.

When Roman finally returned, he held a body draped in his arms. "I found her in her room like this - the same as Mav."

Noelle put a hand to her mouth. Gwen's pale face was covered in sweat, and she moaned as Roman set her on the opposite side of the bed as Maverick.

"They've both been poisoned," Youlden said, eyes wide. "Someone's trying to kill Maverick."

"And they used Gwen to do it." Roman put a hand against her forehead. "She seems even worse than he does."

Finny returned with Pollemius in a few moments. He didn't say a word as he moved to take the glass from Youlden. Within seconds, he turned a grim expression to them.

"It's a lily - a kind with poisonous berries. It can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, and even stop the heart. We have to act fast."

"Is there a way to get the poison out of them?" Roman asked. "A way to purge their bodies?"

"I can't control the plant inside them. It's not plant anymore. It's degenerated back into a more basic state." Pollemius shook his head.

"Youlden." Noelle grabbed his hand, moving him closer. "If it's more basic, maybe it's more earthen. Can't you try?"

He gaped at her for a moment. "I can't - that's not - it really isn't -"

"You have to try!"

Youlden's jaw set. "Get a bucket. We're going to need it."

#

One disgusting hour later, Maverick no longer writhed, and even Gwen had gained some color back. They'd disposed of the contents of their stomachs, which Youlden had drawn out of them, bringing the poison with it.

"If someone's trying to poison him, doesn't that mean there's a traitor in the castle?" Roman asked, his dark eyes round with worry.

"We can't rule Gwen out," Youlden said, frowning down at her.

"But she was poisoned, too."

"If her intention was for him to die, she might have been willing to sacrifice herself to do it." Youlden crossed his arms. "She may have been sent just like the man who attacked Trey was."

"Or she didn't intend to poison herself," Finny said, nodding.

"If Phoenix were here, we could just ask." Noelle put her hand to her head, the strain of the day pounding. "She'd be able to find them right away."

"And obviously either Gwen, whoever she's working with, or whoever used her knew to wait until Phoenix was gone." Roman glanced at Finny. "What do we do?"

"We speak of this to no one," Finny said. "Not until we can ask the two of them what happened."

Holy Guac and Moly. At least Maverick *should* be okay.

Vote of the day: Is Gwen innocent or is she the poisoner (or working with the poisoner)?

Also, now you know what happened to Roman's mother. What say you?

Tell me things, oh great and wonderful readers, and we'll head back to our poor and writhing Phe next chapter!