Laura had arranged the eting for late evening in an isolated palace garden. Austin walked ahead, looking at the surroundings carefully. His one hand was resting near the hilt of his dagger, ready for any kind of danger.
Laura walked beside Alina behind him, helping her to walk properly. Her ankle and shoulder were still throbbing but she didn’t care. Physical pain was insignificant compared to what was going on in her life right now.
They finally reached an old pavilion hidden behind thick vines and tall hedges. Lord Garrick was already there waiting for them. He was old, as expected, and looked tired. He was holding a cane in his one hand while his servant held his other hand to support him. He couldn’t even stand properly on his own.
"Gods..." he whispered when he saw Alina. "You look so much like her.
Due to his health condition, he used to stay in his chambers all the ti. He had no interest in the court gossip anymore. But when he heard whispers about Alina from his servants he couldn’t control himself and imdiately sent a word to Laura that he wanted to see her.
Alina’s eyes welled with tears imdiately.
"Did you really know my mother well?"
Lord Garrick nodded and slowly sat on the bench beside him with the help of his servant.
"I tried to protect her when she was trapped in this court," he said. "She was too kind for a place full of vipers."
He smiled at the mory.
"When she fled and married your father, she finally found peace."
"Then what went wrong?"
Smile disappeared from his face imdiately. His expression darkened. He thought for a few seconds, then reached into his coat with trembling hands and pulled out a sealed envelope and a tiny glass vial.
"This is the proof I’ve carried for years," he said, staring at the letter and vial. "A servant from Valdren’s household gave this to before he died under suspicious circumstances. He confessed that Valdren ordered a slow poison to be mixed into your mother’s dicine over several weeks,"
Alina stared at him in horror.
"This vial still contains the traces of that poison," he said, placing both things into her hands.
Alina’s fingers shook terribly, as she opened the letter. Each word felt like a knife carving through his chest.
"They killed her," her voice broke as tears began to spill from her eyes. "They murdered my mother."
Her knees gave out but Austin caught her imdiately. He wrapped his arms around her to keep her steady. But Alina was done with crying now.
"I’m going to expose him," her voice burningwith determination and fury. "Valdren won’t get to hide behind his calm smiles and power anymore. He murdered my mother, and I’m going to make sure everyone knows exactly what kind of monster he is."
Austin look at her and noticed her grief had been transford into rage now. But could he bla her? No. She had every right to feel that way.
"If you want to burn him down, I’ll help you light the fire," Austin said with fury in his eyes.
Lord Garrick then turned his gaze to Austin. He stared at him for a few seconds, then spoke again.
"Years ago, when the court turned against Isadora, there were still a few people willing to stand beside her," he said. "Your mother was kind and very loving. Everyone loved her then. And that is why n with dangerous ambitions couldn’t tolerate her."
He sighed.
"Valdren understood that better than anyone," Lord Garrick continued. "That is why he isolated Isadora first. It’s easier to destroy soone when they have no one left to protect them."
Alina’s heart ached for her mother.
"And they’re repeating the sa pattern again," she whispered. "They have separated Austin and during the trials to make weak and lonely."
Lord Garrick nodded.
"And now that you know the truth, it will only get worse."
Before Alina could say anything else, Laura spoke up.
"We should leave," she insisted. "If soone finds about this eting..."
A sudden sound of footsteps interrupted her. Everyone froze instantly. Austin stepped in front of Alina imdiately, his hand reaching for the dagger at his waist.
The footsteps grew closer.
"I thought I saw soone co this way."
"Check near the old garden paths."
Laura’s face turned pale.
"Guards."
"This way," Lord Garrick’s servant whispered, pulling aside a wall of thick vines hidden behind the pavilion.
Behind it was a narrow passage, completely swallowed by the darkness.
"Will you be okay?" Austin looked at Alina.
She nodded. Without wasting another second, Austin wrapped his one arm around her waist to support her while Lord Garrick’s servant helped him walk through the hidden path. All of them walked quickly as the sounds of guards searching the gardens grew louder behind them.
But eventually, they made it safely back to their chambers.
Alina imdiately hid the letter and vial inside a secret compartnt of her mother’s old wooden box. Her hands trembled as she closed the lid.
"I can’t stop now," she said, turning towards Austin. "I need to expose the truth and make sure Valdren pays for what he did."
"I’m with you," Austin said, holding her hands tightly. "But we need to wait for the right ti. Valdren is very powerful. You need to be careful, Alina. And rember, no matter what, your safety cos first."
anwhile, in his lavish chambers, Lord Valdren listened to one of his spies kneeling in front of him.
"She t Lord Garrick in the evening in secret," the spy reported nervously. "The old man gave her a few papers... and a small vial. I think it was the proof."
Valdren slowly set down his wine glass, looking calm as usual. But then his expression turned ice cold and a dangerous, calculating smile slowly appeared on his lips.
"So the daughter finally knows the truth," he murmured. "How touching."
He tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair and then spoke.
"She might have the proof but we need to make sure she never gets the chance to use it."
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