Kade's POV
The entire hall erupted into chaos. Voices rose from every corner, people stood up from their seats, and I could hear gasps and shouts mixing together into one loud mess. My heart was still racing from Ivy's sudden action, and I stared at her in complete shock.
"How do you know that?" I asked, my voice barely audible over the noise around us.
Ivy pointed at the bowls in front of us, her hand trembling slightly. "Look at your meal, Kade. Look at the color of the sauce compared to mine and everyone else's."
I looked down at my bowl, then at hers, then at the guest sitting next to me. She was right. The sauce on my food had a slightly darker tint, and there were green herbs sprinkled on top that weren't on any other dish.
"You're right," I said, feeling a chill run down my spine. "It does look different."
But before I could say anything else, someone from the crowd shouted, "That's not enough evidence to prove the meal was poisoned! Food can look different for many reasons!"
Several other voices joined in agreement. I could see doubt spreading across the faces of our guests. Ivy opened her mouth to respond, but another voice cut through the air before she could speak.
"Wait a minute!" called out a nobleman from the back. "Princess Ivy, haven't you been in charge of overseeing the Prince's meals recently? If his food is poisoned, and you're the first one to point it out, doesn't that make you the most likely culprit?"
The accusation hit the room like a thunderbolt. Everyone turned to stare at Ivy, and I could see the color drain from her face.
"No!" she gasped, her eyes wide with horror. "That's not true! I would never hurt Kade!"
"Then how did you know?" the same nobleman pressed. "How could you tell just by looking at it?"
"I... I..." Ivy stammered, clearly struggling to find the right words without revealing too much.
More voices began joining the accusation. "She's been acting strange lately!" "She had access to the kitchens!" "Why else would she know?"
"Enough!" Father's voice boomed across the hall, and everyone immediately fell silent. He stood up slowly, his frail body moving with effort, and I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. "Everyone will remain calm and silent while we handle this matter."
He gestured toward me and Ivy. "Both of you, come with me. Now."
I helped steady Father as we walked toward his private chambers. Behind us, I could hear the murmur of voices starting up again as the guests tried to make sense of what had just happened. Ivy walked beside me, her face pale and her hands clenched into fists.
As we made our way through the corridors, I glanced back at the great hall one more time. That's when I saw him. Darius, sitting calmly at his table with what looked like a smirk on his face. There was something in his expression that looked almost... proud? Satisfied?
My stomach twisted with realization. "Ivy," I whispered, "look."
She followed my gaze and I saw her face grow even paler when she spotted Darius. "He's here," she breathed.
"You knew?"
"I saw him before I made the announcement.”
My blood ran cold. Everything was starting to make sense now, but in the worst possible way.
Father's private study was quiet compared to the chaos we'd just left behind. He closed the door firmly and turned to face us, his expression stern and tired.
"Ivy," he said, his voice careful and controlled, "I need you to explain to me exactly how you knew that food was poisoned."
Ivy took a deep breath, glancing at me before answering. "Your Majesty, this isn't the first time I've seen this happen. Back in the North, I overheard them planning to poison Prince Kade during his visit.”
Father's eyebrows rose. "You overheard them planning to poison my son?"
"Yes, sir. That's why I tried to warn him. That's why he left the pack so suddenly."
Father looked at her for a long moment, then shook his head slowly. "This is a very serious accusation, Ivy. Do you understand what you're saying?"
"I know exactly what I'm saying, Your Majesty. They tried to kill him once, and now they're trying again."
"You may leave us now," Father said quietly. "Wait outside while I speak with my son."
Ivy bowed her head and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. Father waited until her footsteps faded before turning to me.
"Kade, you don't need to believe everything she says," he said gently. "She could be trying to—"
"She's telling the truth, Father," I interrupted. "Every word of it."
He sighed heavily. "How can you be so certain?"
"Because she saved my life in the North. The real reason I left so abruptly wasn't because of political disagreements or diplomatic issues. They were planning to poison me during the farewell feast, and she warned me just in time."
Father stared at me in silence, processing this information. I could see the conflict in his eyes – the struggle between wanting to believe me and the political implications of what I was saying.
"We have no evidence, Kade," he finally said. "How do you expect me to just accuse the Alpha Prince of poisoning my son? That would mean war."
"There is evidence, Father. Ivy is a witness. She heard their plans."
He shook his head firmly. "She is a slave from that pack. No one will believe her testimony against an Alpha. You know this."
His words stung because I knew he was right, but they also made me angry. "Just like you don't believe her either?"
We stared at each other in tense silence. I could see the pain in his eyes, but also the political calculation. He was thinking like a king, not like a father whose son had almost been murdered.
"There's a way to prove it," I said suddenly. "Have the meals tested. Give my meal, Ivy's meal, and a random guest's meal to that dying rabbit we keep in the palace dungeon for testing suspicious substances. If mine is poisoned, the rabbit will show symptoms or die. If it's not, then we'll know Ivy was wrong."
Father considered this for a moment, and I could see him weighing the options. It was a fair test, one that would give us definitive proof either way. I turned toward the door, thinking we had a plan, when his voice stopped me cold.
"Your meal has been disposed of, Kade."
I spun around to face him. "What?"
His voice was flat, matter-of-fact. "There is no evidence."