How To End This Marriage-Chapter 156: Burning Skin, Stolen Throne

"How is the Princess?" Crown Prince Maximus demanded.

"I’m afraid I don’t know, Your Highness," the maid stammered. "Her condition is worsening, and no one can diagnose the source of the burning on her skin."

"Then fetch the damned doctor! The Princess needs treatment immediately!" the Prince roared.

"He’s currently with the Emperor, Your Highness," the maid explained apologetically. "But we’ve sent a knight to fetch another doctor. As soon as one arrives, the Princess will be treated accordingly."

Just then, the Empress marched into the room, her face contorted with rage. "What is the meaning of this uproar?" she bellowed.

"Can’t you see, Mother? What’s happening?" the Prince countered sarcastically.

"A criminal receives a doctor’s attention, while the Princess, recently returned after an ordeal, languishes neglected? Do you even comprehend the gravity of this situation?" he pressed, his voice dripping with accusation.

"How is this my fault?" the Empress spat. "If the Princess knows she’s under attack, why does she remain here? She should return to where she came from. No one’s stopping her, nor will the world cease should she leave. This wouldn’t even be happening."

The Prince grabbed the Empress’s hand and dragged her out of the room. "Mother, she’s the Princess, the Emperor’s firstborn, and you treat her like she has no right to be here? How can you say such things when she’s the most likely heir to the throne?"

"Firstborn? Who can say?" the Empress smirked. "No one witnessed her birth, no one can account for when it happened or how she left the palace. How can you claim she’s the firstborn, the Princess of this empire?"

"Mother, I suspect your involvement in this," the Prince said, his voice low and dangerous. "I lack proof, but don’t think you’ll get away with it. Just like Father’s crimes are being punished by an unknown hand, so too will yours. You’ll be forced to confess everything that happened that day."

"Maximus! I am your mother! How can you speak to me like that?" she shrieked.

"You are my mother, and that’s why I urge you to stop. Father met his end at the hands of someone unknown, and if you persist, the same fate awaits you."

Just then, the doctor entered the Princess’s chamber. "Doctor, see to her at once! Something is wrong," the Prince insisted urgently.

The Empress narrowed her eyes, muttering through clenched teeth, "We’ll see how long you remain loyal to her, Maximus. I’ll reveal something soon that will rewrite the entire story this... ’brat’ has been spinning since she escaped my grasp."

"Doctor, what is it? What’s happening to her?" Crown Prince Maximus demanded.

"What was placed in her body recently?" the doctor countered.

"The Princess took a milk bath," the maid answered tentatively.

"Has she ever taken one before?" the doctor pressed.

"We’re not sure," the maid admitted.

"Was the bathtub, the milk, or anything else that might touch her skin inspected beforehand?" the doctor interrogated, his voice hardening.

The maids remained silent, heads bowed.

"I’m asking a question," the doctor reiterated, frustration creeping into his tone.

"No one inspected anything," the maid finally confessed in a whisper.

"What? No one inspected anything?!"

"Do I need to remind everyone that the person lying here on this bed is none other than the Princess of the Empire?" the Prince roared. "How could you all neglect the Princess like she’s nothing? Who gave you the authority to decide these things at your own whim?"

Shamefaced, everyone knelt before him. "We beg for your forgiveness, Your Highness."

"I don’t require your forgiveness," the Prince spat, "but I demand the truth. Why is the Princess being neglected when her security should be paramount? Do you think you, mere maids, hold greater authority than the Princess? Do you even understand the consequences of your actions?"

"Guards! Take them to the punishment room!" the Crown Prince thundered.

"Forgive us, Your Highness! Please have mercy! We ensure there will be no more mistakes," the maids pleaded, but their cries fell on deaf ears.

Turning to the doctor, the Prince asked, "So, what’s the next step?"

"I believe the entire bathtub needs to be examined to identify the ingredients responsible. Then, I can properly diagnose the Princess."

"I’ve already prescribed some medicine that should aid her recovery. Rest assured, she’ll be back on her feet soon," the doctor assured before taking his leave. The Prince and Princess were left alone.

"Vixara, how are you feeling?" the Prince asked with concern.

"Thanks to the commotion, I’m still breathing, Your Highness," Princess Vixara replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Vixara, please," the Prince said gently. "Why are you still holding onto such formality? I’m your brother. Call me that."

"I heard your conversation, Your Highness. Doesn’t the Empress think I’m an imposter in this palace? How can I be a princess, let alone your sister, if she harbors such doubts?" Vixara questioned, her voice laced with sadness.

"Those are her feelings, Vixara," the Prince reassured her. "They hold no bearing on how I see you. You’re my sister, and nothing will change that. And speaking of change, you’ll no longer be under the constant watch of guards."

"Why? Is it because I’m injured?" Vixara asked, her brow furrowed.

"No," the Prince replied. "It’s because even while you were recovering, you were confined within the room, unaware of the Emperor’s whereabouts. That puts suspicion on everyone, even you."

Vixara’s lips curved into a small smile. "It could be the other way, Your Highness. A carefully laid trap to throw everyone off guard and dispel suspicion."

The Prince shook his head. "Two people cannot be in the same place at the same time. I know you had no part in the attacks on the Emperor. You have nothing to worry about."

He turned to leave, but Vixara’s playful voice stopped him in his tracks. "Why not, Your Highness? Two people can be in different places at the same time. It’s all about knowing how to play the game."

Meanwhile, court had been convened amidst the Duchess’s outburst.

"Everyone here already knows why the court has summoned all members, regardless of status, correct?" the Duchess asked, her voice ringing through the chamber.

Heads nodded in silent agreement.

"Juries," the Duchess addressed them directly, "tell me, what should be the appropriate punishment for someone who enters a woman’s chamber at night without even considering what she might be doing?"

"This is an unforgivable crime!" one jury member declared.

"Such an act is unacceptable in our society and should never be tolerated, against woman or man," another added.

"Then what of me?" the Duchess challenged, her voice rising. "Am I not a person? Am I not a woman? Why, then, did a group of knights burst into my room in the dead of night without announcing their presence? This, when the Crown Prince claims he never issued such a monitoring order."

"Duchess," a jury member interjected, "what punishment do you propose for these accused?"

"Before I decide on punishment," the Duchess stated, "I demand to know if the Crown Prince truly gave the order. If not, whose orders were they following?"

"Indeed!" a jury member boomed. "Knights! Answer the Duchess’s question! Who authorized you to enter a Duchess’s chambers amidst the night?"

A knight stammered, "Your Highness instructed us to monitor the Duchess. And when we heard the Emperor’s scream, we rushed to confirm her existance."

"I never issued such an order," the Crown Prince countered, his voice firm. "Nor have I appointed anyone to monitor the Duchess. My surveillance was aimed solely at the Princess, who was also under suspicion."

"Then why did the knights claim your name?" a jury member demanded.

"I have no idea," the Crown Prince admitted, his brow furrowed.

"No idea?" the jury member scoffed. "Crown Prince, such ignorance won’t suffice. The judicial system demands an answer! Why is a woman’s very safety placed in the hands of such unreliable men?"

"I hold the Duchess in the highest regard," the Crown Prince insisted. "The knights must answer for their statements."

"Take them to the prison!" a jury member roared. "Let them be tortured until the truth bleeds out!"

"My lord, please reconsider!" the knights cried out, their pleas lost in the chamber’s sudden uproar. Other knights dragged them away, their faces etched with fear and desperation.

"While I appreciate the decision," the Duchess said, her gaze fixed on the Crown Prince, "I will find no peace until the truth comes to light. I hope to find justice, even in an empire without an Emperor."

With that, the court adjourned.

"Crown Prince, I hope this has given you a taste of your own medicine," the Duchess hissed, her eyes flashing with anger. "Don’t think for a moment that I’m your plaything."

"As I’ve said repeatedly, I never issued such an order, regardless of the circumstances. You must reconsider your accusation. Just because you were summoned doesn’t mean I ordered the knights to monitor you." The Crown Prince’s voice held a mix of frustration and annoyance.