Anastasia looked at Dorothy and thought for a mont. "There is only one carriage prepared, and we cannot waste ti preparing another. So, we will leave first, and you can try to catch up," Anastasia said. She felt that if she kept rejecting Dorothy, she would only make the rumors stronger. So, she accepted, but of course, she would not ride in the sa carriage as Dorothy. There was no reason for her to disgust herself for ten days.
"Your Highness, I can ride a horse," Dorothy said. She felt that Anastasia was deliberately humiliating her. After all, the carriage was large enough to carry five people. Only three were inside, yet Anastasia claid there was no room.
Anastasia nodded and ordered the carriage to move forward. She had no intention of paying attention to whatever Dorothy would do. She only hoped and prayed that, since it was a ti of war, the prince would not have ti to engage in other activities.
He would rember he is a prince and give her the respect she deserved.
---
King George’s Bedchamber, Two Days Later
King George lay on the bed, seemingly on his last breath. All the incense burners were lit with fine fragrances. Though the king was still alive, his room already slled like death. To cover the stench, the queen had fragrant incense burning in every corner of the palace.
"The king is already at his last breath, and you still cannot find an antidote?" Queen Mary asked coldly.
"Your Majesty, we have checked all the historical records in the royal library. There is no record of the king’s condition," one physician said. How could one prepare an anitode if they don’t know what poison the king was feed.
"You are all useless!" The queen was no longer calm. She felt that these n were definitely not skilled physicians. Even if there was no record, after observing the king for so long, they should have so idea of how to cure him or at least slow the poison’s effects.
Physician Nathan lowered his head, not daring to speak. He felt overwheld by the king’s condition. He had even used a precious antidote, but it only made the king sleep for a few hours, with no improvent or even a slight slowing of the illness. The king’s situation was indeed strange. Nathan was beginning to think it was karma, but he did not dare voice such thoughts.
Seeing that none of them dared to respond, the queen grew even angrier and more frustrated. Many nobles were inquiring about the king’s condition, but she did not dare tell them the truth. After all, as long as they could hide the king’s condition for one more day, there would be peace. What worried her most was Anastasia being ambushed on the way and losing the king’s seal.
"You had better think of sothing, or you can accompany His Majesty to the other side," the queen said. The physicians trembled upon hearing this. Though the practice of burying servants with a king had ended, they feared that if the king truly died like this, they might be dismissed or worse, suffer punishnt.
As the three physicians prepared to leave, the eunuch’s voice was heard from outside.
"The seer seeks an audience with the king!"
The queen turned to the bed. King George’s eyes moved slightly at the announcent. Previously, he had still been able to groan in pain, but now, he was too weak to make a sound.
The king nodded with great difficulty.
"Let him in," the queen instructed. Then she turned to the physicians. "You three may leave. But if you have not found a solution by this evening, you may as well leave the royal city permanently," she threatened.
The physicians bowed and walked out. At the sa ti, the seer entered, supported by a young boy. The queen frowned at the sight. Though the seer was old, he had always moved without assistance before. His completion did not look good and the queen felt that he might be sick.
"Your Majesty, I wish to speak to the king alone," the seer said, noticing that the queen was not leaving.
Queen Mary hesitated. She found it strange, but since her husband trusted the seer, she bowed and left.
"How does Your Majesty feel?" the seer asked.
"You... know," the king managed to say with difficulty. He frowned upon noticing that the seer appeared weak and needed support.
The seer saw his frown and smiled, though the smile did not reach his eyes.
"Your Majesty, I have found a solution. It is a long-forgotten ritual. It can guarantee you another ten years of life and ensure your son ascends the throne," the seer said, getting straight to the point.
King George, who had already given up hope, felt a surge of strength. His eyes lit up.
"Tell ! What must be done?" he demanded. Then he frowned. He had asked the seer many tis if there was a way to save him, and the answer had always been no. Even two days ago, the seer had said the sa. What had changed?
"It is a forbidden ritual. Even I would not dare to perform it," the seer admitted. He would never attempt such a ritual himself. If it failed, he would suffer a terrible backlash, and even if it succeeded, he would still face the wrath of heaven. Since King George was the one who would sit on the throne, he had no desire to bear the consequences. That was why he had never ntioned this option before.
"What changed?" King George narrowed his eyes. Though desperate to save his life, he was still clear-headed. He even suspected that the seer had withheld this option until he was desperate enough to accept it without thinking.
"I was not confident in the ritual’s success before. I have been practicing for so ti. I did not dare ntion it earlier because you might have insisted that I perform it imdiately. If it failed, we would both suffer a backlash. But now, I have mastered it," the seer explained. He would never tell the king that it was because he did not want to suffer backlash or the wrath of heaven. Otherwise the man would not trust his motive anymore.
"Are you confident now?" King George asked, still harboring so doubts.
"Yes. Don’t worry everything should go smoothly," the seer said confidently.
"What must we do?" King George asked. If there was even a chance to live, he would take it.
"Sacrifice the lady, Anastasia, and use her blood to cleanse the royal family. Her star will also be transferred to your son, the crown prince, ensuring his smooth ascension to the throne in the future," the seer answered.
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