"They all died?" the Queen asked, her tone grave, slicing through the silence.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The Minister of Medicine nodded solemnly." At first, it was just a few patients… but soon, curious immortals began trying the drug—just to experience death. Something they'd never known."
"So it became popular out of curiosity?" Selena asked, frowning.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"And where did this drug come from? Who is distributing it?" she asked next.
Silence.
No one answered.
"None of you know?" Her voice dropped an octave—not angry, but far from pleasant.
At that, the Royal Strategist stood and bowed.
"Your Majesty, if I may?"
She gave a simple nod.
"Although the drug's origin and distribution are still a mystery, I suggest we revisit the case it's most involved in: the murder of Amelia Brown—and the overdose-suicide attempt of Desmond Se White."
"Are you accusing me of mishandling a verdict, Royal Strategist?" Judge Se White snapped, his calm mask cracking.
'So there's something there…Or it's a bluff to divert suspicion.' The Queen kept her face still, then spoke.
"Honorable Judge. I did not give you permission to speak."
"BUT—"
"And you shall not speak," she said, shutting him down cold.
The strategist turned calmly toward the judge.
"That is exactly what I mean. But don't worry, Judge. Perhaps it was just a father's love—you didn't want your son branded a criminal."
The judge's face turned red with restrained fury.
"After Amelia's death was discovered, you closed the investigation in five days and had your son imprisoned."
"Not in a city cell—but in High Prison, buried in the Maw."
He looked around the room.
"Does that sound like something a loving father would do?"
"HUFF!...If I may your Majesty." the judge spoke suddenly in a calm voice.
All eyes turned toward Judge Se White again at the sound.
Even Selena raised an eyebrow and nodded for him to speak.
"My son was sent to High Prison two days ago. And if you want to know why—I'll tell you."
"Because we were threatened."
Selena's eyes widened slightly.
"Threatened?"
"Who would dare threaten a royal court judge?" the Commander barked. "Don't lie in front of the Queen."
"It's true," the judge said calmly.
"And the one who threatened us… was the mortal girl, Amelia Brown."
Gasps. Murmurs.
"What do you mean, Judge?" Selena asked, surprised but composed.
"With your permission, Your Majesty," the judge said, though it sounded more like a challenge than a request.
'Let's hear what story you're spinning.
Even if it's a lie, there's always a thread of truth.'
"You may."
"It started with a friend of mine. He came to me with a strange case—a wound that wouldn't heal.""He'd taken a drug from a girl to treat a fractured leg. Afterward, his healing slowed dramatically."
"So I began investigating the drug… and the girl."
"But then—I received a call."
He paused, voice quieter now.
"From Amelia. She demanded I drop the case. She threatened to kill my wife if I continued."
"I didn't believe her. But soon after… my wife began to have nightmares."
"The same kind mentioned earlier by the Minister of Medicine."
"I dropped the case. But my son—Desmond—decided to confront her directly. He arranged to meet."
" But When he arrived, she was already dead."
The judge's voice echoed faintly, leaving the room frozen in thought.
"So he was innocent," Selena said carefully.
"Then why was the murder blamed on him?"
"Because after that," the judge continued, "Desmond was found in his room—nearly dead. Red crystals around his mouth."
"That's when I realized… there was someone behind Amelia. A group."
"They had killed her. Then they came for my son."
"So I sent him to the only place that could protect him—the most dangerous, but safest, place in the land."
"High Prison."
Silence.
No one could fully dispute the story.
It made sense.
But the Queen's thoughts moved differently.
'He's shifting the blame to the mortals. Trying to make them the source of the drug. It's too convenient.'
Still—she didn't challenge him.
'I'll play along… for now.'
"Commander," Selena said.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Search the mortal sectors thoroughly. Look for any Red Death production sites."
"...Yes, Your Majesty." He bowed.
"Minister of Medicine."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Perform a full analysis on any Red Death samples recovered. I want everything—chemical, physical. Don't stop until we know what it is."
"Understood."
Then she stood.
"For the rest of you…spread my words."
"This drug. This death. The murder of a mortal and the attack on an immortal…"
"These are acts of war."
"From this day forward, those who create or use Red Death are traitors to Eden."
"YES, YOUR MAJESTY!"
Every head bowed—even the judge.
'He must think I've fallen for his lie. That I've forgotten about the truth behind Amelia's murder.'
'But I haven't. I'll investigate it myself.'
Selena stepped down with a calm smile.
From his place, the Royal Strategist watched her go.
'So that's what she meant by traitors...at the start'
He exhaled softly.
'Then maybe she already knows more than she let on...'
he then shook his head.
'No. Better not to know. Better to stay ignorant...'
And the sudden court meeting ended.
With nothing left but a heavy silence—And a room full of nobles beginning to understand what kind of Queen they truly had.
But amidst the lies and accusations that was raised in the court.
One truth was made clear to them.
That - Death had finally caught up to them.
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