Oh she drives me insane, Azalea my morally dubious daughter. I've been getting more into her motivations for things and she's so interesting. So of course I had to give her a finished piece.
The flowers around her are Azalea, Oleander, Hyacinth, and Heather. You can tell that two are rotting, one from the outside and one from the inside, one is withering, and the last is just absent...
Azalea held onto the belief that she was not heartless for plotting the assaination of her youngest cousin. She thought killing someone so close actually took a lot of heart, to be loyal one must have the ability to backstab.
And it wasn’t just the loyalty she had for her brother that drove her to these extremes, it was love for the girl Hyacinth had gotten killed. This wasn’t just a power grab, it was righteous vengeance.
Azalea had never been given a convincing reason as to what had happened that night ten years ago, her Aunt and Uncle had said that Princess Heather had died of a strange and sudden illness and had a closed casket funeral. But Azalea knew better, she had seen Hyacinth sitting across from his sister’s coffin and whispering something. His lips forming the words I’m sorry, over and over again.
That wasn’t a lot to go on sure, but he had never stopped looking guilty since that day. Not sad, guilty. The castle staff also talked, she’d heard hushed conversations in the kitchens and gardens, rumors of the twins sneaking off into the woods. One nurse said she’d tended to Hyacinth’s bloody hands that night, that it wasn’t his own blood.
Azalea wasn't one to let such injustices slide, justice must be served. And when Ander passed over a small metal vial attached to a silver chain, she knew what she had to do.
The woman had always dabbled in chemistry, she personally studied alchemy and plants. Only Ander knew of her proclivity for concocting poisons in her own free time, at first it had just been a simple hobby for a busy royal lady. But now it was her brother's way to the throne, and her to being his advisor.
As much as she hated Hyacinth for what he had done though, she couldn't help but feel conflicted when she slipped the first drop of poison into his afternoon tea. He had killed his own sister though, and he would drive the kingdom to ruin if he ever took the throne. It had to be done. She only wished that the poison worked quicker, but it would be too suspicious if he simply keeled over dead one day, so a slow decline it was.
Azalea would need to get her black shoes repaired soon, there would be a funeral in a matter of months.
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Hyacinth was wandering in the castle gardens again, it was the third time that day that she had seen him walking aimlessly through the flowers and fruit trees. It was almost sad how lost he looked out there, looking at the same plants and fishponds that he had always known. The woman set down her porcelain tea cup and turned her gaze from the window to the chess board in front of her.
"He's out by the anemones again," she said as she moved her last rook to protect her queen.
Across from her Ander didn't bother to move his eyes from the game board, that was probably why he was the better chess player. He refused to refocus his attention from the matter at hand. He moved his queen in a risky but damning move, he would have her in checkmate within his next move. Despite knowing her doom was at hand Azalea still tried to make a smart move.
"Checkmate," his even voice announced, there was a small frown on his lips as he responded to her earlier comment. "Leave him to his roaming, he may as well enjoy the fresh air while he can, he's been feeling quite ill recently you remember."
"Indeed," she began resetting her pieces. "Perhaps we should visit him later tonight, we can take him his evening meal and join him to eat." According to the scullery the young prince hadn't been eating much lately. Her and Ander's presence would likely convince him to actually ingest his meal. Despite their true intentions, Hyacinth trusted them. She couldn't help but realize it was because they were the only people in the castle to even talk to him, it was sad really. But he deserved it, he had to.
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"Does this taste strange to you?"
Azalea looked up from her bowl of lamb and carrot stew and made a point to keep her face even and unremarkable. "Do you not like it? You can always ask the kitchens to make you something else." They both knew he wouldn't ask the kitchens, spineless prince that he was.
"No it's delicious," he hurriedly said. "It's just that I feel something is off with the taste. Floral notes perhaps?"
Ah yes, 'floral notes' the poison she had been dosing him with for over a month now. It had been working too, he had left his room less and less over the last few weeks, she'd seen the mostly full plates he'd been leaving outside for the staff to pick up. He was suspicious, and through castle rumors she knew he had brought the issue up to his parents only to be put down immediately. No one would believe him, they all distrusted him too much.
"Let me be the judge of that," she reached out her spoon towards his bowl, asking for a bite. She knew such a small amount wouldn't hurt her. There was a reason she was dosing him slowly.
Hyacinth hesitated, and that familiar pang of guilt ran through her heart. But no, she couldn't feel sorry for him, he had killed her cousin. He would pay for that. Besides he pushed his bowl towards her slightly and let her swallow a spoonful of what they both they was poison. Her resolve steeled.
"It tastes perfectly normal to me, maybe you are imagining things again. You know how you get carried away with those day dreams of yours."
The prince looked into his bowl once more and then picked up his spoon. "Of course. You're right, I'm just letting my thoughts get away from me."
"I always am right Hyacinth, we both know that." She spoke with an easy smile and light tone. His huffing laugh in return was nothing but genuine.
