Meissa was... stunned. Her body trembled when Rigel yelled at the guards to bring the maid. She turned her head back to the girls who were standing in front of the carriage and then to the Draka flag that was fluttering on its roof.
She couldn't understand the whole scenario. "Who are you?" she hissed at the servants as she heard heavy footfalls of the guards behind her.
The one standing in the middle stuttered, "We--we are from Draka. We have brought a message for Prince Rigel from Princess Lerna." She showed her the scroll that she was carrying and it was sealed.
Meissa grew extremely jealous. She wanted to snatch the scroll from them to read the message, but with Rigel behind her back, she couldn't even lay a finger on it. She growled at them and then picked her gown up slightly to run up the stairs. She rushed to where Rigel was standing.
The guards had brought the maid who had handed her the tea. She was trembling with fear.
"Your Highness," she said as she shook violently, sitting on her knees. Her gaze darted to Meissa whose blood had drained from her face. When Meissa didn't speak, she looked back at Rigel. "I didn't do anything."
Rigel glared down at her with lethally cold eyes. His arms crossed against his chest he looked like he would any minute slash her neck with his claws. His aura was so strong that she winced and was forced into submission. "Did you get the tea placed over there?"
She nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."
"Guards!" Rigel commanded. "Hold her hands at the back."
The guards held her hands as the maid struggled. "Please, Your Highness!" she cried, shaking her head.
But Rigel was in a mood of mercy. "Get the tea!" he ordered.
Meissa watched her brother with horror written all over her face, but she dared not utter a word.
The maid cried uncontrollably. "No, Prince Rigel! Don't do this to me. I did what I was told. I only got the tea! I didn't poison the tea. It was poisoned by the princess!" she said in a desperate voice, in her last attempt to save herself.
"She is speaking lies!" Meissa snapped. "Why would I do that? She only poisoned the tea because she hates Lerna!"
"Then she deserves to die," Rigel said in a loud and clear voice for everyone to hear, for everyone to see what he would do if they dared to touch his mate or had the audacity to kill her. Stepping closer to her, he grabbed the maid's face and pinched her jaws hard to force her to open her mouth. The maid struggled against him but her struggles were useless against a mighty and powerful Alpha like him. He took the cup from the servant who was standing beside him, holding the tray.
He took the cup to her lips and then poured it down her mouth as she struggled to spatter it and throw it out. But Rigel closed her mouth and forced her to gulp it down her throat. Once all the contents were down her throat, he threw the cup on the floor next to Meissa with so much force that it shattered into tiny pieces.
Meissa watched him still holding the maid's face and glaring in her eyes. In a loud commanding voice, he said, "Let this be a lesson to all! If you dare to think of touching my mate with the intent of killing her, whether in the Kingdom of Orion or anywhere else, you will meet this fate!" This was a direct jab at Meissa. He shoved the maid on the ground.
She started coughing and wheezing and within minutes, she spat blood. She caught her neck with her hands, taking in long breaths but it was in vain. The poison spread in her body fast. She convulsed and writhed and looked with her teary eyes towards Meissa. She pointed at the princess but Meissa stood there, rooted to the ground. Her heart was thumping against her ribcage. The maid choked for one last time and then her hand fell limp on the ground, her eyes staring in the blank space.
Rigel narrowed his eyes. He whipped his head towards Meissa and glared at her for a long moment and then left. Every guard and servant out there, bowed their heads in complete submission as Meissa saw him leaving. With shaky legs she walked to the nearest chair and sank in it, her head in between her hands.