The Rose Of The South
Chapter 28: Poison Carrot

Xavier is not dead.

Anna knows that.

Even so, seeing the arrows plunge right into his chest, blood flowed from there, their channel abruptly severed and the silent Xavier made him panic.

The arrow only slowed down his heartbeat and did not strike deep enough to hit his heart so as not to make him die immediately. The men had no intention of killing, only to make Xavier, as well as the bodyguards in Nordhalbinsel-style uniforms faint. Anna found out after picking up one of the arrows and observing the tip. The end of the arrow is black. He has been told the pattern that is often used by them in attacking their targets, namely by using non-lethal poison arrows. The venom is produced in the Smirnoff region and can render the target unconscious for several hours. They let Anna survive because they knew Anna was a Schiereiland.

Red Queen's.

That's them. Anna had noticed it since seeing the arrow. The red arrow with the black end, which according to information he got from Nicholas, is the hallmark of the Red Queen group. Anna did not fight them anymore as they approached because she knew who they were. Because Xavier asked him not to fight them. Because they know they are looking for it. So Anna tried to get him to join the group when they brought Xavier and the guards who had fainted.

"If you take him, you'll have to take me, too." He said as they began tying Xavier's unconscious hands and feet. His voice was still trembling in shock, but it made him seem convincing.

"You're not a northerner. We're just taking the people north. Go and get protection."

The voice of the woman, Anna thought. He tried to hide his surprise when he found out that there was a woman among the archers. "I have to be with him." Anna racked her brain, thinking of another more convincing reason. "We're married." It's not a lie, because they were married a thousand years ago. Anna then took out a ruby jewel ring and showed it to the members of the Red Queen. "Ruby gemstone pledge. You guys must know what that means."

They gasped, then saw Anna and Xavier alternating. But they said nothing and only silent a thousand languages behind their masks. They wore red hoods as well as silver masks so Anna could not read their expressions.

But they finally agreed to take Anna for that reason. They were all Schiereiland's people, so they knew what the ruby ring meant even though there was never any word on the ring Anna was holding.

Anna is a captive of the Red Queen without being hurt. Sword retrieved. His hands and feet were tied. His eyes were covered with black cloth and they carried him in a chariot. Not in a rude way. Actually, they were quite gentle and polite to her.

Anna had no idea where they were a few minutes later. His eyes were still covered in black cloth so he could not see at all. But the ruby gem ring was back pulsing very slowly and faintly. Regular rhythm. It's starting to feel warm. Xavier is back. Anna smiled with relief.

As her legs and hands were tied and her eyes closed, Anna tried to figure out where she was by using her sense of hearing and smell. He could hear the sound of footsteps. Rattling of wooden floors when stepped on. The sound of waves was not too far away. The salty aroma of the ocean as well as the cold coastal wind.

He was at one of the shops on the beach. Still in Eze City.

Then Anna heard a whisper. Her voice was very slow, but Anna was sure it was a female voice. All he heard was a female voice. They're all girls.

"God! Release the blindfold and bond of Her Highness the Princess right now!" Someone's orders. His voice is not foreign. That commanding tone of speech even sounded very familiar.

'Princess' said? He recognized me.

Goody... Xavier commented after a long period of silence that made Anna fret. So... are we married?

A thousand years ago. So you've been listening since?

Vaguely. I'm not sure, but there seems to be some things I didn't hear when I was completely unconscious. I heard something but I don't know what it means. What is Ruby Pledge?

Long explanation. I'll tell you later.

Alright. I'll charge for that explanation later. There was a brief pause of silence before Xavier asked again, Are you okay? Other than a blister on the wrist, I mean. I can feel it. They didn't hurt you, did they?

I should have asked you! You all right?

No need to worry. Stay calm and alert. Remember all our plans.

Quickly, the members of the Red Queen untied Anna's legs, then in her hands, then removed the cloth that covered her eyes. The light of the crystal lamp on the ceiling felt blinding, so he again closed his eyes. Slowly, he opened his eyes again. Trying to adjust his gaze in the room that turned out to be very bright.

Anna blinked, then noticed her surroundings quickly. He was in a restaurant. The restaurant is empty. The tables and benches look very antique and classy. The floor is made of wood, but the walls are white like pearls. It is made of pearls. The crystal lights hanging on the ceiling were blue like the ocean. Like a blue diamond. Anna turned to her right side where the sound of the waves was coming from. High glass windows lined the walls, so that even from where she sat on the floor, Anna could still see the scenery out there. The ocean is blue and orange at dusk. The nearly setting sun emitted a reddish glow throughout the room. Anna finally realized what the place was. Diamond Blue. The most luxurious restaurant in Schiereiland is owned by the Smirnoff family by generations.

Anna refocused her gaze on the figure before her who was watching her. The figure was wearing a red robe and carrying a bow and arrow on his back like the others, but the mask he was wearing was golden in color. Anna was sure the person before her right now was the one who called her the Princess earlier. The Red Queen's.

The man unfolded the hood of his robe, revealing long hair that curled as dark as night. Then he took off his gold mask. A very beautiful woman. A familiar face, although there was something different from that face now. There was a scar along his right cheek from the tip of his lip to the tip of his eye. His eye... Eyes that resemble those of Queen Isabella, like the ocean. Blue and green are fused into one.

"Constantinza!"

Anna swore to see tears welling up in Constanza's eyes. It's the first time he's seen Constanza like that.

"Daughter Anastasia?" Constanza knelt before Anna who was still sitting on the wooden floor. Her eyes seemed to explore every detail of Anna's face to make sure she didn't see wrong. And with great surprise, Constanza hugged him tightly. "It's really you! Mercifully... Mercifully... I'm not alone... You survived. Thank goodness..."

"Yes, I'm alive. Calm down." Anna patted Constanza on the back, calming him down. Anna was afraid to ask what had happened to her to the point that Constanza was like this. Lady Constanza Smirnoff, that Constanza, the Queen of the upper class, her rival, hugged her while sitting on the floor and crying.

Constanza let go of his embrace. Her tears had already been brushed away quickly as she looked back at Anna. "Why—No, what are you doing with that guy?" He raised his head towards the back of Anna.

"That guy?" Anna looked behind her. Xavier still fainted there. Or maybe just pretending. But something's wrong. He's still bleeding. The wound does not close. Are you sure you're okay, Xavier? There's no answer. Anna recalled earlier as she asked, Xavier didn't really say that he was okay. Anna looked back at Constanza in front of her. "Don't tell me you don't know him." Ask Anna.

Xavier's? Anwser me. You why?

Still no answer. The panic begins to re-energize, but Anna must remain calm in front of Constanza.

Constanza frowned. "I don't know. For what reason do you think I know him? But whoever he is, I'm sure he's one of the lackeys of the Tower Witch. Just look at that snow-white skin and his clothes. Nordhalbinsel. Destroying pests of our country. Cruel devil. The savage monster."

Pest destroyer. Cruel devil. Monsters savage. Anna repeated those words, blowing out those words on their secret communication channel loudly for Xavier to hear. He shouted those words. You hear me?

I hear.

Anna breathed a sigh of relief. Making Constanza who was still watching him seem confused.

Is your cousin always that rude?

I was surprised he sounded softer today.

Anna is finally reminded that this is Constanza. The words of the oath, the curse, all that is typical of his cousin. Constanza's gaze as she glanced towards Xavier even looked like she was cursing.

"Didn't his face remind you of someone?" Anna asked Constanza. "Your engagement, maybe?"

"Ludwig is not—“ The words stopped. He turned his eyes towards Anna. Brow wrinkled. His gaze was implying as if he was disgusted upon hearing the word 'engagement' to mention Ludwig. "I've already canceled the engagement. I would not marry the son of a witch. What is more the north has destroyed our kingdom! I'd rather die than have to continue the engagement!" He seems obviously very angry.

Anna wanted to be careful of him. Constanza must have been going through a really bad thing all along. Nicholas told Anna nothing about the Smirnoff family because no one knew about it all along. Nicholas was busy guarding his own territory and citizens to the point that he did not have time to pay attention to other areas. So Anna just kept quiet and waited for the right moment to tell Constanza about Xavier. About their plans.

"Wait.. Do you know I'm engaged to Prince Ludwig?"

Anna nodded, but did not explain from whom she knew. The news of the Smirnoff family's eldest daughter's engagement had already spread throughout Schiereiland, but no one ever knew who the fiancee of Lady Constanza Smirnoff was. People only knew that her fiance was a prince from another country and gave her the most expensive engagement ring ever recorded in any history.

Constanza then refocused his attention on Xavier, who was lying on the floor, still bleeding in a bound state and eyes closed.

Anna noticed a small frown between Xavier's eyebrows as if she was holding back pain. Is it very painful? Is the wound still not closing? Don't your wounds usually close and heal? Why are you quiet? Answer me!

"They are quite similar..." Constanza finally realized. "Oh, no! They are similar. Is it possible she..."

Anna looked back at Xavier. His skin that was already as white as snow now looked pale.

Xavier's? You why?

There's no answer.

The ruby gem ring is back pulsing slowly. Very slow. The more quiet and faint, the more it almost disappeared.

"alright. Now I really want to know what's going on. Why are you with Crown Prince Nordhalbinsel? And shouldn't he be dead?"

One of the Red Queen members nearby whispered something to Constanza and in a moment her pupils widened. He looked at Anna and Xavier alternately. Then his eyes were fixed on the ruby jewel ring hanging on Anna's neck.

"You married? With ruby gem pledges? You're crazy!"

"No. I lie. I promise I'll explain everything to you. But first, can we treat the wound first? Please."

"Why should we save the one who will become King of our enemy country? Just let him die! Don't you remember who killed your father? His father! King Nordhalbinsel killed your father!"

Those words hit him. Reminds him of what happened to his father and his land. His family and his kingdom were his people. A flash of that night's events re-emerged in his memory, almost making him short of breath.

Then he thought back to the dream. To Xavier on his knees. His decision. He said to the Goddess, "Take my life!"

He looked back at Xavier who was still silent and closed. Pale and wounded. I need to focus. He's lost a lot of blood. He might die if not treated immediately. Think Anna.

"He's not like that. He's not as bad a man as you think." Anna tried to convince Constanza.

"You speak as if you really knew him, Your Majesty. He may bewitch you so you act like this to your own enemies."

"Different from Ludwig, she's not a witch."

Constanza. Reject that reason. "Thank God I shot him with my arrow. Unlike the arrows of other Red Queen members, my arrows were covered with deadly poison that could slow down the performance of his heart until it completely stopped even though it did not directly hit his heart. The poison will kill him slowly. If I had known earlier that he was the Crown Prince of Nordhalbinsel, I would not have hesitated to plunge the arrow through his heart. He deserves to die."

Deadly poison.

Those words echoed in his mind. Echoing in their channels. All the plans they had put together vanished. Anna could think of nothing but those words. Deadly poison. Deadly poison.

Xavier's! Say something!

Still no answer. She's panicking. The throbbing of the ruby gem ring near his chest was hardly felt at all. His eyes felt sore. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Xavier will die. He's gonna die and it's my fault. A tear ran down her cheek. He observed Xavier, who now looked almost like a corpse with no signs of life. No. gabe. I can still save him. I need to calm down. Plan C. He wouldn't have died if I had run it straight away.

Anna tried to think clearly. He set his breath, then went back to recalling their plans. He remembered Xavier's words.

"If something bad happens, I'm dying or something, and the Red Queen Leader looks hard to convince. Don't try to find a way to help me because I'll be fine. You need to focus on convincing them and executing Plan C. Time to Queen Isabella. If they believe in you, they will do anything for you. Or at least they'd do anything for Queen Isabella if she had arrived."

"Constance... Trust me. We have to help him." Anna looked around. Figuring out if there was a healer, an antidote to poison or medicine that he was familiar with. But everyone there was wearing a red robe. They were all members of the Red Queen. They wouldn't help Xavier if their leader didn't want him. "Constanza, she's not—“

"My mother and father were killed! Do you even know about that?" Constanza's tears are spilling. His voice echoed in that empty restaurant. And Anna felt her pain when she heard it. "My brothers were taken away somewhere. They ruined my life. And you're asking me to help this killer?"

Now answered were the questions Anna dared not ask. While he had trouble accepting the reality after the attack that night, when he thought only himself had been destroyed, Constanza experienced something similar. The difference is, Anna still has Leon, and Xavier secures Mom and her sister in the Palace so they stay alive. Constanza had no one by her side at the time, no one to help her and her family. Constanza rose up on his own, gathered his own strength and army, then fought them. Trying to do what Anna couldn't for her people.

Anna could imagine it. Constanza's pain when her parents were murdered and her sisters were snatched from her. He must have fought. Anna had known Constanza as a tough girl. But right now, in front of her, when Constanza finally told her what had happened to her, the girl seemed devastated.

"I... I don't know." Anna hugged him. His cousin's sister, his rival whom he thought would never get along with him, received that warm hug from him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Constanza."

"You should be as angry as I am. You also deserve revenge." Constanza said in his arms. His voice sounded hoarse from crying.

Anna took off her embrace, watching her cousin. That perfect pretty face that she used to be so proud of, now there was a huge scar there. Her long hair that was always neatly styled every day by dozens of waiters, was now wildly severed. She wasn't even wearing a dress, just a white blouse, leather pants and boots under her red robe. Anna glanced at Constanza's ring finger where the girl had pinned her engagement ring with the Sapphire gem she had always flaunted everywhere. His ring finger looked odd without the ring. The girl before him looked different from Constanza whom Anna had known all along. But the fire within the greenish-blue ocean his eyes never extinguished.

"I'm really angry." Anna started. "I have a grudge against them all. I once felt like I wanted to kill them all and destroy their kingdom like what they've done to our kingdom." Anna recalled the first week after the attack. He probably wouldn't have been able to survive if there wasn't Leon. "I felt devastated and helpless at that moment."

"Then why don't you take revenge? Why are you even helping her?" Constanza glanced at Xavier.

Anna did the same. But he came back in a panic when he saw Xavier's clothes that were full of blood and his skin was getting pale.

You have to hold on, Xavier. I'll convince them. I'm gonna help you. I pledge. You're gonna be fine. Hang in.

Silent.

Anna can feel it. Xavier's dying. The poison really works. Previously his consciousness continued to arise and disappear, but now it seems completely lost.

Anna turned back to Constanza. There was confidence in his eyes. "He's different. He's important to me. For Schiereiland. He's not a bad guy, you have to trust me. He saved my life many times. He also kept Queen Isabella and Alexis all this time in his palace."

Constanza's pupils dilated. "The Queen and the Crown Prince are still alive?"

Anna nodded. His eyes were anxiously watching the sun that was almost completely setting behind the horizon from that huge window.

There goes. Soon reinforcements will come. Any minute.

"really. And we have a plan to get Schiereiland back. He'll help us." Then he circulated a glance at all the Red Queen members in that place. "And I'm gonna need the Red Queen's help."

Constanza fell silent, thinking. He looked at Anna and Xavier alternately.

It felt like hundreds of years had passed when only a few minutes when Constanza was negotiating with the members of the Red Queen who were there. He and Xavier have had enough time. Now is the time. They should be ready by now.

Anna kept trying to calm down despite repeatedly calling Xavier, but there was no answer. Wake up! Open your eyes. Please say something...

Suddenly the door opened. A member of the Red Queen walked in and whispered to Constanza. Constanza's pupils dilated again.

"Please come in." Said. "Wear your masks all just in case." His orders to his members.

The closed door was opened wide. A group of people, around twenty or so people entered the empty restaurant. They were all wearing uniforms that Anna was very familiar with. Private Schiereiland. Mother succeeded!

A woman in an extravagantly luxurious gown of white and gold and a glittering crown on her head led the force. He smiled at Constanza. Simultaneously, everyone in the room knelt respectfully at him.

"Our salute to Her Majesty Queen Schiereiland. The Queen's Longevity."

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