RLQ - Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Belladonna & Currant
The atmosphere suddenly became strange.
The most esteemed person in the Empire and the person currently holding the most power stood facing each other, confronting each other angrily. When Dalton's words came out without thought, something that had been deliberately avoided was exposed in the air.
The Queen's slender fingers tightly gripped the white cotton cloth spread on the table.
Dalton stood straight, his gaze fixed on empty space, as if something there was worth his attention. But his slightly twitching lips revealed the turmoil struggling beneath his cold facade... It wasn't worth it. He was the leader of the New God Sect, the new Marshal of the Empire. He shouldn't have spoken so easily about participating in battle...
Did he really think of himself as a foolish knight?
He felt the Queen's gaze searching for something on his face.
According to the stories of romantic poets, at this moment he should walk over, kneel on one knee, kiss the Queen's hand, and swear to clear away all her enemies for her—Gods above, in this day and age when even nobles had long abandoned their vows in the gutter, how could a commoner possibly act as a knight...
So, according to the stories of cruel history, at this moment he should apologize for his impulsiveness and tell the Queen that she was doing very well, and to continue letting the Prince of the Rute Empire be infatuated with her.
He remained silent and motionless.
Adele withdrew her gaze, stepped back, and sat down in her chair.
"Well said."
Adele used her hand to gather her recently loosened hair, pushing it back behind her head.
Dalton hadn't intended to look at her, but the ring on her hand reflected a light that stung his eyes, making them follow its movement involuntarily. A strand of hair had escaped, hanging by her ear, swaying gently, beautiful, stubborn, and unfathomable, just like its owner.
"Tell me about the Yage Kingdom."
Adele's voice was still dry from the argument, making her sound somewhat fragile. She quickly noticed this herself, so she reached out and picked up a blackcurrant from the crystal dish on the table.
The maids had carefully washed these purplish-black little fruits; they had a particularly enticing color in the crystal dish. Blackcurrants ripened in August were very tasty, and Madam Kelly had thoughtfully chilled them.
One or two of the currants were exceptionally sweet.
Adele's fingers paused for a moment. She glanced at Dalton, then continued to nonchalantly pick up the currants from the dish with her fingertips and put them in her mouth.
Dalton didn't notice anything unusual about her.
"The Yage fleet is anchored in Heaven's Bay. The King of the Tuva Duchy has died. The Rute Emperor is supporting his cousin in seizing the throne. Once the alliance is formally confirmed, John VI will have to recall his fleet—if he doesn't want the Tuva Duchy, which he sees as his for the taking, to fall into the hands of the Rute Empire."
His gaze shifted from the escaped strand of hair to the Queen's lips.
When she was thinking or controlling her emotions, she would unconsciously bite her lips. The "abused" lips would often become even more beautiful and full as a result. This little habit seemed to have stayed with her since childhood, making her appear less invincible.
The juice of the blackcurrant stained the Queen's lips, adding a touch of witch-like mystery to those petal-soft lips. Dalton watched her bring a small fruit to her lips... In front of the statue colonnade that day, their breaths had mingled.
When Dalton realized he was thinking about that bloody kiss, he abruptly tore his gaze away from the Queen's lips, as if he had touched a sharp thorn.
"The Tuva Duchy..."
The Queen furrowed her brow, thinking about something.
Thud.
A berry slipped from the Queen's hand and fell to the floor.
Dalton turned his head and saw the Queen's eyes in the sunlight, her pupils dilated and unfocused.
A terrible premonition struck. Dalton rushed to the Queen's side in one step and grabbed her hand.
The Queen's body temperature was rising rapidly, her breathing was as rapid as a cat's, and her cheeks were flushed with an unnatural crimson. Sweat instantly soaked Dalton's shirt. He held the Queen's jaw with one hand, forcing her mouth open, and pressed his other hand against her back, which was also soaked with cold sweat.
"Spit it out!"
Dalton shouted. He had never known he could make such a terrified, panicked sound.
"Quick! Spit it all out!"
Prince Arthur... Old God Sect...
In her dizziness, Adele thought of these words while making sure she heard the chaotic footsteps, and only then did she lose consciousness amidst Dalton's shouts.
Within minutes, the entire Summer Palace was in an uproar.
Heinrich quickly led several doctors carrying heavy cases through the palace corridors.
This head of a great noble family, whose emotions were usually inscrutable, was sweating cold beads on his forehead. His jaw was clenched tight, and every line on his face was taut. The doctors following behind him practically had to run to keep up. But not a single doctor dared to complain.
Dalton's musketeers had completely sealed off the entire Summer Palace. Even if a fly tried to get out at this moment, it would be shattered by hundreds of bullets simultaneously.
The nobles staying in the palace remained nervously in their rooms. No one dared to move rashly, only anxiously waiting for further news. Whether nervous, fearful, or excited... palace intrigue had flared up once again.
A dangerous vortex, carrying a new storm, swept over everyone.
Just moments ago, the first Queen of the Roland Empire, Adele Roland, had encountered another deadly danger.
"Hurry!"
Heinrich shoved the door open, urging the doctors he brought with him in a manner that could be called rude.
The doctors saw at a glance the Queen lying on the bed. Her hair was soaked with cold sweat, clinging in strands to her forehead and neck. The high fever caused her pale cheeks to flush with an extremely unnatural crimson, and her breathing was so rapid it made everyone's heart leap into their throats—Death could take the young Queen at any moment.
"It's belladonna."
The experienced doctors whispered.
Belladonna.
When this word was confirmed by the doctors, everyone in the room lost color in their faces.
Belladonna is a fruit that looks extremely similar to blackcurrant, but if the latter is a gift from God to humanity, then the former is a gift from the devil to witches. The two plants flower and bear fruit at similar times, and even their fruits are very similar, both being purplish-black berries.
But just two small belladonna berries can take the life of a lively child; adults need a bit more, but not much.
Belladonna has always been loved by schemers. Mix some belladonna into a whole plate of blackcurrants, and it's hard for people to distinguish them, yet it can easily eliminate stubborn political enemies. Adele is not the first person threatened by this "devil's" fruit, and she will certainly not be the last.
"Belladonna... currant... No!"
Madam Kelly began to tremble. As if she had realized something, she let out a mournful, angry cry and suddenly rushed towards the door.
"Bligh! Bligh! It's him!"
Bligh, Madam Kelly's husband, was responsible for the daily affairs of the Summer Palace.
The guards at the door crossed their spears to block Madam Kelly, but she seemed to be in a state of extreme fear and rage, unleashing terrifying strength. She broke free from the guards, letting the iron spear blade cut a large gash on her shoulder. Blood gushed out, but she didn't seem to notice.
"Follow her."
Dalton ordered sharply.
The doctors, their foreheads covered in cold sweat, quickly began a series of emergency procedures.
Dalton stood by the Queen's bed, watching their every move intently. If Death truly appeared before the Queen's bed at this moment, he would not hesitate to draw his gun.
"What is going on?"
Heinrich was so angry he was practically going mad.
Listen! Belladonna!
A student taught by the Two-Headed Snake family actually fell before a tiny belladonna? He had just become her mentor, and the very first lesson he taught was how to distinguish belladonna from blackcurrant. Could it be that her cleverness was even less than when she was eight years old?
Didn't she always make sure never to make the same mistake twice?
Wait...
Heinrich suddenly turned to face a maid and asked, "Who were the currants prepared for?"
"Her Majesty and His Highness the Prince."
The maid trembled as she replied.
"I told you, she's ill-omened! A woman of disaster!"
The Rute Empire's envoys, like the Roland nobles, were confined to their respective rooms. After the news of the Queen being poisoned by belladonna arrived, the Rute Count was scared to death and couldn't help but curse loudly in his room.
You must understand, in the afternoon, Prince Arthur and the Queen of Roland were together. The belladonna was clearly prepared for these two esteemed individuals. Just think! If Prince Arthur were poisoned and killed in Roland, the enraged Emperor and Empress Dowager would certainly not let him off easily!
"The ill-omened one with red eyes..." The Count muttered curses incessantly in the room. "I say she's exactly like her mother. The Roland Empire should really put her on the stake! His Majesty shouldn't marry such a witch, and the Rute Empire shouldn't ally with such a Roland!"
The Count's attendant had a bitter face, trembling with fear, hoping that no Roland official would happen to come for inspection.
No Roland official came. Instead, the Prince's door was yanked open.
A rapier was thrown out, grazing the Count's neck.
"Say that again?"
Prince Arthur stood in the doorway, wearing a shirt, holding another rapier in his hand.
The Count's voice stopped abruptly.
Meanwhile, in the church, a monk hurried to Archbishop Rhodri, who was copying scriptures, and whispered a few words.
The next moment, the monk was astonished to see the usually serious and steady Archbishop knock over a candlestick.
The Archbishop stood up and instinctively walked a few steps outwards, only then remembering that he couldn't possibly be let into the Summer Palace at this moment. For a moment, he regretted why he was staying in his room belonging to him in the Summer Palace.
New God, Old God...
Whatever God it is, please protect the Queen of Roland.
Author's Note: Note: Belladonna is highly toxic. Ingesting two berries can kill a child, and 10-20 berries can kill an adult. Please be careful in your daily life~ Don't eat unfamiliar berries, chu chu.
Regarding some content in Chapter 9 and the recent marriage plot, here is an explanation. It's a bit long, you can skip it if you want.
Regarding "The Roland National Assembly hopes the Queen will marry soon so that the Roland Empire can have a true King, hoping that marriage will not only return the country to the natural order of male rule but also allow the Roland Empire to have a legitimate heir to the throne soon." This is actually not a bug but references the traditions and noble social order of the Middle Ages and even the Renaissance.
First, we must go back to that era to understand the discrimination against women in the gendered society of the time.
From a patriarchal perspective, women were considered willful, emotional, weak, and indecisive creatures, unfit to govern and incapable of leading government affairs [1]. Women's nerves were fragile, and their wisdom was incomplete. Therefore, for a very, very long time, as scholar Theresa Earenfight stated, there was a tradition that "the man who married a queen would automatically share the rule of his wife's kingdom" 【Emphasis added】. And when historian Joanna Bianchini wrote about Queen Berengaria, she also said, "Women, even those who clearly had the right to inherit the throne, were rarely accepted as monarchs if they were not married."
Against this backdrop, a queen reigning and a woman holding power became something quite incredible. At the time, it was considered natural for men to dominate the world. A queen could generally only rule in her husband's name if the king personally designated her as queen and was able to impose his decision on his subjects. The historically more famous warrior queen Isabella, after her brother's death, ascended the throne before her husband. Upon hearing the news, Ferdinand angrily declared to the chronicler Palencia, "I have never heard of a woman usurping the privileges of men" [2]. A crucial reason why Isabella was later able to achieve the rule of the Catholic Monarchs was the agreement they signed before their marriage, which included a clause stating that Ferdinand's status was the Queen's consort, not King. It was this clause that initiated the unprecedented "Spanish Catholic Monarchs." However, even under these circumstances, Ferdinand still became the King of Spain.
This social reality was accompanied by the very frequent "marriage diplomacy" in European society at the time.
In medieval Europe, international interactions were frequent, various duchies and counties were scattered everywhere, feudal fragmentation was severe, and land and wealth could be inherited and transferred through marriage ties. Marriage diplomacy was utilized to the greatest extent. A typical example is Burgundy in the late Middle Ages, which used marriage diplomacy for external expansion and relied on marriage to consolidate numerous territories, developing from a ducal territory into one of the most powerful forces in Europe. [3]
However, under the tradition that "the man who married a queen would automatically share the rule of his wife's kingdom," a queen's marriage would make her a highly sought-after match. In 1554, Mary Tudor married the King of Spain, leading to England becoming a dependency of Spain. By the time of Elizabeth I, "kings and princes from all over Europe were eyeing the Queen and her kingdom covetously, all hoping to obtain her, and thereby obtain a kingdom." Furthermore, "marriage to any continental European country would inevitably cause England to lose its independent status and become entangled in that country's European policies." [4]
Nevertheless, gender prejudice and social customs still made the Queen's marriage an important issue. After Elizabeth I's coronation, the Spanish ambassador, Duke Feria, still naturally assumed the Queen would definitely marry. This was because at the time, people found it hard to imagine a woman wanting to rule alone, without a man's guidance and protection, and she also needed a father for her child to ensure the continuation of the dynasty and the future of the monarchy. Elizabeth's mentor, William Cecil, prayed, "God, please grant the Queen a husband and a son, so that our descendants may have a male to lead them" [5]. He longed for the Queen to marry and be bound by the mission of procreation, thus returning the country to the natural order of male governance.
At the same time, the Queen's marriage also meant a "legitimate heir to the throne." In an era rife with disputes, wars, and rebellions, having no heir meant that when the monarch died, the country would immediately descend into chaos. This was also one of the reasons why people at the time considered the Queen's marriage necessary. Only by marrying and giving birth to an heir could the Queen maintain the stable order of the government and society. However, this precisely meant danger for the Queen herself—once she had an heir, then her enemies were very likely to plot with the heir to overthrow her, and her own life would face a greater threat than ever before.
Thank you for reading and for your company.
[1] Alison Weir; translated by Dong Yanting. Queen Elizabeth [M]. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press. 2014.
[2] Kirstin Downey; translated by Lu Dapeng. Isabella: The Warrior Queen [M]. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press. 2016.
[3] Dong Yang. A Study on Queen Elizabeth I's "Marriage Diplomacy" in England [D]. Beijing Foreign Studies University, 2017.
[4] Sun Xuemei. The Influence of Public Mentality on Elizabeth I's Marriage Diplomacy Policy [J]. Journal of Harbin University, 2012.
[5] Alison Weir; translated by Dong Yanting. Queen Elizabeth [M]. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press. 2014.
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