TO SATE AN ALPHA'S FURY

Alaric POV

A knock on the door woke me. It was Roland. I opened my eyes.

Sophie slept on the chair near my desk. She looked peaceful. I saw the steady rise and fall of her chest. Her presence brought me soothing relief. I did not want to disturb her.

"Come in softly." I whispered.

Roland walked into the room. He stepped lightly on the floor. He opened his mouth to speak. I raised my finger to my lips.

"Shhhh." I said.

I pointed at Sophie.

"Speak quietly. Let her sleep."

"Alpha the elders are gathered in the hall." Roland whispered.

"They demand to see you. They want to discuss the palace security and the Prince."

"I have something more important to tackle." I said.

I looked at the morning light hitting the floor.

"Tell the elders to come back tomorrow. I will not see them today."

Roland nodded. He bowed and left the room. I turned to Sophie. I remembered the deadline. We did not have much time left.

I reached out and tapped her shoulder. She woke up instantly. She looked around the room.

"Have you found any clue?" Sophie asked.

She rubbed her eyes.

"No." I said.

"I do not think staying in this room will give us any answers. We need to visit the young prince. We must see how he is doing. We need more information directly from his mother."

Sophie stood up. She smoothed her blue silk dress. She agreed with my plan.

I arranged my tunic. We headed for the quarters of Queen Mother Isolde.

The maids announced my arrival. Isolde ran out of the inner chamber. Her face was red with anger. She saw Sophie behind me.

"What are you doing here?" Isolde shouted.

"Have you come to finish what you started? Have you come to watch my son die?"

"Watch your mouth." I said. My voice was low.

"I have come to see how my brother is doing. I am the Alpha King. No one tells me where to go in my own kingdom."

I walked past her. I did not wait for her permission. I headed for the bed. Young Prince Daemon lay there. He was struggling for his life. His breath was a shallow rattle. I looked at the maids standing by the wall.

"Who did he visit before and after he dined with me?" I asked.

"He was with Queen Mother Isolde before he visited you." A maid said.

"He came back to her after he dined. He did not visit anyone else."

I scanned the room. I looked for anything unusual. My eyes met a small sack on the side table. It was made of thick linen.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It is his medication." Isolde said.

She stepped closer to the bed.

"He takes it every evening. That is the only thing he took after dining with you."

"Who supplies the medication?" I asked.

"Grand Prince Magnus supplies it." She replied. She narrowed her eyes.

"Are you implying that the Grand Prince wants to kill my son? That is madness."

"I only asked a question. Why are you been so defensive?" I asked.

I looked at the sack.

"Give me one of the medicine. We need to check it. We already checked the ingredients Sophie used. The problem is not there. We must examine the medication. It was the only other thing he consumed."

"The Grand Prince examines the ingredients well." Isolde said.

She shook her head.

"He has been suppling this for a long time. Magnus has no motive to kill my son."

I smiled at her. It was not a friendly smile.

"I am not accusing anyone." I said.

"We just want to be sure."

I took the medication from the table. I grabbed Sophie's hand. We headed back to my quarters. We sat at the desk.

I opened the linen sack. I poured the medicine out. They were different ingredients in it. I broke took one of the ingredient. I tasted it. It was bitter. It tasted like rat poop. It had a foul smell.

"Look at this." I said.

I showed the black thing to Sophie.

"This tastes like waste. This is rat poop. It smells rotten."

"It cannot be rat poop." Sophie said.

She leaned in to smell it. She frowned.

"It must be an ingredient we are not familiar with. It is a strange compound."

Sophie looked at the sack. She looked at the darkening sky outside the window.

"I will take some of this to my quarters." She said.

"I need to continue the investigation. I will check what that is. I will find out if it is used for medicine. If I find anything, I will let you know immediately."

I watched her leave. She carried the samples in her hand. My heart sank as the door closed.

It was the end of the second day. We still had nothing. No cure. No proof.

Tomorrow is the last day. Sophie dies if we cannot find what is wrong with the young prince.

I looked at the silver blade sitting on my table. I became restless.

The wolf inside me wanted to tear the palace apart.

Sophie POV

I left the Alpha chamber. I walked down the hallway. I headed for my quarters. I held the linen sack tight.

I met Martha on my way. She stopped. She sniffed the air. Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"What is that foul smell around you?" Martha asked.

I looked at her. I opened my hand.

"I am carrying the medication Young Prince Daemon took." I said.

"I am investigating it."

Martha followed me to my room. She wanted to help.

We entered the small space. I placed the sack on the wooden table. Martha took the medication. She smelled every piece of ingredient used.

Martha has the nose of a dog. She identifies spices from across the kitchen. She found a tiny black object. It looked like rat poop. She made a sound.

"Why does this smell like rat poop?" Martha asked.

"Alaric said the same thing." I said.

"I think it is an ingredient we do not know."

"I do not think so." Martha said.

"Nature does not make medicine that smells of rot."

Martha left for her room.

I sat all night. I looked at the black ingredient. I tried to remember every herb I ever studied. I did not get a good answer. My eyes grew heavy.

I slept for a few minutes. A loud voice woke me.

"Sophie!" Cassian called.

I sat up. My neck felt stiff.

I opened the door. Cassian looked frantic.

"The Alpha is sick." Cassian said.

I rose to my feet in a hurry. My heart hammered against my ribs.

"What! He was okay when I left him last night." I said.

"He cannot get on his feet this morning." Cassian replied.

"He is burning with heat."

I adjusted my dress. I ran to the Alpha chamber. I pushed past the guards. The royal doctor stood by the bed. He held a cold cloth.

"What is wrong?" I asked.

"The Alpha has a high fever." The doctor said.

"How?" I asked.

"Probably from lack of rest and stress." The doctor said.

"That is not enough to cause this." I said.

I stepped to the bedside. I touched Alaric on the arm. His skin felt like fire.

I remembered Martha's words. I looked at Alaric. His face was pale. His eyes were glazed. He looked at me but he did not speak.

"Did you eat anything apart from my meal?" I asked.

"I only eat food from you." Alaric said. His voice was a rasp.

"But you tasted the prince's medication." I said.

Alaric looked at me. He understood my point. I turned to the royal doctor.

"The prince ate my food." I said.

"He took his medication. Now he has a high fever. Alaric only tasted the medication. Now he has a fever too. The Young Prince took a whole portion. That is why he is dying."

"How would you know the problem is the medication?" The doctor asked.

"There is an ingredient like rat poop in it." I said.

"It has a foul smell. It sits in the linen sack on my table."

The royal doctor laughed. He shook his head.

"That is not rat poop. It is squirrel droppings. It is a rare ingredient. It is good for medication. It only causes trouble if it meets the wrong ingredient like ginger."

I shouted. "There it is! I put ginger in all my food. The prince ate my food containing ginger and took the medication. Alaric ate my food containing ginger and tasted it."

"That is right." the doctor said.

"The two chemicals fight in the blood. They create a heat that burns the brain. How did you find the problem so quickly?"

"Is there a cure?" Alaric asked.

He tried to sit up. He winced.

"I will make an antidote for you immediately." The doctor said.

"I am not talking about me." Alaric growled.

"I am talking about Prince Daemon."

"The Prince is critical." The doctor replied.

"He took the mixture for a long time. We need a stronger antidote to flush his system. It must be potent."

"Go." Alaric said.

"Bring both antidotes here. Do not stop for anyone."

The doctor hurried out. Alaric looked at me. The fever made his golden eyes look dark.

"Thank you for finding a solution." He said. "At least I will not lose you again."

I smiled. I felt a wave of relief.

"Rest your head before the antidote comes." I said.

I pushed him to lie down. He did not fight me. He grabbed my hands. He dragged me toward him. I fell on his chest. My face was an inch away from his. I tried to get up. He pulled me closer.

"Please stay for a moment." He said.

"Someone might come in." I whispered. My heart beat fast.

"Shhhh." He took his hands to his mouth gesturing I should be quiet.

I laid there. I watched him breathe. I felt the heat of his body.

The guards announced the doctor after a while.

I stood up quickly. I adjusted my dress. I smoothed my hair.

The doctor came in with two bowls. Alaric drank his. I thought about the situation. This was not a mistake. Someone added that ingredient. That person knows I use ginger in my kitchen.

"Where is the antidote for the prince?" Alaric asked.

"It is here." The doctor said.

"I wanted to give you yours first."

"I want to be there when you give it to him." Alaric said.

"You are not strong." the doctor said.

"I am fine." Alaric replied.

He stood up. He walked to the door. We followed him to the quarters of Queen Mother Isolde.

The Grand Queen Mother was there. She stood by the window. She stared at me. Her look said my time ended today.

"I brought the antidote." The doctor said.

"How?" Isolde shouted. She stood by her son.

"You do not know what is wrong."

"The Chef solved the mystery." The doctor said.

"An ingredient in the medication reacts with ginger. It causes high fever. The food had ginger. The medicine had squirrel droppings."

Isolde looked at me with hate. She did not want to thank me. She wanted her son back.

"Help him sit up." The doctor said.

"He cannot swallow." Isolde said.

"Do it." The Grand Queen Mother commanded.

"Unless you want him dead."

Isolde sat him up. She forced his mouth open. His teeth were locked tight.

The doctor poured the liquid in. They forced him to drink.

The prince started to jerk. His body shook hard. He looked like he would snap in half.

"They have come to finish him!" Isolde screamed.

"They have come to kill my son! If my son dies, Alaric and this girl will go to the grave with him!"

Sophie POV

I looked at Queen Mother Isolde. I looked at the young prince. My heart raced against my ribs. Daemon began to jerk. His limbs struck the silk sheets. His body stiffened. I felt a cold sweat on my neck.

What could be wrong? I asked myself. Alaric took the same antidote. He stood properly. He looked strong.

What is wrong with the Young Prince? Was I wrong all along? I felt the weight of the silver dagger in my mind.

I rushed to the royal doctor. I grabbed his sleeve.

"Wh... what is wrong with him?" I asked. My voice shook.

"The boy is jerking because the antidote is too strong for his system." The doctor said. He wiped his forehead.

"Is it because he has not been eating anything?" I asked.

"His stomach is empty. His blood is thin."

"It could be." The doctor replied.

"His body cannot hold the power of the antidote. It is fighting itself."

"I need to make something for him to regain his strength." I said.

"He needs fuel to survive the cure."

I turned to leave the room. I needed the heat of the kitchen. I needed to be in the right frame of mind.

"Where is she going?" Isolde asked. Her voice was a sharp blade.

"Is she trying to run away after she has killed my son?"

Alaric stepped forward. He looked at Isolde with anger.

"What is wrong with you, woman?" Alaric responded.

"Did you not hear her say she would make something for him to regain his strength?"

"The same food that put him in this situation?" Isolde challenged. She pointed a finger at me.

"Quiet, Isolde." The Grand Queen Mother said. Her voice was like stone. It stopped the room.

"She found what the problem was in two days. We could not do that. If she wanted to run, she would not come here in the first place. I know your son is ill. Do not let that cloud your sense of reasoning."

The Grand Queen Mother looked at me. She nodded once.

"Please go and make the meal for him." Alaric said. He looked at me with trust.

I walked out of her quarters. I headed for the royal kitchen. I moved with speed. I did not think about the insults from Isolde. I did not think about anything else. I just wanted the Young Prince to be fine.

I reached the kitchen. The heat greeted me.

"Prep the ingredients!" I shouted to the other chefs.

"I need oats. I need dried fruits. I need clean water."

I wanted to make an oat blend. I would grind the oats with fruits. This helps a patient regain energy fast.

We need something not too strong. It must digest easily. It must circulate in his body immediately.

We worked with precision. We ground the oats into a fine flour. We smashed the dried dates. We added a hint of honey. We stirred the mixture over a low flame.

In 30 minutes, I was done. I dished the warm meal into a wooden bowl.

I headed back to the quarters of Queen Mother Isolde. I held the bowl steady. I entered the room. Alaric looked up.

"Oh, she is here." Alaric said. He looked relieved.

"Bring the food this way."

I walked toward the bed. The royal taster stepped forward. He reached for a spoon. Isolde stepped in his way.

"No." Isolde yelled.

"I will not give my son that thing. I do not even know what it is."

"Isolde, let her explain the dish if that is what you want." Grand Queen Mother interrupted her.

"I ground oats and fruits." I told her.

"He cannot eat hard food. He cannot chew fresh fruits yet. I ground dry fruits and oats to restore his strength. It is liquid enough to swallow."

The royal doctor nodded.

"Indeed, that is what he needs right now." He said.

"What if she poisoned it?" Isolde asked.

Alaric stepped toward her. He looked like he would explode.

"We are trying to help you and you just keep saying rubbish." Alaric roared.

"Why would she find the solution only to poison him again? Besides, the royal taster tests the food before it is given to Prince Daemon."

"Then let her taste it herself." Isolde said. She looked at me with suspicion.

Alaric took the spoon from my hand.

"I will taste it since you now believe we are plotting to kill your son." Alaric said.

"I will die instead."

"Alaric, drop the spoon!" Grand Queen Mother shouted. Her eyes were wide.

"It is a taboo for the Alpha King to taste the food first. Allow the royal tasters do their job."

Alaric refused. He was stubborn. He scooped the oat mixture. He took it into his mouth. He swallowed. He closed his eyes.

"Hmmmmmm." Alaric let out the sound in amusement.

"Why have you not made this for me, Sophie?"

Isolde looked at him for a minute. She saw he did not drop dead. She saw he enjoyed the taste. The room was silent.

"Feed the boy immediately." Grand Queen Mother commanded.

Isolde took the bowl. Her hands were trembling.

She scooped the oat blend. She took it to the mouth of Prince Daemon. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She was a mother in pain. She gave him one spoon. Then two. By the fifth spoon, Daemon stirred. His eyes fluttered.

"Mother." Daemon said. His voice was a whisper.

Isolde grabbed him. She pulled him to her chest. Her face lit up. The dark clouds in the room vanished. The boy was back.

I looked at everyone in their excitement. Alaric was watching his brother. The doctor was checking the pulse. The Grand Queen Mother was watching me.

I felt the weight of the week on my shoulders. I was tired for the day. My bones ached. I needed to return to my quarters and rest.

I survived another day at the Blackwood kingdom. I knew there were more trials to come.

I knew the person who added the squirrel droppings was still out there. But for now, the prince was breathing.